You never knew which would arrive first: the new ship… or Garp.
At this time, Garp was around twenty years old, almost in the absolute prime of his life, already holding the rank of Vice Admiral. But do not misunderstand—Vice Admiral did not mean weak
This man, even in old age, was a monster.
So let me ask you plainly.
Is Garp's rank of Vice Admiral comparable to that of an ordinary Vice Admiral?
Look me in the eyes.
Answer!
This man, in his youth, chased Roger all over the Grand Line!
Roger stood casually on the bow of a captured battleship anchored near the island.
"Ku-ha-ha-ha! Rayleigh! This ship's pretty impressive, huh?"
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses calmly.
"Roger, Marine warships are naturally superior."
Down in the hold, Gaban split open barrels of booze with his axe.
"What does it matter? First we feast—then we worry about everything else!"
Reith ran over with a sly grin.
"Bad news! A Marine patrol has sent a Vice Admiral after us!"
Silence instantly fell over the deck.
Roger casually picked his ear.
"What's his name?"
"…Garp," Reith replied. "They say he can sink an island with one punch."
To say Reith wasn't excited would be a lie.
Guys, I'm shipping this so hard right now!
Garp has always been part of Roger's life!
He runs, Garp chases—he runs again—this is front-row seating, brothers!
The Marine warship tore across the sea at terrifying speed. The dog-shaped figure on its bow gleamed in the sunlight.
"This…" Gaban narrowed his eyes.
Reith's hair suddenly stood on end.
"Why… why is there such overwhelming pressure coming from that ship?!"
The little man inside Reith screamed hysterically.
We're here!
The historic first meeting between the Pirate King and the Hero of the Marines!
And I—Reith—am witnessing it firsthand!
[Mini-Theater Inside Reith's Head]
Your mother—your mother—YOUR MOTHER!
It's a living, breathing young Garp!
Those muscles! That dog-headed ship! That nose-picking habit!
I'm seeing something even the zero chapter of One Piece wouldn't dare draw!
WOW—WOW—WOW!
Suddenly, Reith imagined Garp charging forward with a Rasengan, shouting
"ROGER!"
Roger answered with a Chidori, yelling "GARP!"
The untold secrets of Uzumaki Garp and Uchiha Roger… hehehe…
"Little Wraith," Roger's voice cut in. "Why aren't you charging into battle today? That's not like you."
"Ahaha… I think I've got a bit of a stomach ache today, Captain," Reith said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Me? Fight Garp?
I'm six years old!
That's the future Hero of the Marines in his youth
Do you take me for an idiot?!
"Ku-ha-ha-ha! Little Wraith suddenly got a stomach ache?" Roger laughed and ruffled his hair.
"You scared?"
A vein bulged on Reith's forehead.
"W-Who's scared?! I'm just… strategically conserving my strength!"
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses.
"Oh? And who was it yesterday claiming he'd handle ten Vice Admirals by himself?"
"How can you even compare those?!" Reith jumped up
"This is Ga—"
He didn't get to finish.
A sharp whistle split the air.
All four looked up simultaneously.
Three massive black cannonballs flew toward them in a triangular formation.
Reith's pupils shrank.
Garp… throwing cannonballs with his bare hands.
Roger suddenly lifted Reith overhead.
"Reith! Time to demonstrate your strategy!"
"W-Wait— Captain Roger—what are you doing—A-A-A—!"
Before Reith could react, Roger hurled him like a baseball.
Fog instinctively wrapped around Reith's body as he flailed midair. He drew his wooden sword and coated it with Busoshoku Haki.
"I rub—I rub—I RUB—A-A-A—!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The cannonballs exploded within the fog. Reith was blasted backward and crashed into the beach like a meteor, leaving only his legs sticking out of the sand, twitching.
"Cough… cough… I hate you, you idiot Roger…" came a muffled curse.
"Great job!" Roger gave a thumbs-up.
The Marine warship docked.
A massive figure descended from the sky using Geppo, a cloak of JUSTICE billowing behind him.
"Gol D. Roger!" Garp roared, fists cracking as he clenched them. "I am Garp! And I will bring you to justice!"
Then he noticed something wriggling in the sand.
Reith finally pulled his head out and locked eyes with him.
The air froze.
Garp blinked.
"…Pirate crews hire children now?"
"You're one to talk!" Reith shouted, sand still in his hair. "Your whole family is full of children! I'm the Fog Ghost with a bounty of fifty million! You're chasing Roger and you don't even know all his crew members?! Are you looking down on me, you bastard?!"
Garp's expression shifted—from surprise, to confusion… then to excitement.
"Interesting! Kid, how about joining the Marines? Food, shelter, and—"
"No!"
"Oh? Then never mind." Garp scratched his head. "But I did come here to arrest criminals."
"Taking you in works too!"
— Iron Fist: Meteor!
Reith's brain went blank.
Bro… when you were younger, if someone didn't agree, you just abducted them?!
A massive Haki-coated fist tore through the air.
Reith instantly dispersed.
"— Misty Art: Feign Death!"
From the fog came his scream:
"Uncle Rayleigh, help! This old geezer is serious!"
Rayleigh drew his sword and intercepted the blow.
"Roger" he sighed, "our boy's mouth is as sharp as ever."
Roger slapped his thighs, laughing.
"Ku-ha-ha-ha! And full of spirit too!"
Garp suddenly changed targets.
"Then I'll deal with you first, you child-spoiling bastard!"
"— Divine Departure!"
The collision shook the island. Half the beach was obliterated.
Reith rolled back to Gaban's feet.
"Brother Gaban! Do something with your invincible axes!"
Gaban calmly puffed his cigarette.
"What are you panicking for? You're a Logia."
"It's Garp!" Reith gestured wildly. "He beats Logias like they're his grandchildren! I'm a toy to him!"
As if on cue, Garp laughed loudly in the distance, barehandedly catching Rayleigh's slash and hurling it back at Roger.
Reith: (╬艹皿艹)
"Cheater! He doesn't even hide it! Author, are you seeing this?!"
Crouching defensively, Reith clutched his head.
"That's it… that old geezer turned on cheats."
Gaban grabbed him by the collar.
"Come on. I'll take you somewhere nice."
Ten minutes later—inside the galley.
"And you call this a nice place?!" Reith asked, holding an entire roast turkey.
Gaban cracked open a barrel of booze.
"Eat. You'll need strength to run."
The ship shook violently.
From outside, Garp's roar echoed:
"ROGER! GIVE ME BACK MY SHIP'S MAST, YOU BASTARD!"
Reith froze mid-bite.
"…Should we go help?"
Gaban poured him some juice.
"Relax. Our captain won't lose that easily."
"…That makes sense."
After eating their fill, they knocked out the remaining guards. Reith didn't kill anyone—he simply stunned them with Haoshoku Haki. There were no real monsters aboard yet.
At this moment, Garp's combat power was on an entirely different level.
In the future—when he commands Bogard and a hot-blooded young Kuzan—fighting him will be far more terrifying.