The entire deck was deathly silent, no one dared to respond.
Just then, a dazed mumble came from a corner, breaking the heart-pounding silence.
"Hmm? What's this? It's stuffy."
A Boatswain with a scar on his face rolled over and sat up from a pile of ropes, clutching a white bundle in his arms. He instinctively reached out and shook the bundle open.
"This... isn't this Commodore Dragon's coat?"
The Boatswain confusedly held up the Justice cloak that represented his rank as a commissioned officer, his brain not yet processing the situation.
"Hehe, Commodore Dragon is actually quite a nice guy, covering me up so I wouldn't catch a cold..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly felt the surrounding temperature drop to freezing.
He looked up stiffly, meeting Garp's emotionless eyes.
The terrifying pressure caused cold sweat to instantly soak the Boatswain's back. His drunkenness vanished, replaced entirely by fear.
Garp reached out a calloused hand and silently took the coat.
On the coat, the word "Justice" remained striking, but it no longer held its owner's warmth.
In the most prominent spot inside the collar lining, a line of black handwriting was scrawled, radiating resolve.
[Old man, by the time you see this note, I'll be gone. I don't agree with your Justice, I'm going to find the real answers. Don't look for me. —Dragon]
Crack!
The unfinished bag of senbei in Garp's hand was instantly crushed into powder.
Even from a distance, Tatsuki, who had been "shivering" at the end of the line the whole time, could clearly feel a terrifying aura surging wildly within Garp, like a volcano about to erupt.
In the sky, the previously clear clouds suddenly churned, as if responding to the rage of this top-tier powerhouse.
The wooden planks of the deck emitted slight cracking sounds.
The surrounding Marines trembled under the pressure, some even falling to their knees as their legs gave way.
"That damn... brat!"
Garp's voice was low and raspy, carrying an imperceptible tremor. "He actually really took this path?"
He knew Dragon had always been dissatisfied with the World Government. But he hadn't expected him to leave so resolutely, so completely.
Without even a single goodbye.
"Vice Admiral..."
Bogard glanced at the writing on the coat, his pupils shrinking.
He immediately stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "The situation is serious. Should we notify Marineford immediately? Request an emergency bounty?"
A Commodore from Marineford, the son of the Marine Hero, had actually defected.
If this were true, it would be a scandal that would shock the world.
"Notify my ass!"
Garp suddenly flew into a rage, slamming a fist into the side of the ship.
Boom!!!
With a deafening roar, the entire sturdy warship shook violently.
The section of steel-forged railing was instantly reduced to dust. The terrifying shockwave of the punch, laden with tangible Haki, blasted a vacuum path hundreds of meters long across the ocean.
Distant waves exploded, and several lurking Sea Kings were knocked unconscious and floated belly-up before they could even let out a cry.
All the Marines were terrified into collapsing by this world-ending punch, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Garp panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot. He stared at the coat in his hand for a long time before finally letting his hand drop weakly, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
"Bogard!"
"Here!"
"Monkey D. Dragon encountered an extreme storm while on a reconnaissance mission and unfortunately fell overboard. He is missing, status unknown."
Garp turned his back, not wanting his subordinates to see his expression. "Report this to Marineford. If anyone dares to gossip, I'll throw them into the sea to feed the fish."
This was the final cover a father could provide for his son.
Bogard took a deep look at Garp's lonely back, snapped to attention, and saluted. His voice was firm. "Yes! All hands, hear my command: Commodore Dragon has gone missing in the line of duty. All personnel, observe a moment of silence!"
All the Marines immediately bowed their heads, extremely silent.
Meanwhile, Tatsuki, who stood in the crowd with his head buried lowest of all, heard the wonderful notification sound in his mind once again.
[Ding! Host has successfully misled Marine high-ranks and assisted in covering up a major defection!]
[Obtained Violation Points: 5,000!]
Tatsuki tried his best to suppress the upward curve of his lips.
Sorry, Vice Admiral Garp.
I've caused you to lose a son. But rest assured, in the future, I'll help you lead your grandson astray too.After all, a family should be kept together.
"Tatsuki!"
Garp suddenly let out a roar, startling Tatsuki.
Was he exposed?
Tatsuki immediately snapped to attention and shouted, "Here!"
Garp turned around. Though his eyes were still a bit red, he had regained his unreasonable demeanor.
He tossed Dragon's coat into Tatsuki's arms. "Dragon is gone, and I'm short a fighter on my ship."
Garp grinned—a smile that looked worse than crying—but it carried an irresistible dominance.
"Since you're the genius praised by Zephyr, you'll take Dragon's place. From today on, you're the backbone of my ship. Train your life away. As long as it doesn't kill you, train like your life depends on it."
A terrifying pressure enveloped Tatsuki. "If you dare to run, or if you're too weak, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth just to give you a Fist of Love."
Looking at Garp's fist, which was larger than his own head, Tatsuki gulped.
How was this cultivating a "backbone"?
This was clearly a father who had lost his beloved son and wanted to find a durable punching bag to vent his frustration.
Is this karma?
Holding the coat that still carried the warmth of the Revolutionary Spark, Tatsuki looked at Garp's face, which practically screamed "you're in for it," and suppressed his tears while giving a standard military salute.
"Yes! I promise not to run! I promise to be durable!"
Garp nodded with satisfaction, the gloom in his heart seeming to dissipate slightly. He then waved his hand, pointing toward the turbulent waters of the New World in the distance.
"Full speed ahead! Target: the New World!"
"Let's go catch that bastard Roger. Right now, I'm really pissed off."