Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Luffy Start his Piracy
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The Grand Line, Baltigo, the White Soil Island.
The island was a barren wasteland of yellow sand and jagged rocks, with nothing but desolation in sight.
Despite its unremarkable appearance, this remote island was the Revolutionary Army's base—a place the World Government sought to destroy at all costs.
Twenty meters below the surface, the hidden Revolutionary Army base lay concealed.
Terry Gilteo, the intelligence officer of the base, held the latest newspaper with a worried expression.
"Dragon, we still haven't heard any news from Sabo and the others," he said with concern.
Dragon, with short black hair, a deep green coat, and a red square tattoo on his left cheek, responded calmly.
"There's no need to worry just yet. No news might be a good sign—it means they haven't fallen into Marine hands."
Terry, however, was unconvinced. "But Sabo and his group were caught in the middle of a Marine operation to capture Doflamingo while trading weapons in Dressrosa."
"With the strength of that Marine Vice Admiral named Byakuya, there's no way Sabo and the others could have held their ground."
"If they weren't captured by the Marines, then why have they been silent for an entire week?"
Dragon shook his head slowly, a flicker of unease crossing his usually composed expression.
"Because it wasn't just the Marines who went to Dressrosa that day. The Night Organization got there before them."
Terry's eyes widened. "You mean Sabo and the others fell into the hands of the Night Organization?"
"In the absence of evidence to confirm their deaths, this is the only plausible explanation," Dragon replied.
Terry let out a heavy sigh. The Night Organization's elusiveness was legendary across the seas. If they didn't want to be found, almost no one could track them down.
Falling into their hands could be a blessing—or a curse—for Sabo and the others.
...
One week had passed since the Dressrosa incident. Byakuya, for once, was enjoying a rare period of peace.
After the chaos in Totto Land and the capture of Doflamingo, he'd been constantly on the move.
But now, with Fergus handling the base's administrative matters and Issho taking charge when powerful pirates appeared, Byakuya found himself free to relax and train Ain and Tashigi.
Life couldn't have been better.
Meanwhile, Doflamingo's interrogation had concluded.
The verdict was as expected: his status as a Warlord of the Sea was revoked, and he was sentenced to permanent imprisonment in Impel Down.
Byakuya wasn't surprised by the outcome; as long as Doflamingo kept the secret of the Celestial Dragons' national treasure, his life would be spared.
What did surprise Byakuya, however, was the news that Sengoku shared with him.
The World Government and the Marines were convening a joint meeting to discuss the possible abolition of the Warlord system—a historic first.
As one of the key proponents of abolishing the Warlord system, Byakuya was personally requested to attend the meeting by the World Government.
To ensure most high-ranking Marine officers could participate, the meeting was scheduled three weeks out, giving everyone time to return to Marine Headquarters.
Two weeks later, Byakuya and Issho boarded the Ship and set sail for Marine Headquarters.
Initially, Issho wanted to remain at G-5 to protect the base from potential pirate attacks, but Byakuya refused.
Byakuya reminded Issho of their promise to work together to dismantle the Warlord system, insisting both of them attend the meeting.
G-5's security, meanwhile, was entrusted to Enel and the Night Organization, who could respond swiftly to any pirate threat.
With Byakuya's persuasion, Issho agreed to accompany him.
In the East Blue, at Foosha Village, Garp was also preparing to leave for Marine Headquarters.
The Marine hero had returned to the village on leave to train his grandson, Luffy, who was about to turn 18, with the hope of moulding him into a proper Marine.
However, the day before Luffy's birthday, Garp received the summons to the meeting.
Given the long journey, he had no choice but to depart immediately, leaving no time to stay an extra day.
Before leaving, Garp sternly addressed his grandson, whose head was covered in bruises.
"Tomorrow, when you turn 18, you can officially enlist in the Marines. Don't forget what I've told you!"
"Even if you can't become a Marine like Byakuya, you better not disgrace the family name. Become a respectable Marine soldier!"
For the past month, Garp had been hammering Byakuya's name into Luffy's ears, describing him as an exemplary Marine who had risen to Vice Admiral in just one year.
Byakuya's strength, Garp said, rivalled that of the Marine Admirals, and he was Sengoku's chosen successor for Fleet Admiral.
Garp urged Luffy to look up to Byakuya once he joined the Marines. But Luffy was utterly unimpressed by Garp's words.
Muttering under his breath, he said, "I'm not joining the Marines. I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
Unfortunately for Luffy, his grandfather's hearing was sharp, even at close range. Garp's face turned red with anger.
"What did you just say, you brat?!" he roared, delivering a massive punch to Luffy's head.
The boy yelped in pain, clutching yet another lump atop the growing "pagoda" on his head.
Thanks to the Gum-Gum Fruit, Luffy could survive such punishment. Any normal person would've been crushed by Garp's iron fist long ago.
"If you say you want to be a pirate again, I'll break your legs!" Garp threatened, his fury unabated.
Garp couldn't understand what kind of spell that red-haired Shanks had cast on Luffy to make him so determined to become a pirate.
Sensing his grandfather's rising anger, Luffy quickly changed the subject. "Grandpa, you keep telling me to aim to be like Byakuya. Is he really that strong?"
Hearing Luffy's interest in Byakuya, Garp's demeanour softened instantly.
With a wide grin, he replied, "Byakuya's decent. Among the new generation of Marines, he's one of the best. But compared to your grandfather, he's just average!"
"If you join the Marines and train under me, you'll surpass Byakuya with ease. Becoming Fleet Admiral won't just be a dream—it'll be child's play!"
Garp intended to instil confidence in Luffy, showing him the bright future awaiting him as a Marine.
But in Luffy's mind, it translated differently: joining the Marines and becoming Fleet Admiral sounded easy, while the path to becoming the Pirate King was full of challenges.
Naturally, Luffy gravitated toward the more exciting and difficult goal.
Luffy's inquiry about Byakuya wasn't just to change the topic but also to prepare himself for an eventual confrontation.
He was determined that if he ever met Byakuya after setting sail, he'd make sure to teach him a lesson.
For an entire month, Garp's relentless nagging about the benefits of joining the Marines had gone in one ear and out the other.
Silently, Luffy thought, "Hmph, Byakuya, huh? Because of you, I've been beaten up by Grandpa countless times this month. Just wait! Once I'm out at sea, I'll pay it all back!"
In Luffy's eyes, while he couldn't defeat his grandfather, he felt the gap between their strength wasn't massive.
Since Garp claimed that Byakuya was "just average" compared to him, Luffy concluded that Byakuya's strength was probably similar to his—or even weaker.
Once he set sail, beating Byakuya to a pulp seemed like an easy task. Seeing Luffy silent, Garp assumed his persistence had finally paid off and his grandson had been persuaded.
His mood brightened instantly. If it weren't for his adjutant Bogart urging him to leave, Garp would've stayed a few more days.
Before leaving, he patted Luffy's shoulder with a satisfied smile and said, "Well, I'll be waiting for you at Marine Headquarters."
Luffy nodded, thinking to himself, It's only natural to head to Marine Headquarters after I become a pirate and challenge the Marines.
Seeing his grandson's nod, Garp's grin stretched wide, nearly reaching his ears. He boarded the ship humming a tune, his joy is evident to everyone.
Bogart, puzzled by Garp's unusual cheerfulness, was intrigued.
Over the years, every time Garp left Windmill Village, he'd be fuming with anger—especially recently, when he'd curse Red-Haired Shanks non-stop.
But today, his demeanour was completely different.
Even the other soldiers aboard the ship were baffled by Garp's good mood.
Gathering his courage, Bogart asked, "Vice Admiral Garp, did something good happen? Care to share the joy with us?"
Garp, brimming with pride, announced, "My grandson has agreed to join the Marines! Just wait—when the time comes, I'll show Zephyr that my grandson is no less impressive than his disciples!"
As Garp's dog-headed warship disappeared over the horizon, Luffy stood at the dock, ecstatic.
"Hahaha! Grandpa's finally gone. I'm free at last!" He ran to the other side of the dock and uncovered a small sailboat he had prepared for his departure.
It was his vessel to set sail into the Grand Line.
With the sun setting on the horizon, Luffy yelled toward the sea, "I'll become the Pirate King!"
The following morning, the villagers of Windmill Village gathered to see Luffy off.
Among them were the village elder, Makino, Dadan, and two unfamiliar individuals who hadn't appeared in the original storyline.
After bidding farewell to everyone, Luffy boarded his small sailboat and set off toward the vast, unknown ocean.
Once the crowd dispersed, the two mysterious figures returned to their quarters, retrieved a meticulously cared-for Den Den Mushi, and dialled a number.
When the call connected, they reported, "Lord Byakuya, Luffy set sail this morning."
"Understood," Byakuya replied.
"Do we need to remain in Windmill Village?"
"Since your disguises have been convincing so far, stay there. Help out at the tavern when necessary and keep an eye on things."
With that, Byakuya ended the call, a tinge of nostalgia in his tone as he remarked, "With Luffy setting sail, the original storyline begins."
"I wonder, with all the changes I've made, where the story will go from here. It's quite exciting to think about."
The two individuals, known as Oniichi and Oni-ni, were Byakuya's earliest creations using experimental cells.
When Byakuya joined the Marines, he tasked them with altering their appearances and assisting at Makino's tavern while monitoring Luffy's movements.
Their skills weren't particularly useful to Byakuya anymore, so they stayed in Windmill Village, resolving occasional disturbances at the tavern.
However, Luffy's departure was a mere ripple in the ocean—insignificant to the broader world.
Without his famous lineage, Luffy was just another nameless adventurer.
The world's attention was focused elsewhere—on Marine Headquarters, where an unprecedented meeting was about to take place.
Would the World Government make concessions, allowing Byakuya and his allies to abolish the Warlord system?
Or would the Marines yield to the World Government's orders, perpetuating the status quo?
Two days before the meeting, Byakuya and Issho finally arrived at Marine Headquarters.
Byakuya's ship stood out among the many standard Vice Admiral vessels docked at the port.
As Byakuya disembarked, numerous Marine officers—both familiar and unfamiliar—greeted him warmly. Their gestures weren't just out of respect for Byakuya's strength.
They admired his courage in openly challenging the World Government and advocating for the abolition of the Warlord system.
"Vice Admiral Byakuya, don't worry. At this meeting, we're all backing you to end the Warlord system!"
"Exactly! I've had enough of those pirates. Why should they be treated as equals to us Marines? It's an insult to our dignity!"
"Count on us, Vice Admiral Byakuya—we're all in to abolish the system!"
The overwhelming support highlighted the deep-rooted resentment many Marines felt toward the Warlord system.
As Byakuya prepared to move further inland, a small, lone bicycle appeared on the sea, slowly making its way toward the headquarters.
The icy trail it left behind stretched far into the horizon.
Issho, curious, turned to Byakuya. "What's that?"
Byakuya paused, smiling as he explained, "That's Admiral Aokiji's unique way of travelling. It's one of a kind."
Issho murmured in admiration, "An Admiral, huh? He certainly is... unique."
<End Chapter>
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