Although Eli Winters and his crew carried hefty bounties on their heads, life aboard the Silver Dragon remained as carefree as ever. In this stretch of sea governed by the 16th Naval Branch, nearly every island with a population had once suffered under Medrue's tyranny. So when the locals saw Eli's ship approaching, they didn't cower in fear quite the opposite. Many welcomed them warmly, grateful to the ones who had brought peace to their shores.
And as for bounty hunters? None dared to try their luck. A reward of 3.3 billion berries was enough to frighten off even the greediest fool. No one with a shred of sense would rush toward certain death.
That afternoon, the Silver Dragon departed yet another island full of grateful villagers, heading toward their next adventure.
On deck, the crew was in the midst of a heated volleyball match, having drawn lots to decide the teams.
Team Red: Eli, Simon, Reiju, and Fiona.
Team Blue: Big Pan, Felina, Dote, and Chiyo.
They had agreed on one rule no abilities allowed.
The game was intense, the score neck and neck.
Eli's incredible jumping power let him spike the ball down with explosive force. Simon's defense was ironclad, saving the team again and again. Reiju and Fiona played with perfect coordination, passing and setting with seamless rhythm.
But Team Blue refused to back down. Big Pan's monstrous serves disrupted Red's formation every time, Felina darted across the court with catlike agility, and Dote and Chiyo launched fierce counterattacks.
"Ouch! Captain, could you stop aiming for my face?" Felina complained after taking her third hit square to the nose.
"Accident! Total accident!" Eli said with an awkward grin.
"You promised not the face!" she puffed her cheeks in protest.
"Got it," he said quickly.
A moment later thwack!
This time it was Dote, struck hard in the nose by one of Simon's powerful spikes. Blood trickled down his face.
Now Simon was fired up. He started targeting the opponents' weak spots with surgical precision. What began as a friendly match soon turned into an all-out brawl.
By the time the clock struck noon, the match ended with Team Red's narrow victory. Everyone was scratched and bruised, but laughter filled the deck all the same.
After cleaning up, the crew prepared lunch. With Chiyo Mochizuki their master chef in charge, the air soon filled with the irresistible aroma of freshly cooked dishes.
Big Pan inhaled deeply. "Chiyo's cooking just keeps getting better!"
Eli kicked him lightly on the rear. "Have some dignity, Big Pan."
"Heh-heh!" Big Pan laughed and darted away, already begging Chiyo for an early taste.
Eli smiled faintly. Unlike the others, he didn't rush to the kitchen. Instead, he strolled calmly toward the bow.
The sea breeze brushed against his face, warm and gentle, ruffling his hair. For a moment, he simply stood there, breathing in the scent of salt and freedom. He stretched his arms lazily, savoring the peace.
But then his movement froze.
Right ahead, a naval battleship came into view. Its figurehead bore the unmistakable dog-head insignia glinting under the sun.
A grin spread across Eli's face.
"Well, now... Monkey D. Garp, huh? Didn't expect to run into you here. Coincidence or fate?"
Whatever the reason, Eli wasn't worried. A meeting with the "Hero of the Marines" sounded more like fun than trouble.
Moments later, the two ships met.
"Ha-ha-ha! That you, kid? Eli Winters?" a booming voice called across the waves.
Eli turned and saw a tall, broad-chested man with short gray hair and a familiar scar under his left eye. He looked far younger than the version Eli remembered from the stories perhaps age hadn't yet caught up with him.
"Vice Admiral Garp! I've heard much about you," Eli said with a grin.
"Ha-ha-ha! You look promising, brat. Mind if I come aboard?"
"It'd be an honor," Eli replied. "We were just about to have lunch. Care to join us, Vice Admiral?"
"Ha! Don't mind if I do!"
With a single leap, Garp landed on the Silver Dragon's deck, a massive grin on his face. A young officer followed behind him.
"This here's my aide, Captain Bogart. Fine swordsman, this one," Garp introduced.
"Good to meet you, Mr. Winters," Bogart said politely with a bow.
"Welcome aboard," Eli replied warmly. "Please, this way. Lunch is ready."
The crew exchanged glances, startled to see the famous Marine hero casually step onto their ship. But no one panicked Eli's strength was more than enough to keep them safe.
Inside the dining hall, laughter soon filled the air. Garp turned out to be far more easygoing than anyone expected, joking and chatting as though he were an old friend.
"This food's amazing!" Garp said, devouring a second plate. "You've got a great cook, Eli."
Eli chuckled proudly. "Of course. Chiyo's the best chef on the seas."
Chiyo smiled softly. "As long as everyone's happy, that's all that matters."
The meal lasted more than an hour, full of stories and laughter. Eli realized that Garp was surprisingly talkative far more than the sleepy glutton he'd imagined. The Vice Admiral shared tales from his youth, thrilling battles, and a few embarrassing anecdotes about his fellow Marines, much to the crew's delight.
But suddenly, Garp's tone changed.
"Eli," he said, eyes gleaming. "Let's have a spar."
Eli's grin widened. "I was hoping you'd say that."
They chose a small uninhabited island nearby as their arena. The moment the battle began, the air trembled with force.
Though neither used their full strength, the fight was like a storm tearing through the heavens. Every blow shook the island, every clash roared like thunder. Finally, after one last explosive punch from both sides, the island beneath them shattered apart.
Hovering above the sea, Garp laughed heartily.
"Ha-ha-ha! What a fight! You're no ordinary brat, Eli. Your Haki's sharp didn't expect that!"
"Vice Admiral, you flatter me," Eli said, smiling. "Come on, don't hold back. Show me what you've got."
"Then take this! Galaxy Impact!" Garp's fist, wrapped in dense Haki, blazed through the air like a meteor.
Eli met it head-on. "Dragon Path!"
A spectral dragon coiled from his punch, clashing against Garp's strike in a burst of blinding light. The shockwave split the sky itself, scattering clouds in all directions.
Both men were thrown back by the blast. Garp steadied himself midair and let out a long breath.
"Ha... I'm getting old. That's enough for today," he said, laughing ruefully.
Eli could tell he meant it there was no enmity between them. Just mutual respect.
Back aboard the Silver Dragon, Garp looked Eli squarely in the eye.
"Eli Winters, ever thought about joining the Marines? I'll give you my word join us, and I'll make you a Vice Admiral right away. Within a few years, you could be an Admiral."
Eli shook his head, smiling faintly. "You know better than anyone, Vice Admiral Garp the Navy isn't as pure as it looks. That's why you never took the Admiral's seat yourself, isn't it? I prefer my freedom."
Garp fell silent. He understood all too well. For decades, he had fought for justice, only to watch the system betray its ideals time and again.
Finally, he sighed. "Then promise me this: Don't lose yourself, kid. The moment you become a threat to the innocent, I'll stop you myself."
Eli nodded. "Fair enough. I just want to sail free, nothing more."
Garp smiled and rose to his feet. "Then keep sailing, boy."
He and Bogart returned to their ship. Before leaving, Bogart turned and said, "Mr. Winters, I'd be honored to spar with you someday."
"Anytime," Eli replied with a grin.
As the dog-headed battleship sailed into the horizon, Fiona leaned against the rail. "That man's nothing like the Marines we've met before."
"Yeah," Big Pan said lazily. "As long as he's not here to arrest us, who cares?"
Eli laughed. "That's the spirit. All right, crew let's set sail for our next island!"
"AYE, CAPTAIN!" everyone cheered.
Meanwhile, aboard the battleship, Garp contacted Fleet Admiral Sengoku through his Den Den Mushi.
"Sengoku here. What is it, Garp?"
"I met Eli Winters."
"Oh? What's your impression?"
"He's a man who values freedom above all," Garp said. "He doesn't see sides only right and wrong."
"And his strength?"
"Terrifying. I used seventy percent of my power and couldn't make him use his Devil Fruit."
"What?! That's impossible he's barely more than a kid!"
Garp's tone was grim. "We've underestimated him."
Sengoku was silent for a long moment. "Understood. We'll revise our approach immediately."
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a grandson to visit," Garp said cheerfully.
"WHAT? You haven't even returned to base yet?!" Sengoku roared. "You've been gone a month!"
"Ran into Shanks along the way. Gave chase for half a month," Garp said matter-of-factly.
"Did you catch him?"
"Nope."
"YOU ! Fine! You've got two weeks, or I'm docking your entire year's salary!"
"Ha! That's your favorite threat, Sengoku," Garp laughed, hanging up before the man could explode.
"Bogart! Set course for Windmill Village!" he shouted.
"Aye, Vice Admiral!"
Back in his office, Sengoku rubbed his temples. The seas were growing more chaotic by the day. With a power like Eli Winters loose in the world, anything could happen.
If not for that damned Medrue, he thought bitterly, maybe things wouldn't have come to this.
"Send a message," Sengoku barked at his aide. "Reassign McArthur to the Naval Sanitation Division. He can clean toilets for the next six months!"
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