"What do we do!?"
The Marine standing behind the cannon—torch raised and ready—called out anxiously.
At that moment, the supposedly downed Garp pushed himself upright with a massive yawn.
BOOM!
He stretched lazily… and casually punched the cannon.
The thick barrel twisted into scrap with a deafening crunch.
Everyone froze.
Garp scratched his belly, squinting irritably.
"Why's it so noisy…? I'm exhausted over here…"
"Vice Admiral Garp! We thought you'd been taken out!"
The officer from the transfer ship rushed over, still shaken.
Garp's face instantly shifted to shock.
"What?! Someone got taken out? I must've been asleep—I didn't see anything. Where's the injured?!"
He looked around frantically, scanning the deck.
The Marines stared at him like he'd grown a second head—because the only one with a gaping, bloodied gash in his chest…
was Garp.
Silence blanketed the ship.
Garp blinked, finally looked down at his own wound, then back up at the wide-eyed Marines.
"Ohhh… so I was the injured one."
No one even knew what expression to make anymore.
They looked at each other with identical, helpless smiles.
"Vice Admiral Garp, Davy, he—" Norris cut in, pointing toward the horizon where a small silhouette was growing smaller by the second.
Garp followed his gesture, shrugged.
"He's not a prisoner. If he wants to walk off, let him."
He laughed it off, but his expression quickly sharpened.
"The real problem is there, isn't it?"
He tilted his chin toward the sea.
Koby was swimming with everything he had, arms flailing desperately as he closed in on the small escape boat.
Davy also glanced back toward the Marine ships.
By now, Garp should be awake.
Everything afterward played out exactly as Davy remembered—
so long as he didn't interfere.
Koby would board the boat, declare "friendship," fight with Helmeppo against Morgan…
Morgan wouldn't kill them.
He'd throw them into the sea and escape alone.
On that little boat were three people Davy despised:
Morgan — a tyrant who abused his authority and oppressed civilians.
Helmeppo — a spoiled bully who lived off his father's tyranny.
Koby — a future "hero" whose words and actions seldom matched.
He wanted nothing more than to kill all three.
But with Garp watching from the warship…
Davy didn't dare.
If he derailed the script now, Garp might chase him seriously—
and that would cut off every route of escape.
So he waited.
And everything unfolded as it should.
Garp stayed on deck, stuffing doughnuts into his mouth while watching through a telescope.
He didn't pursue.
On the small boat, chaos escalated.
Koby lunged in and clamped his teeth down on Morgan's leg.
Morgan roared in pain and glared down fiercely.
"You really want to die, don't you?"
I won't die!
Not before I become a real Marine!
Koby didn't answer.
He just held on with everything he had.
But compared to Morgan's strength?
It was nothing.
"Game over."
Morgan grabbed him by the collar, lifting him effortlessly.
The axe rose.
Koby's face contorted with terror—tears and snot mixing as he kicked uselessly.
"Bastard!! Put him down! Put him down right now!!"
Helmeppo, panicked beyond reason, hammered Morgan's leg with weak fists.
Morgan looked at the two struggling boys, and something sharp flickered through his eyes.
Then—
He didn't chop them.
He tossed both overboard.
"You worthless insects aren't even worth killing. Don't show yourselves before me again."
He spat the words coldly and began rowing away.
"Morgan!!" Helmeppo screamed, desperation cracking his voice.
Morgan paused just enough to tilt his chin.
"I'll let you live today. But someday, I'll surpass you… Someday, I'll catch you. Just wait!" Helmeppo shouted from the sea, trembling with newfound resolve.
Morgan's laugh was like ice.
"Calling yourself a Marine now? So righteous? Have you forgotten everything you did?
All the people who suffered because of you?
The ones who died because of your abuse and lies?"
The cold splash of truth extinguished Helmeppo's fragile fire.
Before he could respond, a voice descended from above.
Morgan stiffened.
Davy hovered overhead, silent and cold, the wind whipping around him.
"You—who are you? What do you want!?" Morgan barked.
Davy ignored him.
His gaze drifted toward the Marine warship in the distance.
He forced down the fury boiling in his chest.
He refused to look at Helmeppo again.
Whatever Morgan's motive for sparing the two brats—whether cowardice or convenience—he had made the correct choice.
Only if Koby and Helmeppo were tossed into the sea would Garp prioritize rescuing them over chasing anyone else.
And that was exactly what Davy needed.
Only then would Garp treat the boys as valuable seedlings.
Only then would he leave them with the Marine branch instead of taking them aboard.
Only then would he not pursue with full force.
Everything was now in place.
Morgan had outlived his usefulness.
Rankyaku.
The air split with a scream.
Morgan's eyes widened. He raised his axe in panic—
It snapped in half instantly.
The world spun.
He saw blood spraying from his waist.
He saw his lower body collapsing separately.
He heard Helmeppo's distant, breaking cry.
The boat cracked apart and sank into the waves.
Morgan's severed body tumbled into the sea.
"Dad!!!"
Helmeppo's wail tore across the water.
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