Seeing Xia Yu looking at him with a confused expression, Garp continued, "I've already understood the full story!"
"I also contacted all Marine branch colonels in the East Blue, as well as the officer in Loguetown. Based on their reports, that Marine unit indeed had serious problems."
"Most importantly, Marine Headquarters received an anonymous report letter over ten days ago. The report was about the very same Marines who appeared in Syrup Village."
Xia Yu hadn't expected Garp to work so efficiently. Struggling to keep up with his pace, he looked even more puzzled. "So…?"
"So I mentioned you again to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. After learning everything, Sengoku said that while those Marines had serious issues, your decision to execute them on your own also presents a major problem."
"Of course, Sengoku and I have already come up with the best solution!"
"That is—to appoint you as an Inspector for the Marine Supervision Unit, responsible for overseeing all Marine branches in the East Blue. If you discover any abuse of authority or oppression of civilians, you may act first and report later! That way, the matter in Syrup Village can be considered resolved!"
As he spoke, Garp suddenly leaned in close to Xia Yu with a playful grin. "Come on—the Marines welcome you~~!"
"!!!!"
Xia Yu had never imagined that Garp and Sengoku could arrange so much in such a short time. He certainly didn't expect their solution would be… to recruit him into the Marines as a supervisory officer.
This was… really unexpected.
But Xia Yu wasn't about to fall for it so easily.
As a traveler, how could he give up the vast and beautiful world of pirates for some so-called Marine position?
"Old man Garp, quite the clever plan you've got there!"
After a moment of silence, Xia Yu shook his head and smiled. "Tell me—besides investigating the Syrup Village incident, did you also dig into my background during that short hour?"
"No… actually, you probably started investigating me back in Shells Town."
After a brief pause, Xia Yu stared directly at Garp, as if seeing through all his thoughts. "I get it now. After all that talk, you just want me to join the Marines, right? Wow… you really are quite the schemer, old geezer."
"Hahaha! You figured that out too!"
Garp scratched the back of his head and laughed heartily. "So, what do you say? Join the Marines with me! To be honest, I owe you a huge favor. Even though the Devil Fruits you sold me were… well… let's not get into that. Anyway, are you joining or not?"
"Not for now."
Xia Yu shook his head decisively. "I'm a traveler. I don't want to be tied down in the East Blue just because of some supervisory position. So let's think of another solution."
"You brat!!!"
Garp's eyes widened instantly as he snapped, "If you don't join the Marines as an inspector, then what you did in Syrup Village counts as a crime!"
Xia Yu didn't respond—he simply smiled calmly at Garp, who had suddenly changed tone.
"Tch… you win."
Seeing Xia Yu remain unfazed, Garp sat back down, making one final attempt. "Fine, you don't have to stay in the East Blue. But you must join the Marines. What's so great about being a traveler? Come with me and wipe out the evil in this world!"
"No. I just want to be a traveler."
"You—"
"But I'm curious."
Before Garp could explode, Xia Yu suddenly grew serious. "After all these years in the Marines, have you ever truly thought about why evil is so rampant in this world? Is it really just because of lawless pirates?"
Hearing this, Garp's expression tightened slightly, and he fell silent.
Seeing that silence, Xia Yu leaned back into the sofa, looking almost like a sage detached from the world, and said:
"Have you ever heard this saying?"
"When the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked as well."
"Of course, this 'upper' doesn't refer to the Marines."
Xia Yu looked out the window, his tone calm yet shocking. "It refers to the ones above the Marines."
"!!!"
The moment those words fell, Swick and the others behind Garp widened their eyes in shock.
Even Garp's pupils shrank.
Those above the Marines!
Though Xia Yu spoke indirectly, how could Garp not understand what he meant?
Fixing his gaze on Xia Yu—who now seemed calm yet commanding, as if pointing out the truths of the world—Garp fell into deep silence.
When the upper beam is crooked…
The phrase was both accurate—and domineering.
As a Vice Admiral of the Marines, how could he not be aware of this so-called "crooked upper beam"?
And yet, as a Marine, he was bound by duty—to obey orders, to uphold the interests of those "above."
Garp found it hard to believe that someone so young could see through the world so clearly.
Indeed, a large part of the chaos, the rampant evil, and the rise of pirates in this world… stemmed from that very "upper beam."
And if one truly wanted to eradicate evil—
One would first have to correct what lay above.
But how could that be easy?
That "upper" had existed for over eight hundred years.
How could it possibly be changed overnight?
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