Chapter 15: G-3 Base
The small warship slowly pulled into the G-3 Base harbor, its hull gleaming in the sunset.
On the deck, Roy stood at attention, his gaze landing on a familiar figure at the end of the dock.
Garp was fast asleep on a lounge chair, his Marine cap covering his face. His snores were so loud they shook the dock, and a giant snot bubble pulsed with every breath.
"Zzzzzz..."
A vein pulsed on Roy's forehead. ...This... is the "Guardian" of G-3 Base?
The ship docked, and Bogard immediately walked over to greet him, a look of resigned amusement on his face. "Roy. Welcome to G-3 Base."
Roy snapped to attention. "Mr. Bogard!"
Bogard nodded, then glanced at the still-snoozing Garp, his mouth twitching. "Don't mind him. The Vice Admiral is... uh... 'on duty.'"
Roy: "..." (A very unique kind of 'duty.')
Just then, Garp jolted, his snot bubble popping. He shot upright, his cap falling to the ground.
"Huh?! Who's here?!"
He rubbed his eyes. When he saw Roy, his face lit up with a booming laugh. "Oh! Roy! You're finally here!"
Before he finished speaking, he'd leaped to his feet and slung an arm around Roy's shoulder. "This is great!"
"Now I can really start slacking off!"
Roy's face was a mask of confusion. "???"
Bogard buried his face in his hand, sighing. "Vice Admiral, please, could you show a little restraint..."
Garp ignored him, grinning like a kid. "Ever since that brat Kuzan got promoted, I haven't had a decent heavy-hitter to do my work!"
"Now that you're here, someone can finally do the chores for me!"
Roy, completely baffled, pointed at himself. "So... I was brought here to be your free labor?"
Garp's eyes lit up. He suddenly pulled a giant iron ball from behind his back as if by magic. "Come on! Time for your welcome ceremony!"
Roy's eye twitched. "Wait, what 'welcome ceremony'?"
Garp laughed. "The upgraded version of my 'Fist of Love,' of course! I call it... 'Fist Bone: Meteorite'!"
Without another word, Garp swung the giant ball over his head and smashed it down on Roy!
"BOOM!!!"
Roy instantly warped, vanishing just as the iron ball obliterated the dock, sending a spray of stone and debris flying.
The G-3 Marines poked their heads out of the windows, dumbfounded.
"Whoa! The Vice Admiral is 'welcoming' another rookie!"
"Who's the unlucky bastard this time?"
"I think that's the monster from Instructor Zephyr's boot camp, Colonel Roy!"
Roy, his expression dark, had just reappeared when he saw Garp lifting the ball again, laughing like a mischievous child. "Don't run! I've gotta test your strength!"
"BAM! BAM! BAM!"
For the next ten minutes, the G-3 dock turned into a hellscape. Roy was forced to warp between the docks, the rooftops, the lighthouse, and even the loading cranes as a storm of iron balls rained down on him.
Bogard stood to the side, calmly sipping his coffee. "You'll get used to it. The Vice Admiral has a... unique... way of showing affection."
Finally, Garp had his fill. He casually tossed the ball aside, and it thudded at the edge of the dock. He clapped his hands, looking at Roy with satisfaction. "Not bad! Your reflexes are top-notch! Bwahahaha!"
Roy, panting slightly, said flatly, "Thank you for the... 'welcome'..."
Garp laughed and slung an arm around his neck. "Come on! I'll treat you to some rice crackers!"
Roy: Why do I feel like I've been scammed?
The setting sun glittered on the waves. On the dock, laughter and the sea breeze mingled, feeling both chaotic and strangely like home.
Ever since Roy arrived at G-3, Garp's slacking had reached new, shameless heights.
In the office—
Garp, his feet on the desk and rice crackers stuck up his nose, would lazily order, "Bogard! Handle today's paperwork!"
Bogard, his head aching: "Sir, that's your job..."
Garp, with a serious face: "Roy! You go help Bogard!"
Roy, confused, pointing at himself: "Me???"
In the mess hall—
Garp, standing at the door with his hands on his hips, would shout, "Roy! Go get my food, it's faster if you warp!"
Roy, his face darkening: "Don't you have your own hands?"
Garp, full of righteous indignation: "This is training! To sharpen your Devil Fruit ability! And to scout the cafeteria for potential assassins!"
Roy: "..."
When a mission came in—
Garp would slam his desk: "Bogard! Take Roy and go wipe out those pirates! I'm taking a nap!"
Bogard would sigh: "...Yes, sir."
Roy, exasperated: "Vice Admiral, aren't you being just a little lazy?"
Garp: "Nonsense! I'm cultivating your independent combat skills!"
"He's getting way too good at making excuses..."
But as lazy as he was, Garp never slacked on Roy's actual training.
Every morning, the G-3 soldiers would witness the same scene:
Garp, carrying a huge sack of iron balls, would chase Roy down the beach, roaring, "Faster! Faster!"
Roy, warping to dodge: "Can't you think of any other training method?!"
Garp, laughing like a prankster: "Nope! This is my 'Special Love Training'!"
During his time at G-3, Roy's strength grew at an astonishing rate.
On pirate suppression missions—
Roy, his eyes sharp: "Rokushiki: Phantom's Wrath!"
FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!
A flurry of afterimages, a few short screams, and an entire pirate crew would be on the ground.
Bogard, from the deck of the ship, would nod calmly. "Good. Job's done."
During daily training—
Garp, laughing as he punched: "Take this!"
Roy would brace for impact.
"BOOM!!"
The wall behind Roy would explode, leaving him half-buried in the rubble.
He'd just climb out, his eyes firm. "Again!"
Garp would grin. "That's the spirit!"
During extra night training—
Under the moonlight, Roy would be alone on the training field, his body coated in a faint sheen of Armament Haki, his afterimages weaving a complex pattern as he practiced his warps, combining his Haki and his ability with every move.
G-3 Base Office
Bogard strode into the office, his face grim. "Vice Admiral Garp. A pirate crew with a bounty over 300 million Beri has been spotted nearby. Intel says they're heavily armed and carrying poison gas canisters."
Garp, who had been dozing, his feet on the desk, sat up. His eyes lit up. "This is great! Just what I needed for a warm-up!"
But just as he was about to stand, the office door was pushed open.
Roy strode in, his eyes sharp. "Old Man. Let me go."
Garp froze, then burst out laughing. "Bwahahaha! Now that's my student!"
He slapped Roy hard on the shoulder. "Fine! Go! But remember, if you can't beat 'em, you run your ass back here! Don't you dare get yourself killed!"
Roy nodded, his gaze firm. "Don't worry."