One Piece: I Am The Greatest Swordsman

"Just tell me—are you going to lend it or not?"

"Only half of the money. Take it or leave it." Weiss joked. "If I let you borrow it all now, how am I supposed to round up the future payments?"

"…Fine," Ace gave in. Getting at least half was better than nothing—it was enough to buy a ship, and maybe even have a little leftover for some furniture or gear.

As he mentally calculated his budget, Ace sighed deeply. In the end, maybe robbing people was the cheaper option.

"Captain! There's a ship ahead!"

Ace's eyes lit up. Maybe he wouldn't need to borrow money after all.

"It's a Navy ship."

Even better, Ace thought. Navy ships were way better than pirate ships.

"No worries. Head straight for them. We're not pirates, so we don't need to be afraid of the Navy." Weiss didn't even flinch. He lazily took another sip of coconut juice, completely relaxed.

This was the upside of not being a pirate—you could meet Navy ships without worry. If they'd been flying a pirate flag, they'd be on the run already.

...

Sure, Weiss could probably kill them with a single slash, but then what? The Navy wasn't just one person or one family—it was a giant organization that kept the entire sea in order.

You sink a few ships in the East Blue, and what? Think they won't blockade the Grand Line just for you?

"Huh? Ace, what are you doing?" Weiss looked up to see Ace and Deuce carrying massive bags, climbing up to the mast, clearly about to jump into the sea.

Wait a minute—when did you pack those? Don't tell me those bags are full of treasure!

"Don't tell me you're planning to rob a Navy ship?" That definitely wasn't in the original story. Ace wasn't supposed to gain any notoriety until after entering the Grand Line.

Eventually, they even considered recruiting him into the Shichibukai because of the vacancy. This was not how things were supposed to go.

"Yeah. Weiss, thanks for the hospitality this past half-month, but your place is too expensive. I can't afford to stay any longer. Once that Navy ship gets here, I'm leaving."

"You better think this through. If you rob a Navy ship, your bounty will skyrocket. If we meet again… I won't hold back."

"I believe you wouldn't catch me anyway," Ace grinned.

"Captain! That Navy ship is a bit strange. The figurehead is a dog's head… with a bone in its mouth!" Jack shouted from above.

...

Weiss looked at Ace.

Ace looked at Weiss.

Their eyes seemed to say the same thing:

"Still want to rob them?"

"Hell no. Abort mission. We can't win. RUN!"

Far away on the approaching Navy ship, Garp stood proudly on the deck, justice cloak fluttering in the breeze, holding a bag of donuts. A giant snot bubble inflated and deflated with every breath he took.

"Vice Admiral Garp, we've spotted a ship ahead," a marine captain reported.

POP!

"Ah, damn it—I fell asleep again. My donut-eating challenge failed!"

"Vice Admiral Garp! Are you even listening?!" The captain growled, a vein bulging on his forehead.

"Hahahaha, don't sweat the details!" Garp casually flicked a booger off his finger.

"There's a ship approaching. It's odd—there are no flags, not pirate or merchant. Just a plain white sail. Should we perform a routine inspection?"

"Are they pirates?"

"Doesn't seem like it. They didn't try to flee when they saw us."

"Hahahaha! If they're not pirates, we don't need to bother. I'm going back to my donut challenge."

"Yes, sir." The captain stopped paying attention. As long as their course didn't change, the two ships would cross paths eventually. They'd figure out if it was trouble soon enough.

With Vice Admiral Garp on board, even running into a Yonko wouldn't be a problem. Especially in the East Blue—there were hardly any enemies worth his time. Usually, the subordinates handled things. The captain glanced at the cold-faced swordsman standing beside him, eyes closed and still.

Compared to the Navy's calm, the Chris was in full panic.

"Weiss! Turn around! That's Vice Admiral Garp's ship! If we meet him, we're dead!" Ace shouted, frantic.

The last thing he wanted was to be seen by Garp. If that happened, he'd walk away with a massive bump on his head. Just imagining those "Fists of Love" sent chills down his spine.

"Relax, Ace. We're not pirates. No need to run from the Navy," Weiss said with a straight face, barely holding in his laughter.

"But I am a pirate!"

"Oh, right. I forgot. But you don't have a bounty yet, right? If there's no bounty, there's no record. If there's no record, what are you so scared of?"

"But, but..."

"Alright, if you're that worried, just go hide in the cabin. I doubt the Navy will board us. And if we change course now, won't that make us look suspicious? Then they definitely will chase us."

Ace paused. That actually made sense. He grabbed Deuce and dashed into the cabin, not wanting to risk being spotted by the Navy.

Watching him run off, Weiss shook his head.

One wants to be a pirate. The other wants his grandson to be a Navy hero. If he doesn't listen, punch him into obedience?

That's not parenting. Has no one ever told Garp about teenage rebellion?

One son left the Navy and formed a revolutionary army to fight the World Government. Maybe Dragon saw something—wanted to change the world. That was his reason.

But what about Ace and Luffy?

You toss a kid into a bandit den to raise him, then tell him his dad was the Pirate King? While living in a world that hates the Pirate King? Imagine the pressure. Without Sabo and Luffy later, Ace probably would've grown up twisted.

Don't believe it? Look at Doflamingo.

He and Ace were kind of similar as kids—both hated by the world. One met two pure-hearted friends. The other met ambitious manipulators. Two totally different outcomes.

And let's not forget how hard Luffy worked to win over Ace's closed-off heart.

So yeah—Garp's parenting? Definitely questionable.

Meanwhile, Jack jumped down from the crow's nest with his rifle slung over his back. The Navy ship was now slowly drawing close. Squads of marines stood neatly along the deck, watching the Chris approach.

Weiss remained in his lounge chair, unfazed. Kadun didn't even pause his training—he knew his captain would handle everything.

On the Navy ship, the captain stood beside a cold-faced swordsman. The man's eyes skipped right over Ace and Deuce, locking directly onto Weiss, who was reclining in his chair.

Weiss felt the stare—and met it.

"A master swordsman!"

"He's strong!"

It was like sparks exploded in the air. Both men clearly wanted to fight—but were holding themselves back.

Bogard.

Garp's aide.

There were all kinds of rumors about his strength. Some said he was barely at the rank of major. Others thought he was at least as strong as a vice admiral.

But Weiss knew—he was powerful. You didn't travel the New World at Garp's side without serious skill. Anyone who'd fought through countless battles like that wouldn't be weak.

And remember—two others had once served as Garp's aides: Aokiji and Gion.

That alone proved how formidable Bogard must be.

---

Currently at chapter 160 on Ko-Fi

https:// ko-fi.com/sami27