Roger stood at the prow of their stolen battleship, docked at an island for rest.
"Kuhahaha! Rayleigh! This ship's got some style, eh?"
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses. "Navy warships do tend to be better equipped, Captain."
Gaban was busy prying open a barrel of rum with his axe. "Who cares? Party first!"
Rhett ran over, grinning shamelessly. "Bad news! The Navy sent a Rear Admiral after us!"
The deck fell silent.
Roger dug a finger in his ear. "What's the Rear Admiral's name?"
"Garp! They say he can sink an island with one punch!"
Rhett couldn't help but vibrate with excitement. Holy shit, I'm witnessing history! Roger and Garp's legendary cat-and-mouse game—live and in person!
A warship sliced through the waves at terrifying speed, its dog-head figurehead gleaming under the sun.
"That's…" Gaban squinted.
Rhett's hair stood on end. "Why… does that ship feel so damn oppressive?!"
IT'S HAPPENING! The first legendary encounter between the Pirate King and the Navy Hero—and I, Rhett, get front-row seats!
HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT! IT'S YOUNG GARP IN THE FLESH!
Those muscles! That dog-head ship! The way he's picking his nose!
Even Chapter 0 of One Piece wouldn't dare show this scene! Kyaaaahahaha!
A sudden image flashed in Rhett's mind: Garp forming a Rasengan while yelling "Roger!", Roger charging a Chidori screaming "Garp!"—The Untold Tale of Uzumaki Garp and Uchiha Roger, kekekeke—
Just as Rhett's brain spiraled into delusion, his captain called out: "Oi, little Rhett, why aren't you rushing ahead like usual? Not like you."
"Ahaha, maybe I'm not feeling too hot today, Captain. You go first." Rhett rubbed his head, faking a stomachache.
Me? Take on Garp?
You want me, a kid, to fight the future Navy Hero at his absolute peak?
Do I look like an idiot to you?!
"Kuhahaha! Little Rhett's got a tummy ache?" Roger ruffled Rhett's hair. "Don't tell me you're scared?"
A vein bulged on Rhett's forehead. "W-Who's scared?! I'm just… conserving strength strategically!"
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses. "Oh? Wasn't it you who yelled 'I'll take on ten Vice Admirals!' yesterday?"
"That's different!" Rhett flailed. "That's freaking GARP—"
Before he could finish, the whistle of cannon fire cut through the air. All four looked up—three pitch-black cannonballs arced toward them in a triangular formation.
Rhett recognized Garp's signature hand-thrown cannonball technique.
But Roger suddenly lifted Rhett overhead. "Little Rhett! Time to prove your strategy!"
"W-Wait! Roger, what the hell—AAAAH MY FACE!"
Before Rhett could react, his captain yeeted him at the cannonballs like a baseball. Flailing mid-air, Rhett instinctively shrouded himself in mist, drew his wooden sword, and coated it in Armament Haki.
Slash slash SLASH!
*BOOM!*
All three cannonballs detonated in the mist. The shockwave sent Rhett flying like a comet, burying him headfirst in the sand with only his twitching legs visible.
"Cough… I hate you, bastard Roger…" came a muffled groan from the sandpile.
"Nice one!" Roger gave a thumbs-up.
By then, the warship had docked. A hulking figure in a Navy coat descended via Moon Walk, his Justice cloak billowing.
"Gol D. Roger!" Garp cracked his knuckles. "I'm Garp, and I'm here to bring you to justice!"
He suddenly noticed the wriggling "human-shaped object" in the sand. Rhett finally managed to pull his head out, locking eyes with Garp.
Silence.
Garp's eyes widened. "Since when do pirate crews hire child labor?!"
"Who's child labor?! Your whole family's child labor!" Rhett sprang up, sand flying. "I'm 'Crimson Mist' with a 50 million bounty! You're here to chase the Roger Pirates, and you don't even recognize the crew?! Look down on me much, asshole?!"
Garp's expression cycled from shock to confusion before settling on eerie excitement. "Feisty! Kid, wanna join the Navy? Free food, lodging, and—"
"No!" Rhett snapped.
Garp scratched his head. "Oh. Too bad!"
Then he blinked. "Wait, I'm here to arrest people! Dragging you back counts too."
*"Fist of the Falling Star!"*
Rhett's brain blue-screened. BRO, YOU JUST KIDNAP PEOPLE WHO SAY NO?! WHAT THE HELL?!
The Haki-coated fist tore through the air. Rhett's hair stood on end as he dissolved into mist.
"Mist Style: Playing Dead Jutsu!"
His voice echoed from the fog. "UNCLE RAYLEIGH HELP! THIS OLD BASTARD'S SERIOUS!"
Rayleigh sighed, drawing his sword to block Garp. "Captain, the brat's mouth remains as lethal as ever."
Roger laughed, slapping his thigh. "Kuhahaha! That's the spirit!"
Garp's fist abruptly redirected toward Roger. "First, I'll deal with the bastard corrupting kids!"
*"Divine Departure!"*
Their clash sent a shockwave that flattened half the beach. Rhett rolled to Gaban's feet. "Gaban! Use your godly twin axes and DO SOMETHING!"
Gaban puffed his cigarette. "Relax. You're a Logia."
"That's GARP!" Rhett flailed. "He beats Logias like they're his kids! He'd swat me like a fly!"
As if on cue, Garp's laughter boomed: "Kid's right!" He caught a flying slash from Rayleigh and hurled it back like a boomerang at Roger.
*Rhett (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻: BULLSHIT! SINCE WHEN CAN YOU YEET SWORD SLASHES?! AUTHOR, YOU'RE NOT EVEN TRYING TO HIDE THE PLOT ARMOR!*
Rhett curled into a ball. "We're doomed… this old man's cheating…"
Gaban suddenly grabbed Rhett's collar. "C'mon. Taking you somewhere nice."
Ten minutes later, inside the Navy ship's kitchen.
"This is your 'nice place'?!" Rhett gaped at the whole roasted turkey in his arms.
Gaban cracked open another barrel. "Eat up. Running burns calories."
The ship shuddered violently, dust raining from the ceiling. Garp's roar echoed: "ROGER! PAY FOR MY MAST!"
Rhett paused mid-bite. "Shouldn't we help…?"
"Relax." Gaban poured him juice. "Since when does our Captain lose easily?"
"...Fair."
Once they'd eaten their fill, they moved the unconscious Navy soldiers aside—don't get it twisted, Rhett hadn't killed anyone. Just knocked them out with Conqueror's Haki.
Truth was, Garp's current crew lacked heavy hitters. His power level was in a league of its own. Later, when he became Vice Admiral with Bogard and the hot-blooded Kuzan on board, things would get way tougher.