Translator: PapaSmurf0700
"Grandpa... Grandpa!"
On the far side of the clearing, Luffy's jaw hit the deck, the piece of meat he was chewing tumbling to the ground. He stared, completely dumbfounded.
The rest of the Straw Hats weren't exactly cheering. Their reactions were a potent cocktail of dread and awe. This was not the welcome reunion they'd had in the tavern.
"His presence here says it all," Robin observed calmly, her eyes fixed on the legendary Marine.
Garp, however, seemed to have no time for his grandson's antics. His focus was locked on the Dark King, and he let out a thunderous laugh that shook the trees.
"Don't look at me like that, Rayleigh! I'm not a Vice-Admiral today. Just an old man hired to knock some sense into a few brats! Gahahahaha!"
Only then did Rayleigh notice Garp wasn't in his formal uniform. The iconic "Justice" coat was gone, though the dog-head cap was still firmly in place. He couldn't help but be intrigued.
"Oh? And I'm quite curious what price the Priest paid to get you out of retirement, Garp." Rayleigh's gaze shifted to Bai Ye, a new level of respect and suspicion in his eyes. He understood why he, himself, was here—for Roger's legacy. But Garp? After a lifetime of chasing Roger, Rayleigh knew the iron-clad justice the man upheld. Garp wouldn't bend his principles, not even for his grandsons.
"My promise to him was simple," Bai Ye said, stepping forward, his voice steady and calm. "After this war is over, the Great Pirate Era will end. For good." He met Rayleigh's gaze. "The old man simply agrees that my method is better."
Was Garp's justice ever really the Navy's justice? Hell no. If it were, he wouldn't have defied orders countless times or openly shown his contempt for the Celestial Dragons. Garp's justice was about one thing: protecting innocent people. He joined the Marines because he believed they were the best tool for that job. It's why he couldn't bring himself to save Ace publicly—in his cold calculus, sacrificing the Pirate King's son to crush the Four Emperors and quell the tide of piracy would save more lives in the long run. That was the brutal reality of Garp's conviction.
Sengoku's justice was different, a rigid belief that only the World Government's order could bring peace. Garp's was far more pragmatic. If another power emerged that could protect the world better than the Navy, Garp's loyalty could be swayed.
That was the core of the deal Bai Ye struck with him. He had shown Garp a path where the age of piracy could be ended without sacrificing Ace and Luffy.
And Bai Ye was damn sure he could deliver. The second wave of the Great Pirate Era was triggered by one thing: Whitebeard's final words. That promise of treasure was a siren call to every desperate, downtrodden soul, driving them to sea. Bai Ye's plan wasn't to kill every pirate—that was impossible. His goal was to kill the dream of piracy. To make going to sea a fool's errand, a path to ruin, not riches. The truly bloodthirsty monsters would always exist, but they would be the fringe, not the flood.
For Garp, a man who had dedicated his life to stemming that tide, this outcome was more than he could have ever hoped for. He had no reason to refuse.
"Oh?" Rayleigh's brow furrowed in confusion. "You're a pirate, yet you made a promise to a Marine hero to end the era of pirates?"
He replayed everything he had seen Bai Ye do, every calculated move. A stunning guess began to form in his mind.
"Is this chaotic, blood-soaked era really what Roger wanted to see?" Bai Ye asked, his question hanging in the air. He didn't wait for an answer. "I believe Luffy can achieve what Roger couldn't. The person Roger was waiting for has finally appeared."
Rayleigh's eyes sharpened. He understood the monumental implication of Bai Ye's words. This wasn't a rookie pirate talking. This was the future Vice-Captain of the Pirate King, making a declaration.
"Luffy will become the Pirate King," Bai Ye stated, his confidence absolute. "And when he does, the era that Roger started will have served its purpose. It will be time for it to end."
Looking into Bai Ye's unyielding eyes, Rayleigh felt it for the first time—a profound and humbling realization.
They've surpassed us, Roger...
"Gahahaha! You've got a silver tongue, Priest boy!" Garp bellowed, seeing the flicker of acceptance on Rayleigh's face. He turned his attention back to the Straw Hats, a terrifyingly familiar grin spreading across his face as he cracked his knuckles.
It was the same grin Luffy remembered from a childhood filled with brutal "training."
"I made a promise to the boy here," Garp announced, his voice booming with glee. "So you all better prepare yourselves! I'm going to train you lot the same way I trained Luffy!"
The memory of Garp's "training" methods sent a collective shiver down the crew's spines. Even Zoro, watching the laughing behemoth, couldn't help but gulp. He had a very, very bad feeling about this.
But Garp wasn't finished. He turned back to Bai Ye, his smile vanishing. "So where is that brat? He hasn't arrived yet?" An angry vein throbbed on his forehead. "That asshole! Making me wait for him? It seems he's forgotten the taste of my Fist of Love!"
Hearing this, Rayleigh's eyes widened in dawning horror. "Priest boy... you didn't recruit someone else, did you?"
Bai Ye simply shrugged. "Senior Rayleigh, you are teaching Observation Haki and swordsmanship. Mr. Garp is handling Armament Haki and physical combat. It only makes sense to have another master to help develop their Devil Fruit abilities."
Seeing Bai Ye's infuriatingly logical expression, Rayleigh was suddenly reminded of the times Roger had manipulated him with that same smug reasoning.
"We only have five months," Bai Ye continued smoothly. "A third teacher reduces the burden on both of you, doesn't it?"
The grin on Bai Ye's face was the spitting image of Roger's.
"...You've got some serious balls, kid," Rayleigh conceded, shaking his head. "Alright, tell me. Who is this person who has Garp so pissed off?" He paused. "It couldn't be... his son, could it?"
Bai Ye's grin widened.
"Yes... it is. And he's here now."