Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside the office of Colonel Rhodes at the 155th Marine Branch in the East Blue, Kaito sat on the couch quietly reading a newspaper. Rhodes, on the other hand, sat at his desk, staring anxiously at a Den Den Mushi.
Today was the day Vice Admiral Garp from Marine Headquarters was scheduled to arrive at the branch.
Rhodes held deep respect for this legendary Vice Admiral. After all, the phrase "once cornered the Pirate King Roger" was awe-inspiring—and Garp's strength was undeniably the real deal.
But Rhodes wasn't too familiar with Garp's personality. He was afraid of doing something wrong and offending this incoming titan.
Kaito glanced up and couldn't help but chuckle at Rhodes's constipated-looking expression. Ever since Rhodes had summoned him to the office this morning, the man had been frozen in that same position and expression, terrified of missing a call from the Den Den Mushi.
"You really don't need to be this nervous. I know a bit about Vice Admiral Garp—he's actually quite easygoing. Just behave as you normally would."
Kaito folded the newspaper and spoke casually to Rhodes.
Rhodes's face darkened.
Seriously? So this newcomer knows more about a high-ranking Marine than I do, even after decades of service?
But he didn't dare show even a hint of dissatisfaction. After all, the person in front of him wasn't someone he could afford to offend.
Seeing Rhodes remain silent, Kaito stood up, somewhat bored, planning to go out for some fresh air—when suddenly,
"Burururu, burururu..."
The Den Den Mushi, which had been quiet all morning, finally came to life. Rhodes sprang forward like a camel stumbling upon water in the desert, snatching up the Den Den Mushi and shouting excitedly,
"Moshi moshi! This is Marine 155th Branch, Colonel Rhodes speaking!"
"This is HQ Ship No. 3. We are about to dock at your branch. Please come out to receive us."
"Yes, sir!"
Rhodes saluted sharply, called out to Kaito, and the two of them rushed off toward the docking area. Kaito followed silently behind.
...
At the docking site, rows upon rows of branch Marines were already standing at attention, all eyes fixed expectantly on the ship's ramp.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, several squads of Headquarters Marines disembarked first, quickly forming up. Then, a tall, burly figure wearing a dog-headed mask appeared at the top of the ramp.
Of course, the man in the dog-head mask was none other than Garp. He glanced down at the formation below and strolled off the ship in a laid-back manner, completely ignoring the attention, and called out loudly,
"Where's Colonel Rhodes?"
"Here! Vice Admiral Garp, I'm right here!"
Rhodes jogged over to Garp and stood at attention. Garp gave him a once-over and nodded slightly before asking,
"Mm. Is Uchiha Kaito here? I was delayed back in my hometown, so I won't be staying long. We'll head back to HQ right away with him."
"I'm here." Before Rhodes could answer, Kaito responded from the crowd.
Garp turned to look and saw a tall young man with strange, almost otherworldly eyes standing among the Marines. He stood out like a crane among chickens.
So this is the promising talent Sengoku told me about? Looks young, Garp thought. He waved at Kaito.
"Alright, come on. Let's get on board and head back to Marine HQ."
Kaito nodded and walked forward as the surrounding Marines instinctively parted to make way. He came to stand beside Garp.
Getting a closer look, especially at those purple eyes, Garp could feel that Uchiha Kaito was anything but ordinary.
Interesting. Once we're back at HQ, I'll need to properly test this kid's strength.
Having made up his mind, Garp gave a casual wave to the branch Marines below, then turned back toward the ship with Kaito at his side.
...
Standing at the bow of Garp's warship, Kaito looked down and waved at the branch Marines and Rhodes, expressing his gratitude for their care these past few days.
Rhodes and the others were a little moved. For someone like him—clearly destined for greatness—to still remember and thank the ordinary folks around him before spreading his wings… that was rare.
"Good luck, Kaito! I look forward to hearing your name again someday!" Rhodes shouted emotionally.
Kaito grinned and gave him a thumbs-up from the deck.
Seeing this, Garp's impression of Kaito improved even more. In his eyes, the ability to connect with others and show respect was sometimes more valuable than strength itself. It was one of the main reasons he eventually took Koby under his wing in the anime.
Of course, Kaito didn't think much of Koby as a character.
In a pretty good mood, Garp gave the order to set sail. The warship turned around and began heading toward the Grand Line.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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