For the first time since revealing his identity, Monkey D.
Garp looked genuinely uncomfortable.
An awkward silence settled over the bar.
The Hero of the Marines cleared his throat.
“Well…
you don’t need to make a big deal out of the title.”
Ian nearly laughed into his drink.
“How reassuring.”
“But what I’m about to say is important.”
The humor vanished from Garp’s face.
His tone turned serious.
Ian leaned back slightly.
Now he was interested.
“What is it?”
Garp folded his arms across his broad chest.
“I want you to join the Marines.”
There it was.
Ian blinked once.
Then calmly took another sip of his cocktail.
“Join the Marines?”
“That’s right.”
Garp pointed a thick finger at him.
“Wandering around the world as some traveler is a waste of your talent.”
“My talent?”
A grin spread across the old Marine’s face.
“You didn’t think you could hide it from me, did you?”
Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Hide what?”
“Six months.”
Garp held up six fingers.
“In six months, you’ve learned two Forms of Haki.”
He lowered his hand.
“Your movements have changed.
Your instincts.
Your control.”
His gaze sharpened.
“I’ve been watching.”
For the first time during the conversation, Ian felt a flicker of genuine surprise.
So the old man had noticed everything.
Then again, this was Garp.
A living legend.
A man who had fought monsters of the sea for decades.
Compared to someone like him, Ian’s attempts to conceal his growth were probably as subtle as a lighthouse in the middle of the night.
Still, his expression remained calm.
“Let’s say you’re right.”
Garp nodded immediately.
“I am.”
“Then why should I become a Marine?”
The answer came without a moment’s hesitation.
“Because the Marines stand for justice.”
The conviction in Garp’s voice was absolute.
His weathered eyes were as clear and unwavering as the summer sky beyond the tavern windows.
“Within the Marines, you can become truly strong.”
He tapped the counter.
“You’ll find teachers.”
Another tap.
“Discipline.”
A third.
“Purpose.”
Then he leaned forward.
“A place where your abilities can reach their full potential.”
The sincerity behind those words was impossible to ignore.
For a brief moment, Ian understood why so many people willingly followed men like Garp.
There was no manipulation.
No hidden agenda.
The old Marine genuinely believed every word he said.
And yet—
“Sorry, old man.”
Garp frowned.
Ian gently set his glass down.
“The strength you’re talking about.”
“The legacy.”
“The ideals.”
“The pursuit of justice.”
He shrugged.
“None of those are what I’m looking for.”
The tavern seemed to grow quieter.
“I like good food.”
“I like good drinks.”
“I like meeting interesting people.”
His gaze drifted toward the harbor beyond the window.
The sea shimmered beneath the morning sun.
“And I want to see what’s beyond the next horizon.”
A small smile touched his lips.
“That’s enough for me.”
Garp listened without interrupting.
Ian continued.
“You talked about becoming stronger.”
“Becoming famous.”
“Becoming important.”
His fingers lightly tapped the side of his glass.
“I honestly don’t care about any of that.”
Then he added casually,
“I don’t even care about the One Piece.”
The words hung in the air.
Even Makino paused mid-motion while polishing a glass.
The One Piece.
The greatest treasure in the world.
The dream pursued by countless pirates.
The object of desire that had launched an entire era.
And Ian dismissed it with the same level of interest most people reserved for tomorrow’s weather.
Garp stared at him.
“You mean that.”
“Completely.”
The old Marine sighed.
“A man with your talent could become one of the strongest people on the seas.”
Ian chuckled.
“Maybe.”
“Then why not?”
“Because strength isn’t my destination.”
He stood and stretched his arms overhead.
“It’s just something useful to bring along for the journey.”
The answer struck harder than Garp expected.
For several moments, the old Marine said nothing.
Then he shook his head.
“When you say things like that…”
A trace of disappointment crept into his voice.
“I can’t help thinking it’s a waste.”
Ian raised his glass.
“Don’t look so gloomy.”
A smile appeared on his face.
“Today’s supposed to be a farewell celebration.”
After a brief pause, Garp snorted.
“Fair enough.”
He lifted his mug.
Ian raised his own glass.
The two clinked them together.
“To your journey.”
“To adventure.”
They drank.
And at that exact moment—
A familiar chime echoed inside Ian’s mind.
Windmill Village Check-In Complete
Completion Progress: 100%
Reward Acquired
Conqueror’s Haki Unlocked
Ian nearly laughed.
So that was it.
The final three percent.
Not the tavern.
Not the harbor.
Not some hidden corner of the village.
It had been this conversation.
Garp’s invitation.
The final chapter of his story in Windmill Village.
The Legendary Navigator System really did have a strange sense of humor.
Not long afterward, the three of them made their way toward Windmill Harbor.
Makino insisted on seeing him off.
Garp came along as well, though he looked considerably less cheerful than usual.
“Still upset?” Ian asked.
“I could’ve recruited a future legend today.”
“You say that like it’s guaranteed.”
“It is.”
The answer came so quickly that Ian couldn’t help laughing.
“You have far too much faith in me.”
“No.”
Garp glanced sideways.
“Probably not enough.”
The harbor spread before them.
Fishing boats bobbed gently against the docks.
Seagulls circled overhead.
The scent of salt carried on the sea breeze.
Eventually, they arrived at Ian’s vessel.
Garp stopped.
His eyes traveled across the ship.
“Huh.”
Ian smiled.
“What do you think?”
The vessel wasn’t particularly large.
But it was sleek, elegant, and built for travel.
Its lines were clean.
Its craftsmanship exceptional.
A ship designed to chase distant horizons.
A ship worthy of a traveler.
Gifted by the Legendary Navigator System months earlier, it had quietly evolved alongside Ian’s progress.
Now it stood proudly at Ship Level 2.
“Not bad,” Garp admitted.
“She’s got character.”
Ian rested a hand on the railing.
“That’s because she’s a traveler.”
The old Marine rolled his eyes.
“You name everything after yourself?”
“Only the important things.”
Makino laughed softly.
“Safe travels, Ian.”
He placed a hand over his heart and gave a playful bow.
“Take care, Makino.”
Then he turned toward Garp.
“Well.”
“Looks like this is goodbye.”
Garp folded his arms.
“There are no permanent goodbyes on the sea.”
“True.”
The old Marine smirked.
“If you ever change your mind—”
“The Marines will still be waiting?”
“Exactly.”
Ian smiled.
“Thanks.”
With that, he stepped aboard.
The mooring lines were cast loose.
The ship drifted away from the dock.
Makino raised a hand.
“Goodbye, Ian!”
“Until next time.”
The vessel glided toward open water.
Windmill Village slowly receded behind him.
It should have been a perfect departure.
It almost was.
Beneath the surface, the sea churned.
A subtle whirlpool twisted through the depths.
Hidden.
Waiting.
Watching.
On the dock, Garp’s expression shifted.
Something felt wrong.
The waters around Windmill Village were usually calm.
Today—
The ocean exploded.
A massive wall of water surged skyward.
Ships rocked violently.
Villagers cried out in alarm.
And from behind the spray emerged a monstrous silhouette.
A gigantic sea beast burst from the depths.
The Lord of the Coast.
Towering jaws.
Rows of jagged teeth.
A predator large enough to swallow a small vessel whole.
Its gaze locked onto Ian’s ship.
Then it lunged.
At the bow of the ship, Ian sat quietly with his eyes closed.
The newly awakened power flowed through him like a current of lightning.
Conqueror’s Haki.
Unlike Observation or Armament, it felt completely different.
It wasn’t something he had learned.
It wasn’t something he had trained.
It simply existed.
As natural as breathing.
Instinctive.
Absolute.
Knowledge flooded his mind.
Control.
Release.
Dominance.
The overwhelming will of a king.
Then—
“IAN!”
Makino’s voice echoed across the harbor.
“LOOK OUT!”
His eyes opened.
Observation Haki had already shown him everything.
The beast’s location.
Its movement.
Its intent.
The attack was far too slow.
The Lord of the Coast burst from the sea with a deafening roar.
Its enormous jaws opened wide enough to devour his ship in a single bite.
The villagers froze.
Makino gasped.
Even the sea seemed to fall silent.
Then Ian turned.
Just a glance.
Nothing more.
No weapon.
No attack.
No dramatic motion.
Only a shift of his gaze.
And the world changed.
An invisible force erupted outward.
The air trembled.
The ocean churned.
Waves rose and shattered.
A pressure beyond reason swept across the harbor.
The beast’s roar died instantly.
Its eyes widened.
Terror.
Pure, instinctive terror.
The Lord of the Coast had never known fear.
Until now.
Conqueror’s Haki.
The overwhelming will of one destined to stand above others.
The sea beast convulsed.
Its massive body froze.
The attack never reached Ian.
It never even came close.
Then—
BOOM!
The creature crashed back onto the ocean like a falling mountain.
A colossal spray erupted skyward.
The entire harbor shook.
Ships rocked violently.
Villagers stumbled.
And then—
Silence.
Complete silence.
On the dock, Garp stared.
For the first time that day, genuine shock appeared on his face.
“Conqueror’s Haki…?”
The words were barely audible.
His gaze moved from the unconscious Lord of the Coast floating helplessly on the waves—
To the young traveler standing calmly at the bow of his ship.
The sea breeze tugged at Garp’s coat.
Slowly, his expression grew serious.
“Looks like I was wrong.”
His eyes remained fixed on the departing vessel.
“I still underestimated you.”
For a long moment, he stood in silence.
Then a quiet laugh escaped him.
“Six months.”
The words vanished into the wind.
“Six months, and you’ve awakened all Three Forms of Haki.”
For the first time, Monkey D.
Garp found himself wondering just how far Ian Gale would go.
Not as a Marine.
Not as a pirate.
Not as a conqueror.
But as a man chasing the endless horizon.
And far out at sea, beneath an open sky untouched by clouds, Ian’s voyage had finally begun.