"A wise choice. So, what do you plan to do next?"
Ryuji nodded in understanding. Though the world of One Piece didn't always appear cruel in the manga, this was a real world. And here, such complications were practically inevitable.
If people saw soone brought back to life, of course they'd start hoping for their own lost loved ones to return. That was only human nature.
But therein lay the problem: Would the World Governnt allow such a thing?
Obviously not. That's what made this situation so precarious. If the villagers realized Bell-mère had been resurrected—and they'd also lost family to Arlong—then it was almost guaranteed the Navy or World Governnt would catch wind of it.
Even if the villagers could be trusted out of friendship, what about neighboring towns or villages?
Bell-mère had a reputation in this region. If she ca back here openly, it would inevitably spiral out of control.
Ryuji didn't care—he could leave anyti. But for Nami and Nojiko, the consequences were real and lasting.
"We'll move to another village," Nojiko said.
It wasn't an easy decision, but it was the best one. Though they felt guilty leaving behind their community, now wasn't the ti for sentint.
Other places might still carry risks—but not as openly or obviously.
"You were planning to keep traveling anyway, weren't you? We'll go with you," Nojiko said, looking directly at Ryuji.
"Whether it's the Grand Line or so other country—doesn't matter. We just need to start over sowhere else."
She glanced around at their ho, the orange groves, the familiar sights of their childhood. A part of her ached to stay. But she knew the truth: if they wanted a future, they couldn't cling to the past.
Besides, she still worried about Nami—about the possibility that Ryuji might hurt her.
"Yeah, but the problem is… I don't really know where to go," Ryuji replied honestly.
He really had no destination in mind. His original goals in this world were already fulfilled. As long as he could work out in the mornings and—well, "accumulate energy" with three beautiful won—his mission was complete. He'd achieved that.
As for targets like Rebecca, Boa Hancock, Tashigi, or other powerful won...
With his current strength and lack of allies, those were unreachable.
To get to Rebecca, he'd need to go head-to-head with Doflamingo—impossible for now. Boa Hancock? He'd have to challenge the Celestial Dragons or launch a direct assault. Also suicide.
Tashigi, Momousagi(Gion), and Hina? Three Navy won who wouldn't join his harem under normal circumstances. And even if they did, it'd be in the "secret reserves," not openly.
In short—not worth the headache right now.
"So boring," Nami grumbled. "Don't you care at all about the One Piece? That's the One Piece, you know!"
She still hadn't forgotten about her stolen treasure. Finding the greatest treasure in the world sounded like proper payback.
"To , the One Piece is kind of pointless," Ryuji replied flatly. "If I really did beco a pirate, I'd probably just raid ships for beautiful slave girls and naive young ladies dreaming of the sea. Then I'd get myself a bounty in no ti."
He said it completely seriously.
Given the state he was in now, the fact he even maintained a sense of morality was impressive. Taking slave girls and tricking naive adventurers were just… standard operations at this point.
He was running on dual-core brain processing, after all.
"…You know what's scary? I can't even refute that," Nojiko sighed, resting her chin on her hand.
But before they could discuss more, a voice echoed from the village:
"A Navy ship's coming!!"
Huh?
Ryuji suddenly rembered the infamous Captain Nezumi from the original manga. The guy was disgusting—corrupt, greedy, in cahoots with Arlong. It would be naive to think he wasn't up to sothing.
Ryuji stood up and stepped outside.
He wasn't hung up on being labeled a pirate. He didn't care much for the World Governnt, but he also wasn't going to overthrow it just for fun.
That was this world's fight—not his.
Still, if he did beco a pirate… it wouldn't be the worst outco.
"Let's go check it out. If it really is Captain Nezumi…"
Nami stood as well, face clouded. She knew exactly what kind of man Nezumi was—and what his relationship with Arlong had been.
But when the three won followed Ryuji to the port of Cocoyasi Village, what they saw wasn't what they'd expected.
Captain Nezumi was there. But he wasn't alone.
"Hey there, kid! We et again! You interested in joining the Navy?"
That unmistakable voice carried easily across the docks. And when Ryuji got closer, he saw him—Vice Admiral Garp himself.
Of course.
And the mont Garp laid eyes on Ryuji, his gaze darted around, scanning his surroundings.
"He's gone. As for joining the Navy… nah. I'm more interested in becoming a noble. That way I can legally marry more won," Ryuji said without flinching.
Garp scratched his head, amused.
He'd already guessed that Roger had slipped away. If capturing the Pirate King was that easy, it wouldn't be fun. Recruiting Ryuji, on the other hand, was a good move—anyone strong enough to travel with Roger was worth pulling in. Not to ntion, it'd seriously irritate Roger.
Win-win.
But his real concern was still Roger himself.
That man was a contamination to the world. Luffy already had a thing for pirates, and if the Pirate King showed up in person? It was ga over.
Dealing with Ace was already enough of a headache—he didn't need Luffy following that sa path.
So Garp looked Ryuji in the eye.
"You don't happen to know where that guy went, do you?"
Ryuji didn't hesitate. Garp was no one to ss with—even if the manga's power scaling on him was inconsistent. Whether he was Pirate King-level or just Admiral-level, it was clear that Ryuji didn't stand a chance.
So he gave a safe answer.
"No idea. Probably went to visit his family, I'd guess."
Garp groaned and clutched his face.
Roger had to have realized Ace was his son—he looked just like him, and even his na gave it away. Technically, this was supposed to be a secret, but that was only because Garp decided to keep it quiet. If people knew the Pirate King's son was in the Navy, it would utterly crush the myth of the One Piece.
But Ace had gone and joined Whitebeard anyway.
Which was a huge problem.
Because Whitebeard… was the only pirate with the strength and will to beco the next Pirate King—and the only one not trying to rule a country.
A pirate crew like that? An unanchored, idealistic force?
Absolutely unacceptable.
No governnt would tolerate a band of nomadic marauders that powerful.
"Dammit, this is such a pain…" Garp muttered, rubbing his temples.
Roger and Whitebeard together? That could trigger a global disaster. But how do you stop a father from visiting his kid?
Still… there were other things to address.
He glanced around the harbor. The villagers were glaring at Nezumi with thinly veiled disgust.
"I noticed a new harbor on the island when I arrived. You know anything about that?" Garp asked casually.
He was curious. The remnants of Haki were obvious. Conqueror's Haki, no less.
But who here could possibly match Roger's level?
Ryuji glanced at Nezumi—the man did look almost literally like a rat—and made a decision.
"Yes. The man who ca with us was incredibly powerful. When he heard the Fishman Pirates were colluding with the Navy to oppress civilians, he destroyed the pirates… and told us not to spread the word unless we wanted to be labeled criminals."
"WHAT?!"
Nezumi turned pale, panic overtaking his features as he rushed to Garp's side.
"Vice Admiral Garp! This man is slandering ! There's no way I'd ever collude with a pirate like Arlong! And he has no evidence whatsoever!"
A seasoned scher like Nezumi knew all too well how dangerous Garp was—and feared him deeply.
Other vice admirals might turn a blind eye here and there, especially since few high-ranking officers were willing to be stationed in the East Blue. Staying here was often mocked as a cushy retirent post, lacking glory or rit.
So it wasn't uncommon for them to overlook a few "minor issues"—as long as the pirate kill count in their jurisdiction stayed high enough to look good on paper.
They don't care whether you're colluding with pirates or with local powers.
All the World Governnt cares about is stability—not the eradication of pirates.
Even Sengoku couldn't do anything about it. The world was simply too vast. With so many pirate-run kingdoms, the idea of stationing governnt troops in every country was wishful thinking.
What the World Governnt really controls is the seas—and as long as they maintain that control, they don't care how it's done.
Technically speaking, Arlong was part of the Fishman Pirate Crew, and that group had ties to the Shichibukai. If anything, the Navy shouldn't have been allowed to arrest him at all.
Ryuji had done his howork recently. The World Governnt wasn't as mighty as it pretended to be—because in the end...
They were little more than glorified mafia bosses who collected protection money. The only difference between them and pirates was that they were stronger—and had better manners than most kings. If a kingdom paid their heavenly tribute on ti, the Navy might even help suppress revolts.
It was no different from how colonial empires once treated Africa.
"I see... If soone else had said that..." Garp murmured, then turned to his aide.
"Take care of it. Quietly. No loose ends."
Garp wasn't good at handling this kind of ss, so he left it to his trusted assistant.
"Yes, sir," Bogard replied with a casual smile. His Observation Haki had already told him everything he needed to know. A quick glance at the ledger would seal it.
And since Garp had already passed judgnt, no one would stick their neck out for Nezumi now. He was just a small fry anyway. Just… unlucky.
"Vice Admiral Garp! Wait—Garp! Please!"
Captain Nezumi panicked, but it was too late. Bogard had already summoned soldiers, and they hauled him off, his protests falling on deaf ears.
"Well, that's that," Garp said, brushing off his hands. Then he turned to Ryuji. "Kid, you really don't want to join the Navy? You'd be free to sail the seas wherever you liked!"
It was one of the perks.
Though never explicitly ntioned in the manga, in this world, sailing without proper permits—or traveling across national waters without docuntation—automatically made you a pirate.
Only those approved by the World Governnt could legally travel the oceans.
"I'll just apply for a sailing license," Ryuji said, shaking his head. He had no need for the Navy. Sure, they could teach him Rokushiki techniques, but he already knew high-level Life Return. He didn't need their help.
"Tch, alright then… Still, I hope you'll consider it soday."
Garp turned to go, but tossed sothing over his shoulder—a Den Den Mushi.
"If you ever get yourself a bounty—nothing serious—use this to call . I'll help you out."
Ryuji blinked, genuinely surprised.
He didn't expect Garp to value him that much.
But to Garp…
This brat probably has sothing to do with Roger's return… Could Roger really be coming back?
His instincts scread that Ryuji was sohow key to it all. He couldn't explain why. He had no proof. But he trusted his gut.
After all, Roger wouldn't surround himself with dead weight. Giving the kid a Den Den Mushi? Low risk, high potential reward.
He didn't bother explaining further. Just waved and left.
But what shocked Ryuji the most wasn't Garp's gesture.
"I can't believe no one noticed you."
He turned to Robin, utterly dumbfounded.
She'd been beside him the entire ti—just a simple change in hairstyle and outfit—and not a soul, not even Garp or Nezumi, had realized she was the infamous Devil Child of Ohara.
He'd intentionally shifted the conversation earlier to distract Garp. He hadn't expected it to work so well.
"You think getting a bounty's that easy?" Robin raised an eyebrow. "I'm not looking to recruit a crew. I don't dress like a typical pirate. I didn't use my powers. Why would they recognize ?"
"…Fair point," Ryuji mumbled, glancing away.
"This isn't CP0 we're dealing with. Plenty of pirates hide in plain sight. As long as you don't flaunt your powers or make a scene, no one cares. So pirates even end up pardoned by kings or nobles."
Robin's tone was casual, but there was a sharpness behind it.
If she chose to live quietly—gave up her research on the Forgotten Century and stopped using the powers of the Hana Hana no Mi fruit—the World Governnt wouldn't bother with her. She could disappear into a remote village, marry a farr, and live her life as a nobody.
The CP agents were dangerous, yes—but they didn't have the manpower to waste on every potential threat.
But Robin had made her choice. She wanted to uncover the truth of history. She wanted to find the Poneglyphs and the missing pieces of the Forgotten Century.
That was why she exposed herself to danger—why she allowed great pirates to find her, hoping they'd help her reach the secrets she couldn't reach alone.
Yes, it was dangerous.
But it was the only way she'd ever find the real truth.
So in a sense, it wasn't Crocodile who found her—it was she who chose him.
And everyone else who ca for her? They wanted her bounty. Or her head.
Only one man ca for sothing different.
Ryuji.
This bastard ca for her body. And worst of all… she couldn't even bring herself to turn him away.
"Still… Ryuji."
Robin's voice turned serious as she looked him in the eye.
"I need to tell you sothing."
"Go ahead," Ryuji said, eting her gaze. He had a pretty good idea what was coming.
"You've already got won who can help you gather energy. I'm not ready to give up my powers—or revive my mother. So if you choose to abandon the sea, I'll leave."
She didn't flinch.
"I need Crocodile's strength. I need to chase history. This is more important than my life—than even my mother's life. But if you do choose to sail, then you'll have to face him. You'll have to face the World Governnt. The Navy."
She didn't know which way Ryuji would lean. The World Governnt was powerful. So was Crocodile.
Ryuji might decide it wasn't worth the risk. And from a rational standpoint… abandoning her really was the smartest move.
But instead of answering, Ryuji cupped his chin and asked sothing that only he would ask.
"If I set sail… will you let creampie you three tis a day, help recruit hot girls, and not mind group sex?"
"…"
"…Is that a no? We can negotiate other benefits."
"...Fine."
Ryuji grinned.
"So… how do you want your Crocodile cooked? dium rare?"
He straightened his back.
And just like that—Ryuji set sail once more.
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