A week later, by midday, Luffy couldn't use his Conqueror's Haki—because they had finally arrived at Glass Pearl Island.
It was a bustling island, with tall buildings and paved roads visible from afar—a level of development that rivaled a wealthy town. Several pirate ships were already docked around the island, likely with pirates enjoying themselves ashore. Not all pirates were thieves all the time; once they scored a haul, some would actually play the part of law-abiding citizens for a while, spending freely until their money ran out—then they'd return to their lawless ways. Like sated tigers, they lost much of their aggressiveness after a big meal. Ironically, many prosperous places owed a chunk of their economy to pirates—a fact that no one liked to admit.
"Land!" Luffy shouted joyfully, leaping off the ship.
After days at sea, his feet hitting solid ground felt unreal.
"Luffy, take it easy and don't cause too much trouble," Shanks called after him, slipping a wad of cash into Uta's hands as her reward for winning the treasure hunt game.
Using his straw hat as a fan, Shanks surveyed the lavish island. "Three days on shore, then we move on," he decided, and the pirates cheered as they charged toward land.
This wasn't like Windmill Village; here, they could actually spend their money. Glass Pearl Island had all the establishments pirates loved—especially casinos.
Uta descended the ship's ladder more leisurely. Shanks, as if reminded of something, tossed his hat at her. It spun through the air and landed perfectly on her head. Grabbing it with both hands, Uta spun around gracefully, showing off her white dress, diamond necklace, and the string of pearls around her wrist—a little picture of elegance.
"Aren't I pretty, Luffy?" Uta asked expectantly, looking toward her friend.
"Yeah, Uta, you're the prettiest today," Luffy said, giving her a thumbs-up. Aside from her colorful hair, she was indeed an adorable girl.
"Hmph, even if you flatter me, I'm not sharing any money with you, and I'm definitely not buying anything for you!" Uta said with her hands on her hips.
"I don't care about money anyway," Luffy shrugged, patting his pockets. "All those Beli are too much trouble to carry around."
With that, he followed the pirates into town.
The merchants on Glass Pearl Island weren't intimidated by the new wave of pirates. In this world, business success required guts. If a pirate wasn't holding a sword to their neck, merchants treated them like big-spending customers. The goal was to charge as much as possible.
"Welcome! I have the finest weapons for sale; we even stock Supreme Grade Blades!" one merchant called.
"Looking for a new outfit? Our Doskoi Panda store is world-famous!" another shopkeeper advertised eagerly.
"This is the kind of island I wanted!" Uta's eyes sparkled with excitement as she headed straight for Doskoi Panda. Luffy noticed that even the simplest dresses there started at three thousand Beli—a sum that could cover a whole month's expenses at Makino's bar back in Windmill Village.
"It's so pretty!" Uta marveled, utterly lost in the sea of clothes.
Meanwhile, Luffy drifted to the boys' section, picking out a few outfits that fit. He thought he'd look sharp in a black suit but, considering his constant training, opted for more athletic clothes. He grabbed a few pieces and asked the store owner to pack them up.
"That'll be 30,000 Beli," the shopkeeper said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.
"Hey, you guys have a Marine base here, right?" Luffy asked casually.
"Of course. The island's biggest merchants donate a hefty sum every year to support the nearby Marine base," the shopkeeper replied.
"Put this on their tab, then," Luffy said nonchalantly.
"What kind of joke is that, kid?" the shopkeeper asked, giving Luffy a dubious look.
"Remember my name—Monkey D. Luffy. My grandpa is the Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp," Luffy replied confidently, pulling out a photo he'd brought from Windmill Village, his only family picture. It showed young Luffy perched on Garp's shoulders, both smiling warmly.
"What?!"
The shopkeeper's eyes went wide as he compared the boy in front of him to the one in the photo. The resemblance was undeniable, especially the dopey expression.
"The Marine Hero… has a grandson?!"
"Shh! I'm the hero's grandson, and if the pirates hear, they might use me to threaten my grandpa!" Luffy said, putting a finger to his lips.
The shopkeeper nodded urgently—after all, this was Garp's grandson!
"Make me a membership card, and tell me how to get to the Marine base. You can even call them to confirm," Luffy said, slipping the photo back into his pocket.
"Of course! Please, right this way!" The shopkeeper bowed, then handed Luffy a membership card for the store.
Luffy continued his shopping spree, picking up some ice cream and other treats—all on Garp's tab.
Meanwhile, the local Marine base's phone was ringing off the hook with calls from merchants seeking verification.
The fact that Garp had a grandson was classified information—much like how few people knew his son, Dragon, was a revolutionary. The government wanted to avoid the disgrace of revealing that the hero's son had turned against them. Dragon's wanted posters didn't even include his last name; they simply labeled him as "Revolutionary Dragon."
Because of this secrecy, the Marine base commander doubted Luffy's claim entirely.
"It's a scam, I'm sure of it! I've never heard of Garp having a grandson!"
"But… the caller says he has a photo with Garp. Everyone knows you can't fake a photo!"
Photographs in the pirate world were developed directly from Transponder Snails, so tampering was practically impossible.
"We'll investigate thoroughly," the commander said sternly, considering whether to escalate this to Marine Headquarters. Impersonating the hero's grandson was a serious matter.
Outside the Marine base:
"Hey, kid! This is a restricted military zone; no civilians allowed!" barked a guard, eyeing Luffy as he finished his ice cream.
"Hey, jerks! My grandpa's the Marine Hero, Garp! The Marines are practically my home!" Luffy shot back, crossing his arms with a sense of superiority.
Then he held up
his photo with Garp.
"What?!"
The guards' eyes went wide, just like the shopkeeper's.
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