Chapter 110: Family Briefings
The celebration started again this time in even greater earnest and much more raucous than it had before. However, just as Mozu and Kiwi had brought out the beer and Sake barrels; and Sanji began cooking on a small portable folding stove and tea maker, a section of wall was suddenly shattered in a cloud of dust and debris. All the people could see, through the cloud of dust was the silhouette of a medium sized, very strong man walking forwards, a navy jacket sling over his shoulders and the navies word of "justice" printed on his clothes. "What the f—", Suki shouted, before having a hand placed over her mouth by Vivi, "language! You may be twelve an know these words but you are still a child". Struggling to free herself, Suki simply gave up and remained in Vivi's arms. Yet it was the response of their captain that made the whole crew resolutely nervous.
"G-G-G-Grandpa?!" Luffy panicked, falling backwards, be desperately trying to bring up a black hole informs of him; but was stopped by Nami who muttered "don't injure the crew just because you're scared of your grandfather". "W-W-W-What are you doing her?" The marine man, dressed in Marine uniform, was wearing a dog-shaped mask over his face, and as he removed it, the grey of his hair and beard appeared, along with familiar dark eyes.
"You haven't seen me in years and that's how you greet me, you little brat?!" Garp yelled shaving past Sanji and grabbing Luffy by his collar. "Ow!" Luffy complained, rubbing his head and wriggling in his grandfathers hand, "That hurt, old man!" Garp let out a bark of laughter, "ahah...that just means that I'm doing my job ad reaching you character. Plus, your still not strong enough to beat my fist of love!" Taking a look around him, the vice admiral took in the assembled audience. "So this is your little band of friends? I bit rough around the edges, but I'll make marines out of you all—zzzzz". The crew blinked at the suddenness and unexpectedness of the man falling asleep, taking advantage of the situation Luffy wriggle free and hurried over to Nami.
"Gah!" Garp gasped, waking up from his narcoleptic was episode. "Oh-ah...I fell asleep, didn't I? Ahahaha!" The Vice admiral laughed it off before turning back to the pirates. Fixing his gaze on Nami, whom Luffy was hiding behind, Garp let out another peel of laughter, "so you're the little lady my grandsons gone gaga for, hahaha! I never thought I see the day when luffy got a girlfriend. Nami and Vivi both scowled at Garp's, then, questioning of certain intimacies being reached by grandson and girlfriend. To which Sanji had to be sedated by Chopper due to his jealousy induced rage, and surprisingly Garp to be punched in the face and slapped by two people coming into view behind him. "What the hell! That's hugely inappropriate!" The Straw hats all looked at the new persons, yet only Zoro, Luffy and Nami recognised them. "Coby! Helmeppo!"
Nami embraced Coby, glad to see that he had joined the marines, whilst Luffy and Zoro were reunited with Helmeppo. "I guess we're enemies now..." the two navy cadets mused only to be abruptly stopped by Nami's hand slapping them both; "we will never be enemies. Just because we're on different side of the law doesn't mean that we stop being friends, your part of our family even if you don't sail with us!"
"You sure do have a lively crew, and with such a beautiful woman beside you", Garp laughed as Chopper finished emptying a vial of sedative into Sanji. "Just like all us Monkey D. men, I bet you loved her the moment you first met her, even if you didn't realise it. Your old man would be proud of you. And in his own way my brother would be proud as well". Thoroughly confused, Luffy emerged from behind Nami and reproached his grandfather again. "But I never knew my father", the teenage captain argued, "I just assumed that he was dead or I didn't have one".
"My son ain't dead," Garp retorted, "just because I didn't talk about him with you doesn't mean that I didn't love him any less". "Enough!" Vivi yelled, storming forwards and jabbing her finger towards the vice admiral. She wanted to rant her ire at the failure of the navy to stop Crocodile earlier than actually happened, but was stopped by Robin placing a hand on the princesses shoulder. "I heard he was there to see you off at Louge Town", Garp continued, trying to avoid catching Vivi's ire.
"So, Grandpa," Luffy spoke, slowly continued, "what's dads name? What's he like? Is he strong?" Garp sighed removing his jacket and throwing it over a nearby chair, before placing a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "The name of your father is Monkey D Dragon. And yeah, your dad's strong. One of the strongest and most feared men in the world, actually. He is the founder and leader of the Revolutionary Army". Silence descended, with most people in the room utterly shocked, the only exception was Luffy; who simply stared confused at the stunned expressions of his friends. "I don't get it," he stated. "Why's everyone reacting strangely?" Eventually, he turned to Robin as she was the person who he believed might be able to answer him, due to her wider global knowledge.
Robin walked forwards and took ahold of her captains arm. "The World Government has always been the sole ruler of the worlds political leaders, and peacekeepers. Yet, since the end of the Ishgaran Civil War; and the rise of the World Republic, that sole purpose is being tested. Moreover, pirates like us don't usually go picking fights with Mariejois on a large scale. Most pirates are small, like bugs; the exception are the Five Emperors. The Revolutionaries, on the other hand, are the only people in the world that actively seek to fight the World Government; originally many countries broke with Mariejois but now those independent nations have now joined the World Republic. Yet many revolutionaries believe that the Republic is just a different version of what they are fighting against now: Celestial Dragons on the Red Line and the Wizards in ERA".
"So Luffy wasn't the first one in his family to declare war on the World Government," Suki voiced aloud. "A revolutionary father, an emperor for a great uncle and a marine hero grandfather".
"You sure have a weird family, Luffy", Usopp stated slinging his arm over his captains other shoulder, making Robin giggle at the two boys friendship. "Oh—right..." Garp blinked suddenly realising the magnitude of his pronouncement. "I probably shouldn't've said all that. Just forget it. Okay". Another stunned silence befell the group before being dispelled by Sanji yelling, "and how the hell do you expect us to erase information like this!" Standing up form his seat, Garp took his jacket and removed a small bundle of papers, tied together by string, "here these are for you. Bounty posters; for each of you, plus a letter from Ace. I only came here to see you and deliver them, stooping the buster call was just a bonus for me", he laughed walking back out of the hole in the wall, "Coby, Helmeppo! You two better be back at the ship by nighttime, we leave early morning". "Yes sir!" Both cadets saluted, before once again being swept into greeting the other pirates and partaking in the party atmosphere.