Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own One Piece.

AN: Garp receives presents, too. On a dare, for the most part, but he does.

The first time Garp received something for his birthday was when Ace was eight. It might have been on a dare or somesuch, but he couldn't help but feel touched when he visited Dawn Island shortly after his 54th birthday and received a parcel, beautifully packaged curtesy of Makino, most probably. The inside revealed an atrociously coloured T-shirt that he took to wearing at every possible occasion he could think of (and a few others gave him the opportunity to, as well).

He didn't know if it had been a group effort on the boys' part (most probably on Ace's and Sabo's, he figured) and it didn't matter. As a bit of a thanks he made sure to be a little bit gentler when handling their training that one time. In exchange, he might have gotten a tad enthusiastic with his Fist of Love. Eh, those three were hardy boys. They'd be alright.

The next time he got a present was on his visit after his next birthday. It seemed to have become a bit of a trend and he didn't mind one bit. The garish trousers they'd bestowed unto him were promptly put on and shown off to everyone with a working pair of eyes. Indeed, he even got away with wearing them for the day of his arrival back at Marineford, to present it to Sengoku with all the smugness of a grandfather who'd gotten a present from his grandsons (plural!). (But only for that one day, Garp, I am warning you-)

And then, Sabo had died. He'd heard from Dadan – oh, how could he not have? – when he'd called her on an off day to check in on the boys. The blond boy's death had apparently quite shaken the other two, and understandably so. But they'd have to toughen up, Garp knew, for the world only held more and worse things in store for them.

A blink of an eye, and his birthday came and passed him by. Landing on Dawn two weeks afterwards (no he wasn't keeping away from the boys on purpose, not at all, not even knowing Luffy's birthday was close after his own and it'd be their first as two sworn brothers instead of three-), he was surprised to find another parcel in front of him.

"From Ace" Dadan gruffly informed him, before leaving to get some alcohol to celebrate the occasion. Ah, so it had been Ace all along, had it? His eyesight grew a bit blurry around the edges. But he wasn't made for careful – careful be damned! – and viciously tore through the wrapping paper, kindly having been provided by Makino, once more, he wagered. Getting to the content proved fairly easy, to be honest. It held a pair of sandals, the colours off and mismatched and weird altogether. His boys proved they had style, if not taste. Garp already knew where he'd flaunt them.

A few years later, a decade almost, and his boys had sailed off into the world, against everything he'd thrown at them – from insults towards the pirate occupation to threats to make them into marines himself if he had to. In his old age, he almost shed a tear out of pride for them. They'd proven fast just how headstrong they were – and the gifts Ace kept sending to him (not Luffy, never Luffy, his real grandson had the attention span of a biscuit for all that he prepared presents and thought of birthdays at all) only grew in outrageousness.

And then Ace got himself caught and delivered to the marines.

The War of the Best was a punch to Garp's stomach, literally if not figuratively.

He'd have done anything to keep out of it and not do so at the same time. When he'd lost the one he'd considered a grandson in all but blood, it felt like a big part of his heart had been torn out and he 'd wailed and grieved in his own manner, alone and left forgotten on an island away from military eyes. Garp hadn't thought any grandson of his would condone his behaviour from back then.

Almost three quarters of a year after that, on the 2nd of May exactly, a present appeared on his desk.