There were a lot of people on the dock, and when Luffy said that line, everyone's faces filled with doubt.
After all, the idea that you could gain powers just by opening a jar sounded way too far-fetched.
"Mr. Garp, what do you think?"
Makino turned her gaze toward Garp, who was standing beside Luffy.
Everyone in Foosha Village knew that Garp was a powerful Marine. He had traveled far and wide and seen more of the world than any of them.
"This old man cannot say for sure whether Luffy is telling the truth or not. There are too many mysterious things in this world. Devil Fruits are one such example."
"Actually, the main reason I came here this time was to investigate whether what Luffy said is real. Come on, let us all go have a look first. Whether we open anything or not does not matter. Looking is free anyway."
Garp could not judge if Luffy's words were entirely correct.
Not because he thought Luffy was lying, but because he worried Luffy might have been used by someone with ulterior motives.
Items that can temporarily grant power did exist in this world. Hypnosis was one example.
It was entirely possible that the jar merchant had used some kind of Devil Fruit power to stimulate Luffy's potential, causing his strength to explode for a short time.
"I am going too."
Seeing everyone getting ready to head over, Makino grit her teeth and followed.
"Luffy, are you sure it is that ship up ahead? It looks totally ordinary. There is nothing special about it at all."
Ace eyed the shabby ship moored at the dock and could not help complaining.
"Ace, that is not just some broken ship. Big brother is amazing!"
Luffy's admiration for Amon now was no less than what he felt for Shanks. Hearing Ace badmouth Amon, he immediately jumped to his defense.
"But it really does look ordinary…"
Ace had not expected a casual jab to trigger such a strong reaction from Luffy. He did not dare say more and could only mutter under his breath.
"Hahaha, alright, alright, you two stop arguing. We will know once we go see for ourselves."
Sabo quickly stepped between the brothers, playing the peacemaker.
"Hahahaha, that ship really is not ordinary. Let us go."
The kids' eyes were not sharp enough to see it, but Garp, who had run across the world for decades, had already noticed that while the ship's exterior looked run down, the material itself was far from common.
From the glimpse he caught of the cabin interior, its level of luxury was no less than that of some grand ships he had seen before. That made him even more curious about Amon's identity.
Since Garp had said so, no one dared to look down on the "broken" ship any longer.
Luffy, seeing this, puffed up with pride.
Nothing felt better than hearing other people praise your idol.
...
Inside the cabin, Amon was eating and drinking the food provided by the system, lounging on a chair while admiring the scenery outside.
Since he had come to the world of One Piece, he might as well enjoy the view properly. If he treated work like a vacation, it would not feel so exhausting.
It was just a shame that if there were two beautiful girls at his side right now, it would be absolutely perfect.
"Big brother, are you there? I am back!"
While Amon was relaxing and enjoying the scenery, Luffy's childish voice floated in from outside the cabin.
"Hehe, he is here."
Hearing Luffy, Amon's heart leapt with joy. He had never doubted Luffy's ability to bring him customers.
First, Luffy was very well liked in Foosha Village. Second, as a Marine vice admiral, Garp would definitely come to investigate once he saw Luffy bring back something so strange.
Sure enough, when Amon stepped out of the cabin, he immediately spotted Garp in the crowd, tall and broad-shouldered, flat-topped hair and a thick beard covering his jaw.
To Amon's delight, Luffy had not only brought Garp. He had brought four others as well.
If he was not mistaken, the two brats to the left were Luffy's sworn brothers, Ace and Sabo.
The other two should be Foosha Village's chief and the tavern's proprietress, Makino.
Today, Makino wore a crimson blouse. Her short green hair, wrapped neatly beneath her headscarf, made her look especially charming.
"You are the jar seller Luffy talked about?"
While Amon was quietly observing them, Ace frowned and asked.
It was no wonder Ace was suspicious. From Luffy's description, Amon should have been some mysterious, powerful, highly capable figure. Instead, what he saw was an ordinary young man, making it hard to believe that jars from his hands could produce such incredible things.
"Of course. My name is Amon Nagi. I am the owner of this merchant ship. The main goods I sell are these mysterious clay jars."
Facing the group for the first time, Amon introduced himself calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.
"My name is Sabo. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Amon."
Sabo was the first to respond. He bowed slightly after speaking, displaying graceful manners.
This made Amon's opinion of him shoot up.
As expected of someone who had been trained in noble etiquette since childhood.
"Hello, Mr. Amon. I am Makino."
Right after Sabo spoke, Makino followed with her own introduction.
"This old man is Garp, grandpa of Luffy and Ace."
Compared to the previous two, Garp seemed much more rough and casual.
He did not give off the heavy, oppressively dignified aura of a great figure Amon had imagined. If Amon did not already know who he was from the story, he might really have mistaken him for just an ordinary old man.
"I am Ace."
Ace gave a small nod. That was his way of greeting Amon.
Amon understood Ace's personality, so he did not mind it.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Amon. I am Woop Slap, the village chief of Foosha Village."
Once the others had introduced themselves, the village chief followed.
"Welcome, everyone, to my humble shop. Are you here to open some jars?"
After the introductions were finished, Amon finally asked the question that mattered most to him.
This was what he cared about above all else.
He definitely did not want to spend his entire life stuck in Foosha Village.