"Darn it, why was I the only one who got smacked?" Zoro muttered, lying on his bed in the dorm, wincing in pain.
Pulling down his pants to take a look, he saw a bright red welt on his backside, and a wave of injustice filled his heart. They had all gone to the attic together, and he'd even been the last to enter, yet he was the only one who got hit.
"That's tough, Zoro," Luffy said with a grin, sitting on his bed and fiddling with a Den Den Mushi. As he poked the snail's antenna, it lazily pulled them back into its shell, which strangely satisfied him.
Looking at the Den Den Mushi, he briefly considered whether it would taste good if cooked. But seeing as no one else ate Den Den Mushi, he reluctantly squashed the idea. Not to mention, they were quite expensive—not so much in initial cost but in upkeep, similar to having a phone bill. Plus, they needed to be fed and could fall ill.
Having seemingly wrapped up the whole "Kuina's death" event, Luffy turned his thoughts to the side mission of forging a legendary blade, along with some unresolved questions about swordsmanship.
Why hadn't Kosaburo taught him the art of forging? He said it was to keep the island's anonymity intact; once people knew legendary blades were being crafted here, it would attract endless attention, especially from pirates and even the Navy, given Kosaburo's own past as a pirate.
Luffy found himself staring at the Den Den Mushi.
If he could somehow address these concerns, maybe Kosaburo would finally agree to make him a sword. Watching the snail, Luffy's thoughts drifted back to the taste of snails, thinking nostalgically of the cheap foreign diner where he'd first tried them. Those were good times—cheap meals, endless drinks, and air conditioning in the summer.
"Gah, better stop thinking about it; can't actually eat the Den Den Mushi, right?" He shook his head. The snail was too useful.
Deciding it was time to ask his grandpa, he dialed Garp's number. If he had so many questions, why not ask the greatest warrior of the current era himself?
Bero bero bero…
On a naval ship, cutting through the calm waters of the East Blue, Vice Admiral Garp tossed a cannonball lazily in his hand while his men watched with awe. He was the Navy's hero, the one who had tamed an entire era. His mere presence radiated an aura of invincibility that inspired every soldier on board.
Bero bero bero…
The ringing of the Den Den Mushi pulled Garp's attention, and he lazily pulled the snail from his pocket, tossing the cannonball overboard. With a thunderous splash, it landed in the sea, moments before a massive sea beast floated lifelessly to the surface.
"Amazing, Vice Admiral Garp! He took down that Sea King without even looking!" the soldiers cheered.
"Hello! Luffy, what are you doing calling this late—did that idiot Shanks kidnap you? Is he locking you up?!" Garp's loud voice burst from the Den Den Mushi.
Luffy pulled the snail away from his ear to avoid the volume of Garp's roar.
"Grandpa, calm down…" Luffy replied.
Garp's lieutenant, a massive, bear-like man with a warm smile, chuckled. "Getting a call from your grandson, eh?"
"Yes! My grandson's calling!" Garp replied, his smile wide. But his joy didn't last long, as his grandson on the other end began happily recounting how wonderful life was with the pirates.
"Grandpa, Shanks has so much good food on his ship—giant fish from the deep sea, lamb shanks taller than me… it's delicious!"
The lieutenant glanced at the Den Den Mushi, then at Garp's steadily darkening face.
"No eating that stuff! It's pirate food—it's all poison! They're trying to brainwash you, Luffy! A Marine can't eat pirate food!" Garp bellowed.
"But I'm not a Marine…" Luffy muttered, loud enough for Garp to hear.
"Luffy, is that your grandpa?" Zoro asked, listening in with interest.
"Yep, that's my grandpa, the Marine Vice Admiral," Luffy replied.
"A Vice Admiral? Whoa, that's amazing!" Zoro exclaimed, his eyes wide with admiration. After all, Vice Admirals were no small deal, especially considering how powerful the current ones were.
On the line, Garp's voice thundered, "Luffy, who are you talking to over there? A pirate? Tell them to come here right now… And you better become a Marine!"
"Grandpa, calm down; it's just my dormmate. And anyway, Shanks already dropped me off at the dojo to learn swordsmanship," Luffy said.
Garp's initial fury began to subside, but it returned in full force as he realized something else. "Swordsmanship? Why are you learning that nonsense? What use is it? That idiot Shanks is ruining my training plans for you!"
"Speaking of that, Grandpa… do you know about the 'Breath of All Things'?"
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