Chapter 9: A whole new world
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wee back Vice-Admiral Garp.”
<span style="font-weight:400">A marine officer, who was standing on the docs spoke to Garp.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hello Brannew. How mad is he?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, the fleet admiral is not mad, sir. He’s beyond furious.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Gee, I guess I’m in for an earful.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s much more than that sir. The fleet admiral swore some words that send chills down my spine. Some of them I had never heard and had to look them up.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shit.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oi, Kid. Don’t disembark. I won’t be gone long.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick was not happy with this order butplied.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir. Yes, sir”.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick went back to the ship while Garp and Brannew walked away talking.
<span style="font-weight:400">“ So… Who’s the kid?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Him? He’s my newest recruit.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmm. Vice-admiral Garp, you do remember that kidnapping is illegal, right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp was getting annoyed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I didn’t take the kid. He came himself to enroll at LogueTown.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Brannew was surprised.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Really?He must be what… around 10?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“ Yes he is.”ughed Garp.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then a sudden realisation hit him and he froze in ce.
<span style="font-weight:400">“SHIT!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Brannew was rmed, for Garp to make such a panic face,during times where piracy was on the all time high, he feared for the worst.
<span style="font-weight:400">“ What is it sir ?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I forgot the kid’s birthday !”
<span style="font-weight:400">“The what now, sir?” Brannew thought he misheard.
<span style="font-weight:400">“The kid is ten now! I forgot his birthday! It was the same day of Roger’s execution, how could I forget? No wonder the brat has been mad at me for the past two months. I even sent him patrolling the streets instead of giving him a day off. Shit, shit shit.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait you were serious, sir? You really recruited that child?” He was bewildered, he thought Garp was messing with him, apparently not.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course I am, this child has much more talent than anyone I have seen before and I’m not even talking about his devil fruit’s power. It’s on the same level as Whitebeard’s Gura Gura no Mi!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Brannew.exe encountered an error, the program closed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“WHAAAAAT?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Looking at Garp''s panicked face, Brannew was in a daze.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘ How could such a monster be born in East Blue! The weakest sea ! That does not make any sense! And he ate a devil fruit as powerful as Whitebeard?’
<span style="font-weight:400">Brannew shuddered. Whitebeard’s Gura Gura no Mi allows him to level up mountains and seas alike. It’s one of the most dangerous devil fruits ever recorded. And a no name kid was holding a power that rivals that?
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir, I would advise you to not tell Fleet Admiral Sengoku about the child, at least not now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why do you think I left him on the ship when I heard how pissed Sengoku is?! With the world going Crazy Sengoku would take the child and send him to its death in anger, to clean the mess Roger created !”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You should tell him right after your mission. With sess in your pocket Fleet Admiral Sengoku would not be as much… emotional.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s a good idea. Thanks Brannew.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp pped Brannew’s shoulders twice making him wince.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘Garp and his stupid strengh.’
<span style="font-weight:400">“By the way, do you know what a 10 years old kid wants for his birthday?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“ I… I don’t know… a good sword maybe?”
<span style="font-weight:400">~~~~~
<span style="font-weight:400">Four hours after leaving Rick on the Ship, Garp came back.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oi kid, tell the crew we’re leaving.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, sir!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick was about to follow the order he was given whe Garp spoke to him again.
<span style="font-weight:400">“And kid?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, sir?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp handed him a cap.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Here, I know I’m a bitte, but happy birthday”.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick was dumbfounded and looked at Garp.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘What do you want me to do with that ?’
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s the cap of the fleet admiral, he even signed it for you, but if you don’t want it that’s fine I’ll give it back to him”.
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp didn’t even finish his sentence that Rick was as fast as lightning.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was soon holding the cap in his hands, holding it delicately as if it was the most fragile thing in the world.
<span style="font-weight:400">His eyes were full of sparkling stars.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘Holy shit! The cap of Sengoku the buddha. One of the greatest heroes of the marine corps. And it’s MINE now! MINE MINE MINE.’
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick excitedly put it on his head, turned to Garp and said:
<span style="font-weight:400">“ Thanks Grandpa! ” without a care in the world.
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp froze.
<span style="font-weight:400">Every single one of the marine crew smirked as secretly as they could.
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp quickly reacted seeing the reaction of his men.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oi, who are you calling Grandpa, brat!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick, realizing his mistake, tried some damage control.
<span style="font-weight:400">“ I said thank you sir!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Now, don’t you go and lie brat!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I didn’t lie, Sir. Maybe you’re getting old and misheard me sir.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick knew he went too far and ran away before Garp gave him another “training session”.
<span style="font-weight:400">“ Sorry sir, got chores to do!”
<span style="font-weight:400">He disappeared inside the ship.
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp looked mad, and went to the front of the ship to look at the sea showing his back to everyone.
<span style="font-weight:400">No one said anything but all could see the ear to ear smile and the tears falling down the cheeks of the Vice-Admiral. If you focus enough you could hear him having a littleugh.
<span style="font-weight:400">*Hehehe*
<span style="font-weight:400">No marine present had any other thought than this one:
<span style="font-weight:400">‘They really are two idiots.’
<span style="font-weight:400">~~~~~~
<span style="font-weight:400">“Vice-Admiral Garp, the ind is in sight” .
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp stood up from his chair and looked at the horizon. He could see the destination of their mission.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Okay listen up. We’re here to rescue some noble princess captured by pirates. I want you to prioritize their safety first above all else. As for the pirate, they are trash, their captain is a no name guy with a 30Million bounty on his head, the rest of the crew is nothing no mention. Subdue or kill them, I don’t care, only the hostages matter, understood?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, sir!”
<span style="font-weight:400">For the first time since he met him, Rick saw Garp as people imagine him to be: a hero of the marine. One who protects the weaks and brings justice to those who deserve it.
<span style="font-weight:400">For the first time, Rick was in admiration of Vice-Admiral Garp.
<span style="font-weight:400">A whisper escape his lips
<span style="font-weight:400">“So cool…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Few of the marines heard it but all who did had a little smile.
<span style="font-weight:400">Garp included.
<span style="font-weight:400">“ Kid, be ready, it’s not only your first fight as a marine but your first real fight. Be brave, have faith in your training and everything will go well!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir, yes sir!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“ Everyone, don’t let your guard down! And no matter what,e back Alive.
<span style="font-weight:400">““““Sir! Yes Sir!””””
<span style="font-weight:400">“Now GO!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Thirty marinesnded on the small ind and started the rescue.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick was ted!
<span style="font-weight:400">‘Finally after more than two years sinceing here, I finally have the chance to gain Karma points. It’s been so long that I almost forgot about why I’m in this world.’ (Author’s note: I almost did too…)
<span style="font-weight:400">“Time to work! ~~”
<span style="font-weight:400">He was getting ahead of everyone, glee on his face. There was no way he would let others steal his precious points. He will get them all! No exception.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick had to move fast, even though his body was well trained he was still just a kid. He may look like ten be he was still 6 years old! Adults will catch up with him soon.He had 10 to 15 minutes at best.
<span style="font-weight:400">He quickly arrived at the pirates hideout.
<span style="font-weight:400">Two of them were on guard duty.
<span style="font-weight:400">He charged at them, and applied high gravity on their bodies.
<span style="font-weight:400">As they were attracted to the ground, Rick elbowed the closest to him in the head and kicked the second one in the head too.
<span style="font-weight:400">The two pirates were knocked out without even knowing what happened.
<span style="font-weight:400">“ Two down, everybody else to go.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick entered the hideout and moved forward before entering what looked like a hall. He saw 5 men rxing, drinking and ying cards.
<span style="font-weight:400">3 more were sexually assaulting a woman, while a secondid next to her on the floor, not moving.
<span style="font-weight:400">By having a good look, he could tell that the pirates already had their fun with her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Anger was beginning to build inside of him but he didn’t lose control of his emotions.
<span style="font-weight:400">He needed to take care of the group of 5 first. He hoped that by knocking them out loudly at least one of the other 3 would check on them giving him the opportunity to take him out too.
<span style="font-weight:400">The biggest problem for Rick at the moment was distance.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was too far to apply his gravity zone on the group.
<span style="font-weight:400">He then took a calcted risk. He lowered his posture so he could sneak as close as possible for his power to work.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick took a deep breath, and moved.
<span style="font-weight:400">The n was seeding without an itch and five meters before he could use his ability he heard a loud voice scream:
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey! Who the fuck are you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">The voice came from a man passing a door on his side that he could not have seen from the position he was in beforeunching his assault.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘Shit!’
<span style="font-weight:400">He reacted fast, attracting the man to the wall next to him.
<span style="font-weight:400">The pirate hit his head against the stone and fell to the ground, blood flowing inrge quantities on the floor.
<span style="font-weight:400">In his panic Rick applied to much gravity, hurting the man more that it should have been. He didn’t know the man''s status. Was he dead ? Dying? Just knock out?
<span style="font-weight:400">‘Now is not the time stupid, his mates areing’
<span style="font-weight:400">Anding they were.
<span style="font-weight:400">They heard their friend''s yell and a big hit sound.
<span style="font-weight:400">That sobered them up immediately.
<span style="font-weight:400">Two of the fights fired their gun at him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rick used his gravity zone to make the bullets attracted to the ground, then rushed into the group.
<span style="font-weight:400">One of the three came to fight in closebat while thest two aimed their gun at him. The two first one were reloading their weapons.
<span style="font-weight:400">He pushed back the man charging him with great force, towards his mates right behind him.
<span style="font-weight:400">He didn’t stop his own charge and was finally in range.
<span style="font-weight:400">He used his gravity to pull them to the ground, then up to the ceiling, then to the ground again with great force. The five of them were down to the count.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘Only three remaining’
<span style="font-weight:400">When he turned around in their direction he was face to face with a sword falling down on him.