...
Hearing that Luffy had not yet been captured by the Marines, the villagers of Foosha Village collectively let out a sigh of relief.
As long as he hadn't fallen into the Marines' hands, it meant there was still hope for survival.
For these fellow villagers who had watched Luffy grow up, this was undoubtedly a ray of light piercing through the gloom.
Dadan finished venting her emotions, fiercely wiped her face with her sleeve, called to the group of mountain bandits behind her—who also had red-rimmed eyes and dared not speak out in anger—and turned to leave…
From start to finish, she never looked at Garp again.
She knew full well that her earlier actions were more than enough for the Marines to arrest and imprison her.
If Garp truly decided to do so, she would have no complaints—but she did not regret it.
"Vice Admiral Garp… this…"
A Marine officer watched Dadan and the others depart, his expression complicated as he stepped forward to ask for instructions.
Even though she was an old acquaintance, beating a Marine hero until he bled was, no matter how one looked at it, going too far.
"No need…"
Garp's voice was hoarse. He raised his hand and used the rough back of it to wipe away the mixture of blood and undried tear stains on his face…
After a moment of silence, Garp forced himself to straighten the back that seemed to have hunched over in an instant and slowly stood up.
The wound on his forehead throbbed faintly, but compared to the hollow, gut-wrenching pain deep in his heart…
This little bit of physical suffering was utterly negligible.
Garp gazed deeply in the direction where Dadan had disappeared. After a brief silence, he turned to the Marine soldiers behind him, his tone carrying unquestionable authority:
"Whatever happened today—no one is to speak of it outside! That is an order!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp!"
The Marines responded in unison.
They understood: Vice Admiral Garp had old ties with the mountain bandits and had even chosen not to pursue the matter after being beaten bloody by one of them.
If word of this got out, it would inevitably cause serious damage to both the Marines' and Garp's own heroic reputation.
"Let me help you bandage that."
At that moment, Makino approached with clean bandages and fresh water. Her voice still carried a slight nasal tone from crying.
She carefully cleaned the wounds on Garp's forehead and face, her movements gentle.
Though her tears had stopped, those gentle eyes remained bloodshot…
Filled with worry for Luffy and sympathy for the difficult situation this elderly man faced.
As a Marine, Garp had to fight evil to the end!
Yet as the grandfather of Luffy and Ace, Garp also had to stand firm in his beliefs—this truly felt heartbreaking.
...
The light screen shifted!
From the peaceful East Blue, it instantly switched to the grand and turbulent latter half of the Grand Line—the New World.
On an unnamed island, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.
The joint funeral for Whitebeard Edward Newgate and Portgas D. Ace was being held here.
Two freshly built graves stood side by side. On the left rested Ace's signature orange cowboy hat and his sword…
To its right lay Whitebeard's tattered yet still powerfully symbolic white coat, along with one of the Supreme Grade Blades—Murakumogiri—thrust upside-down into the ground!
They rustled faintly in the salty sea breeze.
Behind these two main graves were many smaller ones, holding the Whitebeard Pirates crew members who had fallen in the Summit War.
The Whitebeard Pirates had always treated everyone equally—every crewmate was an irreplaceable family member.
Yet the cruelty of war meant that many comrades' bodies could not be retrieved from Marineford amid the Marines' counterattack…
They could only remain forever on that blood-soaked battlefield.
"Thank you, Red-Hair!"
Marco—the commander of the 1st division—was wrapped in bandages. Though he had regained his usual calm, the indelible sorrow and exhaustion still lingered between his brows.
He walked up to Shanks and bowed solemnly in thanks.
He knew clearly: if Shanks had not stepped forward at the final moment with overwhelming dominance to end the war…
The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates might very well have bled out their last drop on that merciless battlefield.
"No need for thanks… Marco."
Shanks's gaze swept over the two graves. His tone was low and carried respect.
"Though they were enemies… Whitebeard was a hero worthy of everyone's respect. I'm sure even Sengoku—who agreed to let you take their bodies for burial—felt the same way deep down."
After speaking, Shanks gently shook his head toward Whitebeard's and Ace's tombstones, as if offering a silent sigh and farewell.
Finally, under the complex gazes of the surviving Whitebeard Pirates members, Shanks turned and silently departed this sorrowful place with his crew.
"You must be in so much pain right now… Luffy…"
As he walked toward the Red Force anchored at the shore, Shanks murmured to himself in his heart.
Before his eyes appeared once more the image of the boy Luffy in Foosha Village, noisily declaring he would become the Pirate King—followed by the young figure in the Summit War, collapsing and screaming in despair after witnessing his brother's brutal death.
"But… you need to know,"
Shanks continued whispering inwardly, his eyes carrying the vicissitudes and expectations of someone who had been through it all: "A person only truly transforms into a man capable of standing on his own…
after tasting both victory and defeat…
after experiencing the humiliation of fleeing in all directions…
and after enduring soul-crushing despair and crying out loud in pain!"
His steady footsteps climbed the deck; the sea wind billowed his black coat.
Shanks knew Luffy was going through his hardest moment—and this was perhaps the abyss he had to cross on his path to growth.
No one could help him; Luffy had to walk out of it on his own!
The view returned once more to the peaceful shores of Amazon Lily.
"Rayleigh! Isn't this too cruel to Luffy?!"
Jinbe couldn't hold back any longer. His gruff voice carried clear concern.
He had just witnessed Luffy's journey from breakdown to recovery and truly couldn't bear to see him immediately face such a difficult choice again.
"Yeah…!"
Boa Hancock anxiously agreed, her stunningly beautiful face filled with heartache.
"He just suffered such a massive blow—his body and mind are exhausted. What he needs most right now is to reunite with his crew and find comfort. How can… how can you make him wait even longer?"
Though Hancock respected Rayleigh, to protect Luffy she had no choice but to challenge him. The way she looked at Luffy now was brimming with protectiveness.
They all knew Rayleigh meant well for Luffy, and the problems he pointed out were so realistic and brutal.
Without sufficient strength, one didn't even have the right to reunite with their crew—and might only drag their comrades into danger once more.
But understanding was one thing; emotionally, they still found it hard to accept.
If Luffy followed Rayleigh's suggestion, it would mean temporarily setting aside his longing for his crew and being unable to head straight to Sabaody Archipelago.
However, just as Jinbe and Hancock were about to continue advocating for Luffy, the silent Luffy suddenly raised his head.
Gone from his face was the earlier confusion and pain; in its place was an unprecedented determination.
Luffy swallowed the chunk of meat in one gulp, raised his right hand to adjust the straw hat on his head. Beneath the brim, his eyes were sharp and clear—as if they had already pierced through the current predicament and seen farther into the future.
"Thank you both, Jinbe, Hancock…"
Luffy's voice was steady and strong, cutting off their words.
He turned to Rayleigh without the slightest evasion in his gaze: "I never want… to let my crew go through that kind of thing again!"
Before Luffy's eyes flashed the scenes from Sabaody Archipelago—his crewmates being sent flying and vanishing one by one in front of him—followed by the image from the Summit War of Ace falling after blocking a fatal blow for him.
That heart-rending powerlessness—he absolutely refused to experience it a third time!
"I want to protect them!"
Luffy's voice suddenly rose, carrying unshakable resolve: "If following your suggestion, Rayleigh, can make me stronger—if it can let me protect my crew from getting hurt again…"
He took a deep breath, as if exhaling every last trace of hesitation and weakness, then declared clearly, word by word:
"Then I'm willing to try!"
The Straw Hat boy, Monkey D. Luffy, after experiencing the most devastating loss of his life, made a decision that would completely alter the path of his future.
He chose to temporarily set aside his longing for reunion.
He chose to confront his own weakness head-on.
He chose to embark on a far more arduous path of training—one that led to true strength.
To protect, he must first learn endurance and growth!
...
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