The next morning, the sea fog rolled into Loguetown like smoke—thick, slow, and full of secrets.
Fishermen cursed under their breath, and seagulls cried unseen above the mist.
And then—
that laugh.
"Wahahahahaha!"
The kind of laugh that broke fog apart on its own.
The Marines on patrol stiffened. Even before his figure appeared, the voice was enough to turn heads.
Vice Admiral Garp had returned.
Arrival at the Harbor
The warship loomed like a shadow through the mist, massive and confident.
Chains clanked as the anchor fell, and within moments, the man himself leapt from the ship—barehanded, grinning wide.
"Yo! I heard my grandson caused a little earthquake here!"
Aokiji sighed, already knowing what was coming. "A little earthquake? You could call it that… or maybe call it the entire East Blue shaking."
Garp scratched his chin. "Hahaha! That's my boy! Only four years old and already making headlines."
"Headlines, lawsuits, Cipher Pol threats…" Aokiji muttered. "You might want to tell your 'boy' to stop collecting bounties in reverse."
Kai's Reunion
Kai arrived at the harbor a few minutes later. The moment he saw the massive silhouette waiting with crossed arms and that familiar grin, his chest tightened—then eased.
"Grandpa," he said simply.
"Still alive, huh?" Garp boomed, stepping forward and clapping a hand on his shoulder so hard the cobblestones cracked. "Good! I was worried I'd have to fish you out of some pirate's stomach!"
Kai coughed, eyes narrowing. "You could've warned me about Cipher Pol."
Garp's grin widened. "Where's the fun in that?"
Aokiji, standing nearby, froze mid-sigh. "You knew they were coming?"
Garp shrugged. "Of course. Cipher Pol always sniffs around when something interesting happens. I just didn't think they'd be dumb enough to poke you."
"Dumb," Aokiji repeated, "is putting it mildly."
The Fog Shifts
The mist around the harbor stirred again.
A single black ship drifted in—no flag, no name. But its design was sleek, government-grade.
Cipher Pol.
"Speak of the devils…" Aokiji muttered, already half-stepping forward. "They're early."
A dozen masked agents emerged silently, dressed in black suits and gloves. At their head stood a tall man with slicked hair and eyes like mirrors.
"Vice Admiral Garp," he said coolly. "Vice Admiral Aokiji. Headquarters instructed us to escort the subject known as Kai for evaluation."
"Evaluation?" Garp laughed, loud enough to make the seagulls scatter. "You trying to evaluate your own funeral, maybe?"
The agent didn't flinch. "This is an order."
Aokiji's breath misted. "You really want to do this here?"
"We follow protocol."
Garp's grin dropped half an inch. "And I follow fists."
The Clash of Authorities
The moment stretched.
Marines formed a loose perimeter. Even the fog seemed to hold its breath.
Then—
BOOM!
The ground split under Garp's sudden stomp.
Air pressure alone knocked several Cipher Pol agents back into their own ship's railing.
"Protocol denied!" Garp thundered. "You want my grandson, you talk to me first—after you wake up!"
One agent rushed forward, vanishing mid-step—Soru.
But Aokiji's hand rose lazily.
"Ice Block: Partisan."
Spears of frost flashed into being, intercepting the strike midair. The agent froze mid-motion, literally—half his body locked in shimmering ice.
Another agent leapt. Garp didn't even look; his arm moved once.
BAAAM!
The man went flying into the water, vanishing into the mist with a splash.
Kai's Reflection
Watching the exchange, Kai felt something stir deep inside him—a mixture of pride and something darker.
For the first time, he realized how small his Conqueror's Haki still was compared to the storm that was his grandfather.
He clenched his fists. "I'll catch up… soon."
The Ghost Back lines across his spine flickered, faintly visible beneath his shirt.
And somewhere in the mist—unseen, unheard—another figure watched the three of them.
A whisper cut through the fog.
"Garp's grandson… the balance is shifting sooner than we thought."
The Dawn Approaches
The Cipher Pol ship retreated, dragging its frozen and unconscious agents with it. The Marines cheered, and Aokiji finally let the tension leave his shoulders.
"Your methods never change," he muttered.
Garp yawned. "Why change perfection?"
He turned toward Kai. "Pack up, brat. We're heading to Marineford next."
"Marineford?" Kai repeated.
Garp grinned. "Time for you to see the real world—and for the world to see you."
The words hung heavy in the morning air.
Beyond the fog, the sun finally began to rise.
To be continued…
Marineford awaits—but in its corridors, not everyone welcomes the grandson of Garp.
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