[Sea Circle Calendar, April 11, 1517] On the way to Marine Headquarters.
This middle-aged man named Garp is pretty nice, but he’s a weirdo.
What kind of person suddenly falls asleep while eating?
It’s amazing!
…
[Sea Circle Calendar, April 14, 1517] Today, we crossed the place known as the Red Line.
I also learned that if pirates want to cross this continent to reach the sea called the [Grand Line], they have to pass through a place called Reverse Mountain.
Ships actually ride the currents up the mountain.
This world is much more fantastical than I imagined.
And living on this Red Line are nobles known as the [Celestial Dragons].
However, when Mr.
Garp mentioned them, he described them as trash, which terrified everyone else.
…
[Sea Circle Calendar, April 19, 1517] I learned a bit about the academy’s curriculum.
It mostly teaches things to make you stronger.
Mr.
Garp mentioned the Marine Rokushiki and Haki, and he also brought up peculiar fruits called ‘Devil Fruits’.
Eating one of these fruits grants various superpowers, but the eater loses the ability to swim.
Even so, many people still scramble to eat them.
…
[Sea Circle Calendar, April 28, 1517] Because we haven’t stopped or rested along the way, we’ll be arriving at Marine Headquarters very soon.
…
Early in the morning, just as the sun crested the horizon, Elliot was already out of bed, mop in hand, ready to clean the Marine warship.
As a Marine Ensign, Elliot technically didn’t need to do the cleaning chores assigned to chore boys or regular Marines.
In fact, when he first picked up a mop on day one, he gave the Marines on board quite a scare.
They all rushed forward, urging him to go rest.
After all, even though Elliot hadn’t been officially commissioned yet, they all knew he was already a Marine Headquarters Ensign.
Not to mention, they had clearly witnessed his battle that day.
He could fight on par with Vice Admiral Garp.
How could they let someone destined to become at least a Vice Admiral do such menial work?
But Elliot just looked at them and said, “I’m still a chore boy right now.
This is what I’m supposed to do,” before continuing to mop.
Everyone fell silent.
Ultimately, Vice Admiral Garp had to step in, telling them to let the kid do whatever he wanted, which finally dispersed the crowd.
After spending so much time together at sea, the Marines also realized that this monster named Elliot, despite his cold exterior, was surprisingly easy to get along with.
Except for the occasional infuriating remark!
Because of this, the Marines who were already up and preparing for the day saluted Elliot when they saw him, completely accustomed to the sight of him mopping the deck.
Just as Elliot reached the front deck of the warship, Garp was standing by the railing, holding today’s newspaper.
Another thing about this world that surprised Elliot was the newspaper delivery.
Every day, albatrosses known as News Coos would deliver the daily paper.
But since there were far too many bizarre things in this world, Elliot didn’t dwell on it.
Garp was looking at the newspaper with a rare, serious expression.
Elliot didn’t disturb him, keeping his head down and quietly mopping the floor.
However, sensing something, Elliot looked up to find Garp staring right at him.
Their eyes met.
No one spoke.
But a moment later…
Garp strode over to Elliot, raised his fist, and brought it crashing down on the top of Elliot’s head.
Elliot didn’t dodge, simply letting Garp’s fist hit him.
After spending so much time together, Elliot had learned that while this old man was very friendly, he loved using his fists to show affection.
Moreover, if he dodged, the old man would just chase him around until he landed a hit, which was incredibly troublesome.
So, Elliot had stopped trying to evade.
“When you see a lonely, heartbroken old man, you’re supposed to ask what’s wrong!” Garp shouted at Elliot after delivering the blow.
Even after taking the punch, Elliot was completely unharmed.
He simply pushed up his glasses and bluntly replied, “Why would I take the initiative to pry into your private affairs…”
Hearing this, Garp clenched his fist again, looking thoroughly displeased.
But the next moment, the old man plopped down onto the deck stairs, his brow furrowed.
“Kids these days, every single one of them…”
He paused, then looked at Elliot.
“But if that guy were like you, I’d actually be relieved!
Even if you’re an infuriating brat sometimes, at least you honestly became a Marine.”
As he spoke, a look of sheer frustration crossed his face.
“If only I could have found that brat.
The little bastard vanished out of nowhere, and I had no idea where he went…
Now he’s made a name for himself, and it’s too late for anything.”
Elliot’s expression remained indifferent as the sea breeze blew the newspaper Garp had tossed onto the deck.
Glancing down, Elliot saw a headline that read, ‘Fire Fist Ace Defeats 71st Marine Base Commander.’ As the wind flipped a few more pages, he spotted a wanted poster bearing the name of the Spade Pirates’ captain, Fire Fist Ace.
Garp continued to mutter to himself, “Especially that brat Luffy.
If he sees this paper…”
At this point, Garp rubbed his forehead, looking like he had a massive headache, before shifting his gaze to Elliot, who was gathering up the scattered newspaper.
Seeing Elliot still expressionlessly cleaning up, the Marine Hero frowned once more.
“Comfort me a little, will you?!
Can’t you see an old man like me is heartbroken right now?
Besides, with how smart you are, you definitely figured something out!”
Elliot looked at Garp and sighed inwardly.
*What a high-maintenance old man.*
Still, he spoke slowly, “I think everyone walks their own path.
As long as they don’t regret it, it doesn’t matter what path they take.”
After saying that, Elliot looked at the neatly folded newspaper in his hands, his eyes lingering on the wanted poster, before looking back up at Garp.
“However, Mr.
Garp, if I ever run into this person in the future, and he’s doing something terrible, I will take action against him without hesitation.”
Garp froze, his brow furrowing as he looked at Elliot.
“Do whatever you want.
Since he chose this path, whatever happens to him next doesn’t matter!”
But after saying that, Garp clenched his fists again, looking deeply remorseful.
The next moment, however, he shot up to his feet, his expression turning serious.
“Forget it, whatever happens, happens!”
He turned his head to look at Elliot.
“I’m fine now.
You, on the other hand…
I contacted Zephyr last night.
Although he already knows a bit about you, because I recommended you as a [Special Recruit], he said there’s a very unique welcome ceremony waiting for you as a test.
So you’d better be prepared, kid.”
“A [Special Recruit]?” Elliot asked.
Garp looked toward the bow of the ship.
“Yeah.
You’ll find out the details when we get there, but for now, you’d better start preparing.
That old geezer Zephyr has been extremely strict with his students these past few years, especially since the academy hasn’t had a special recruit in a long time.”
At this point, Garp gestured for Elliot to look ahead.
“Once we pass through there, you’ll be able to see Marine Headquarters, Marineford.”
Elliot turned his head, his dark eyes remaining as placid as ever, even as a colossal gate situated right in the middle of the ocean loomed before him.
The massive doors slowly opened, and the sea currents carried the warship inside.