One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... my face hurts so much..."

Wright slowly regained consciousness, the sharp pain in his face quickly bringing back memories of what had happened.

"That damned old geezer Garp... not only did he cheat, but he also punched me in the face! Isn't he afraid he'll break something in my head? A little more force, and my skull might've cracked!"

"Is this how Luffy grew up getting beaten? No wonder he's so tough. Even Kaido's drunken rampage couldn't kill him."

Casting a quick Holy Light Spell on his face, the soothing warmth rapidly healed his swollen, pig-like visage, and the agony from the "Fist of Love" finally dissipated. Only then did Wright have the leisure to survey his surroundings.

He was in a single-occupancy cabin. Though the decor was modest, the room was remarkably clean and tidy. Was he on Garp's ship? Since when did a bounty hunter like him get such VIP treatment? Then again, maybe that old man knew about his healing abilities and figured he didn't even need to waste a bandage on him!

Grumbling inwardly, Wright grabbed his sword, Ashes, from the bedside, straightened his clothes, and stepped out of the room.

Out on the deck, Wright noticed the marines were hard at work repairing a massive hole near the ship's bow. That spot looked oddly familiar…

"Wait, was I punched straight through there?!"

"That old man Garp really went all out! He doesn't even spare his own ship! What if he punches through the bottom? Lucky for me, I'm still alive—"

"Ensign Wright! You're awake!" A marine noticed him and saluted, his face full of admiration. "It's incredible, sir! Someone as young as you can withstand a punch from Vice Admiral Garp—you're amazing!"

"Ensign?" Wright raised an eyebrow at the marine, skeptical. "What's going on here? I'm not a marine—I'm a bounty hunter."

"Sir, Vice Admiral Garp has already appointed you as an ensign of Marine Headquarters. The official transfer orders will be processed once we return to base," the marine replied crisply. "Also, Vice Admiral Garp instructed that you report to him as soon as you wake up."

"I… what?"

"Oh, Ensign Wright, you're up? Feeling better already? What remarkable abilities you have." Bogard, the stoic man who always stood by Garp's side, appeared silently, motioning for Wright to follow. "You must have a lot of questions. Come with me; Vice Admiral Garp is waiting for you."

Wright followed Bogard cautiously, wary of the enigmatic swordsman whose skill level and rank were unclear. In the original story, anyone with such a perpetually stern expression was no simple character. After all, people with frowning faces were often the most dangerous!

"You're the one who was standing beside Vice Admiral Garp earlier, right? What should I call you?" Wright feigned casualness as he walked alongside Bogard toward the ship's side, where Garp had gone to fish after punching a hole in the deck out of boredom.

"Just call me Bogard. I'm Vice Admiral Garp's adjutant." Bogard's face remained as impassive as ever. "Vice Admiral, Ensign Wright is here."

"Hey, old geezer Garp! I respect you as a naval hero, but cheating and punching me in the face?! That's crossing the line!" Wright couldn't hold back his rant when he saw Garp reclining on a deck chair at the ship's side, fishing while dozing off. His lazy demeanor reminded Wright of a retired neighbor from his previous life, and he couldn't resist roasting him.

"!!!"

The nearby marines froze in shock. Did the new ensign really just call Vice Admiral Garp "old geezer"? And accuse him of cheating? Even if Garp was known for his good temper, this was…

"Oh, Wright, you're already up? Seems like my 'Fist of Love' has gotten soft. Should we train some more?" Garp turned to him with an innocent look, but the words he said were anything but.

"Don't worry. This time, I'll make sure you don't wake up for three days."

"…"

Help! A naval hero is threatening a rookie with violence! What's the protocol for dealing with such tyranny? Fine, I'll endure it… But seriously, I haven't even agreed to join the marines yet!

"Ha-ha… Vice Admiral, you're joking, right? I just came to… thank you!" Wright forced a smile, emphasizing the word "thank." "By the way, I'm just a bounty hunter. How did I suddenly become an ensign? Isn't this a bit… inappropriate?"

"Huh?" Garp nonchalantly picked his nose, flicking something unspeakable into the sea. "What's so inappropriate about it? I'm a Vice Admiral; I have the authority. Even if I didn't, that idiot Sengoku does."

The marines around them kept their expressions neutral, doing their best not to react. Joking about Fleet Admiral Sengoku? Pretending not to hear was the only way to stay alive.

"Uh… I'm not really the type to make a fuss, so let's not bother the Fleet Admiral, ha-ha…" Wright laughed nervously. "Alright, fine. If you say so, I'll join as an ensign. What a promotion! Ha-ha-ha…"

"Smart kid!" Garp grumbled. "There aren't many young folks these days who catch my eye. But if you embarrass me back at HQ, you'll taste the 'Fist of Love' again!"

"Yes, yes…" Wright retreated in defeat, following Bogard to collect his new uniform and recruit handbook. He was instructed to familiarize himself with marine regulations before arriving at Marineford to avoid any embarrassing mishaps.

Dressed in a pristine ensign's uniform, Wright stood before a mirror, activating his "leading man" persona. The spotless white coat and the iconic Justice Cloak draped across his shoulders…

"The Justice Cloak… heh heh heh heh…" Wright couldn't help but grin like an idiot at his reflection.

For a diehard One Piece fan, the Justice Cloak was a dream. The high-collared white long coat with shoulder epaulets and billowing sleeves, emblazoned with the kanji for "Justice" on the back—nothing could be cooler!

The most magical part? No matter how intense the battle, marine officers never seemed to lose their Justice Cloaks. Even the manga creator once jokingly explained: It stays on… because it's for Justice!

What nonsense… but still, it's glorious! Seeing others wear it was one thing, but now that he had it on himself—paired with his good looks and acting skills—it was perfect! If he'd known it felt this amazing, he would've joined the marines three years ago!

"Meeting that old geezer Garp might've been a good thing after all," Wright mused, his grin fading as he began contemplating his future. "He's from the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue, same as me. I've been unconscious for a while now—he's probably looked into my background. Good old hometown connection, huh?"

In any organization, factions were inevitable, and the marines were no exception. At this point in time, the Fleet Admiral was Kong, while the Admirals were Sengoku and Zephyr. Zephyr, however, had retreated from active duty to train recruits, leaving Garp as the untamed force among the marine elite.

With Garp personally vouching for his enlistment, Wright figured the old man wouldn't just leave him out to dry. After all, look at Coby's meteoric rise years later!

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