Not long after the Red-Haired Pirates set sail, Garp returned to Windmill Village. The timing was so precise it felt almost deliberate—had he arrived earlier, the Red-Haired Pirates might have faced utter annihilation at the hands of the Marine hero.
Despite his familiarity with Shanks, Garp was a man of unwavering conviction. He knew that someone of Shanks' caliber had immense potential and would eventually grow into a significant threat to the Navy. Such familiarity wouldn't stop Garp from delivering justice if the opportunity presented itself.
As Garp stepped onto the island, his booming voice echoed through the village.
"Luffy! Grandpa's back! Did you miss me?"
Locking onto Luffy's location with his Haki, Garp appeared beside him in an instant.
"Grandpa!" Luffy exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy. Despite the strong bonds he had with the villagers, nothing compared to the familial warmth of his grandfather.
Luffy's rubbery arms stretched out and coiled around Garp's neck as he launched himself into his grandfather's arms.
"Grandpa, I missed you so much!"
"Hahaha!" Garp's hearty laugh filled the air. "Grandpa missed you too, kid! If that old goat Sengoku hadn't buried me in work, I'd have been back ages ago!"
But Luffy's next words caught Garp off guard.
"Grandpa, I've decided—I don't want to join the Navy anymore."
Garp's jovial expression froze.
"Hmm? Then what do you want to be?"
"A pirate!" Luffy declared boldly, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Time seemed to stand still. Garp stared at Luffy, his disbelief evident. How had his grandson, who once dreamed of joining the Navy, been corrupted in his absence? Then Garp noticed something peculiar—the straw hat perched on Luffy's head.
"What's with that hat?" Garp asked, narrowing his eyes.
"This?" Luffy said, beaming. "Shanks gave it to me. He said I should give it back to him when I become a great pirate. We promised!"
"Shanks?!" Garp muttered, his expression darkening. Memories of the red-haired upstart flooded his mind. Shanks—a member of the Roger Pirates, someone Roger himself had spoken highly of—had enormous potential. Garp had let it slide when he heard Shanks was in the East Blue, but now it was clear the man had filled his grandson's head with dreams of piracy.
"Bastard Shanks!" Garp growled, his fists clenched.
"Hey! Don't talk bad about Shanks!" Luffy interjected, defending his hero with fiery determination.
But Garp's patience snapped.
"You little brat!" he roared. "You're defending that outsider against your own grandfather?! Take this!"
Luffy's rubbery body crashed into the ground, leaving a sizable crater. Yet, the boy merely grinned and stood up, unfazed.
"Hehe, that didn't hurt at all, Grandpa!"
Garp's brow twitched in annoyance.
"Oh? So, the Devil Fruit gave you some courage, huh? Let's see how you handle *this*! The Iron Fist of Love!"
This time, Garp's punch landed squarely on Luffy's head, and the boy howled in pain, a large lump forming instantly.
"OW! Why does it hurt so much?!"
"Because this isn't just any punch, brat. It's infused with my love and discipline!" Garp declared proudly, as though such logic was unassailable.
Satoru, watching from a nearby tree, chuckled as the scene unfolded. The playful banter between grandfather and grandson was undeniably entertaining.
But Garp's attention shifted suddenly. Appearing before Satoru in the blink of an eye, the Marine hero cracked his knuckles menacingly.
"And where do you think you're going, boy? Luffy's rebellious streak is partly your fault! As his older brother, you should have straightened him out. You need to feel the Iron Fist of Love too!"
Garp's fist descended, but it froze mere centimeters from Satoru's face. Try as he might, Garp couldn't push it further.
"Grandpa, you should know better," Satoru said calmly, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Your attacks can't touch me."
Garp's eyes gleamed with intrigue. He had thrown a punch imbued with Armament Haki, testing the limits of Satoru's mysterious power. Yet, Satoru had deflected it effortlessly.
"Not bad, kid," Garp admitted, lowering his fist. "It seems you've trained hard. You didn't disappoint me after all."
Satoru nodded, his expression unreadable. "Thanks, old man. But you'll need more than brute force if you want to get through my techniques."
"Don't get cocky," Garp warned, though his tone carried a note of pride. "One day, someone will find your weakness. You better be ready."
As Garp turned back toward Luffy, Satoru watched him thoughtfully. The old man wasn't just a force of nature—he was a reminder of the challenges this world had to offer.
For now, Satoru could only smile. The days ahead promised to be far from dull.