"Oh? Li'l Giotto, does this mean you're turning over a new leaf? Hahaha, if you help me capture Ace, I promise to forget what I saw earlier and won't bring it up to anyone. How about that?"
Garp smiled when he noticed Giotto helped him fending off Ace's attack. Giotto's help was always welcomed, even though he could handle the situation with his grandson by himself.
Furthermore, deep down, Garp actually respected Ace's decisions. He wanted to raise Ace as a Marine soldier because he was the son of the Pirate King. If Ace became a Marine, even if his real identity was eventually exposed, Garp believed that he could protect Ace. However, if Ace chose to become a pirate, he might not be able to save him then.
Giotto, however, was well aware of Ace's true identity. He didn't want to be directly involved in the situation, but he also didn't want Garp to keep bringing up the recent incident, so he decided to use a bit of a threat to get his point across.
"Garp, stop joking, would you? Do you think I don't know who Ace is? I just didn't want to get involved. But if you insist on telling everyone what you saw earlier, I may or may not blurt that secret to the public, understand?"
Of course, Giotto had no intention of exposing Ace's identity. Regardless of what happened, Ace was his former captain's son, and Giotto couldn't possibly do something that would harm Ace.
However, Garp's habit of bringing up past incidents was indeed quite irritating, so Giotto decided to threaten him a bit.
Sure enough, Garp's face immediately became serious, and he even stopped chasing Ace: "Now, now, don't even joke about such a thing making. Alright, alright, I'll drop it. Geez, you sure can't take a joke."
Garp didn't even seem to have a hint of remorse in his tone.
Who was it who couldn't take a joke here?
"Instead of rambling here, you should focus on how to deal with the matter at hand. If Ace were just an ordinary pirate, he might not attract much attention. However, the situation had changed due to the Float-Float Fruit he ate. People wouldn't care where he found Shiki's Float-Float Fruit. All they would be interested in was the immense potential hidden within that Devil Fruit."
Giotto turned around, ready to leave the scene. It seemed that Garp had dropped the idea of pursuing Ace, so there was no reason for him to stay. He was eager to return to Aria and continue their honeymoon, hoping to avoid further interaction with Garp, whose actions seemed to defy common sense.
However, just as Giotto took a couple of steps, a sudden chill ran down his spine. He instinctively stepped aside only to find Garp punched the spot that Giotto just stood at, creating a massive hole!
"Garp, you little..."
Giotto's expression turned serious, and he turned back at Garp with Dying Will Flame ignited on his forehead. He put on his I-Gloves, and Dying Will Flame immediately shrouded his hands, creating a powerful aura that was emitted in all directions. Even the sand under his feet was pushed away by this overwhelming force!
They had already left Nanohana before they realized it during the cat and mouse chase earlier, although they weren't too far from it.
"How about a fight, Giotto?' Garp said. We haven't had the chance to fight, right?"
For some reason, Garp suddenly wanted to fight Giotto, and the atmosphere became significantly more intense.
Even Ace couldn't help but stop and look at the two of them. He could feel the powerful aura emanating from both of them. He couldn't help but swallow his saliva and mutter, "That man... I didn't realize he was this strong. His aura is as terrifying as the old man's. This is the first time I've seen such a monster since I set out to sea..."
Ace wasn't as dumb as Luffy. He knew how strong Garp was to a certain extent. Being a Vice Admiral, the Marine Hero, and the rival of his damned father, he was undoubtedly one of the strongest fighter in the world! In addition, the man in front of Garp had an aura that was no weaker than Garp's. Moreover, during their conversation earlier, he mentioned the New World...
Could it be that...he was a famous pirate from New World?
Well, Ace might not be as dumb as Luffy, but he wasn't particularly clever either. He didn't know much about the big shots of New World, so he couldn't tell who Giotto was. However, he had a feeling that this guy was undoubtedly an influential person in New World.
Ace might not have recognized him, but Crocodile, who was watching the show from the sidelines, did. He finally understood why Garp came to Alabasta. It seemed that it was because Vongola Primo had come here!
But why would Vongola Primo come to Alabasta?
Could it be that he was after Pluton as well?
Ever since he set his sights on Pluton, Crocodile had become paranoid. Whenever big shots like Giotto and Garp appeared, he had the feeling they were after Pluton. Little did he know that the truly powerful people in this world, such as Giotto, Whitebeard, and Shanks had never really cared about Pluton. They couldn't care less about its location, even if they knew it.
'... Vongola Primo and Garp, these two guys are not something I can deal with!' Crocodile thought. He decided to stay out of the way and give them space to fight.
With his current strength, if he interfered in the battle between these two monsters, it would be no different from offering himself as a sacrifice.
"Swish!"
In that instant, Giotto and Garp's fists collided, creating a thunderous noise that echoed throughout the land. The shockwaves from their clash stirred up a sandstorm in the desert. The terrifying power even reached Nanohana and set off waves on the sea."