~Croquant~
"... So what, you just went in there? I thought the Room of Authority is off limits?"
Croquant's incredulous expression set Garp off again.
"Bwahahahaha! If they think they can just let me wait for hours, just for a debriefing they ordered me to do, then they have another thing coming."
After letting out another bellowing laugh, he settled down and started munching selfmade rice crackers again.
"Damn, those are tasty." He murmured.
"You sure you don't want to become a marine? You'll be the first cook with admiral rank.
That's bragging rights!"
'That man has messed up priorities.' thought the Minister of foreign Cuisine. He answered somewhat exasperatedly.
"I've already denied you 17 times, you are worse than Luffy in that regard!"
Said strawhat wearing captain had agreed to have a match with Coby, only to defeat him soundly without even breaking a sweat.
They then started trading horror stories about training with Garp, that had most if the strawhats listening with morbid curiosity.
Some of them really made Croquant question the sanity of the old man.
His attention was pulled back to Garp, who started consuming sake with unholy speed again while showing absolutely no signs of being even slightly tipsy.
"So, who, or rather what, is that?" The vice admiral asked him with curiosity in his voice.
He followed Garp's gaze, that had fallen on Merry.
"That's my daughter. She's great, isn't she?
She's so cute and intelligent and absolutely adorable and..."
Garp watched the usually rather calm man descending into a rant about his daughter being the cutest being on the world with a bewildered expression on his face.
"I get it, I get it! You still haven't answered my question, but I'll let it slide!"
Garp shouted when he saw Croquant pulling out several photo albums, carved depictions of her doing completely normal stuff like standing around or smiling slightly and even a projector snail to show him her proudest moments.
"It's as if you don't even care about her..." The overprotective powerhouse stated while pouting and carving circles into the table with his index finger.
His whole demeanor lit up the next moment as Merry, who heard her name in the conversation, came running towards them.
~Garp~
'She feels strange.' he contemplated as he watched her run over, only to slightly trip, stumble some steps and catch herself with a relieved expression on her face.
'Oh, that was adorable...' he thought while blinking.
'Maybe, Croccy had a point.'
The little... Sheep-mink? finished the rest of her trip without tripping and jumped into the waiting arms of Croccy, who cuddled her for a few moments before sitting down again, putting her on his lap and setting a plate with sweet snacks in front of her.
Her eyes lit up and she turned her head to thank him with a bright voice.
"Thank you, Papa!"
Garp had the questionable pleasure of seeing an exceptionally derpy smile overwriting the usual lazy one on his face.
' He would do anything for the little girl.' His thoughts went to Ace and Luffy. 'Can I say the same?' he questioned himself.
Before he was able to really go down that rabbit hole, his attention was grabbed by the little girl, Merry.
"You were awesome in the fight against Papa!"
Garp involuntarily puffed up a little in pride, only to be slightly peeved after her next words.
"But next time, Papa will win! You'll see!"
She showed an intense expression of determination, clenched little fists and all, as if she were the one who'll fight Garp.
The fact, that there was an inferno of willpower in Croccy's eyes when hearing her words, ignited Garp's own hunger for improvement for the first time in nearly a decade.
"Bwahahaha! As if I'd let a greenhorn like him surpass me!
Next time I'll throw him even further, and there'll be at least three boogers in his hair!"
A tick mark could be seen on Croccy's temple as he narrowed his eyes at Garp.
"I still have to pay you back for that one."
Garp snorted and retorted.
"You have about the chance of a snowball not melting in Akainu's toilet after he gorged himself on spicy food, of that happening."
The diplomat's left eye twitched.
"That was oddly specific..."
Garp just shrugged.
"The ice brat's a bit of a prankster if the mood strikes him."
~Croquant~
A 'cold' presence entered his detection range.
'So Aokiji is finally here.
I'm really lucky to have learned to induce permanent amnesia with Haoshoku if the target is vastly inferior in strength.
That technique was a bitch and a half to learn but it was sooo worth it.
Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to experience this.
Not to mention, that I'd be forced to part way too quickly with my love and my daughter...'
Garp, slightly surprised at the sudden change in demeanor of his drinking buddy, actively concentrated on his own Kenbonshoku and detected Aokiji.
"What's that brat doing here?..." He asked, more to himself than anyone else, only to answer his own question. "Ah, the 'Devil Child'." He said while looking at Robin.
Croquant glared at the self-chosen vice admiral.
"Don't call her by that epithet. You know as well as I do, that a pack of lies earned her that nickname."
Garp's face actually distorted in remorse for a moment, before he caught himself and, still a bit contrite, answered seriously.
"I know. I tried to argue against that Buster Call, but Sengoku wouldn't budge on it, said the order came directly from the five elders."
That was news to Croquant.
Still, he knew that Garp, with all his corners and edges, was a good person, so it didn't really surprise him.
Garp continued.
"For what it's worth, not doing more to prevent what was basically the slaughter of innocent researchers will forever weigh heavily on my conscience."
Robin, who was listening in from the beginning, lost her perpetual teasing smile as she went out to get some air.
Croquant sighed.
"Let's go cheer up your mom, alright?"
He told Merry.
And wasn't that a precious development?
One, that was actually initiated by Robin herself, even if she meant it as a joke at the time.
Merry's hopefilled expression whittled down her resistance to the idea within seconds, and days later, they were often seen together, getting to know each other and developing a parent-child relationship.
It actually helped Robin deal with the resurfaced trauma and her fear of abandonment.
The pure adoration, that Merry showered onto her was balm for her soul.
Of course, Croquant did his part too with long talks about everything and nothing, late night cuddles and the initiation of fluff and fun over the past few days.
In his heart, he was a family man, after all.
There may have been some make-out sessions as well as a bit of groping involved too, but a gentleman does not kiss and tell.
He hoped, that it helped her settle her fears, but he knew, that they won't just disappear and that he had to prove, that he meant every single word he told her.