Kaya's father stepped forward beside Xia Yu, gave a slight bow to Garp, and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Mr. Garp, I am a villager of Syrup Village. Two years ago, I saw you once in Loguetown. I know you are a hero of the Marines—and a man who truly stands for justice."
"So please, Mr. Garp, do not tarnish your reputation by wronging a good person! To us villagers of Syrup Village, Mr. Xia Yu is a good man—our benefactor!"
"If you insist on arresting Mr. Xia Yu…"
"Then…"
"Then you will have to step over our corpses first."
"Because if Mr. Xia Yu hadn't appeared, we would already have been killed by those marines!"
"And I won't let you take Mr. Xia Yu either—never!"
The moment Kaya's father finished speaking, Kaya immediately ran to Xia Yu's side, tightly grabbing his arm. She had completely forgotten that she was the one who needed protection, her face filled with fear that he might be taken away.
This scene shocked not only Garp and his men—but even Xia Yu himself.
He hadn't expected these simple villagers, who had been trembling in fear of the Marines just moments ago, to now stand firm and confront them head-on.
Especially Kaya's father—despite knowing Garp's reputation—he remained astonishingly composed.
Of course, Kaya's father wasn't truly calm.
On the surface, he seemed steady as a rock, but inside, he was panicking like crazy.
However, as a businessman who had traveled widely, he understood what kind of man Garp was. Having witnessed Garp in Loguetown two years ago, he knew this legendary Marine was different.
That was why he dared to step forward.
And more importantly—Xia Yu had saved Syrup Village. If he didn't stand up now, he would be unworthy of that kindness!
Garp froze on the spot.
His subordinates were equally at a loss.
As men serving under the legendary Marine hero, they might act carefree aboard the ship—but when it came to matters of right and wrong, they upheld strict discipline.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them a truly righteous branch of the Marines.
So when they saw all the villagers standing behind Xia Yu, the only thing they could do was look to Garp, awaiting his decision.
"...Haa."
After staring at Kaya and her father for a long moment, Garp let out a long breath and looked at Xia Yu somewhat awkwardly. "Xia Yu brat… what exactly is going on here?"
"This situation is a bit troublesome for you, old geezer. After all, it's Marines who died."
Xia Yu shrugged slightly. "How about this—you go find out what happened first. Once you're done, come to the mansion and find me."
With that, he took Kaya's hand and turned to leave.
"Huh?!"
Seeing Xia Yu just walk away like that, Garp's eyes widened as he roared, "You brat, if you leave, how am I supposed to investigate—what the hell! …Fine, fine. This has to be resolved. I'll come find you later."
"Vice Admiral Garp…"
Seeing that Garp didn't stop Xia Yu, Swick stepped forward and asked, "Are we just going to let him go? Should I bring him back—"
"Swick, don't act recklessly."
Garp stopped him and said seriously, "If what the villagers said is true, then it means there's a problem within the Marines of East Blue. If we don't fix it, there will be endless trouble in the future. Besides… even if all of you go together, you wouldn't be his match. So let me investigate first before dealing with him."
"What?!"
Swick and the others' eyes widened instantly.
Even all of them together… wouldn't be his opponent?!
Was he really that terrifying?
Garp ignored their reactions. Seeing that none of the villagers had left, he scratched his head awkwardly and laughed. "Everyone, trust me. I'll definitely get to the bottom of this. Now… who will tell me what exactly happened here?"
...
Inside Kaya's mansion, in the living room.
Xia Yu lounged lazily on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, while little Kaya thoughtfully brought him a cup of water.
"Mr. Xia Yu… who was that old gentleman?"
"Old gentleman?"
Xia Yu took the cup and shook his head with a smile. "He's no gentleman. He's a Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters—a stubborn old fossil… an old geezer!"
"A Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral… that's a very high rank."
Kaya blinked, worry evident in her eyes. "W-what if… he still decides to arrest you?"
Xia Yu gently patted her head and said softly, "Don't worry. That old geezer may be strong, but capturing me won't be easy."
"Mhm! I believe in you, Mr. Xia Yu!"
Perhaps influenced by Xia Yu's confidence, Kaya relaxed a little, a sweet smile appearing on her face under his gentle reassurance.
Time passed, second by second.
An hour later—
Garp entered the living room under Kaya's father's guidance.
Looking at Xia Yu sitting there, Garp walked straight over and sat down across from him, asking bluntly, "Kid—give me a clear answer."
"????"
Looking at the impatient Garp, Xia Yu was momentarily confused.
What's wrong with this old geezer now?
Extra chapters are already prepared… waiting to be unleashed.
Get early access on Patreon:
patreon.com/c/DreamWriterStudios
Want more chapters? You decide the pace:
✨ 10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
🔥 200 Power Stones = Another Release
Your support fuels the journey.
The stronger your backing… the faster the story unfolds.