Lovers Avenue, Dressrosa. "Why do you always cause so much trouble?!" Luffy's frantic thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. He turned to see Sephiroth stepping through a shimmering spatial doorway, Kuina close behind.
"Sephiroth? What are you doing here?" Luffy asked, bewildered.
"Looking for you," Sephiroth replied simply.
Luffy scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. "Hey, uh... could you help me pay this bill first? Once I find Usopp and the others, I'll pay you back. I promise! I've got plenty of money now—no way I'll stiff you."
Before Sephiroth could respond, a booming voice erupted from the spatial doorway, sending a shiver down Luffy's spine. "Luffy! Still causing chaos everywhere you go!"
Kuina stepped aside as Garp emerged, clad in a black-and-white striped prisoner uniform, wrists bound in heavy metal shackles.
"Grandpa?!" Luffy's eyes widened in disbelief. His mind froze, unable to process why his grandfather would appear here—and in prison garb, no less.
Garp took one look at his stunned grandson and flashed a grin that somehow managed to be both cheerful and menacing. With a sudden jerk of his arms, the iron chains shattered with a sharp crack, freeing his hands.
In an instant, Garp lunged forward. He grabbed Luffy's collar with one hand while raising a fist the size of a cooking pot with the other. The punches came fast and hard, each impact echoing through the air.
"Ahhh!" Luffy's screams mingled with the sound of fists meeting flesh. His face swelled grotesquely, transforming beyond recognition. Within seconds, he looked like a caricature of himself—so distorted that even his own father might not recognize him.
Sephiroth watched the scene unfold with mild amusement, making no move to intervene.
"Refreshing!" Garp exclaimed, stretching his arms after the brutal beating. He looked rejuvenated, as if years had been lifted from his shoulders.
Luffy managed to pry open his swollen eyelids, his voice muffled and slurred. "Grandpa... why are you here?"
Garp crossed his arms, his expression turning serious. "I'm giving you two options. First, surrender peacefully and join me in Impel Down. We can keep each other company in our cells. Second, strike a deal with Marineford and become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. That way, your old grandpa here might get his life sentence reduced—maybe even walk free. Which will it be?"
He cracked his knuckles for emphasis, leaving no doubt about the consequences of choosing poorly.
The truth was, Garp's actions during the Marineford War had left him in hot water. Killing two CP0 agents was tantamount to treason, even for a Marine hero. Though Sengoku and others had tried to plead his case, betrayal was betrayal. Even without the Celestial Dragons pulling the strings, the World Government couldn't let such an act go unpunished. A life sentence was already lenient.
If Garp walked free, it would set a dangerous precedent. How could the Marines maintain discipline and authority if such incidents were tolerated?
Sephiroth thought for a moment. According to conventional procedures, this matter was indeed difficult to handle, but Garp did have some connection with him, and it would be unreasonable not to help him out. Therefore, he carefully considered it and realized that Garp's problem could be completely solved using the Seven Warlords of the Sea system!
Every Seven Warlord of the Sea could propose certain conditions as an exchange when accepting recruitment by the World Government or the Marine. Pardoning the crimes of their allies was a basic entitlement already included in the Seven Warlords of the Sea terms. Thus, Sephiroth found Garp and told him that if Luffy became a Shichibukai, he could be released without charge.
However, Garp shouldn't think about continuing to be a Marine or anything like that. He could only honestly enjoy his later years and officially begin his retirement life. Actually, if Garp wanted to escape, a mere Marine detention center couldn't hold him. The reason he didn't run was simply that he didn't want to be a fugitive and make things difficult for Sengoku and the others.
He had originally prepared himself to spend the rest of his life in Impel Down, but Sephiroth's proposal was too tempting, making it impossible for him to refuse. Garp mused that with his grandson's personality, he would cause some big trouble sooner or later. Furthermore, Sephiroth also said that the New World Marine is now under his command.
If Luffy dared to cause trouble in his territory in the future, he wouldn't deliver a fatal blow out of consideration for Garp and Dragon, but he would definitely imprison him for life. So, Garp thought about it. Instead of letting his grandson run wild and get caught and thrown into prison, it was better to let him be a legal Pirate.
In addition, Sephiroth also asked Garp for a sample of his Lineage Factor and told him very directly that he planned to use it to research Seraphim. Garp, given that Sephiroth had pointed out a clear path for him, could only reluctantly accept this matter. "I..."
Luffy opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refuse these two choices, but when he looked at the black and white striped prisoner uniform on Garp, he simply couldn't say it. Why did his grandpa Garp fall from being a Marine hero to a prisoner...?
Although he had been unconscious and completely lost consciousness at the time, after he woke up, he had heard from his other companions about Garp killing two CP0 agents to avenge him. Therefore, his heart was extremely conflicted at this moment. If he became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, wouldn't that mean he couldn't become the Pirate King?
As if seeing Luffy's conflict, Sephiroth smiled and coaxed:
"Luffy, it's possible to become a Seven Warlord of the Sea first, and then become the Pirate King! Just like the Four Emperors, they are also Pirates who want to become the Pirate King, but before they became the Pirate King, they held the title of Four Emperors.
Therefore, even if you become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, you can still become the Pirate King in the future. The two don't conflict..." "Ah!? Is that so?" Luffy scratched his head, somewhat confused. A hint of bewilderment and confusion showed in his swollen eyes, which had become two slits.
However, Sephiroth's words sounded quite reasonable, and emotionally, he also didn't want his grandpa to be imprisoned for life. Seeing that Luffy was still hesitant, Sephiroth immediately threw out another bait. "Besides that, you should be in great need of a large ship right now, correct?
If you agree to become a Shichibukai, I can help you bring the Thousand Sunny, which is currently in Paradise, over." Hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in Luffy's eyes. Faced with the temptation of regaining a large ship and helping his grandpa get out of prison, he could only finally say with a tone full of helplessness:
"Alright then!
Before I become the Pirate King, I'll temporarily be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"