"Since Mr. Rowan has arrived, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I won't disturb you all further. I'll take my leave now."
Aokiji stretched lazily, bid farewell to Rowan, Sengoku, and the others, and then slowly strolled out of the office.
Kizaru followed suit: "Me too~."
"Ah! Gramps! What are you doing! I don't want to be a Marine, I want to be a pirate! I'm the man who's going to become the Pirate King, the freest man on the sea!" Suddenly, a shrill cry echoed from the corridor outside the office.
Then came a thunderous THWACK.
The voice immediately turned into a pathetic wail.
"Aaaaah!! It hurts, it hurts!! Gramps! That hurts!"
Immediately after, Garp's righteous and booming voice rang out: "It hurts? Good! This is my 'Fist of Love,' packed with affection! Let me tell you, your only choice from now on is to join the Navy. I'm going to train you into the strongest Marine!"
Despite his age, Garp's voice was full of vigor and resonance, sounding nothing like an old man's. Of course, compared to Luffy's high-pitched, piercing shrieks, Garp's voice was slightly drowned out.
"Arara... Mr. Future Pirate King, could you perhaps move aside? Even the freest man on the sea shouldn't block the path for others, right?" Aokiji looked at Luffy, who was crouching in the hallway clutching his head, and the fuming Garp. He scratched his head lazily and sighed.
"Kuzan, you brat, don't you start! What 'Pirate King' nonsense? Luffy is joining the Navy!" Garp snatched Luffy by the collar, hoisting him up like a disobedient kitten, and turned to glare at the Admiral.
"Arara, Mr. Garp, you should tell that to your grandson. Telling me won't do much good." Aokiji shrugged, bypassed the eccentric pair, and headed toward the nearby elevator.
Kizaru, with his usual lewd-looking expression, cast a surprised glance at Luffy but said nothing, simply following Aokiji out of the office.
Meanwhile, inside the Headquarters elevator.
Akainu, who was already heading downstairs, adjusted the brim of his cap. His face was grim.
The son of the Revolutionary Dragon, the grandson of Marine Hero Garp, a brat brought here by the Marine Godfather... and his goal in life is to become the Pirate King...
Back in Sengoku's office.
Luffy had been dragged inside by Garp. With his head swollen like a pig's, Luffy didn't dare utter another word.
Seeing Luffy's pitiful state, Zephyr and Tsuru couldn't help but steal glances at the furious Garp. They couldn't imagine that Garp, who was usually carefree and smiling with everyone, could be so brutal when beating his own grandson.
Furthermore, they wondered just how durable this grandson was to withstand Garp's iron fists. They had clearly seen that when Garp struck, he was actually using Armament Haki.
Even Zoro, Ain, and Momousagi watched the scene with hearts thumping in fear. Zoro, in particular, was inwardly rejoicing. Thank God I'm not that old monster's grandson, or I'd be getting killed by those beatings. Who could survive that?!
Rowan, however, showed no reaction to the bruised Luffy or the huffing Garp. In fact, at certain times, Luffy had it worse under Rowan's tutelage than under Garp's hand. While Luffy looked miserable, to him, this was just a small lesson.
Finding a seat and making himself comfortable, Rowan tapped out the ash from his pipe, refilled it with fresh tobacco, lit it, and took a relaxing puff. Only then did he speak.
"Sengoku-boy. The matter I asked you to handle over the phone... how is it coming along?"
Rowan was, of course, referring to his rank. Reinstating his position as a Vice Admiral and then promoting him one level higher—to Admiral.
Hearing this, Sengoku and Garp exchanged a look, both appearing hesitant. Zephyr and Tsuru also looked at each other. The matter Master Rowan asked Sengoku to handle? Is it that "becoming an Admiral" thing he mentioned earlier?
After a moment of silence to gather his thoughts, Sengoku spoke seriously: "Teacher, I feel that this matter is still a bit... inappropriate. After all, we have no such precedent. If you truly wish to stay at the Headquarters, I can arrange a high-level clerical position for you. That would be much more stable."
"Exactly, Pops! You're already at this age, why do you care about rank? The current sea is a world for the youngsters; even I don't go out on missions much anymore," Garp added in persuasion.
In their minds, reinstating the Old Man's rank was a net loss with no benefits, let alone giving him an Admiral position.
At that moment, Zephyr walked over. He gave Sengoku and Garp a mysterious, knowing grin. "Sengoku, Garp—you two should just do as Master Rowan says. I believe that since he's asking for it, he naturally has his own reasons and certainty."
"Go away! You brat, don't go meddling in things you don't understand!" Garp glared at Zephyr and shoved him aside.
"Hey! What kind of talk is that? What do you mean 'things I don't understand'?" Zephyr, whose injuries weren't fully healed, was easily pushed aside by Garp.
Before he could explain further, Rowan spoke: "Clerical work won't be necessary. Sengoku-boy, just do as the Old Man says. Zephyr is right; I may be old, but I know what I'm doing."
Seeing Rowan's persistence, Sengoku fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"Teacher, although you are the person I respect most, you've been retired for so long. Rank isn't something that can just be 'restored' on a whim. And even if I could restore your Vice Admiral status, a promotion to Admiral isn't something I can decide alone. It requires significant military merit and undeniable strength."
Left with no choice, Sengoku resorted to using the Navy's formal regulations.
However, hearing this, the corners of Rowan's mouth curled up. "Military merit and strength?"
"Correct," Sengoku nodded.
Rowan looked at him meaningfully. "Sengoku-boy, are you saying that as long as the Old Man's merit and strength meet the standards, you can get me an Admiral spot?"
Sengoku felt something was off about the question, but he nonetheless nodded. "Yes, that is correct."