One Piece: Rising to Power as a Warlord of the Sea

It had been half a month since the Smile Pirates seized the Heavenly Tribute. The crew's ship, the Smile, sailed quickly toward the Sabaody Archipelago.

During this time, Eirin had been hanging out with Kumo, playing around the ship. Gin and Enel continued their training in Haki and their respective abilities with intense dedication and clear aspirations. Karina often sang to keep the crew's spirits high, while also practicing and enhancing her Devil Fruit powers.

Hiro had discovered new research topics and stayed almost exclusively in the lab, working on "Power Balls" that, when eaten, were said to enhance physical strength permanently—though the research had yet to yield any results.

Under Natsu's guidance, the Fishman Noriyuki trained his swimming, preparing himself for future missions where he could save Devil Fruit users who might fall into the sea. Thus, the Smile Pirates' Salvage Team was officially born.

A few days later, on a sunny morning, the Smile Pirates' ship docked on an uninhabited island a few hundred miles from Sabaody to restock supplies.

On the beach, the crew basked in the sun, enjoying the beautiful scenery and each other's laughter, while not far away, a group of animals trembled in fear. If these invaders didn't leave soon, the island's wildlife would be entirely wiped out.

"Someone's coming—a strong one!"

Enel, who had been meditating, suddenly opened his eyes and turned to Natsu, who was already standing and looking toward the coast.

The Smile Pirates quickly grew vigilant. Anyone strong enough for Enel to sense was bound to be a formidable opponent.

A marine ship with a dog-head symbol appeared on the horizon. Enel didn't mind, as he knew who was coming, while Kumo looked on innocently, completely oblivious. Karina, Gin, Eirin, and Noriyuki, however, tensed up instinctively; there was only one person with a ship like that.

This was the hero of the Navy, the man who had pushed the Pirate King Roger to his limits multiple times, fought alongside Fleet Admiral Sengoku to capture the Golden Lion Shiki, and had countless legendary achievements: Garp the Hero.

"So he's here! Hehehe." Natsu grinned, watching the approaching ship with anticipation.

"Long time no see, Grandpa!"

Natsu took a deep breath, waving at the tall figure appearing on the deck of the ship.

"Hmph, you still remember me, do you, Natsu?"

Boom!

With a loud crash, a compact but imposing old man leaped down from the ship, creating a small impact upon landing. Garp looked at Natsu with a complicated expression.

"Grandpa?!"

Karina rubbed her eyes in disbelief, her gaze shifting between the two. Was this Navy hero really Natsu's grandfather?

"???"

An endless series of question marks popped up over Enel and the others. This was beyond belief!

"Hehehe, of course, I could never forget you, Grandpa," Natsu said with a grin. "You raised me, after all!"

"And becoming a pirate—is that your way of showing appreciation?" Garp's face was stern. "Defeating a Warlord appointed by the World Government, robbing the Heavenly Tribute... Natsu, you're out of control!"

"Ahh, Grandpa, don't be mad. Come on, try some of these fresh skewers I just grilled!"

Ignoring Garp's reprimand, Natsu eagerly offered him a skewer, waving the delicious aroma in his direction.

"You… ah, fine…" Garp let out a sigh and began eating the skewer, his expression softening, though there was still a tinge of frustration.

"Admiral, should you really be doing this?"

A relaxed, lazy voice came from the Marine ship, where Admiral Aokiji had appeared on deck. He scanned the Smile Pirates with a calm but scrutinizing gaze, as if memorizing each face.

"Oh well, just pretend I was never here." Aokiji shrugged, waving off Enel's eager, battle-ready stance. He climbed onto his bicycle and used his Ice-Ice Fruit to create an icy path across the water, humming a tune as he rode away.

"A Navy Admiral, huh? What a monster," Enel muttered, disappointed that there was no fight. He had been eager to test his skills.

"Ah, right! I came here to knock some sense into you, you rascal!" Garp suddenly recalled his original purpose for coming, his face darkening as he clenched his fists.

"Hehehe, Grandpa, I'm not a little kid anymore. You can't just catch me so easily!" Natsu replied confidently, well aware he might not match Garp's power, but he could certainly escape.

"Oh? Pretty confident, are you?" Garp chuckled, blowing on his fist as Haki coated his knuckles in an invisible but powerful aura. It was intimidating—overwhelmingly so.

"Here comes my Fist of Love!"

In an instant, Garp vanished, moving so fast that even Natsu's Observation Haki struggled to track him. This old man was terrifyingly strong.

Boom!

"Ouch, that hurts!"

The two exchanged punches, creating a powerful shockwave that sent wind rushing through the island. Trees bent under the force, and Natsu staggered back, feeling the sting in his arm. Pure Haki power was an area where he was still a step behind.

"Natsu, do you give up?" Garp asked, clearly enjoying the pained but determined look on Natsu's face.

"Not a chance! We're not done yet!"

"Kun Mode: Lamborghini!"

"Huh?!"

Garp blinked in confusion as a massive stone structure in the shape of a sports car suddenly appeared and hurtled toward him.

"Hmph, cheap tricks!"

Garp's fist shattered the car into pieces with one clean punch, scattering rocks across the ground.

"Dui Mode: Black Glaze!"

Haki-infused fists collided again. The two figures clashed across the island, leaving a path of destruction. Trees were uprooted, hills were flattened, and the surviving animals fled in terror, knowing they'd be next if they didn't.

After five hours, they finally returned to the beach, panting but exhilarated from the high-stakes brawl.

"Hehehe, how'd I do, Grandpa?"

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