Time passed smoothly as the Flying Raijin cut across the East Blue. Zoro and Nami remained entirely dedicated to their grueling training regimens. Under Luffy's guidance, even Nami was beginning to reliably sense the faint pulses of Observation Haki, keeping her in high spirits.
When the sun reached its zenith a few days later, a massive, sprawling city appeared on the horizon.
Luffy knew exactly where they were. Loguetown—the town of the beginning and the end. The place where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had been executed. As he stepped onto the bustling streets, Luffy debated with himself. Should he wait around and let events play out like the original timeline? If he rushed through the town, he might miss the chance to meet his father, Monkey D. Dragon. After a moment of thought, he decided to just go with the flow and not force any encounters.
Leaving Zoro to hunt for new swords and Nami to browse the boutiques, Luffy wandered into a dimly lit, near-empty pub. He sat at the counter, chatting amicably with the old bartender about the golden age of piracy for a few minutes.
The nostalgic atmosphere was abruptly ruined when the tavern doors swung open, and a gruff Marine captain with twin cigars in his mouth—Smoker—walked in. Not wanting to deal with the hassle of a fight just yet, Luffy slipped out of the bar without causing a scene. He took a brief walk through the central plaza, gazing up at the towering execution platform. Finding no sign of Buggy the Clown or any other interesting diversions, he headed back to the docks.
Once Zoro and Nami returned, their arms laden with supplies, Luffy gave the order to set sail. They left Loguetown behind without a single drop of blood spilled, charting a course for their next destination.
Meanwhile, halfway across the world, the atmosphere inside the Marineford headquarters was explosive.
"Garp, you bastard!" an infuriated voice roared, echoing down the pristine white hallways. "Is it a hobby for your family to cause me endless headaches?!"
Sitting carelessly on an ornate sofa, a massive, broad-shouldered man simply threw his head back and laughed. "Bwahahahaha! I have no idea what you're talking about, Sengoku!"
Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp grabbed another handful of rice crackers from a bag and tossed them into his mouth, crunching loudly.
Sitting across from him, sipping tea with a perfectly dignified and calm expression, was Vice Admiral Tsuru. She watched the Fleet Admiral pace furiously behind his desk, the decorative seagull perched on his hat bobbing with his every movement.
A few moments earlier, a terrified Marine officer had rushed into the office, handing Sengoku an urgent report from the East Blue. The report detailed the absolute, humiliating defeat of Captain Morgan at the hands of a newly emerged pirate.
Sengoku slammed his hands down on his desk. "Look at what your bloodline has done now! As if your son wasn't enough of a problem, now your grandson has raised a pirate flag and started terrorizing Marine bases! We have to crush him before he gets a foothold. Most of the world doesn't even know his name yet. I'm sending a battleship to the East Blue immediately to bring him in. Since he's your grandson, I'll show leniency if he surrenders and renounces piracy. But if he fights back, don't blame me for the consequences!"
Garp didn't look worried in the slightest. In fact, he started laughing even harder, which pushed Sengoku's blood pressure to dangerous new heights.
"Bwahahaha! Crush my grandson?! Bwahahaha! Don't even bother, Sengoku! Don't send anyone. It's completely pointless. You'll just end up with a pile of casualties on our side! Bwahahaha!"
Sengoku froze, his face turning a dangerous shade of purple. Tsuru set her teacup down, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Garp," she said, her voice cutting through the laughter. "What do you mean by 'casualties on our side'? The boy is only seventeen. Why would he be that strong? Is there something you've been hiding from us?"
"To hell with you, Garp!" Sengoku barked, storming around his desk. "You better make yourself clear right now! Are you implying your rookie grandson could demolish an entire Marine crew on his own?!"
Garp wiped a tear of mirth from his eye, his wide grin never wavering. "Bwahahaha! An entire crew? Bwahahaha! Sengoku, even if you send all three Admirals, the result will be exactly the same! That brat is a complete monster in his own right. During my last visit, he swatted away my Galaxy Impact like he was swatting a damn mosquito! Bwahahaha! What's an entire crew going to do?! He could level Marineford right now if he actually wanted to! I don't even have the confidence to say I could take him down myself! Bwahahahaha!"
The laughter echoed in the room, but neither Sengoku nor Tsuru joined in. A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the office.
If Monkey D. Garp—the Hero of the Marines, the man who had fought the Pirate King to a standstill countless times—evaluated a rookie that highly, it meant only one thing. The boy was an unprecedented natural disaster waiting to happen.
The massive problem was that this world-ending monster was flying a Jolly Roger. If word got out about his true strength, the balance of the world could be completely shattered.
Unable to contain his absolute fury and panic, Sengoku lunged forward, grabbing Garp by the collar of his suit. "You stubborn fool! If he is that strong, why the hell didn't you force him to join the Marines?! Are you trying to drive me to an early grave?! Every single generation of your family is a catastrophe!"
"Sengoku, let him go," Tsuru intervened calmly, though her eyes were grave. "If what Garp says is true, we cannot simply sit by and wait for him to enter the Grand Line. We must take immediate action."
Garp was still chuckling, entirely unfazed by Sengoku's grip. "Bwahahaha. I know, I know. Let me go to the East Blue and try to persuade him one more time. If I can't talk some sense into him, you can take whatever action you want. Bwahahaha!"
Sengoku released Garp, pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off a massive migraine. Years of tactical experience took over his anger. If they could somehow persuade this monstrous Luffy to join the Marines, the Navy would secure an unstoppable powerhouse for the next generation. Since Luffy was still in the East Blue and hadn't committed any truly heinous crimes yet, Sengoku could easily sweep the Morgan incident under the rug. He decided to gamble on Garp's familial bond.
"Listen to me very carefully, Garp," Sengoku said, his voice deadly serious. "If you can persuade him to join us, I will grant him a Vice Admiral position immediately. But don't blame me if you fail. You know the consequences. Take Vice Admiral Momonga and Admiral Kuzan with you. Try your absolute best."
Garp dusted off his collar, grinning. "I'll try! But don't get your hopes up. That brat has been shouting about becoming the Pirate King since he was in diapers. He's incredibly stubborn. Bwahahaha!"
Hearing the title 'Pirate King' spoken with such casual certainty made Sengoku and Tsuru share a grim look. They knew exactly what that title meant. If Garp openly acknowledged the boy's strength, he was genuinely in line to succeed Gol D. Roger.
"Just go and do your damn job, Garp!" Sengoku snapped, terrified that Luffy would do something earth-shattering before they could reach him.
As Garp strolled out of the office, still laughing to himself, Sengoku slumped back into his chair. It felt as though half his soul had just left his body.
"Tsuru," Sengoku muttered, staring blankly at the ceiling. "I really think I'm getting too old for this job."
Back in the East Blue, the massive, pristine white hull of the Flying Raijin glided effortlessly through the water.
On the deck, Zoro was swinging incredibly heavy weights, sweat pouring down his back. Nearby, Nami was practicing her agility and Observation Haki blindfolded. Luffy, meanwhile, was sprawled out on a lawn chair, soaking up the afternoon sun with a contented sigh.
He was incredibly satisfied with their progress. He knew that to truly push their Haki to the next level, they would need the intense pressure of a real, life-or-death battle, and he intended to give them exactly that very soon.
As he lounged, his advanced Observation Haki picked up a faint, metallic signature deep beneath the ocean waves. A submarine had been trailing them for hours. Luffy didn't sit up or show any sign of concern. He didn't sense any killing intent or malice coming from the vessel, so he simply let it be. He was almost certain it belonged to the World Government's premier scientist, Dr. Vegapunk, likely lured out by the futuristic technology of the Flying Raijin. Curious to see what the genius was after, Luffy decided to play along.
Late that afternoon, the ship arrived at its destination: Syrup Village.
It was a small, peaceful settlement nestled along a sloped coast. However, the moment the Flying Raijin dropped anchor near the cliffs, it attracted a massive amount of unwanted attention. The villagers had never seen a ship so incredibly huge or technologically advanced. When they spotted the skull and crossbones painted on the sails, panic erupted. Assuming it was the vanguard of a massive pirate armada, the villagers abandoned the coast, locking themselves inside their homes in sheer terror.
While the coast cleared out, one person remained. Standing atop a cliff overlooking the bay was a young man with a distinctively long nose. Behind him, three small children crouched in the grass, trembling in fear.
Luffy hopped up onto the ship's railing and called up to the cliff. "Hey! Do you have a good bar in this village? We need to restock some of our supplies!"
The long-nosed teen's legs were shaking so violently they looked like jelly, but he puffed out his chest and pointed a trembling finger at the ship. "D-Damn filthy pirates! What are you trying to do here?! If you think you can just march in and do whatever you want, you better stop dreaming! I am the great Captain Usopp! And I have exactly one million men waiting for my orders to strike you down!"
His voice cracked halfway through the bluff, but he stood his ground.
Luffy burst out laughing at the familiar, ridiculous lie. He waved a hand dismissively. "Shishishishi! You don't have to worry! We aren't here to cause any trouble. We just want to buy some food and drinks."
Hearing that they weren't planning a massacre, Usopp visibly deflated, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. "O-Okay. If you promise not to cause any trouble, I will personally guide you into the village. But you better behave yourselves!"
Luffy called Zoro and Nami up to the deck. After briefly introducing themselves to the self-proclaimed Captain Usopp, the trio followed him up the coastal path. True to his nature, Usopp spent the entire walk bragging about his fabricated exploits and non-existent armies, which Luffy and his crew simply laughed off.
When they reached the village tavern, Zoro, desperate for a good drink after days of relentless training, ordered several bottles of booze. The crew drank, ate, and eventually decided to spend the night in the village rather than walking back to the docks in the dark. They rented three comfortable rooms at a local inn and enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep.
The next morning, Luffy woke up early. Stretching his arms, he took a leisurely stroll down the dirt path leading back to the coastal cliffs.
When he reached the overlook, he stopped dead in his tracks. He blinked, rubbing his eyes.
The bay was completely empty.
The Flying Raijin—his massive, overpowered, million-point ship—was completely gone.
Luffy stared at the empty water, completely dumbfounded. Normal shipwrights or local pirates wouldn't have even been able to start the vessel; the control room was locked behind complex biometric scanners and futuristic mechanisms.
It didn't take long for Luffy's brain to connect the dots.
The submarine, Luffy thought, his eye twitching slightly. The only person in the world who could bypass those security measures and steal a ship like that without making a sound is that massive-brained genius, Vegapunk.
Luffy stood on the cliff, pondering his options. With his ridiculous stats and speed, he could easily track the submarine down and retrieve his ship. Alternatively, he had over a million Fate Points sitting in his system; he could just buy another Flying Raijin with a thought.
But as he stared at the empty bay, a nostalgic thought crossed his mind.
Alright, Vegapunk, Luffy thought, shaking his fist at the empty ocean. You damn thief. You better not put a single scratch on my beautiful ship, or I'm going to punch you to the moon!
Having officially sworn future revenge on the world's greatest scientist, Luffy turned around and casually walked back to the inn to break the news to his crew that they were currently stranded.