Chapter 135: Cap's Request

Luo Lan naturally would not refuse Garp's request.

Glancing at the brightly lit courtyard, Luo Lan realized that Garp intended to have a private conversation with him; otherwise, he would not have been waiting here alone so late at night. Following Garp, Luo Lan arrived at the training ground they had used earlier, finding a secluded spot to sit that still offered a view of the sea.

"I heard you killed a king?"

After confirming with his Observation Haki that there was truly no one else around, Garp’s eyes fixed on Luo Lan like nails driven deep into wood.

"A king? Especially one from a kingdom allied with the World Government? That’s impossible. I only killed a pirate."

"Is it not the inherent duty of a Marine to kill pirates?"

Facing Garp’s interrogation, Luo Lan smiled indifferently, not taking it to heart. If Garp could know about this, how could Sengoku be unaware? Since Sengoku had not mentioned it yesterday, Garp’s current inquiry was certainly not a settling of accounts after the fact. Furthermore, given Garp’s character—someone who would outright ignore even the Celestial Dragons—it was unlikely he would hold him accountable for the death of a selfish, self-interested king. Bringing it up was likely just a way to advise him to be more careful in the future and not to overstep.

"Luo Lan, I have investigated you. Actually, it isn't just me; after Sengoku submitted your appointment papers to the World Government, both he and the government authorities must have investigated you as well."

"But it is very strange. We can only track your life up to ten years ago, when you were driven out of your village on Rosia Island. Then, ten years later, you reappeared and defeated the Krieg Pirates."

"During those ten years, no matter how we investigate, we cannot find where you went."

Garp suddenly sighed and said with a serious expression, "Then you can just assume that I died during those ten years and came back to life afterward."

Luo Lan shook his head. He had no intention of telling anyone about the experiences of that decade. After all, his current identity was that of a Marine; how could he tell others that he had spent those ten years aboard the ship of the "Flying Pirate"? Even Garp and Zephyr could not be told. The only people who knew his true identity were the members of the Flying Pirates, Uncle Jason’s crew, and Arlong’s subordinate, Gin.

Seeing this, Garp pressed no further. Since Luo Lan was unwilling to speak and they could not uncover the truth, there was no need to pursue it. In any case, as things stood, Luo Lan’s heart remained with the Marines, and he was actively hunting down pirates on the sea; that was enough. If he were to push too hard and force Luo Lan to the opposite side of the Marines, that would be the biggest headache. Judging by Luo Lan’s ability to defeat Twitch back then, this guy was clearly hiding a great deal. Even if Garp were to fight him now, he could guarantee he could hold his own, but he could not guarantee he could capture him.

"So, Vice Admiral Garp, was this the only reason you brought me here? To talk about these trivial matters?" Luo Lan turned his head to look at Garp, puzzled. If it were just these things, there would seem to be no need to come to such a secluded place. In his own courtyard, where Zoro and Nami were his own people, there would have been no issue discussing these things.

"Luo Lan, what I said just now was as a Marine Vice Admiral."

"What I am about to say now is as a grandfather, as an old man speaking to you." Garp sighed upon hearing this and spoke slowly.

"My son, Monkey D. Dragon, was once a Marine Vice Admiral, but now he is the world's most heinous criminal, a great revolutionary determined to overthrow the World Government."

"My grandson, Luffy, whom you have already met, has a dream of becoming a pirate, all under the influence of that damn Red-Haired Shanks."

"But I am not talking to you about those two; I am talking about my other grandson."

"Another grandson?" Luo Lan was slightly stunned, and instantly, the image of a young man with freckles appeared in his mind: Portgas D. Ace. In the original story, his popularity was so high that Eiichiro Oda had to change the narrative and add another brother for Luffy, Sabo, to save the fate of the manga.

"Yes, my other grandson, Ace. He is also a pirate."

"If you were an ordinary Marine, I might not have specifically spoken to you about this. But based on your past performance, I have noticed that almost every pirate you encounter ends up dead, and they die quite miserably."

"Of course, I am not saying they didn't deserve to die. I just want to ask, if you encounter Ace in the future, could you spare him? If you could understand him, you would know that, like Luffy, he is not bad at heart; he has simply strayed from the path." Garp nodded.

"Is that so?" Luo Lan nodded as well. Truth be told, even if Garp hadn't asked, he wouldn't have killed Ace anyway, as it was completely unnecessary. Putting aside the fact that he liked the character of Ace—whose death in the Marineford War in the original story had caused him genuine distress for a time—there was the matter of the consequences. First, after Sabo recovered his childhood memories, even if he didn't immediately turn against him because of Ace, cooperation would certainly become difficult. As the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon would certainly not ignore his opinion. Secondly, there was Luffy, that cheating protagonist; he definitely couldn't kill him. If Luffy died by his hand, he would face the combined pursuit of Dragon, Garp, and Red-Haired Shanks. But leaving him to grow on his own wouldn't do either, as he would eventually seek revenge. Finally, Ace’s death would certainly incite the wrath of Whitebeard. If he could reach the highest level of strength, he wouldn't fear these things, but he hadn't reached that point yet.

Defeating a Vice Admiral was already somewhat taxing, let alone these top-tier powerhouses. Therefore, no matter what, Ace could not die—whether due to personal preference or other reasons.

However, Luo Lan knew how to handle Ace. Since he couldn't kill him, he would recruit him to be a Marine. Although this idea was whimsical, who would know if it could succeed without trying? After all, Ace became a pirate because of his father. If he could find a way for him to surpass his father through a different path, Ace might not refuse. Perhaps, maybe, he might!

"Ace, is it? I’ve noted it. If I see him in the future, I will bring him back to be a Marine, just like Luffy." Luo Lan nodded, indicating he had remembered the name, and added with a smile as if he were joking.

"If you can bring him back to be a Marine, I promise you one request that does not violate my principles." Garp laughed as well. Although he knew the possibility was almost non-existent—because the current Ace was the Second Division Commander on Whitebeard’s ship and would never join the Marines just because of someone's words—he was willing to hope if the person speaking was Luo Lan. Because this guy, ever since he appeared, had been a miraculous existence.

"Alright, Vice Admiral Garp, if you only brought me here to say this, I will take my leave. Before leaving the headquarters base, I feel I have many preparations to handle; I can't afford to wake up too late tomorrow." Luo Lan stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.

"Luo Lan, if you truly intend to end this Great Pirate Era, you cannot rely solely on killing those ambitious men." Garp said suddenly.

"I know. That’s why I let go of guys like your grandson, who shout about being pirates but are essentially just navigators at heart," Luo Lan laughed, waved his hand, and walked into the darkness, gradually disappearing from Garp’s sight.

"End the Great Pirate Era, huh? Roger, I think the chaos you incited might truly come to an end in the near future!" Garp looked toward the pitch-black sea; on the other side lay Loguetown. Looking out, it was as if he were traveling through time, seeing the man on the execution platform who had shouted out the start of the Great Pirate Era.

Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.