Xia Yu wasn't wrong—Garp had never seriously thought about these things. All he could do now was fulfill his duty and do what a Marine was supposed to do.
As for the issue of those "above," he had considered it before—but never deeply.
It wasn't entirely his fault. His thinking was somewhat rigid, and he held firmly to his beliefs, treating the fight against pirates as his lifelong mission!
Seeing Garp fall silent, Xia Yu suddenly stood up and stretched lazily. Then, dropping his serious tone, he smiled and asked, "Old man, since you're here, why not stay for a few days? Maybe… after a few days, I might change my mind."
"Really?!"
The moment he heard Xia Yu might change his mind, Garp's eyes lit up.
To him, getting Xia Yu to join the Marines had become the most important matter at hand.
He genuinely liked this young and powerful man.
So after learning everything that had happened in Syrup Village, his first thought was to seize the opportunity and bring Xia Yu into Marine Headquarters. That way, not only would Xia Yu avoid being punished for the incident, he could even become one of Garp's subordinates.
Guiding a promising young man onto the right path was something Garp loved doing.
However, while he had nurtured many outstanding Marines, as a father… he was a failure.
His useless son had no interest in the Marines and instead became the leader of the Revolutionary Army. When Garp found out, he was so furious he almost coughed up blood.
Since his son was hopeless, he placed his hopes on his grandson.
But his grandson was even worse!
At such a young age, he was already shouting about becoming a pirate. The last time Garp returned to Foosha Village, the boy kept insisting on becoming a pirate—so much so that Garp nearly coughed up two liters of blood in anger.
His son became a revolutionary, his grandson wanted to be a pirate…
As a Vice Admiral of the Marines with a strong sense of justice, Garp was practically on the verge of collapse.
Fortunately, he was naturally optimistic.
Even though his son and grandson refused to follow his wishes, he didn't give up. Instead, he gradually shifted his hopes onto others.
And when he saw Xia Yu in Shells Town—especially witnessing his Conqueror's Haki—Garp knew immediately:
This was the one.
After consulting with Fleet Admiral Sengoku about Xia Yu's background, Garp was even more overjoyed.
Because Sengoku had given him a report that made him incredibly excited.
Xia Yu—a young traveler—had once appeared in Foosha Village and was deeply loved by the villagers there!
When Garp saw that Xia Yu had visited his hometown and was cherished by its people, he nearly jumped off the ship in excitement. He trusted Sengoku's intelligence—and he believed Xia Yu must be a righteous young man.
More importantly, Xia Yu was liked by the people of his hometown!
By association, Garp's fondness for Xia Yu grew even stronger.
This was practically the perfect candidate to become his successor!
Before Xia Yu could respond, Garp suddenly jumped to his feet in excitement. "You said it yourself! I'll stay here with you for a few days. And when the time comes, you'd better—"
"Wait!"
Seeing Garp so worked up, Xia Yu quickly interrupted him. "I said maybe I'd change my mind—not that I definitely will!"
"That's fine, that's fine! Hahahahaha!"
Garp burst into hearty laughter, completely forgetting about Xia Yu executing the marines in Syrup Village.
And just like that—
Instead of returning to Marine Headquarters with the Devil Fruits, Garp decided to stay in Syrup Village.
This outcome made the villagers overjoyed.
They had never imagined that after Xia Yu killed so many marines, not only would he avoid arrest, but Marine Headquarters would even try to recruit him!
If Xia Yu really became a Marine inspector overseeing the East Blue, it would be incredible news for them.
With someone like him watching over things, not only might the East Blue become more peaceful—but Syrup Village would definitely be safe!
Of course, the happiest of all was Kaya's family.
When they learned that Garp—the legendary Marine hero—would stay in Syrup Village as their guest, Kaya's father was so excited that he personally went into the kitchen to prepare a celebratory feast.
Thus, Xia Yu and Garp both became honored guests of Kaya's household.
Meanwhile, Swick and the other officers under Garp were warmly welcomed by the villagers and taken around to join various village festivities.
It became a day of celebration.
Whether it was the marine soldiers or Garp himself, everyone was swept up in the villagers' hospitality, enjoying themselves to the fullest.
Watching the villagers' joy and excitement, Garp—who came from Foosha Village in the East Blue—felt deeply moved.
If not for Xia Yu's arrival, he couldn't even imagine what kind of suffering these simple, kind-hearted villagers would have endured at the hands of those corrupt marines.
The corruption within the East Blue Marines had to be addressed.
And although Xia Yu had taken matters into his own hands, his actions were just.
And anything done in the name of justice… deserved to be upheld.
So regardless of whether Xia Yu would eventually join the Marines and fight alongside him—
Garp had already reached his conclusion about the Syrup Village incident.
Extra chapters are already prepared… waiting to be unleashed.
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