East Blue, Foosha Village.
A loud rumble echoed through the air.
Large swaths of trees snapped in the back mountain as billowing dust soared into the sky.
Accompanied by agonizing wails, the tall and robust Garp stormed out in a fit of rage.
"Damn old man, Ace went out to sea! Why are you hitting me!
Luffy's battered and bruised face peeked out from beneath his straw hat as he shouted angrily from the collapsed forest.
"Heh, this is your grandpa's warning to you!"
Garp did not bother looking back. He raised his Fist of Love and strode toward the Foosha Village docks.
Leaving the back mountain, he dropped his cursing demeanor. A loneliness feeling washed over his face.
He had sailed for days at maximum speed to return from the Grand Line.
Ultimately, he failed to make it back before Ace set sail.
He had taken in the Pirate King's posthumous son as his adopted grandson. He originally hoped the boy would join the marines and walk a different path from his father.
But this sea seemed to hold an invisible curse.
It eventually guided Ace to embrace the fate of setting sail.
"Ace, do you really yearn for this so-called pirate freedom that much?"
Garp sighed. He stared blankly at the distant azure waves.
A dog-headed warship ready for a long voyage waited at the Foosha Village port.
Seeing the vice admiral return, an adjutant immediately stepped forward to report.
"Vice Admiral Garp, headquarters has an urgent military situation that requires your presence."
"Hmph, is it a request from that old bastard Sengoku?"
"Ah? Not Fleet Admiral Sengoku. It is Chief of Staff Tsuru!"
The adjutant broke out in a sweat. "It is an urgent situation in the East Blue.
"Let us leave first!"
Garp nodded and led the way onto the warship.
Ace's departure left him feeling absolutely devastated.
"Yes, sir!"
The adjutant complied without delay
Honk!
The warship's horn blasted through the sky
The vessel eased out of the dock and sped toward the depths of the ocean.
"Speak."
He slumped into a lounge chair on the deck with a noticeable lack of energy.
"Arlong Pirates, who have entrenched themselves in the East Blue for a decade, were wiped out yesterday." The adjutant read from the document in his hands.
"Oh? Could it be that brat Ace's doing?"
Garp instantly perked up and sat straight.
Unfortunately, things were not as he imagined.
"Um, The one who wiped out Arlong Pirates is a young man named Lius."
The adjutant flipped through the file. "While striking down a pirate crew is a good thing, it seems this Lius also murdered a captain from a nearby branch!"
"So what does Tsuru need me to do?"
Realizing it was not Ace, he lost all interest
"After killing the marine captain, Lius apparently did not flee immediately. Instead, he took Arlong's severed head and went to the branch in Cowell Town to claim the bounty!"
"Oh?" A look of surprise crossed Garp's face.
No wonder Tsuru wanted him to personally check it out. Someone who dared to murder a marine captain, chose not to flee at the first opportunity, and still cared about Arlong pirates' bounty displayed complete contempt for the marines.
"Cocoyasi Village is only a three-hour voyage from our current position!"
"Then let us go take a look. It has been a long time since a guy caught my interest!"
He beamed and issued the order.
The foul mood brought on by Ace's departure finally had a target to vent upon.
As the exclusive vessel for a marine headquarters vice admiral, the warship boasted the most advanced technology.
Unlike ordinary ships that relied on the weather to sail, this warship possessed the ability to travel against ocean currents.
Thus, in less than three hours, it crossed several countries and arrived at Cocoyasi Village.
Garp stood before a pile of ruins with his arms crossed and a grim expression on his face.
This place used to be Arlong Park.
Footsteps approached from behind.
The adjutant walked up and reported in a low voice.
"Sir, we have found numerous wounds on the deceased marines. There are marks from swords, hoes, sickles, and clubs. The attackers used incredibly bizarre weapons!"
"I suspect..."
"Do you see what happened here?"
Garp pointed at the ruins without looking back, cutting off the adjutant.
Massive boulders had collapsed alongside chaotic tangles of vegetation as seawater poured into the area. If one did not know any better, they would assume it was a courtyard abandoned for ages.
"I know this is Arlong Park. Judging from the traces at the scene, the battle must have been extremely intense, resulting in the destruction of the entire park."
Despite the interruption, the adjutant carefully examined the ruins before sharing his analysis.
"Hahaha!"
Garp burst into loud laughter. He turned around and shouted, "We can leave."
"What?"
The adjutant stood entirely dumbfounded behind him.
He rushed to catch up. "Should we not continue investigating the cause of Captain Nezumi's death..."
"There is no need to investigate. Lius did it!"
He interrupted the adjutant with absolute certainty.
The words the adjutant wanted to say instantly caught in his throat, flushing his face entirely red.
But since the vice admiral had already spoken, he naturally could not say anything more.
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
Under the fearful gazes of the Cocoyasi Village residents, the dog-headed warship slowly sailed out of the port and headed toward the distant sea.
Garp withdrew his smile. He glanced at the adjutant and spoke in a deep voice.
"Notify Tsuru. Put all your effort into finding every piece of information about Lius."
"Adjust the warship's heading. We are going after Lius at full speed."
The moment those words fell, a wave of shock swept through the crew.
It was not just the adjutant. The soldiers on the deck collectively gasped in disbelief as they looked over.
Anyone familiar with Garp knew that the vice admiral was displaying a level of seriousness completely unlike his usual carefree demeanor.
"Even if Lius actively attacks the marines, for you to personally pursue him, sir..."
The adjutant snapped back to reality and rushed to dissuade him.
However.
Garp waved his hand dismissively. His expression grew grave as he flashed a wide grin.
"Hehe, do not underestimate Lius. That kid is a monster!"
With that said, the numerous officers and soldiers aboard the warship were left utterly bewildered and stunned.