Lieutenant Commander Karens hurried away, his rigid boots clacking across the stone floor. Whatever awaited him with the Vice Admiral clearly mattered more than the fate of one condemned boy.
Surrounded by a dozen armed Marines, Kōjin didn't even try to run. Surrounded, shackled, and bruised, he knew escape wasn't an option.
He remained silent, no matter how many questions they asked him about his name, age, and where he came from. None of it mattered anymore.
Ever since he fled the noble's estate, he had finally realized where he was.
This wasn't just any world. It was the world he'd watched on a glowing screen in his past life: an anime that had once been loved across the globe.
A world of freedom, adventure, laughter, and dreams. At least, that's what he used to believe.
Now, standing here, the truth felt ice-cold and heavy.
The Nobles held absolute power in this world. Commoners lived in fear. Above all stood the Tenryūbito (Celestial Dragons), those self-proclaimed gods who could snuff out a life with a word.
This was the true face of the One Piece world: not golden sunlight and roaring seas, but cruelty hidden beneath banners of justice and freedom.
When they reached the Marine base's training grounds, the questioning stopped. The officers had given up. The boy refused to speak, and there was nothing they could do about it.
Moments later, the sound of clinking metal echoed as Seastone shackles snapped around his ankles.
"If he's a Devil Fruit user," One Marine muttered, "the Seastone will take care of him soon enough."
Another Marine shook his head and sighed. "Kid, be smarter in your next life. And whatever you do, never cross a Tenryūbito."
Their tone wasn't cruel. It was weary.
Most of them had seen this before. On the Sabaody Archipelago, those who angered the Celestial Dragons didn't live long. Some were killed by their private guards, while others, like this boy, were executed by Marines who were forced to obey orders they despised.
Many of them had joined the Marines to protect the innocent and pursue justice. Yet, over time, those ideals rotted under the weight of bloody commands.
"Let's make this quick." One of them said quietly as he raised his rifle. "At least this way, he won't have to suffer. If the Nobles got him, it'd be far worse."
He took a steady breath, then pulled the trigger.
The gunshot cracked through the air, and smoke curled lazily upward.
Silence followed.
Then came shock.
The Marines around Kōjin froze. Their eyes widened, and their faces showed their disbelief.
"What's going on with this kid?"
"He's not even a Devil Fruit user!"
Kōjin stood there, untouched. The bullet had meant nothing. He said nothing, only staring back at them quietly and distantly, like someone who had crossed the boundary between life and death too many times to care.
This went far beyond anything Lieutenant Commander Karens had imagined. Not only did it defy his orders, it defied reason itself.
"If we can't kill him," One Marine muttered, his voice tight with unease, Then the Tenryūbito will make us pay..."
They were seasoned Marines who had fought pirates of every stripe, yet none had ever seen anything like this: an ordinary-looking boy who was completely immune to death.
Kōjin pressed his lips together and glanced at his Status Panel.
The points had risen again, now at thirty-four.
That meant he had already died thirty-four times.
"Bring out the cannon," Ordered a Marine captain, drawing in a slow breath.
Even he couldn't fully hide his apprehension. The thought of an unkillable prisoner, combined with the pressure of pleasing the Tenryūbito, created a cold sensation in his chest.
At first, they believed Kōjin was a Devil Fruit user. But with that possibility gone, their unease twisted into outright fear.
Inside the base office, Karen adjusted his uniform, composed himself, and pushed the heavy door open.
A square-faced man with short-cropped black hair sat in the main chair. His frame was broad and solid, with muscles coiled beneath his Marine whites.
"Vice Admiral Garp, sir! You're here?"
Monkey D. Garp, the Hero of the Marines, didn't rise. He looked straight at Karens and let his booming voice shake the air.
"You've really sunk low, Karens. Serving those Tenryūbito scum?"
The force of his words was like a punch to the gut.
This was Garp at his prime: with his black hair gleaming in light; his entire presence radiating raw strength, dominance, and an unyielding will that crushed any room he entered.
The title "Garp the Fist" wasn't just about his physical might. It also referred to his iron-blooded methods and uncompromising lifestyle in his youth.
Karen's body tensed as he lifted his voice, sounding almost defensive. "I don't have a choice, Vice Admiral. Here in the Sabaody Archipelago, some things are beyond my control."
He hesitated, then added with a wry twist to his mouth, "Why not transfer me somewhere else, sir? Or maybe let me tag along with you and hunt pirates. I'd take anything over this."
Garp's laugh was loud and unrestrained. "You've got the nerve to ask? Transfers and appointments are Commander Kong's decisions, not mine."
He leaned forward slightly, his grin widening. "And with your personality? You're not cut out to follow me."
Karen's shoulders sagged. The corner of his mouth twitched, and an old sadness flickered in his eye. He knew this dance well; Garp had once been his teacher. But the Vice Admiral had never liked his habit of bowing to nobles or his readiness to flatter those in power.
"Ah, sorry," Garp said at last, scratching his head absently. "Didn't mean to jab you again. I was just passing through and thought I'd take a look around."
With a wave of his hand, he pushed the moment aside, as casual and unflinching as always.
"I'll take care of your ship's supplies," Karen said carefully, almost deferentially.
"That's exactly what I can't stand about you!" Garp's voice cracked like a whip. "A Marine who bows and scrapes at every turn, where's your spine?!"
His irritation flared as he spoke. Without warning, he snatched an ornamental decoration from the desk and hurled it with force.
Karen flinched. The object whistled past her ear, smashed against the floor, and scattered into pieces. The sound was sharp enough to leave a ringing in her ears. His whole body trembled.
"From now on, never call yourself my student!"
The words hit harder than the projectile. Karens' breath caught, and bitterness curled in his chest. He didn't need to be told; he knew the stories about his actions in Sabaody had already reached Garp.
He stayed silent, letting the moment pass. Fortunately, Garp's anger burned hot but fast, cooling after only a minute. The Vice Admiral then drifted into casual conversation as if nothing had happened.
Half an hour later, hurried footsteps approached the office door.
Garp lifted his head. Karens looked up, too.
"Lieutenant Commander Karens, I have bad news!" The knock and the voice arrived together urgently.
"That kid...he really can't be killed!"
Karens's eyes twitched slightly at the words. Garp's brows rose, and a hint of curiosity flickered behind his calm gaze.
"Can't be killed? Who are you guys talking about?"
The door opened. A Marine stepped inside, his chest heaving from the run. But the moment his eyes landed on Garp, who was seated in the chair as if holding court, relaxed, his entire posture stiffened with nervous tension.
"Vice–Vice Admiral Garp!"
Garp waved lazily. "Go on. I'm listening."
"From the moment we brought him in, the boy has refused to speak," The Marine began, his voice low but hurried. "However, through indirect channels, we pieced together some details. His name is Kōjin. He worked as a servant for the Bokan family here in Sabaody. Ten days ago, he went berserk. He slaughtered the entire family and escaped."
The Marine's eyes dropped to the floor, avoiding Garp's gaze.
"Today," He continued, "he insulted a Celestial Dragon. We captured him immediately We've tried everything: gunfire, cannon fire, burning, hanging, and even drowning him in seawater."
He took a shaky breath.
"Nothing works. Nothing can kill him."
Karen stared blankly, disbelief knotting his gut.
Garp leaned forward slightly, interest sparking in his eyes. "A Devil Fruit user?"
The Marine shook his head quickly. "No, sir. He's been wearing Seastone shackles the entire time, even during the executions."
For once, Garp's expression shifted into genuine surprise.
Meanwhile, Karens felt all the color drain from his face. If he couldn't handle this boy, the Celestial Dragons wouldn't hesitate to make him pay. Now, with Vice Admiral Garp watching his every move, his situation had gone from bad to disastrous.
(End of chapter.)