The One-Slash Superman of the One Piece World

Zou Island.

An island nestled within the New World.

Legend said that Zou Island rested upon the back of an enormous elephant that had lived for a thousand years. Its colossal legs reached all the way to the ocean floor, while its towering body stretched into the clouds. Its back was broad enough to carry an entire island as it roamed the seas.

The inhabitants of Zou were the Mink Tribe beast-like humanoids, in simple terms, a race resembling beastmen.

The Mink Tribe detested outsiders and forbade strangers from approaching their lands. For that reason, Zou Island had never been brought under the jurisdiction of the World Government.

Moreover, because Zou Island was a moving island, the Log Pose, the navigational tool commonly used in the New World to chart courses between islands, couldn't guide anyone there.

After Bogart quickly briefed Garp on the basics of Zou Island, Garp fell into silence.

Roger was on an island that no one could reach and that was constantly on the move. How was he supposed to pursue him?

"Hey, Bogart, are you messing with me right now?"

"If the Log Pose is useless, how the hell am I supposed to get to Zou Island?"

"Also, where did you people get this information? Did someone actually see Zou with their own eyes?"

Garp shot the questions one after another, his tone tinged with frustration. Nearby, Kuzan and Yorichi Tsugikuni had stopped their sparring as well. They stood beside Garp, ears perked, listening intently to the exchange.

"The intel came from the G-33 base. They picked it up from some pirates they captured," Bogart explained.

"According to the marines there, those pirates ran into the Roger Pirates while drinking in Dressrosa. They overheard it purely by accident."

"They encountered the Roger Pirates just a week ago. At the time, the Roger crew seemed to be recharging their Log Poses and stayed in Dressrosa for a while before setting sail."

"That's why the G-33 base speculated that the Roger Pirates might be headed for Zou Island."

Hearing this, Garp's irritation finally subsided. He lowered his head, thinking for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Alright! Let's go! We're heading for Dressrosa!"

"If Roger stayed in Dressrosa to record magnetic fields, that means Zou has to be nearby!"

"Even if we can't find Zou directly, Roger's navigation route must continue from Dressrosa. Once we're there, we can figure out where he's likely headed next."

Finishing his words, Garp turned and started striding toward the naval port, ready to depart immediately. Yorichi and Kuzan exchanged a glance, picked up their bamboo swords, and followed Garp without hesitation.

During Garp's stay at the G-10 base, his crew had continued living aboard the ship. They only borrowed G-10's training grounds for drills. The entire purpose was to ensure they could set sail the instant any news of Roger surfaced.

"Vice Admiral Garp, Dressrosa leads to three different islands. There's no telling where the Roger Pirates might go," Bogart cautioned as he hurried to keep up with Garp.

"Besides, they could have an Eternal Pose pointing somewhere else entirely. There's no way to be sure."

"Rushing off like this could mean we end up empty-handed."

"It'll take nearly a month just to get from here to Dressrosa. Shouldn't we at least get authorization from headquarters first—"

Before Bogart could finish, Garp cut him off bluntly.

"If we have to wait for permission for everything, we'd never get anything done."

"I've already made up my mind. We're heading for Dressrosa!"

"Bogart, I know what you're worried about. Sailing out burns a lot of resources. If we come back empty-handed, we'll probably get an earful from Sengoku or Kong, right? Hahaha!"

"But it's fine. There's no shortage of pirates in the New World. On the way there, we're bound to run into some."

"By the time we reach Dressrosa, I guarantee we'll have accomplished something!"

"We'll smash our way through. Kong won't have much to say about that! Hahahaha!"

As he finished speaking, Garp quickened his pace, heading swiftly for the dog-headed warship. Once he returned to the ship, he ordered his crew to broadcast the call for assembly.

The sudden flurry of activity aboard Garp's warship alarmed Rear Admiral Loka, the officer in charge of the base. The small, elderly man rushed out of headquarters and, seeing Garp about to leave without so much as a word, fumed and shouted angrily at Garp, who was now standing on the ship's bow.

"You rude bastard!"

But Loka's voice was easily drowned out by the crashing waves.

In less than ten minutes, all the marines aboard Garp's ship had assembled. Garp stood on the bow, shouting back at Rear Admiral Loka, who remained standing on the pier.

"Uncle Loka, I'll bring you back some souvenirs!"

"As for the compensation from the Neil royal palace, just tell Sengoku to cover it. I've already given him a heads-up!"

"We're off now! Hahahahahaha!"

Ropes slipped free from the sides of the warship. The dog-headed vessel's anchor slowly lifted from the water. Sails billowed open, and the ship began gliding forward as engines roared across the turbulent harbor.

Garp waved cheerfully to Loka before heading back toward the deck.

Rear Admiral Loka stood on the dock, watching Garp's figure disappear behind the ship's prow. He chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Wonder if this old man will ever get to taste those souvenirs you promised me…"

His hunched figure sagged slightly as he stared out at the departing warship. He lingered in silence until the vessel vanished beyond the horizon. Only then did Loka finally turn around and slowly walk back toward the base.

Out on these perilous seas, countless people parted ways never to meet again. It was a fate especially common among marines.

Loka knew Garp was incredibly strong. But he also understood that the Roger Pirates were no pushovers. Even for someone like Garp, facing them would always be fraught with danger.

"Juuuuu—"

"Boom!!!"

The shriek of a shell tearing through the air broke the stillness of the ocean. A heartbeat later, an earsplitting explosion shattered the calm sea.

"Quick!!"

"Hard to starboard! Turn the ship! Return fire with the cannons!!"

Out at sea, chaos erupted aboard a pirate ship flying a skull-and-crossbones flag. Captain Kaspar Lyman drew his long blade from his waist, roaring commands as he tried to rally his panicking crew.

The Lyman Pirates carried a combined bounty of 210 million berries, with Captain Kaspar Lyman himself commanding a bounty as high as 80 million.

This was their first year in the New World. Back in the West Blue, they'd been a notorious large-scale pirate crew. Their most famous feat was breaking out of a siege orchestrated by three marine rear admirals, each commanding a separate warship. Not only did they escape, but they even managed to sink one of the navy ships during their retreat.

But right now, directly behind the Lyman Pirates, a single dog-headed marine warship was charging toward them at full speed.

It seemed that the marines aboard that ship had never even heard of the Lyman Pirates' reputation. They were boldly coming after them with only one vessel.

"Captain! There's not enough time! Their ship's closing in fast. We've got to evade them first!"

Crewmembers on the Lyman Pirates' ship shouted, rushing frantically toward the engine room. A seasoned pirate, eyeing the marine ship's impressive speed, urgently tried to warn his captain.

"Not enough time?!"

"Evade them?!"

"It's just one navy warship. You think I'm going to run from them?!"

"Three navy warships couldn't bring me down before. And you think I'm going to run?!"

"Who the hell do you think I am?!"

"A few dents in the hull don't matter. No evading! Bring the ship alongside theirs. We'll board them and fight!"

"We'll kill the marines and use the timber from their ship to repair ours!"

Kaspar Lyman roared the words, grabbing one of his subordinates by the collar and hurling him aside. He quickly raced to the stern of the ship, then vaulted onto the rear mast. Raising his gleaming blade, he slashed down at two incoming cannon shells.

The shells split apart in mid-air and exploded harmlessly, unable to detonate aboard the pirate ship.

After deflecting the cannon fire, Kaspar Lyman looked toward the distant marine warship. Seeing no further cannonballs launched, a faint smirk crept across his face.

"Hmph. So they've seen my strength and decided to stop firing?"