Luffy was a bit surprised; he hadn't expected Garp to openly admit he couldn't oppose the Celestial Dragons. He thought his grandfather would brush off his pointed questions with vague remarks like "You'll understand when you're older." But the old man seemed unusually honest with him.
"Let's end this conversation here, Luffy," Garp said. "Forget everything we talked about—I don't want to dwell on these things."
"As for the Shimotsuki swordsman… his bounty will be rescinded. The Navy won't bother that little village anymore. Is that enough for you, Luffy?"
"Yeah… his name is Shimotsuki Kozaburo. If anything happens, let me shoulder it for him!" Luffy replied confidently.
Not that it mattered much; Shimotsuki Kozaburo didn't have many years left. After all, he was an old man who'd set out to sea back in Roger's era. Better to let him live out his days in peace. Still, Luffy wasn't sure if Kozaburo would even die of old age—that was unknown territory.
"Don't say such foolish things! What qualifications do you have to bear anyone's sins?" Garp laughed heartily.
"If anything, let me bear them… I'm not that old yet, idiot Luffy!"
With that, Garp laughed again. "Alright, time for you to sleep, Luffy. And the next time I see you, I'm going to give your head a good pounding with my fist!"
"Goodnight, Grandpa… Bye-bye…" Luffy hung up the call.
Zoro, who had been listening, widened his eyes in surprise. Hearing Luffy mention Shimotsuki Kozaburo, he realized that Luffy was talking about someone from their dojo—Grandpa Kozaburo, Guina's grandfather. It seemed Luffy's grandfather had some serious connections, even able to lift a Navy bounty that easily.
"Sleep time!" Luffy pulled up his blanket and settled in. The "Navy Hero" card was now played—time to see if Kozaburo would reward him.
With a bit of anticipation, Luffy drifted off to sleep.
...
"How am I going to report this to Headquarters?" Garp muttered, scratching his head and chuckling.
"You still don't have a plan?" his lieutenant asked, pressing a hand to his forehead in exasperation.
"Maybe I'll just report that I think Shimotsuki Kozaburo is a decent person," Garp said, shrugging.
"Too casual! Just say he's already dead and have them cancel the bounty," the lieutenant sighed, giving his seasoned advice.
"Given his age, he must be close to passing naturally anyway," the lieutenant mused, reflecting on Kozaburo's years.
"Besides, he's not exactly a menace," Garp replied. "Not like he has grand ambitions or anything; he's like that Red-Leg Zeff pirate crew—no threat."
"Oh, Zeff's restaurant has quite the reputation now. Even some Navy officers like to eat there," Garp remarked.
Pirates "going straight" wasn't new, and though their bounties remained technically active, the Navy would typically ignore them unless they became a nuisance. Red-Leg Zeff, for example, despite his violent pirate past, now ran the Baratie restaurant at sea with considerable success, and even Marines dined there without issues.
In this world, former pirates with enough power could sometimes make amends simply by no longer causing trouble. Concepts like "paying for one's crimes" rarely held weight in the chaos of the pirate world.
Garp made the call to headquarters, giving a brief, nonchalant report that was readily accepted.
"Should we detour to check out Luffy's village?" the lieutenant asked him.
"No, straight to Windmill Village," Garp replied firmly.
After all, there was another boy there who needed his guidance—someone who caused him quite a headache. Unlike Luffy, that boy wasn't as obedient.
...
The next day, Luffy went about his usual training in swordsmanship. Around noon, he wandered to where Kozaburo fished, finding the old man absorbed in his pastime.
"Hey, old man, how about forging me my very own sword?" Luffy called out.
Kozaburo glanced at him sideways but said nothing.
"Grandpa took care of your 'little problem,' you know. Go on, thank me!" Luffy continued, smiling.
"There's no longer a bounty on your head. The Navy won't harass this village anymore. Pretty impressive, right?" Luffy added, arms crossed as he looked out over the sea below the cliffside.
"Talking nonsense again… Your grandpa took care of the Navy?" Kozaburo raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Isn't he the one always running from them?"
"My grandpa absolutely took care of it—he's the Navy's Hero!" Luffy revealed.
"Hero of the Navy? You think you're Garp's…?" Kozaburo trailed off as a realization struck him, his eyes widening.
"Wait… kid, your grandfather is Garp?"
"Yup," Luffy nodded casually.
"So your full name is…?" Kozaburo asked, stunned.
"Monkey D. Luffy. Anything wrong with that?" Luffy replied with the innocent expression of a seven-year-old. Then, almost as an afterthought, he produced a photograph of him with Garp. "See? Me and my grandpa."
"This… well… that's a bit much, isn't it? What's the Navy Hero's grandson doing on a pirate ship?" Kozaburo muttered, feeling as if the world had taken a strange turn.
So his son was teaching the grandson of a Navy hero? Kozaburo, an old fugitive from Wano who had survived the dangers of the Grand Line, had settled in the weakest sea, East Blue, seeking peace. He had hoped to spend his last days quietly here. He had no desire for anything more.
Kozaburo had kept track of the world's power structure through the newspapers, so he knew all about Garp, the legendary Marine known for his strength. Only Whitebeard, the man capable of "destroying the world," could rival him.
"I was bored in the village, so I hopped aboard Shanks' ship for a while," Luffy said. "But don't go telling other pirates that Garp is my grandpa, okay? I don't want to be targeted!"
"Teach me your forging techniques," Luffy urged.
"Why should I help you?" Kozaburo replied. "Your grandpa must've told you about my past. I was a pirate once—I may have blood on my hands."
"This village is so peaceful, isn't it?" Luffy asked, smiling.
"If you really did such terrible things, then use your skills to atone and make this village better," Luffy continued. "A small, vulnerable place like this could really use a strong swordsman to protect it."
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