The Straw Hat crew stood frozen, watching in disbelief as Garp and Luffy somehow managed to fall asleep mid-argument, standing straight up like two bizarre statues.
Nami pinched the bridge of her nose. "Did... did they really just pass out while yelling at each other?"
Usopp nodded slowly. "I mean... if it's Luffy, I guess it makes sense? But still..."
POP!
The bubble of snot on Garp's nose burst as he suddenly jerked awake.
"Ah! Fell asleep!" he boomed, then immediately reared back and—
THWACK!
His fist connected with Luffy's head with practiced precision, adding yet another lump to his grandson's already battered skull.
"GYAAAAH! GRANDPA! STOP IT!" Luffy howled, clutching his head. No enemy's attack had ever hurt as much as Grandpa's love taps.
As the two descended into their usual chaotic bickering, the rest of the crew huddled together.
Sanji exhaled a stream of smoke. "So let me get this straight... our captain's grandfather is the Marine Hero?"
Chopper nodded frantically. "The man who is invincible in the marines?! That's Luffy's grandpa?!"
Zoro's eye narrowed. "More importantly... he's a Marine. A really high-ranking one. Shouldn't we be, I dunno... running?"
Usopp's face drained of color. "OH GOD HE'S RIGHT! WE'RE ALL GOING TO IMPEL DOWN!"
Before they could panic further, Garp's face suddenly appeared inches from Usopp's, scrutinizing him with intense focus.
"Hmm... not him. Too ugly."
His gaze moved to Sanji. "Weird eyebrows. Nope."
Then he spotted Chopper and brightened. "Oh! You have a tanuki too, Luffy! Just like when you were a kid!"
Chopper bristled. "I'M A REINDEER!"
Garp ignored him, moving down the line until he reached Zoro. The two locked eyes in a battle of wills.
Then Garp stuck a finger up his nose.
"So... you must be that Nolan brat, huh?" he asked casually.
The entire crew exploded.
"THERE'S NO WAY THAT MAKES SENSE!"
"LOOK AT HIS HAIR! HIS FACE! HIS SWORDS!"
"HOW DO YOU EVEN—UGH!"
Garp blinked, then burst into roaring laughter. "BWAHAHAHA! Luffy, your crew's hilarious!"
Every Straw Hat's eye twitched in unison. This guy was calling them strange?!
Luffy, completely missing the insult, just grinned proudly. "Shishishi! Aren't they the best?"
For a moment, grandfather and grandson stood there beaming at each other, identical in their obliviousness.
Garp scratched his chin, his expression turning serious for once. "Anyway, where's that brat Nolan? After the mess he made, I need to see him for myself. Can't sleep properly until I do."
Luffy immediately deflated like a popped balloon, slumping onto the deck. "Nolan's missing!" he groaned, as if this was the greatest tragedy in the world.
"WHA—?!"
A new voice cut through the air, making everyone turn. Standing near the railing were two unexpected guests—a pink-haired boy with round glasses and a blonde guy who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.
Luffy's eyes narrowed. There was something familiar about them...
"HEY!" he shouted, pointing dramatically. "Who are you?! What are you doing on my ship?!"
Zoro, surprisingly the most observant one for once, stepped forward. "They're those two brats we met before," he said, scratching his head. "One's the son of some marine captain, the other wants to be a marine or something."
"That's what he said~!" Yachiru chirped, floating upside down above them.
Luffy's hostility instantly vanished. He marched over and slapped the pink-haired boy on the back so hard he nearly face-planted into the deck.
"Ohhh! So you're the son of a brat who wants to be a marine captain!" Luffy declared with absolute confidence, as if this made perfect sense.
The crew stared.
Silence lingered for seconds.
Zoro, after a beat, gave a thumbs-up. "Yeah. Something like that."
"Nyahahahaha!" Yachiru cackled, rolling in the air.
The pink-haired boy—Coby—straightened his glasses, his face lighting up. "It's been a long time, Luffy-san! I'm Coby! I've become a proper marine thanks to Vice Admiral Garp!"
Luffy's jaw dropped. "COBY?! IT'S YOU?!" He grabbed Coby in a bone-crushing hug, spinning him around. The fact that Coby had mentioned Garp didn't even register—all Luffy heard was that his old friend was here.
Helmeppo, the blonde, sulked in the background. "Oh sure, ignore me like usual..."
Garp watched the scene with a grin, then suddenly bellowed, "OI, LUFFY! You still haven't answered me about Nolan!"
Luffy paused mid-spin, Coby still dangling in his arms. "Huh? Oh right. Yeah, he's missing. Probably got lost or something."
Garp's eye twitched. "You're telling me the guy who erased an island just... vanished?"
Usopp leaned over to Sanji. "To be fair, with Nolan, that's actually believable."
Sanji sighed. "Yeah. He probably fell asleep mid-air and landed in some random place."
Sanji's casual remark hung in the air for a moment before the full weight of Garp's words hit them like a cannonball.
"Wait... WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE ERASED AN ISLAND?!" Nami shrieked, her face turning ghostly pale. The only island they'd last been to with Nolan was Enies Lobby—one of the Marine's strongest fortresses! If it was true that Nolan had destroyed it...
Her bounty would skyrocket! And not in a good way! She could already imagine the terrifying numbers flashing above her head—numbers she definitely wasn't ready to handle!
Zoro and Sanji tensed, waiting for Garp's response, but the old man just kept digging in his nose with intense focus, as if searching for buried treasure. Both of them felt their patience thinning, but considering who they were dealing with, they wisely kept their mouths shut.
Thankfully, Coby—ever the helpful one—stepped in. He pulled out a newspaper and handed it over.
Robin snatched it up first, her eyes scanning the headlines rapidly. Then she went completely still. The rest of the crew leaned in, only to freeze as well.
The newspaper showed a picture of what used to be Enies Lobby—now just an empty stretch of ocean. The headline read,
"MARINE STRONGHOLD VANISHES! WHO IS THE MYSTERIOUS PIRATE BEHIND THIS?"
Luffy tilted his head. "So... Nolan's famous now?"
"OF COURSE HE IS!" Coby blurted out, his voice a mix of excitement and nervous energy. "Thanks to him, the Marine HQ's budget got slashed by more than half! The people of Alabasta are protesting his criminal charges, and the Celestial Dragons are losing their minds trying to capture him!"
He took a deep breath, grinning. "And because they've made zero progress, the Celestial Dragons decided to just cut the Marine's funding out of frustration!"
The Straw Hats stared at him.
Sanji slowly raised an eyebrow. "Uh... are you supposed to sound that happy about it?"
Coby froze, then glanced nervously at Garp—who was still preoccupied with his nose.
Garp finally pulled his finger out with a pop and grinned. "Ah? Those trash did that? BWAHAHAHA!" He slapped his knee, laughing like this was the funniest thing in the world. "Man, I gotta bring that brat to Mariejois now! That'd be hilarious!"
Luffy blinked. "Wait, why?"
Garp's grin turned wicked. "Just imagine their faces when he shows up uninvited!"
---