Garp didn't announce his arrival.
He never did.
The first sign that Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp had entered Shells Town was the sound of something breaking.
Specifically, the sound of a Marine training dummy exploding.
The reinforced post, rated to withstand even cannon recoil, vanished in a spray of splinters and dust as a massive fist passed cleanly through it. The shockwave rippled outward, rattling nearby buildings and sending a flock of startled birds screaming into the sky.
Silence followed.
Then
"BWHAHAHAHA!"
Garp straightened, rolling his shoulder. "Man, they really don't build these things like they used to!."
Luffy, who had been mid-stretch nearby, froze.
With a wide, child-like grin, he spun to face the now docking warship.
"OH," He said brightly, "He's here!"
Garp grinned at him, teeth flashing under the sun, scarred arms crossed over his chest. Bogard stood a few steps behind him, immaculate as ever, cape fluttering lightly in the breeze.
"HEY! BRAT!"
The call thundered through the port like a cannon blast, every person not already drawn to the striking figurehead now focused on the booming voice and laughter of the massive man standing on the deck.
"YO! GRAMPS!" A voice called in return, not quite matching the baritone, but equally as loud.
Zoro paused mid-swing with his weights. Nami stopped counting reps. Koby snapped to attention so hard he nearly fell over backward.
"Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, sir!" Koby shouted.
Garp waved him off. "Relax, pink kid. You'll give yourself whiplash."
Then his gaze locked back onto Luffy.
"So," Garp said casually, "You punched a Marine base into good behavior."
Luffy scratched his cheek. "It kinda deserved it."
Garp's grin widened.
"Good answer."
Before anyone could react, Garp's figure blurred, Not even Luffy could follow the rapid movement.
That is until he was in front of Luffy, fist raised back for a punch.
Zoro was shocked. As the only other combatant present, he had the clearest read on the strength on display. Even with Luffy's earlier bursts of speed, he could at least track him.
The air shook as a fist the size of a bowling ball crashed into Luffy's head, sending him face first into the ground.
"Ow! Dammit Gramps, why do your punches always hurt so much!"
Everyone was confused, Zoro even had a hand resting on wado-ichimonji's hilt.
"Aren't you made of rubber? How does a punch even hurt you?"
"BWAHAHAHAHA! THERE'S NO DEFENSE AGAINST THE FIST OF LOVE!"
Luffy managed to drag himself out of the crater his face made, looking over to Zoro preparing to draw steel against his grandfather.
"Hey, whatever you do, don't try and fight him. He might kill you," Zoro tensed, the warning taking him by surprise. He was so surprised he missed the hint of mischief creeping into Luffy's gaze.
"Like he almost killed me when I was younger!"
Even the gathering Marines were shocked to hear this. Did Vice Admiral Garp really try to kill his grandson?
"Don't make me sound bad brat," Garp replied, already picking his nose with his pinky. "Though I admit, there was that one time I threw you into that bottomless ravine… and I left you in the jungle a few times too… and the few times I sent you sailing on those balloons…"
Nami, Zoro, Koby, even the newly arrived Morgan and the Marines were slackjawed at the growing list from Garp.
A large hand lifted the still staggering Luffy from the ground by his shirt.
"But that was just training to make you strong! Besides,"
His fist pulled back again, ready to deliver another 'fist of love' "You owe me an apology, WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT CALLING BEFORE THROWING PUNCHES YOU TROUBLEMAKER?"
The captured Luffy made a show of wiping the sweat from his forehead.
To the side, Nami was panicking. Luffy did say he would call before making any moves, and he had used Garp's name to subdue the Marines.
"Wait Grandpa, we can talk about this!"
Nobody noticed the slight smirk forming on both Garp and Luffy's face.
"What, you're trying to tell your Grandpa what to do now?"
"Not good," Nami thought. "If these two fall out, any plans are out the window."
The atmosphere was tense as seconds turned to minutes.
"Are they…?"
Morgan face-palmed with his good hand.
"Why was he the one that had to beat me?"
Everyone else could only look on bewildered as twin snot bubbles rose and fell. Luffy still suspended in the air, Garp still clutching his shirt.
Both completely asleep.
Bogard shook his head, a wry smile forming at the antics of Garp and his grandson.
"This family is bizarre…" Zoro was confused. He looked to Nami for some kind of explanation, she had been there longer after all.
The girl was fuming. She had actually been worried for a second, and these two were taking a nap.
"WOULD YOU TWO IDIOTS KNOCK IT OFF!"
She clamped a hand over her mouth. She was dead. No way she made it out of this. This was the hero of the navy! And she was still technically a pirate!
*pop*
Both bubbles popped.
"Oh Gramps! You made it! Good to see you again!"
"HAHA, my grandson's happy to see me! Even set some marines straight, I'M SO PROUD!"
Garp finally released Luffy's shirt, dropping him unceremoniously back onto his feet. Luffy wobbled for half a second… then steadied, rubbing the side of his head.
"Man," he muttered. "You didn't even ask how I was."
Garp crossed his arms, grinning. "You're alive. That means you're fine!"
Bogard cleared his throat. "Vice Admiral… perhaps we should address the matter of jurisdiction, reassignment, and the structural damage to a government facility?"
Garp waved him off. "Later."
Bogard sighed. "…Of course."
With enough wasted time, Garp finally got down to business.
"Alright then, hero-brat," he said cheerfully.
"Since I'm here…" The grin sharpened.
"…let's see how strong you've actually gotten."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "Oh! Are we sparring?"
Garp laughed, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. "No."
He took a step forward.
"We're training."
As Garp turned to head to the outskirts of town, Luffy turned to his friends.
Zoro was ready to follow, eager to see the Marine Hero in action. Nami was ready to head back into town to rest.
"Nami!" He called out, causing her to pause mid step. "You come too, you should see this."
He knew that if Nami was to open up to him about Cocoyasi she would need to see that Arlong wasn't truly that strong in the grand scheme of things.
She was confused at first, but seeing the earnest look in his eyes she swallowed her protest.
"Yo gramps," Luffy called to the retreating Garp.
"Eh?"
"I just recruited a swordsman. Says he wants to be the best in the world."
Zoro perked up
"BWAHAHAHA! That's good," Garp erupted into laughter, "That pretentious bastard Mihawk's always been annoying. Bogard! Come on, show the kid what he's up against."
Bogard could only shake his head, his usual stern expression softening slightly. By now, he was completely used to being roped into Garp's plans. He vanished from where he was standing, once again stunning Zoro at the immense speed on display.
Resting a hand on his shoulder, Bogard politely introduced himself.
"Greetings, swordsman-san."
It was a subtle motion, but the strength of his grip, and the aura surrounding him immediately set the green haired swordsman on edge. He nodded back, his spirit stirring at the coming challenge. "Zoro. Lets see what you've got."
By the time the townspeople realized who had arrived, Luffy was already standing in the dirt outside the town, stretching his arms as green sparks flickered faintly across his skin.
Zoro leaned against a fence, arms crossed. "You're actually going to fight him."
"Yep!" Luffy said cheerfully.
Nami pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're going to die."
"Nah. Probably not," Luffy replied.
"That's not comforting."
Garp cracked his knuckles. "Alright, brat. Show me what you've got."
Luffy inhaled.
Deep.
The world sharpened.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Koby's eyes widened. "Th-that's stronger than before!"
Luffy vanished from sight as he shot forward.
The air boomed as he reappeared in front of Garp, fist snapping forward like a cannon shot.
Garp's arm moved into position perfectly, like he knew exactly where the blow would land before it was even launched.
Their fists collided.
BOOM.
The impact detonated outward, flattening grass, hurling dust into the air, and sending a shockwave that rattled windows all the way back in town.
Zoro's grin widened. "That's more like it."
Luffy skidded back, boots carving trenches into the earth, arms vibrating with feedback.
"…Ow," he muttered. "Okay, yeah. That hurt."
Garp laughed. "Good! Means you're still alive!"
He stepped forward, and the pressure changed.
Not the dominating presence that knocked out the Marines, just the presence that came from surviving countless battlefields.
The ground cracked under Luffy's feet as he steadied his breathing.
Green sparks crawled faintly along his arms. This was good. The more he pushed himself, the more he felt like he was getting used to his body.
Garp squinted.
"…You're doing something weird."
Luffy grinned. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
They moved.
Luffy launched forward, muscles screaming as he pushed himself harder than he ever had before. Not recklessly, this was deliberate. He remembered how it felt when Midoriya first used One For All properly.
"Full Cowling," Luffy muttered under his breath.
"Ten percent."
Garp met him head-on.
The collision thundered through the air, the impact sending a shockwave rolling outward. Luffy skidded back, boots carving lines into the dirt, arms buzzing painfully.
"Ow!" he shook his hands. "The backlash shouldn't even affect rubber, why are my arms numb?"
Garp laughed. "Good! Keep learning from this!"
They exchanged blows again. Luffy was faster now, stronger, his movements stretching just a little farther than normal, snapping back with elastic force. Garp blocked, countered, and tested.
After a particularly heavy clash, Garp stepped back, eyes narrowed.
"You're reinforcing your body," Garp said. "But not with Armament."
They circled.
"But," Garp continued, "I felt something else flare when you pushed yourself."
Luffy hesitated.
"…Yeah," he admitted. "That part felt familiar."
Garp raised a brow. "Familiar how?"
Luffy didn't answer right away.
When Izuku fought seriously…
When he pushed past fear…
There was always that pressure.
That presence.
That wasn't One For All itself, it was his will, his mental energy feeding it.
Luffy's chest tightened.
That's what changed.
In this world, will wasn't just an emotion, it was baked into the system of power. He'd seen it in those visions, great waves of will spilling out from Whitebeard, pushing against the minds and bodies of the marines. Will here has a physical weight.
And when his emotions spiked, frustration, protectiveness, refusal, that invisible pressure surged first… and then his body followed.
He looked up at Garp.
"I think… my strength grows when my will does."
Garp's grin sharpened.
"Now you're speaking my language."
Garp cracked his knuckles.
"That pressure you felt? That wasn't muscle."
He stepped forward.
"That's Haki."
Luffy listened carefully.
"Everyone's got it," Garp said. "Most never touch it, but the truly strong all master it."
He tapped his temple.
"Observation is like reading intent."
He shot forward then, once again increasing his speed and moving faster than Luffy could see "Armament," he began, appearing in front of his grandson, fist already mid punch. " Is will hardened into force."
The blow landed with a thunderous noise, folding Luffy nearly in half before he shot off like a canon ball.
On the sidelines Nami covered her mouth. This was insane. They were moving faster than she could even see. The shockwaves from their clashes had already collapsed the few abandoned buildings around them.
But beneath the shock, the seed of hope planted by learning Luffy's connection to the Marine Hero had started to bloom. With this kind of strength, even without Garp, she was starting to think that Luffy could really do it.
Back on the battlefield, a battered Luffy made it back to his feet, clutching his stomach and fighting back the bile rising in the back of his throat.
"BWAHAHAHA!" The booming laugh again rang out over the impromptu battle ground.
"You probably figured it out, but Armament also counters devil fruit powers."
"So thats why…" Luffy rasped out, still catching his breath after the last punch. He finally understood why even as a rubber man Garp's punches still hurt like hell.
"And then there's the one that knocked half a Marine base unconscious without touching 'em."
Luffy swallowed.
"That was… accidental."
"Doesn't matter," Garp said. "Conqueror's Haki ain't about control at first. It's about refusal."
He leaned in slightly.
"You told the world 'no', and your force of will made it listen."
Luffy felt a chill.
That's exactly what it felt like.
Luffy clenched his fists. So thats what is was called, that weaponized form of will. This world had Haki.
And One For All…
…was acting like a multiplier.
Not creating strength, but multiplying what he had.
His body, already monstrous, gave One For All a foundation it had never had before.
And Haki? Haki was feeding into that same circuit.
As my will grows…
My strength ceiling rises with it.
No wonder he couldn't use 100%.
Both the power and the container were still expanding.
Luffy straightened slowly.
Every breath burned.
His muscles trembled, not from injury, but from the strain of pushing his ceiling higher than it wanted to go. Green lightning crawled more visibly now across his skin, tracing the lines of his arms and legs like veins of energy.
Garp watched him closely.
"Still standing," the Vice Admiral noted. "Good."
Luffy rolled his shoulders, then glanced sideways at the gathered crowd.
Morgan, Koby and the Marines looked on in awe, both at Luffy's strength and the vice Admiral's dominance.
Zoro looked anxious to start his own fight.
Nami was watching, no longer wide-eyed at the destruction, a glimmer of hope beginning to shine in her eyes.
Luffy exhaled. If he was going to show her there was a way out, she needed to see everything.
He shifted his stance. The setting of his feet widened and his knees bent. His weight settled lower, legs bracing for his next attack.
Garp's brow lifted slightly.
"Oh?" he murmured. "Changing styles?"
Luffy's grin returned, smaller, and sharper.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I figured something out."
He closed his eyes in focus. Midoriya's memories aligned. The pain, the broken bones, the moment he realized power didn't have to come from fist alone. The science of leveraging as much power as possible in a single kick
Shoot Style wasn't just about the strike, it was about control.
Luffy's heel dug into the dirt.
The ground cracked.
Green lightning flared brighter.
"Full Cowling," he whispered.
Then, after a heartbeat…
"Fifteen percent."
The pressure snapped outward, his untamed Conqueror's haki surged with his rising power. A physical weight settled over the crowd. Some of the weaker marines swayed on their feet.
Even Bogard's coat fluttered as the air thickened.
Zoro braced instinctively.
Nami's breath caught.
Koby staggered back a step.
Luffy moved, not forward this time, up.
He launched skyward in a single explosive step, the ground detonating beneath him as he spun midair. Faster and faster, his body rotating like a living drill, the wind screaming outward in violent spirals.
Even from a distance, the force was palpable.
The air howled.
His leg elongated as he spun, rubber stretching to build momentum, muscle tightening under OFA's reinforcement.
Garp's grin widened.
"There it is."
Luffy twisted his hips, rotation peaking.
"BUZZSAW-!"
The world seemed to hold its breath.
"-SMASH!"
He came down like a falling star.
His heel crashed toward Garp in an overhead arc, compressed power and elastic force collapsing into a single point.
BOOOOOOM.
The earth under Garp cratered.
A shockwave erupted outward, flattening grass, ripping up dirt, and blasting everyone but Bogard off their feet. Zoro skidded back, boots carving trenches. Koby tumbled. Nami was forced to brace herself against a fence as the wind tore past her.
At the center, Garp stood.
Feet buried deep into the ground, arms crossed in an X to catch the blow.
The earth beneath him had sunk several feet, smoke curled upward from the point of impact.
For a heartbeat nothing moved.
Then Garp's arms dropped.
He laughed.
Not booming.
Not mocking.
Genuine.
"Hah," he snorted, straightening. He had noticed his grandson's look to the girl before his attack. "Now that was a message."
Luffy landed awkwardly, rolling once before coming to a stop on one knee, chest heaving. His leg trembled violently as he tried to stand.
He managed it.
Barely.
"…Ow," he admitted. "Okay. Yeah. That was everything."
Garp stepped forward, looming, then stopped.
"Good," he said simply.
Nami stared, her gaze fixed on Luffy. He hadn't won, not by a long shot. But he hadn't broken either, and for the first time, she understood something deep in her bones.
This idiot wasn't just dreaming.
He was building towards something, and she actually found herself believing that he could do it.
Luffy glanced at her, just briefly, and smiled.
No words or promises were needed, the decimated landscape was his proof.
Garp clapped a massive hand on his shoulder, nearly knocking him over.
"You're a bit stronger than I expected," the Vice Admiral said. "Strength-wise?"
He scratched his chin.
"Probably close to the average Vice Admiral."
Koby and every Marine present took in a sharp breath.
Luffy blinked. "Is that good?"
Garp grinned, sharp and dangerous.
"It means," he said, "you're strong enough to survive the world."
Then his expression turned serious.
"But in terms of actual combat effectiveness? Low to mid rear admiral."
Everyone was shocked again. Why was he downgraded?
Luffy nodded however. His combat sense had always been prodigious, and after the fusion he gained an incredible level of analytical skills.
"It's because of haki right?"
"Got it in one hero-brat!" He patted his shoulder again, this time sending him sprawling.
To everyone's surprise, it was Nami that stepped forward to help him up.
He gave her a small smile, more meaningful than his usual goofy grin. She gave a small smile back, surprising even herself at how genuine it was. Looking back up at his grandpa, Luffy continued.
"I don't have any way to reliably counter devil fruits or other haki users right now, so if they can't be brute forced, I'd be helpless."
Garp nodded back, a proud smile stretching his face.
Even Bogard looked on approving.
"Then I'll keep growing."
Garp laughed again.
"Good answer."
The wind settled as the dust drifted away, and Nami led Luffy back to the crowd, Zoro and Bogard stepped forward.
Now that the captain had been measured, it was the swordsman's time to test his mettle.