At the same time, Tsuneo and the leaders of the Akatsuki had just left Windmill Village, setting off on a seemingly aimless journey across the vast, endless ocean.
Vice-Captain Pain stood majestically at the bow, while Chief Strategist Uchiha Itachi carefully scanned the surrounding waters. Navigator Konan meticulously charted every route they had sailed, and helmsman Kisame Hoshigaki steadied the ship's course with precision.
Meanwhile, scientist and ship doctor Orochimaru secluded himself in a private chamber. The artist and shipwright manipulated several puppets, hammering and tinkering atop the deck. Explosives expert Deidara rode on a massive white bird, carrying White Zetsu, scouting the waters from above.
Quartermaster Kakuzu counted coins in a corner, over and over. Priest Hidan sat cross-legged, hands clasped, chanting incantations. Intern Tobi playfully climbed the mast, shouting dramatically into the wind across the open sea.
Only Tsuneo, the captain, lounged lazily on deck, basking in the sun and letting the sea breeze brush his face.
"Captain, sir! There's a huge ship ahead—a really, really big one!"
At that moment, Zetsu popped his head up from the deck. Normally, encountering another ship on the open sea would be nothing unusual.
"Can you tell what kind of ship it is, Zetsu?"
"Uh… Captain, I can see it clearly enough, but I really don't know what kind of ship it is. There seem to be a lot of people on board.
"Each of them holds a long gun in hand. The leader wears a white uniform. Oh, and… there are two big characters written on his back!"
"What does it say?"
"Justice!"
What the?!
In an instant, Tsuneo leaped to his feet instinctively. This was it—the navy, the mortal enemies of pirates!
…
At the same time, not far away, a massive naval warship appeared on the horizon. A dog-headed naval commander stood proudly at the bow, with several sentries scanning the waters.
"Report! Vice Admiral Garp, a small pirate ship spotted at two o'clock! Should we open fire and eliminate them immediately?"
Hearing this, Garp's face lit up with joy.
"Haha! Didn't expect to run into pirates while visiting! I wonder whose fools these are, sailing so recklessly! Hahaha!"
He raised his right hand and laughed loudly.
"Bring the cannonball!"
A sailor quickly handed him a pristine cannonball. Without hesitation, Garp grabbed it with his bare hands and hurled it straight at the mast of Tsuneo's ship.
"Ah!"
Even the sailors were dumbfounded. Throwing a cannonball by hand? Only a naval hero could pull off such a feat!
Meanwhile, atop Tsuneo's mast, intern Tobi was still shouting. Suddenly, the cannonball streaked toward him like a meteor, too fast for any normal person to dodge.
But Tobi wasn't normal. Though he appeared to be a mere intern, his true identity was the hidden power behind the scenes—Tendo.
He pretended to be terrified, but when the cannonball struck, it didn't stop—it passed right through him and continued forward.
"Boom!"
The cannonball splashed into the ocean, exploding harmlessly.
Even Vice Admiral Garp gaped in disbelief. Pirates capable of surviving or deflecting such a direct strike were rare, but a pirate taking it head-on without a scratch? He had never seen such a thing before.
"Haha! Hey, you're no ordinary pirate! Are you the captain or the chief combatant?"
"Uh!"
Tobi froze, stammering, "N-no, no! It's a misunderstanding! I'm not the captain or the chief combatant—I'm just an intern!"
"What? You're just an intern?"
Even Garp couldn't believe his ears. A pirate this powerful, and only an intern? Then their captain must be godlike! East Blue… in just a few days, such a monstrous talent had appeared?
"Hahaha! Interesting, very interesting! Hey, pirates ahead, who are you? Announce yourselves!"
"Rookie pirate Tsuneo!"
"Tsuneo? A rookie pirate? Makes sense! Ever since Roger started the Great Pirate Era, the newcomers are only getting stronger!"
Garp waved his hand, commanding his entire ship to cease fire. He veered away from Tsuneo's small ship, heading straight for Windmill Village.
"Vice Admiral Garp, are we letting these pirates go?"
"Haha! In a hurry today, so we'll let them go—for now! But as long as they continue sailing, I will catch them!"
This was perhaps the wisest decision Garp had ever made. Otherwise, even the strongest naval hero could have lost his honor.
But the moment he reached Windmill Village, chaos erupted.
"Tsuneo, you bastard! You brought my only grandson, Luffy, into a pirate's path. Next time, don't let me catch you; I'll tear you to pieces!"
Enraged, Garp grabbed little Luffy and tossed him into the care of the Dadan family, leaving him there. If Tsuneo returned one day, who knew what would happen to his grandson?