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

"Captain! Bad news! A naval warship has appeared, just like you said. The figurehead has a giant dog head emblem—looks like your grandfather is back!"

At that moment, a plump figure came rolling in like a cannonball, dust trailing behind him. His chubby face looked worried.

"Bam!" A bubble of snot burst as Luffy woke up, terror written all over his face. He shook his small head and looked around, feeling completely defenseless against Garp.

"Huh? Grandpa's back?! ∑（〟〇О〇）Is that… really true?!"

"Damn old man! Why is he back at this time?!"

Ace frowned slightly, unhappy about Garp's arrival, as it meant that Natsu would be leaving, interrupting their Haki training just as it was beginning.

"Ha ha, it seems I can't stay any longer. Ace, Luffy, I'm off! I'll be waiting for you in the New World ∩_∩."

With a smile, Natsu waved goodbye and leapt down onto the Smile, knowing full well that he wasn't strong enough to face Garp's "Fist of Love" head-on.

So, the best plan was to retreat. There would be plenty of time to meet again.

"Yeah, Natsu! I will definitely sail the Grand Line! Wait for me!" *2

Half an hour later, Garp arrived at Dawn's place, his expression serious. He kicked the door open, greeted Dawn with his usual intimidation, and after asking a few questions, he headed straight for the secret hideout of Ace and Luffy.

"Luffy! Where's your brother Natsu?!"

Seeing Luffy and Ace sparring, Garp shouted loudly as he suddenly appeared between the two.

"Hehe, Grandpa, you're too late! Natsu's already gone! ꉂ(ˊᗜˋ*)"

Luffy chuckled at Garp's furious expression.

"Bang! Stop laughing, you brat!"

"Ouch! That hurts, Grandpa!" Luffy yelled, clutching his head. He winced in pain, even though he had used Haki to protect himself. Why did it still hurt so much?

"Wait, was that just my imagination?!"

Since Luffy's Haki was still quite weak, Garp's "educational smack" didn't have much of an impact, though it felt less solid than before.

But given Garp's personality, he didn't take it to heart.

"What did that brat Natsu come here for?"

"Hehe, he came to teach me Haki—" Luffy began to spill the beans, but Ace quickly covered his mouth.

"Natsu just visited the village to check on Luffy's situation on behalf of Luffy's father and then left."

Ace was quick to intervene, knowing that mentioning Haki before they set sail would surely lead Garp to squash their dreams before they even began. Pirate King? He'd probably end up as the Navy King!

"Hmph, you guys never learn. Luffy, you absolutely cannot become a pirate!"

Garp's face darkened. With his son being part of the Revolutionary Army and now his grandson wanting to be a pirate, if Luffy went down that path, he'd feel like a failure as a grandfather.

"Tch, Grandpa, I'm going to be the Pirate King!" Luffy shot back defiantly, standing toe-to-toe with Garp, their faces inches apart as they glared at each other.

"I promised Shanks I'd set sail!"

"Ha! Shanks, Shanks! Luffy, you've gone too far—now you don't even listen to your grandfather!"

"Bang! Bang!"

On that little hill, the battle resumed between the naval hero and the future Pirate King, filled with playful shouts and yells.

On the sea, Natsu faced the ocean, feeling the refreshing breeze and brimming with ambition.

The Smile Pirates were officially setting sail! Destination: the New World!

Next up was the time to recruit capable crew members, build their own influence, and become the top powers of the sea.

The Smile ship cruised steadily across the endless ocean!

A day later, in the morning, in a certain sea area of the East Blue.

"Captain, Captain! There seems to be a person floating in the sea?!"

Natsu, who was practicing, was interrupted by Kumo's shout. Squinting, he noticed a figure bobbing on the water, appearing lifeless.

"Let's get closer and check it out!"

Natsu instructed, and the Smile slowly approached. With a graceful leap, he landed on the water, grabbed the stranger's clothing, and returned to the ship.

"Whoa, Gin!"

Natsu was surprised as he recognized the familiar face. He hadn't expected to encounter Gin so soon after setting sail. Gin was known in the sea community, often referred to as " Gin of All Trades."

"Cough, cough! Phew~"

At that moment, Gin awoke on the deck, opened his eyes, and surveyed his surroundings. Struggling, he managed to utter a word.

"Water~ Water~"

"Fat Kumo, quickly bring some water!"

"Ton ton ton! He's alive!"

Gin gulped down the water, looking utterly satisfied. After a moment, he slowly stood up and earnestly thanked Natsu.

One couldn't help but admire the resilience of life in the pirate world.

"Thanks for saving me!"

"No need for thanks! It was just a chance encounter. What's your name?"

Natsu asked knowingly, although this was indeed their first meeting.

"I'm Gin. A few days ago, I set sail with a ship from the town but ran into pirates. After a fierce battle, I jumped into the sea to escape. Unfortunately, I didn't find another ship and ended up drifting until I fainted from hunger. Luckily, I met you guys!"

"I'm Natsu, captain of the Smile Pirates. We're heading for the Grand Line. Gin, since fate brought us together, would you like to join us?"

Natsu pondered for a moment. Based on Gin's story, he hadn't yet encountered Don Krieg, and he was now alone, making him the perfect candidate for recruitment. According to the original story, Gin was incredibly loyal, staying with Don Krieg until the very end.

"Then I'll be in your care from now on, Captain!" Gin said with a slight smile.

"And me! And me! I'm the vice-captain of the Smile Pirates! My name is Kumo!"

Upon hearing about a new member, Fat Kumo's little eyes spun around excitedly as he rushed forward to announce.

"A talking bear? (⊙o⊙)!"

"Hmph! Is it so surprising that a panda can talk? What's the big deal? Don't make a fuss about it! ┐(´-｀)┌" Kumo scoffed.

"Alright, enough joking around. We're all friends now!"

"Since we have a new member, we should definitely celebrate with a feast! Fat Kumo, quickly bring out the sea beast meat to welcome Gin aboard!"

"Okay, Captain!"

…

On the Smile pirate ship, smoke wafted up, and delicious aromas filled the air as the three of them enjoyed a hearty meal.

Especially Gin, who had never tasted such delicious food before. After days of drifting at sea without food, he matched Fat Kumo's appetite. Eventually, he lay on the deck, patting his stomach, laughing in happiness. As he laughed, tears began to flow—one meal saved his life, and he felt deep gratitude.

From that moment on, Gin silently vowed that his life would belong to Natsu, even if it meant laying down his life for him.