[109] Countdown

[2600 Words]

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At this moment, Garp had a serious and angry expression on his face, unlike his usual demeanor.

This matter concerned his grandson Luffy... as well as the other child he considered his grandson, Ace.

There was no way he could remain carefree in these difficult times; he knew the disaster had only just begun.

Since Ace had been captured, would the World Government...

He didn't dare to think further, so he quickly looked at the port they had just docked at.

He had noticed a woman flying in the sky since he arrived, thanks to his Observation Haki.

It didn't take long for Mikita to descend from the sky and meet directly with Garp and the rest of the Marines on the ship.

"I am Mikita, a member of the Sin Pirates. Please follow me, Mr. Garp, as Captain Ren is already waiting for you," Mikita said calmly in a cold tone. In her mind, the Marines were her enemies and Ren's enemies, and this was just a deal that wouldn't change the nature of their relationship, even though her captain had become a Warlord now.

Garp raised his eyebrows upon hearing what the young girl in front of him said. It seemed that brat had some skill since he managed to discover them as soon as they reached the port.

'A user of Observation Haki this strong exists in Paradise and has appeared only a few months ago, I'm somewhat curious about the identity of this person...'

Garp thought internally, but his negative impression and hatred for Ren didn't diminish at all.

Ren had hurt Ace and cut off his hand before handing him over to the Marines. This act was unnecessary and only showed the twisted nature of the other party.

In fact, since Garp learned of the killing of hundreds of Marines and Vice-Admiral Doberman by the Black Death Ren, he knew that this pirate's character was twisted and bloodthirsty, like most pirates.

Garp hated this kind of people more than anyone else, and the thing he wanted to do most now was to throw him into Impel Down to rot forever!

But he knew he couldn't do that to this scoundrel he was about to meet. Ren was an official Warlord now, and Garp could only watch him carry out his evil deeds under the umbrella of the World Government.

Garp had disembarked from his ship, followed by many Marines, including Koby and Helmeppo, who felt a bit nervous.

They were about to meet a Warlord after all! And not just any Warlord, but the infamous one whose reputation had recently spread!

But thinking about Garp's personality walking in front of them, their nervousness gradually calmed.

They were with the legendary Marine hero, Monkey D. Garp, so why fear?

Garp's arrival in Alabasta caused quite a stir among the civilians who saw the Marine hero visiting their kingdom personally. A long line of people soon formed, looking at him with bright eyes and happiness.

"Look, everyone! It's the legendary Marine hero Garp!"

"Wow! I had the chance to see the Marine hero in this life! I have no other regrets!"

"Miss Mikita is leading them; are they going to the palace where the benefactor is?"

The noise and various discussions among the people continued. Garp tried to soften his frown and bad mood because it wasn't good to show such an expression to people who had no involvement in what happened to his grandsons. He also had to be a role model for the younger generation; it was essential to maintain his image at least a little in public places in front of civilians and ordinary citizens.

Mikita soon reached the palace and saw Ren standing there with Nami, Nojiko, and Leila. Mikita's eyes lit up and a slight blush appeared on her face before she hurried to Ren and joined him.

"Captain Ren, I brought them," she said in a voice full of love, unlike the cold tone that came from her mouth when she spoke to the Marines. Some male Marines couldn't help but look disappointed at this sudden change in the pirate's personality.

But Garp didn't have time to care about these trivialities; he stared intently at Ren. Ren felt Garp's gaze on him and stopped patting Mikita's head.

He looked at the tall man standing a few meters away from him with a calm expression, but caution and seriousness could be seen in his sharp eyes.

He was now standing in front of a legend of The era!

Ren currently lacked strength and couldn't act arrogantly in front of the Marine hero, but he wouldn't be completely submissive either. He would act as a pirate with confidence and pride; he wouldn't bow to Garp's name.

These thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, then he put a small smile on his face and said:"It's an honor for me that the Marine hero visits me personally. Please, come in."

Garp suddenly clenched his fists upon hearing Ren's sarcastic tone, but he calmed himself instantly and said, "Who came to visit you? Lead the way and let me see my grandson. He'd better be fine!"

He snorted coldly, uninterested in speaking politely to a pirate who had harmed his family. He was already restraining himself by not advancing and smashing his face.

Immediately after Garp's cold words, the atmosphere around Ren and his crew shifted. Ren's fake smile vanished, replaced by a chilling coldness.

Nami, Nojiko, Mikita, and Leila also looked coldly at the soldiers behind Garp. The fake friendliness from before disappeared without a trace.

"Did you bring the items?" Ren asked in a bored tone. He was done playing games with Garp. He knew the Marine hero's personality well, and since he had already harmed Ace, it was impossible to make a good impression on Garp.

But he didn't care. He only cared about what Garp had brought to exchange for Luffy.

Their agreement was for 3 types of Devil Fruits plus 1 Billion Berries.

"Of course, I brought what you wanted. Now release my grandson before I have to free him myself!" Garp had already lost his patience and didn't care about the change in Ren's demeanor.

In his eyes, Ren was just a slightly strong brat, not a real threat. He assessed that even with his old age, he wouldn't have trouble defeating him.

"Follow me."

Ren turned and began walking towards the palace, quickly followed by the girls. Garp looked at Ren's back with a dangerous glint in his eyes before calming down and ordering the Marines to follow him.

••••

In a spacious hall, King Cobra sat on his throne while Princess Vivi stood beside him. Vivi looked at the boy with the straw hat sleeping on a wide couch, showing no signs of waking up. Soon, the father and daughter noticed several figures entering the hall.

Naturally, it was Ren and the others.

As soon as Garp saw Luffy, he felt relieved and rushed to the sleeping boy's side. After confirming that he wasn't injured, he sighed in relief and tried to wake him up.

But he couldn't. No matter how much he slapped or shook him, Luffy showed no signs of waking up. He even splashed water on him, but it had no effect.

If he couldn't see Luffy's chest rising and falling, showing he was breathing, he would have thought he was dead.

"What did you do to him?" He turned to Ren, who was sitting on the couch with Nami, Nojiko, Mikita, and Leila beside him.

After hearing Garp's question, Ren looked at him and replied in a bored tone, "Just a trick to make him sleep for a while. I can't be sure you Marines won't break your deal with me, so this is just a small precaution, Marine Hero. Once we complete our deal and you leave this kingdom, your grandson will wake up naturally."

Ren spoke without stopping, explaining the reasons for Luffy's sedation. His words were very logical, so much so that Garp couldn't find anything to refute.

He wanted to talk to his grandson now and interrogate him about what Ren did to him, whether it was psychological or physical torture. He would make sure Ren paid the price.

He wouldn't kill him, but he would make him experience the fist of pain. But... his little plan failed before it even started.

Garp thought for a moment and came up with an idea. He said calmly and seriously, "And what guarantees me that Luffy will wake up after I leave Alabasta? Let him wake up here once I hand over the goods, and the deal will be fair!"

"Sigh... I won't break my promise with the Marines if I want to keep my position as a Warlord. Do you think I went through all this trouble to gain Warlord status only to lose it overnight?" Ren laughed at Garp's foolishness. He remembered that intelligence and planning were not among the old man's strengths.

Garp was speechless and could only nod reluctantly. With a cold snort, he ordered a Marine soldier to lower the box he was carrying and place it in front of Ren.

"These are your items, check them." Garp grabbed the sleeping Luffy and held him in his arms, showing a look of nostalgia and love as he gazed at the childish face sleeping in his embrace before his expression turned to a scowl towards Ren.

Ren was used to Garp's hostility and no longer cared. He looked at the box, but before he could open it, Mikita stepped forward and said, "Please rest, Captain Ren, and let me handle these things for you."

"Heeeh..." Ren smiled while looking at the beautiful blonde and didn't stop her. Mikita quickly opened the box with the key handed to her by the Marine soldier who placed the box on the ground.

Throughout all this, Cobra stood as a mere spectator, as did Vivi. Vivi acted as a princess and not as a member of the Sin Pirates' crew. No one would suspect that this princess was a member of the crew of the evil pirate standing before them.

Once Mikita opened the box, she saw several bundles of money stacked on top of each other to form a small hill. On top of this hill were three different Devil Fruits.

"There is one billion Berries, Captain, plus three Devil Fruits. Hmm... let me check the Devil Fruit guide to identify them."

Mikita's movements were very professional. Within a few minutes, under Ren's calm gaze and Garp's impatient eyes, she spoke again:

"First, we have a standard Zoan-type Devil Fruit, the Bird-Bird Devil Fruit, Model: Black Crow." Mikita pointed to a pineapple-shaped fruit with spiral patterns that unmistakably marked it as a Devil Fruit.

"The second one is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, the Black Metal Devil Fruit." Mikita indicated an apple-shaped fruit with a black color and circular engravings that gave the impression of being inside a dark mine.

"And finally, a Logia-type Devil Fruit, the Green Acid Devil Fruit!" Mikita's voice was filled with excitement and enthusiasm as she pointed to the last Devil Fruit, which was shaped like a large peach with green stripes, making its identity clear to anyone who saw it.

Looking at the excited pirates in front of him, Garp could only feel pain, thinking about having to give such valuable fruits to the enemy who captured Luffy and handed Ace over to the World Government.

But he had to do it,otherwise...who knows what would happen to the sleeping Luffy in his arms.

'I don't care about all the Devil Fruits in this world as long as Luffy is safe,' Garp thought to himself and headed towards the door, giving a small farewell to King Cobra and Princess Vivi.

'Heh..'

Watching Garp greet Vivi with a friendly smile, Ren thought internally about the expression Garp would show if he knew she was part of the crew that caused him a disaster... or rather, should be said, a future disaster.

It would be something worth watching, right?

"Goodbye, great Marine Hero. I hope we meet again... very soon," Ren suddenly spoke, causing Garp to stop walking.

He felt that Ren's words were full of sarcasm and something else... he didn't know what it was, but it felt like... his words were not a wish but a prediction?

'What strange thoughts are running through my head, I've really grown too old for this shit,' Garp sighed and then replied:

"It would be better if we don't meet again, or things won't go as smoothly as this time!" His meaning was clear, and his intent and hostility towards Ren were no secret.

The girls with Ren looked at Garp with grim eyes, but Garp had his back turned, so he didn't see them, nor would he feel that something was wrong in their minds. He didn't even bother to use Observation Haki; if the other party wanted to attack, let them. That was what he desired more than anything else at this moment.

"Things won't go as smoothly as this time... I agree with that, but..."

Ren paused for a moment, then added, "For whom will things not go well?"

Garp snorted and didn't respond to Ren's words, quickly leaving with the rest of the Marines.

Once they were sure he was far from Alabasta, the girls' eyes revealed a murderous intent, except for Vivi, who wasn't as "disturbed" as them.

"That old man dared to threaten the Captain..." Nami said with a smile that wasn't really a smile.

"If I were stronger, he wouldn't dare to speak to the Captain like that!" Mikita gritted her teeth, feeling utterly powerless before the legendary Marine Hero. She wanted strength! More strength!

Nojiko remained silent but held her weapon tightly...

"I think that old man will get what he deserves soon," Leila laughed, remembering how Ace died in front of Garp's eyes. She saw this as good revenge for what happened today.

But at that moment, Ren's voice pulled them out of their discussion: "Nothing happened, girls. Why so serious?" His voice had a hint of amusement as if he had been watching a show.

Seeing their captain act so nonchalantly towards the Marine Hero's threat, the girls could only sigh and stop talking about it. If their leader wasn't worried, why should they be?

"Night is approaching, let's do some training."

Ren touched the box full of money and Devil Fruits, and soon the box disappeared into The Infinity Space.

••••

"That pirate was terrifying!"

"He gave me a suffocating feeling whenever I looked at him!"

Helmeppo and Koby whispered to each other, sharing their thoughts about the previous encounter with the Sin Pirates' Captain.

"I thought they were about to fight earlier, man. My legs were shaking!" Helmeppo whispered softly to Koby, who listened with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Luckily, everything went smoothly, or I doubt I would have gotten out of there alive," Koby sighed, expressing his gratitude for the smooth transaction.

Koby looked at Alabasta's port, which was gradually fading from their sight. Meanwhile, Garp stood in front of Luffy, who was showing signs of waking up.

He was happy at that moment and was about to joke with Luffy to cheer him up, but as soon as Luffy woke up from his sleep, he looked around as if searching for something or trying to confirm that it was just a dream.

"I-it w-wasn't a dream!!!"

Luffy burst into tears. His friends had died! His crew members, whom he had sworn to protect, had perished!