11 Chapter 11: Garp

Half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside Colonel Rode's office at Marine Base 155 in the East Blue, Chika sat on the couch, quietly reading a newspaper. Rode, on the other hand, remained at his desk, looking at a Den Den Mushi with a slightly nervous expression.

Today was the day Vice Admiral Garp from Marine Headquarters was arriving at the branch.

Rode had great respect for this legendary vice admiral, considering how he "once cornered the Pirate King, Roger, to the brink of death." And Garp's strength was indeed formidable.

However, Rode didn't know much about Garp's personality, so he was afraid of doing something wrong that might anger this approaching deity.

Chika glanced up at Rode, who had a constipated expression on his face. It was somewhat amusing to see Rode maintain the same posture and expression since he had been called to the office in the morning, as if he didn't want to miss a call from the Den Den Mushi.

"You don't have to be so nervous. I know a bit about Vice Admiral Garp. He's actually quite amiable. Just be yourself," Chika said to Rode, closing the newspaper.

Rode immediately had a dark expression on his face. Geez, does this newcomer know more about Marine commanders than someone who has been in the Marines for decades? But he couldn't show any dissatisfaction. After all, the person in front of him was someone he couldn't afford to provoke.

Seeing that Rode didn't react much, Chika stood up lacklusterly, ready to go out for some fresh air. Suddenly...

"Ring, ring. Ring, ring."

The Den Den Mushi, which had remained silent all morning, finally showed a response. Rode immediately grabbed the Den Den Mushi as if he were a camel in the desert finding a source of water. Excitedly, he shouted into the Den Den Mushi, "Moshi, moshi! This is Marine Branch 155, Colonel Rode!"

"Hmm, this is Battleship HQ3. We will be landing at your location shortly. Please come out to receive us."

"Understood!"

Rode saluted, got up, and called Chika. They hurriedly rushed towards the landing point of the warship, with Chika silently following behind.

At the warship's landing point, a row of branch Marines stood in formation, eagerly awaiting the ship's arrival.

Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, several columns of Marines from Marine Headquarters emerged first, swiftly forming their formations. Then, a burly figure wearing a dog mask appeared at the ship's hatch.

Naturally, the one wearing the dog mask was Garp. He glanced at the formation below, casually disembarked from the ship, disregarding the gazes around him, and shouted, "Who is the Colonel Rode here?"

"I'm here! Vice Admiral Garp, I'm here!" Rode rushed over to Garp, almost jogging, and Garp took a look at Rode, nodded, and then asked, "Hmm, is Uchiha Chika here? I've been delayed in my hometown for some time, but this time I won't stay long. Let's bring him along and head back to headquarters directly."

"I'm here." Before Rode could respond, Chika answered from the crowd. Garp turned his head, and he saw a young man with a slender figure and a pair of peculiar and eerie eyes standing among the Marines, giving off a sense of standing out from the crowd.

"So, this is the talented youngster Sengoku told me about? He looks really young." Garp thought to himself, then waved at Chika, "Alright, come here. We should board the ship and return to Marine Headquarters."

Chika nodded in acknowledgment. The surrounding Marines automatically made way for him, and he walked forward to join Garp's side.

Taking another close look at the young man in front of him, especially his purple eyes, Garp sensed Chika's extraordinary potential.

"Quite interesting. When we return to headquarters, I'll have to test this kid's strength." Having made up his mind, Garp greeted the branch Marines below and turned back with Chika towards the warship.

Standing at the bow of Garp's warship, Chika waved his hand to the branch Marines below, thanking them for their care during these days.

The branch Marines, including Rode, were somewhat moved. It was extremely rare for such a prodigy to remember ordinary people like them as they were about to soar into the sky.

"Go for it, Chika! I look forward to hearing your name again here!" Rode shouted with excitement, and Chika aboard the ship gave him a thumbs up in response.

Seeing Chika's actions, Garp's evaluation of him increased. The ability to connect with others and show respect for others was sometimes a more valuable quality than strength in his eyes. It was also one of the reasons Garp took Koby as his disciple in the anime.

Of course, Chika wasn't particularly interested in Koby.

Feeling somewhat good, Garp waved his hand and gave the command to set sail. The warship turned its bow and headed towards the Grand Line.