Davy walked down the unnervingly quiet street, unfazed by the fearful gazes peeking through shuttered windows.
He wasn't surprised.
Even without the blood-soaked head dangling from his hand, his mere presence was enough to empty half the district.
With it… well, the reaction was predictable.
Not that he cared.
Once he collected what he needed from the Marines, he would set sail and never see these people again.
Their fear was irrelevant.
The urgency, however, was real.
Ever since confirming he had transmigrated into the world of One Piece, Davy had thought carefully about his future.
Before awakening the Ghost Ship, his only advantage—aside from a stubborn desire to live—was his knowledge of the storyline.
That knowledge made the Straw Hat Pirates' movements critical.
It would let him locate opportunities, avoid disasters, and most importantly—
Grow stronger with minimal risk.
Hunting random pirates was dangerous and inefficient.
Massacring civilians was effective but against his nature.
But following the protagonist group?
Battles everywhere, powerful enemies, Devil Fruits dropping like fruit in harvest season—
and he didn't even have to risk his life to reap the corpses.
By now, after collecting enough information, he could confirm where the plot stood:
The Straw Hats had just entered the Grand Line.
If his guess was right, they were already clashing with Crocodile.
And Crocodile had even contacted him—trying to recruit and manipulate him.
Another reason Davy exposed him so casually.
The way Davy saw it, Crocodile was already a man standing on the edge of a cliff.
Soon, Luffy and his companions would send him over.
And Davy fully intended to help gravity do its work.
He wanted Crocodile's head.
"Time is tight," he murmured.
Ideally, he would catch up to the Straw Hats and follow them from afar.
If not, at least he needed to reach Alabasta before the final showdown.
For that, he needed information—and a Log Pose pointing to Alabasta.
The Marine Base should have one.
Just as the building's silhouette appeared ahead, Davy stopped abruptly.
"Not again," he sighed.
At the far end of the street, a Marine stood waiting directly in the middle of the road.
A very large Marine.
As if sensing Davy's gaze, the man turned around.
A towering figure.
White hair.
A Justice cape.
The Hero of the Marines—Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp.
Luffy's grandfather.
Dragon's father.
Davy narrowed his eyes.
During Luffy's visit to Loguetown, Dragon had shown up as well.
Garp appearing here now?
That wasn't coincidence.
He resumed walking, face neutral, pretending not to recognize the man.
Garp crossed his arms, watching silently.
Just as they were about to pass each other, Garp erupted into booming laughter.
"Wahahahaha!"
Davy stopped inwardly.
So he really is here for me.
Sure enough, Garp's gruff voice came from behind.
"Oi, brat! I heard you're interested in Haki?"
Davy's mind sharpened.
Garp—famed for his Armament Haki, the "Fist that Crushed Mountains."
"I am. And you are?"
He turned back.
Garp's grin widened, bright as the sun.
"The name's Garp! Marine Vice Admiral! My grandson's around your age, so just call me Grandpa!"
Grandpa your head. What is wrong with this old man? Collecting grandsons like seashells?
Davy kept his expression polite.
"Vice Admiral Garp. What do you want?"
"Wahahaha! Boy, wanna join the Marines? I can take you as my disciple!"
"No."
A flat refusal, instant and firm.
Davy had no intention of signing away his freedom.
He had enough power now to survive without relying on someone's charity.
If he truly needed Haki training, he could always… liberate the knowledge from a pirate's soul.
Garp blinked, bewildered at the speed of rejection.
"Why? You're hunting pirates anyway! Hunting them as a Marine would be even better!"
He leaned closer like an overeager salesman.
"I haven't seen talent like yours in years! You'd rise fast! Fight for justice!"
His enthusiasm poured out in waves.
To Davy, it was nonsense.
"Boy, don't be so cold! Let's talk! Man to man! I'm not leaving until you give me a reason!"
"…Fine."
Davy stopped walking, expression calm.
"You want the truth? I have no interest in being a dog for the Celestial Dragons.
And I don't fight for a fake justice."
Garp's smile froze.
His eyes quivered.
For a moment—just a moment—
Davy's face overlapped with another man's in Garp's memory.
A man who abandoned the Marines.
A man branded a global criminal.
His own son—Monkey D. Dragon.
Garp's expression hardened.
"Fake justice? Boy, do you know how many people spilled their blood for justice?
How many died fighting for their beliefs?
And you call it fake?"
His voice deepened—
like a lion's roar shaking the bones.
The air itself grew heavy.
Davy stared back without bowing.
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