Fifteen minutes later—
From the bustling central streets of Loguetown, Kai made his way smoothly to the port.
As soon as he arrived, he saw a group of Marine s who had been busy moving supplies into the warship's cargo hold suddenly stop what they were doing.
Without exception, they turned toward him, their gazes filled with awe and reverence.
Under that sea of attention—
Surrounded by admiration—
Countless eyes brimming with worship locked onto Kai.
The strange atmosphere made him feel more than a little awkward.
"Mr. Kai really caused quite a stir in Loguetown," said Bogard as he walked up beside him, still sounding amazed.
"Lieutenant Commander Bogard, you flatter me."
Kai chuckled and shook his head.
Defeating a pirate with a twelve-million-Berry bounty might seem earth-shaking here in Loguetown…
But for someone like Bogard—a mid-ranking officer of Marine Headquarters—such a bounty was hardly worth mentioning.
After all, Bogard was one of Vice Admiral Garp's most trusted subordinates, his strength beyond question.
Even most Marine Captains couldn't compare to him!
That was why Kai knew…
Dealing with a small-time crew like Buggy's wouldn't impress someone like Bogard much.
"Just now, when Vice Admiral Garp heard about what you did, he cheered so loudly the entire deck shook. He's in an excellent mood."
"So the old man's already heard about it, huh?" Kai sighed helplessly.
It was just a small matter…
How did word spread this fast?
"To you, Mr. Kai, it may be a small matter," Bogard said seriously, "but you're only four years old!"
"Tell me—on this vast sea, who else has ever possessed your level of strength at just four years old? Never—there's never been anyone like you."
"In the centuries-long history of the Marine s, not once has there been such a prodigious, monstrous genius as yourself."
"So please, Mr. Kai, don't belittle your own achievements."
"If even a once-in-a-century genius like you starts feeling inferior, what are the rest of us supposed to do?"
Bogard smiled wryly.
If even this little monster started acting humble, every other Marine would want to crawl into a hole from shame.
"The old man—he's done with his business here?" Kai changed the subject.
"An hour ago, Vice Admiral Garp had already finished and returned to the warship," Bogard reported. "All supplies have been fully prepared as well. It'll take about half an hour more to get everything loaded into the ship's storage."
"So…" Kai raised a brow. "I'm the last one to arrive?"
"Indeed. You may rest aboard first. Once loading is complete, we'll set sail for the Grand Line."
"According to our planned route, it should take roughly four days to reach it," Bogard added after a moment's thought.
"Four days…"
Kai nodded slightly.
After bidding Bogard farewell, he walked alone toward the warship's deck.
Along the way, he could feel countless pairs of eyes following him—eyes full of reverence and admiration.
It felt like walking through a corridor lined with silent salutes.
The attention made him uncomfortable all over.
Once back aboard, Kai quickly spotted Garp.
"Oi, brat!" Garp roared with a booming laugh. "Did you have your fun in Loguetown? I heard you defeated another pirate crew worth twelve million?"
He slapped Kai's shoulder with one massive, calloused hand—so hard that Kai staggered sideways and nearly toppled over.
"Old man, could you not use that much strength?" Kai rolled his eyes. "If I weren't built tougher than most, your slaps would've crushed me by now."
"Ahahaha! My bad, my bad. Got a bit carried away."
Garp didn't sound the least bit sorry; if anything, his grin grew wider.
Seeing his grandson growing stronger by the day—
His chest swelled with pride and satisfaction.
At last… the old man has an heir worthy of the name!
Garp's eyes gleamed as he looked at Kai's young, muscular frame, veins faintly visible with his Ghost Back..
Not bad! This brat's got the same spirit I had in my prime!
No Devil Fruit, no sword—
Just raw fists and willpower!
To Garp, anyone who relied on a Devil Fruit or a weapon… was a weakling.
A real man fought with his bare hands!
That was true strength!
And Kai—
He was exactly Garp's kind of fighter.
In fact, Garp could already see it—
A monster greater than himself was slowly rising!
A being who would one day stand at the very peak of the seas… relying on nothing but his fists!
"Honestly…" Garp thought, "this brat's even more gifted than I was."
"And more ruthless too."
"He's got zero mercy for pirates—none at all."
"Give him time, and he'll become the living nightmare of every pirate on the Grand Line!"
Garp couldn't help but grin in satisfaction.
This kid was born a natural conqueror.
After a while, Garp shook off his thoughts and asked,
"By the way, that pirate crew you took care of—was their captain some clown-nosed guy?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah. Buggy the Clown."
"The red-nosed brat, huh…" Garp chuckled, nostalgia flashing in his eyes. "Haven't heard that name in ages."
"So he's been hiding here in the East Blue all this time, too scared to even step back into the Grand Line. Still the same coward he's always been."
Back when Garp clashed with the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, he had seen that red-nosed kid around more than once…
And another one—the red-haired boy.
Now that red-haired boy had made a name for himself in the New World, becoming one of the most feared monsters on the seas.
Who would've thought…
That his former crewmate, the red-nosed clown, would spend his days hiding in the weakest sea?
And now even his own grandson could crush that same clown with a single punch.
Time sure flies… Garp sighed.
In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed.
Soon, under Bogard's command, all supplies were loaded into the ship's storage.
Everything was ready.
"Set sail."
Once every Marine was back aboard, Garp gave the order.
Instantly—
Under the steady control of the crew, the massive warship began moving away from Loguetown's docks.
The anchors were raised.
The sails unfurled.
The ship cut through the waves and headed out to sea.
White spray fanned out on both sides of the hull as the sea parted before them, the gentle sound of waves breaking against the rocks echoing along the shore.
Before long,
Loguetown's port disappeared behind them—
a small black speck in the distance,
shrinking…
until it vanished completely.
The mighty warship pressed onward,
toward the endless blue horizon of the East Blue—
And onward still,
toward the Grand Line!
Days passed in the blink of an eye.
Night and day traded places again and again.
Four days later—
The warship finally crossed the boundary of the East Blue.
They had officially entered…
the Grand Line!
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 50 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/ZeusOp