Marine Headquarters—Marineford.
The door to Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office slammed open. As he looked up from the documents he was reviewing, he saw Garp strolling in with a rice cracker dangling from his mouth.
"Garp! How many times have I told you to knock before entering?!" Sengoku adjusted his glasses, veins bulging on his forehead as he roared.
In the entire Marine Headquarters, only that old bastard Garp could waltz into the Fleet Admiral's office so casually.
"Too much trouble," Garp sprawled lazily onto the leather sofa. "Got any good tea?"
Sengoku's eye twitched. Garp, that tough guy, never bothered with formalities. Sometimes, Sengoku really wanted to punch him, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"Let's get to the point," Sengoku sighed, rubbing his temples. "What's the deal with that brat Bahr? You rescued Shalria, but you let him get away." His tone carried a hint of curiosity.
He had already received the report, but he never expected Garp to let a rookie slip through his fingers. Youngsters who could escape Garp unscathed were rare.
As for complaints? Please. The World Government knew full well that Garp was a tough guy to deal with. As long as he didn't cross any fundamental lines, they turned a blind eye.
In the end, strength determined status.
"That kid's got some tricks up his sleeve," Garp mumbled through a mouthful of rice crackers. "Solid Haki, and a weird ability—probably spatial manipulation. He slipped into space and vanished."
"Solid Haki and spatial abilities…" Sengoku tapped his fingers on the desk. "For someone like that to emerge from the weak East Blue…"
If Garp called it "solid," then it must be impressive.
"Cut the crap. East Blue isn't weak," Garp shot Sengoku a glance, grinning. "That brat's strong, and with that tricky spatial ability, he's a real handful. If he had actually fought seriously, I might've ended up with some bruises."
Despite the thunderous punches he threw, Garp had been reinforcing his body with powerful Haki the entire time. Even so, his fists still bore marks.
Especially that "Black Sphere"—though he shattered it with brute force, it drained a massive amount of Haki. If the fight had dragged on, things might have turned out differently.
Old age had its limits. Staying in good shape was one thing, but expecting endurance?
Youth always had the advantage in a brawl.
Hearing this, Sengoku finally grew serious. He knew Garp well—even if the old man joked around, if he praised someone, that person was definitely no pushover.
Just as he was about to press for details, he saw Garp prop his feet up on the coffee table, crunching loudly on his rice crackers.
"Garp!" Sengoku snapped. "Can't you eat quieter?!"
"Pfft—HAHAHA! Sengoku, don't be so stingy. Rice crackers don't taste right if you don't crunch 'em loud!" Garp laughed heartily before asking, "By the way, what's HQ planning to do with that brat?"
Sengoku massaged his throbbing temples, stood up, and walked over to the sofa, tossing a bounty poster at Garp. "See for yourself!"
Garp glanced at it, the rice cracker still in his mouth. The photo showed a grinning young man, labeled:
Blasphemer—Bahr
The bounty figure was staggering, but what stood out most was the red-inked note in the bottom corner:
"Capture Alive Only."
"Puhahaha, this brat's first bounty is a whopping 1 billion Berries? Now that's impressive!" Garp laughed so hard he nearly choked, spraying rice cracker crumbs all over the couch.
Sengoku brushed them off with distaste, his tone laced with resignation: "Attacking a Celestial Dragon is already a grave crime, but kidnapping Shalria on top of that? The repercussions are severe. Word is when Shalria was rescued... ahem... she wasn't quite right in the head. Higher-ups are demanding Bahr be captured alive for a public execution."
"Mental issues?" Garp suddenly recalled how the woman had called Bahr "Master," his lips curling in disgust. "Serves her right. Can't stand those stuck-up types who look down their noses at everyone."
"You..." Sengoku eyed Garp's indifferent expression but ultimately swallowed his reminder about watching his words.
They all knew the Celestial Dragons' nature. No one pitied Shalria's predicament!
.....
At Twin Capes.
The Straw Hat crew gathered around the lighthouse when Usopp, scratching his long nose, caught a dark blur streaking across the sky. Quickly adjusting his goggles, he shouted hoarsely: "Look! There's someone in the sky!"
"Trouble?" Zoro, the green-haired swordsman, instantly gripped his three blades, eyes sharp as a hawk's.
Sanji flicked away his cigarette with flair, turning starry-eyed toward Nami: "Don't worry, Miss Nami! I'll protect you!"
But Nami barely registered him, squinting at the airborne figure with a sudden jolt of recognition. "That way of walking on air... it's just like that bastard's ability!"
"Whoaaa, so cool!" Luffy jammed his straw hat onto his head, bouncing on his toes excitedly. "Walking in the sky? Awesome!"
Just then, a figure plummeted like a meteor—tall and lean, his face hidden behind a swirling mask except for piercing eyes.
It was Bahr. After escaping Garp, he'd raced toward the Grand Line, only to wreck his ship while navigating Reverse Mountain. Hence the aerial approach using his Spatial ability.
As for the disguise... well, a man this handsome naturally drew attention. Best to wrap that face up tight to avoid complications.
Seeing the Straw Hats gave him pause—especially Nami, making his lips twitch. Fate really had thrown her together with Luffy, huh?
But no time for musing. Brushing past the crew, ignoring Mr.9 kneeling on the sand and Princess Vivi pretending to spectate, he strode up to Crocus at the lighthouse: "Old man. Got a boat?"
Crocus eyed him. "Just a rowboat for my errands."
Bahr's cheek spasmed. A dinghy in the Grand Line? Might as well sign his death warrant.
Using his Devil Fruit power? Please. Aside from the mind-numbing boredom, hitting freak weather would be suicidal—especially in the Grand Line's chaotic climate.
Seeking hardship for no reason?
Glancing at the straw-hatted boy who was eyeing him curiously, Bahr suddenly had an idea. He took two quick steps forward and said, "Hey, Straw Hat, let me hitch a ride to the next island. That's all I need."
"Sure!" the straw-hatted boy agreed cheerfully.
"Hey, hey, hey..." Usopp smacked Luffy on the back of the head. "You don't even know his name, and you're just letting him on our ship like that?"
Luffy scratched his head and turned to Bahr. "So, what's your name?"
Bahr was momentarily speechless, thinking to himself that this was indeed the same clueless straw-hatted boy. He raised a hand to adjust the nonexistent bangs on his forehead and blurted out, "My name is Uchiha... Tobi."
"Uchiha... Tobi???" Luffy's face was full of confusion. "What a weird name!"
A smirk tugged at Bahr's lips as he scoffed, "What do you know? Our Uchiha Clan may be from a small village in the East Blue, but we're a noble family with a thousand-year legacy."
"A thousand years!!!" The straw-hatted boy's eyes widened, sparkling with amazement. "That's so cool!"
Zoro, Sanji, and even the ever-lying Usopp all stared at Luffy in disbelief. How could he possibly buy such an obvious lie...
Nami crossed her arms, a glint of shrewdness in her eyes. "That build, that arrogant attitude, and that ridiculous fake name... There's no doubt it's that bastard..."