'What is he talking about?' Buggy stared at him, completely baffled. 'A Marine? When did I say I wanted to be a Marine?'
All he wanted was to work under Vice Admiral Garp, to become an powerhouse in the East Blue just like this oaf Mock. If a brute like him could pull it off, then with Buggy the Great's brilliant mind and incredible abilities, he could at least become a Warlord under Garp's protection.
The thought sent a shiver of excitement through him, erasing any lingering awkwardness. He lifted his head, his eyes shining with a greedy sort of hope as he looked at Garp. "Boss Garp, I want to work for you, just like Captain Mock!"
"What? Work for me?" Garp grunted. "This kid doesn't work for me."
"That's right," Mock chimed in, grinning. "I don't work for Boss Garp!"
"..."
'He calls him "Boss Garp" so casually, and he still denies it?' Buggy thought, a flicker of contempt crossing his mind. 'I've already seen right through you two, and you're still putting on this act? Do you really take me for an idiot?' The contempt was especially sharp for Garp. To think the Marine hero who used to chase his captain all over the seas, shouting about justice, was nothing more than a hypocritical old man.
He plastered a serious look on his face, met Garp's gaze, and nodded firmly. "I get it, Boss Garp. I want in on it, too."
"You really want to work for me, kid?" When Garp saw the boy was serious, he shoved a handful of snacks into his mouth and erupted in laughter. "One of Roger's crew actually wants to join me?"
He stared at Buggy like he was the most fascinating creature in the world. "Are you sure you're not joking?"
"Of course!" Buggy cursed inwardly but kept a wide, eager grin on his face. He puffed out his chest, ready to pledge his loyalty on the spot.
"Bwahaha! We can talk about that later. Right now, I'm on vacation!" Garp just chuckled and clapped Buggy on the shoulder, raising the beer in his hand. "It's not every day I run into a familiar face. Have a drink with me!"
"To Boss Garp!"
As Mock raised his mug, Buggy felt another wave of disgust at the charade. But he lifted his own glass, feigning excitement. "Boss Garp, cheers! It's an honor, truly, an honor, to have a chance to work for you!"
'It feels like I'm betraying the captain,' he thought, 'but... a man's gotta live.'
Seeing one of Roger's old crew brought Garp back to the days of chasing Roger across the Grand Line, and a rare wave of nostalgia washed over him. The thought of one of Roger's old crew shamelessly trying to join him was just too good. He could just imagine the look on Roger's face...
Garp laughed until his eyes watered, fighting the sudden urge to drag the kid back to Marineford right then and there.
But his vacation came first. He gave Buggy another hearty pat on the back, then remembered why he'd come in the first place. He turned to the owner of the bar with a cheerful grin. "Makino, where's Luffy? I've been back for days and haven't seen a trace of the little brat. Don't tell me he snuck off to sea already?"
"Garp-san, Luffy and his brothers promised they wouldn't set sail until they were seventeen," Makino said with a helpless smile as she wiped a glass. "You're their grandfather, how could you forget something like that?"
She set the clean glass down and looked at Garp, who didn't seem bothered by her gentle chiding in the slightest. Picking up another glass to polish, she said softly, "Luffy is working on the neighboring island right now."
The moment she said it, Garp froze, his beer mug halfway to his lips. He blinked. "Working?"
He leaned in, his voice suddenly sharp. "Neighboring island? That little rascal set sail?"
"I already told you, he hasn't set sail yet," Makino replied, shaking her head. Her tone was a mix of fondness and exasperation. "A little while ago, some people came from the next island over to recruit workers in the Goa Kingdom. A lot of people from here went."
She explained how everyone was wary at first, especially when they heard the boss was supposedly a pirate. But after a few desperate people from the Gray Terminal went and found out the offer was real, food, lodging, and even wages, more and more people followed.
"The Mayor Woop Slap went to check it out himself," she continued. "The place is just as they described. A lot of people from the kingdom have gone there. Haven't you noticed how quiet Foosha has gotten? They've all gone to work."
"Is that so?" Garp scratched his head. "No wonder it felt like half the village was missing. I just figured they were all sleeping in. So they went to work?" He grinned. "Hah! So the little rascal is actually keeping his promise to me."
He downed the rest of his beer in one go. "So, Luffy really went off to get a job?"
"Yes. He heard you could eat your fill, so he decided to go. At first, he refused when he heard he'd have to go out on the water, because he remembered his promise. But when he heard it wasn't really setting sail, just working, and that he could come back every week, he changed his mind. Mayor told him that if he worked hard and saved up, he could buy his own ship, and that sealed the deal."
Recalling the scene of the Mayor coaxing Luffy, a small smile touched Makino's lips, but it was quickly followed by a hint of worry.
"However, so many commoners have left the Goa Kingdom that I hear the king and the nobles are furious. They even sent guards over to cause trouble a few days ago. They were driven off, but everyone's worried the king might send the Marines next. If that happens, everyone will lose their jobs."
"Marines?" Garp snorted, slapping his chest. "Hah! Don't you worry about that. I am the Marines. If anything happens, you tell those idiots from Goa to come find me! They can't even take care of their own people, and they have the nerve to complain? This has nothing to do with us. Bwahahaha!"
He let out a booming laugh. "I didn't expect to hear such good news on this trip. Serves those fools right! Come on, you two! Drink up!"
"Cheers, Boss Garp!" the other two shouted back.
"Everyone will be so relieved to hear that, Garp-san," Makino said, her smile returning. She went back to wiping her glass. "If I'm counting the days right, Luffy should be back in two days. He'll be so happy to see you. You know, that child has saved up quite a bit of money for his ship. He was worried about losing it, so he left it all with me for safekeeping. Even Mayor has been praising how sensible he's become."
"Bwahaha, is that right?" Garp beamed, pleased to hear his grandson being praised. Then, something she'd said seemed to click. His laughter died in his throat. He leaned forward, his expression suddenly serious. "Wait. What did you just say?"
--**--**
At a construction site on the island neighboring the Goa Kingdom.
*Achoo!*
A boy in a straw hat let out a sneeze so powerful it seemed to shake the whole site, making the workers around him jump.
"Whoa, Luffy, that was a big one! You catching a cold?" a rough voice called out from behind him.
Luffy, who had been dazed for a second, rubbed his nose and scratched his head, his eyes wide with confusion. "No, I just feel like... something is about to disappear."
"Disappear? What are you talking about?" A burly man in a hard hat walked over. "It's time for lunch. How are you not the first one sprinting to the mess hall? That's not like you, kid. Don't tell me you're really sic-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Luffy's head snapped up.
"LUNCH?!"
As if he'd just heard the most important words in the world, Luffy's face split into a massive grin, all other thoughts instantly forgotten. He clamped his dusty right hand on his straw hat, and his left arm shot forward.
*Thwip!*
His entire body launched through the air.
"I almost forgot about food! Shishishi! I'm starving! Time to eat!"
He left the stunned foreman standing there, mouth still open.
"...sick?" The man stared blankly as Luffy landed right at the entrance to the mess hall, then cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Remember to wash your hands!"
After getting a distant "Got it!" in reply, the man shook his head with a helpless laugh. "No matter how many times I see it, that kid's power is something else. Guess he's not sick after all."
As he spoke, he glanced up, and his gaze fell on the straw-hatted boy who was now single-handedly carrying away the entire rice barrel. His helpless smile vanished, replaced by sheer panic. "HEY! You little monster, leave some for the rest of us! I haven't eaten yet!"
===============
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