Early the next morning, Garp led Satoru and a still-drowsy Luffy up a mountain trail. Luffy, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, seemed blissfully unaware of their destination. Satoru, on the other hand, had a good guess. This wasn't the usual mountain where they trained; this was the domain of the Dadan family, a group of bandits known in the area.
Despite being labeled as "bandits," the Dadan family was less about crime and more of a quirky, dysfunctional group that lived off the grid. Under Garp's iron fist, they had little choice but to follow his commands, making them pseudo-guardians rather than true outlaws.
Satoru smiled to himself. *The infamous Dadan family, huh? Guess it's time to meet Ace.*
Halfway up, Luffy finally woke up enough to ask, "Hey, where are we going?"
"This is your new home," Garp replied curtly, his voice gruff but tinged with a mischievous edge.
"New home?" Luffy's eyes sparkled, his childlike wonder kicking in. "Cool! I'll live on a mountain! That sounds awesome!"
Satoru chuckled softly, shaking his head at Luffy's enthusiasm. *He doesn't even know he's being dumped with bandits.*
By the time they reached the summit, a cluster of crude houses came into view, scattered haphazardly across the clearing. The structures were as rough as their occupants' reputations, but there was a certain charm in the chaos.
Garp strode up to one of the doors and pounded on it with a force that made the entire frame shake. "Oi! Open up!"
A string of curses echoed from inside before the door creaked open. The woman standing there was burly and rugged, with a mane of messy orange curls. Her face shifted from irritation to terror the moment she saw Garp.
"Vice Admiral Garp! What brings you here?" Dadan asked, her voice trembling as she rubbed her hands nervously.
"I'm here to check on Ace," Garp said gruffly. "How's the kid doing?"
"Oh, Ace is... great! Very lively!" she replied quickly, plastering a nervous smile across her face.
"Good." Garp nodded in satisfaction before shoving Luffy forward. "This one's yours too now. Take good care of him."
Dadan's smile froze, her face twitching as she processed his words. "Wait, what? Another one?!"
"This is my grandson, Luffy. Raise him well, or I'll personally make sure you spend the rest of your life in prison," Garp threatened, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Luffy, oblivious to the tension, grinned up at Dadan and extended a hand. "Hi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Dadan's jaw dropped, her face a mix of shock and confusion. "King of the Pirates? Isn't this kid your grandson?!"
Ignoring her bewilderment, Garp waved dismissively. "Don't mind him. I'll straighten him out eventually."
Dadan then turned her gaze to Satoru, who stood calmly to the side. Her eyes narrowed in expectation. "And who's this one? Another grandson?"
Satoru shook his head, smiling politely. "No, ma'am. My name's Monkey D. Satoru, but I'm not related by blood. Garp saved me from pirates."
"Oh, that makes more sense," Dadan muttered, eyeing Satoru's delicate features. "You're a good-looking kid. Be careful—there are dangerous folks out there who might take advantage of that."
Satoru chuckled. "Thank you for the warning, but I'll be heading to the Navy Headquarters soon. I don't think anyone would dare try anything there."
"Shame." Dadan sighed, sounding genuinely disappointed. "You seem much easier to handle than this loud brat." She gestured at Luffy, who was now trying to climb a tree nearby.
Garp ignored her complaints and strode inside, his presence instantly scattering the bandits who were lounging in the main room. They scrambled for cover, clearly terrified of the legendary marine.
"This is going to be your home for now, Luffy," Garp announced, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Awesome!" Luffy cheered, still hanging from the tree.
Dadan groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Great. Just great. Another wild kid to deal with."
Garp smirked. "You'll manage. Just make sure he doesn't die."
Satoru watched the scene unfold with amusement, knowing this was just the beginning of the chaos that would shape Luffy into the man he'd become. But for now, he simply leaned against the doorframe and enjoyed the show.