Vice Admiral Garp's dog-headed warship was docked at the crescent-shaped harbor of Marineford. A swarm of Marines was busily loading supplies onto the ship. Garp himself lay sprawled on a deck chair, donning his signature dog hat, munching leisurely on doughnuts.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
Kalit approached with Rosinante, saluting crisply. Garp sat up and waved.
"Ah, you're finally here. I've been waiting so I can head back to the East Blue to see Dragon. Come on, go grab the third-grade cannonball from the armory."
"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp!"
Kalit saluted again. Garp's adjutant, Bogard, stepped forward to escort them below deck.
This particular warship was a custom-built model, its armory was massive. As they entered, Rosinante was immediately stunned by the sheer number of cannonballs stored within.
Bogard chuckled. "Vice Admiral Garp is known as the human cannon. Having a mountain of cannonballs on hand isn't strange at all. The third-grade ones are this way."
He led Rosinante further in. The cannonballs on Garp's ship were numbered by size. Standard rounds were first-grade cannonballs. The larger, millstone-sized ones were second-grade. But the third-grade cannonball? That thing was the size of a small car, and it even had a thick iron chain attached to it.
Garp normally used these in battle. A single shot from one of these was enough to obliterate an enemy warship.
Rosinante stared up at the enormous cannonball towering over him. He reached out to tug on it, it didn't budge an inch.
That's when it hit him: A month from now, am I really supposed to drag this thing around the Marine Academy training field?! Did I just dig my own grave...?
Turning to Kalit with a desperate look, Rosinante asked, "The Marine Academy's field isn't... that big, right?"
"Not at all. Just one lap is about five kilometers."
Kalit smiled.
Rosinante's face turned dark.
Five kilometers?! While dragging this?! This is beyond brutal!
As he groaned in despair, his eyes drifted toward a sealed section of the armory labeled fourth-grade cannonballs.
"There's a fourth-grade cannonball too?"
Bogard nodded. "That's Vice Admiral Garp's secret weapon. It's not usually stored here, it's kept at the fortress. Each one is the size of a fifth of a warship and weighs more than a full battleship. Only Vice Admiral Garp can wield one, and he uses them as standard weapons."
"Wha—?! A cannonball that big?! That's terrifying…"
Rosinante couldn't help but wonder.
"Alright, Bogard. We'll be taking the third-grade cannonball. Let Garp know for us."
"Understood."
Bogard nodded. Kalit grabbed the iron chain with both hands, unleashed a sudden burst of strength and hoisted the cannonball clean off the ground.
Rosinante was floored.
Wait a second. This woman's not even a named character in One Piece! Since when did people like her exist?!
But that thought vanished just as quickly. Of course. Kalit was Sengoku's adjutant. The kind of enemies Sengoku faced weren't your average pirates, they were monsters like Whitebeard or Golden Lion.
If Sengoku could go head-to-head with Whitebeard, then Kalit had to be strong enough to stand up to at least a Whitebeard division commander. Otherwise, she wouldn't survive long in his service.
And Bogard, too—he clearly wasn't just some ordinary officer. Anyone who could serve as Garp's right-hand man had to be the real deal. Garp's archenemy was Roger himself. Someone had to deal with Roger's monstrous crewmates in those fights.
When you really thought about it, adjutants like these two were anything but average. The world of One Piece ran deep—so deep that even under your nose, dangerous people could lurk completely unnoticed.
Their low profile made sense, though. Sengoku was destined to become Fleet Admiral, and he rarely had to engage in combat directly. Kalit's job was to stay by his side as protection.
As for Bogard, he followed Garp. Garp spent most of his time wandering the seas. By the time the series officially began decades later, Garp had retired, and Bogard had vanished from the spotlight right along with him, never leaving behind a public legacy.
Kalit carried the third-grade cannonball off the ship with Rosinante following. As soon as they disembarked, Garp gave the order to set sail for the East Blue—clearly eager to start his vacation.
Watching Garp's dog-headed ship grow smaller in the distance, Rosinante muttered, "I finally understand why the East Blue is called the weakest sea."
"Oh? You've figured something out?" Kalit asked.
"It's because of Vice Admiral Garp. He goes home every year. Anytime a pirate with even a hint of promise shows up in the East Blue, Garp probably beats them senseless. How could any strong pirate survive there?"
Rosinante analyzed thoughtfully. Kalit nodded, surprisingly convinced. "You might be onto something. Should we suggest to Admiral Sengoku that he go back to his hometown too?"
Rosinante shot her a look. "You really think my dad would agree to that?"
Kalit shook her head. "No way. The Navy can't go a day without Admiral Sengoku."
"Exactly. The Navy might manage without Iron Fist Garp, but without Buddha Sengoku? Forget it. Let's go, Mr. Kalit, I still need to get back and train."
Rosinante turned and headed back toward Sengoku's estate. Behind him, Kalit—still hauling the enormous cannonball called out, "Hey, it's Temple Festival Day in Marineford! You're not even gonna check it out?"
"Festivals are for civilians." Rosinante called back, not even slowing his pace. "A Marine's celebration is the training field, the battlefield, the front lines where we protect the people. I don't waste time on distractions."
Kalit watched his retreating figure, then shook her head with a wry smile. "Such an insufferable brat. But as a Marine… he's actually pretty solid."
"Wait for me, Rosinante~!"
Training, that was Rosinante's entire focus for the next month. Aside from meals, sleep, and the occasional visit to Sengoku's study to read, every other waking moment was spent wearing the weighted lead vest Garp had given him.
Over time, he adapted. The vest got heavier. His appetite ballooned. His body changed.
The massive Sea King Garp had supplied was nearly eaten down to nothing in just a few days. Sengoku had to send Kalit and a team to the Calm Belt to hunt down another Sea King to keep up with Rosinante's consumption.
The more Sea King meat he ate, the faster his body developed. Over the course of a single month, Rosinante grew a full 20 centimeters. At just eight years old, he was now a towering 160 cm tall.
And with that, the month flew by.
The day had come.
It was time for Rosinante to face Z's entrance trial.
(End of Chapter)
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