C18 Encountered Garp

"Hi there!"

Esaki flashed a smile and waved to the navy officers before him.

Rega's forehead creased with the mark of a tic-tac-toe grid, and a few dark lines appeared as he saw Esaki's grin.

"Are you the renowned Pirate Hunter, Summoner Ze?"

Rega asked in a stern voice.

"I'm surprised someone of your stature in the navy would recognize a nobody like me." Esaki's lips curled into a smirk, revealing a row of gleaming teeth.

"You're hardly a nobody these days. Your name has come up quite often recently," Rega replied gravely.

He loathed slick talkers; he was a straight shooter himself.

"Hahaha... Really? So, you're not here to arrest me, are you? I'm a model citizen; I've done no wrong!"

Esaki chuckled heartily.

Rega's mouth twitched involuntarily.

Model citizen? With that blood-red mess behind you... and you have the nerve to claim such a title?

"No, I came to inform you that we're close to apprehending the Blood Wolf Pirates. What brings you out here?"

Rega inhaled deeply, maintaining his composure.

"Well, I was concerned about the navy getting hurt. These pirates are ruthless, and as a responsible citizen, I felt compelled to step in and do my part."

"Don't mention it; I'm just doing my duty," Esaki proclaimed with the air of a man resigned to his fate.

"I'll be taking the Blood Wolf's body with me..."

Rega spoke through clenched teeth, barely containing his impulse to cut Esaki down.

"That's not going to work. You know my livelihood depends on being a Pirate Hunter. If you take the body, how will I claim the bounty? Look at the group I have to support—old and young, women and children. Can you really be so heartless?"

Esaki gazed back at the Australovenator and the other small dinosaurs, his expression turning sorrowful, almost to the point of tears.

"Hahaha... What's all the commotion about?"

Just then, a booming laugh echoed through the air.

All eyes turned to the source.

A massive warship was making its approach, and at its helm stood a towering, imposing middle-aged man. He wore a dog-head hat and was draped in a grand Justice Cape, his eyes shining like celestial stars.

"General Garp!"

Rega's eyes sparkled as he snapped to attention with a crisp salute.

The navy soldiers aboard the surrounding warships followed suit, each offering their own salute.

Esaki narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

To think he'd encounter Garp here, of all places—it was quite the stroke of luck.

But what was that in his arms?

He could just make out a baby, swaddled in white, cradled in Garp's embrace.

"A baby? Could it be Luffy?"

"No, Luffy wouldn't be at sea... that leaves only one possibility... Ace!"

Surprise flickered across his face.

Ace had been born.

"Hahaha, I'm merely passing through. But you, young man, you've got some impressive strength. Ever consider joining the navy?" Garp boomed with laughter, eyeing Esaki.

Garp's hair was still a youthful black, and an aura of formidable authority radiated from him.

"Much appreciated, General Garp, but I've grown accustomed to my freedom. Making a living as a Pirate Hunter suits me just fine. As for enlisting in the navy... it's not really my style," Esaki replied, grinning.

He wasn't a pirate at the moment, so there was no tension in facing Garp, who was, by all accounts, a decent man.

"Hahaha, should you ever change your mind about the navy, my door is always open," Garp chuckled heartily, and the warship continued on its course.

Rega and his comrades watched as General Garp's warship disappeared into the distance.