Have you ever wondered why the East Blue, home to famous figures like Roger, Garp, and Dragon, is still referred to as "the weakest sea"?
This title, "the weakest sea," was only established during Luffy's era.
The reason behind it is that, in his youth, Garp often traveled back and forth between Windmill Village and the Marine Headquarters to take care of Luffy. During these journeys, whether encountering newly minted pirates or those with some experience venturing into the East Blue, they would inevitably meet Garp—the boss monster of the region. No one could escape him; it was impossible.
Garp single-handedly "cleared out" the East Blue, making it a place where powerful figures hesitated to venture. New pirates, halfway through their development, would get crushed, making it unsurprising that the region gained such a reputation.
...
"Are you leaving, Vice Admiral Garp?"
"Yeah, my vacation's over. If I don't leave soon, Sengoku will start calling to hurry me along."
Garp replied, already dressed in his Marine uniform and adjusting his collar.
If it weren't for his high-ranking position and his long-standing friendship with Sengoku, what other vice admiral could take a month off from work and still be respected?
"I'll be back next month. During this time, take care of Luffy for me," Garp instructed.
Young Luffy, however, protested.
"But Kaito is almost my age! He's stuck in a wheelchair, so I'll have to take care of him!"
Since his arrival in this world, Kaito had gone from being an 18-year-old adult to a young child, and now, he was about the same age as Luffy—7 years old.
Garp's quick retort silenced young Luffy.
"Can you cook?"
"...."
"In the past, while I was away, you always helped out at Makino's tavern. Now that Kaito is here, you won't need to, and you'll have more time to train your body."
"I'm leaving now. See you next month."
With that, Garp pushed open the door and stepped outside; the battleship was probably waiting for him at the dock.
...
Once Garp was gone, Luffy seemed a bit sad.
"Luffy, Vice Admiral Garp left..."
"Great! Grandpa's finally gone!"
Kaito: "...."
I still don't understand you, Luffy.
"Hahaha, Kaito, let's go play!"
"I don't care what Grandpa said about training; I'm exhausted from all that!"
"Let's go to Makino and get some juice."
"I want to listen to those old guys tell stories about the Pirate King!"
And so, the seeds of adventure were already being sown.
Kaito couldn't help but smile; this was indeed far more interesting than simply watching Luffy train.
"Okay."
...
Half a month had passed since Garp left Windmill Village. The town remained peaceful, with a gentle eastern breeze blowing through.
But the arrival of a pirate ship at the port shattered that tranquility.
"Huh? Kaito! Shanks and the others are back! Hahaha!"
While fishing at the dock with Kaito, Luffy became visibly excited upon spotting the approaching pirate ship—this was the grandson of a Marine vice admiral, after all.
"Shanks! The Red-Haired Pirates! They're finally here!"
After Garp left, Luffy had mentioned the Red-Haired Pirates to Kaito.
During Luffy's 7th year, the Red-Haired Pirates had used Windmill Village as their base for an entire year.
It was during this time that Luffy met Shanks and his crew, learning what it meant to be a pirate and developing dreams of sailing the seas himself.
Being based in Windmill Village didn't mean they stayed onshore; they would still set out to sea. They would just return periodically. In the month and a half since Kaito's arrival, Shanks and his crew had been out sailing.
Kaito, sitting in his wheelchair and appearing wise beyond his years, held a newspaper. Upon hearing Luffy's voice, he quickly set it down and gazed out at the sea. Sure enough, a pirate ship was approaching.
It was indeed the Red-Haired Pirates' ship, the Red Force, flying a jolly roger depicting a skull with a square jaw, three red scratches over its left eye, and two swords crossed behind it.
...
"Ah! Luffy!"
"It's been a while!"
As the ship docked, Luffy rushed to the base of the gangway. Shanks, strong and healthy, greeted Luffy with a smile from the bow of the ship.
"All right! Anchor down! Everyone disembark! We had a bountiful trip, so let's celebrate!"
Shanks turned to Beckman and the others, indicating that they had a successful voyage.
But before Shanks and his crew could step down, Luffy climbed aboard the ship and stood triumphantly at the prow, atop the ship's dragon figurehead.
Below, Kaito could only helplessly push his wheelchair closer, knowing exactly what Luffy intended to do.
From his elevated position, Luffy placed his hands on his hips.
"Hey, Shanks! Next time you set sail, take me with you! I want to be a pirate!!"
As usual, Luffy was met with laughter from Shanks and the crew, who saw him as nothing more than a little kid—an inexperienced landlubber.
"Hahaha! Luffy, stop joking around! Get down from there, you little brat. What can you do at sea? Hahaha!"
Shanks's laughter was merciless.
Frustrated, Luffy bared his teeth and pulled out a dagger from behind him.
"I'm not joking! I've had enough!"
"I want to prove it to you!"
"Hahaha... this is hilarious! You really think you can do that? I can't wait to see what you try!"
"Looks like Luffy is up to something amusing again."
Shanks and the others clearly didn't believe Luffy, treating him like a child they were humoring.
But in the next moment...
With determination, Luffy drew a line across his left cheek with the dagger!