One Piece: Marine Luffy, Garp regrets it

Even as Luffy spoke, his eyes flickered between Ace and Sabo, scanning their hesitant and restless expressions.

Seeing their internal struggle, he couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

The "Rayleigh" he had mentioned was, of course, none other than the legendary "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh—the retired vice-captain of the Pirate King Roger's crew, now living in seclusion on Sabaody Archipelago as a coating craftsman.

Luffy was especially curious about what Rayleigh's reaction would be if he found out Ace's true identity.

Would Rayleigh be shocked to see Roger's own son standing before him?

And how would Ace react when he learned that Rayleigh had once sailed under his father?

Just thinking about it is hilarious…

Luffy smirked at the thought, but his expression didn't go unnoticed.

Sabo glanced up and immediately caught the amused look on Luffy's face.

A strange feeling stirred in his gut.

"Something about this 'Rayleigh' guy feels… off."

Still, he didn't doubt Luffy's intentions. No matter what, Luffy would never harm them.

And truthfully, they owed him a great debt this time.

Luffy hadn't just dissuaded them from a reckless decision—he had saved their lives.

On top of that, he had given them guidance for their future growth and even pointed them toward a suitable teacher.

Sabo realized just how deeply indebted they were.

With that in mind, he straightened his posture and looked at Luffy seriously.

"Thank you, Luffy," he said, his voice solemn.

"If you hadn't warned us, we might have blindly rushed off to fight Red-Hair… and gotten ourselves killed."

He took a deep breath and continued.

"After thinking about it, Ace and I decided that we can't just walk away without showing our gratitude."

As he spoke, Sabo reached for his military cap.

Under Luffy's bewildered gaze, he reached inside and pulled out an object.

A long Devil Fruit with an unusual shape—one end larger than the other, resembling a gourd.

"We stole this from a pirate crew on the way here," Sabo explained.

"Since we didn't know what kind of fruit it was, we were planning to sell it on this island. But now… we're giving it to you."

Sabo lowered his head slightly and extended the Devil Fruit toward Luffy with both hands.

"This is our way of thanking you for saving our lives. Please, accept it."

Luffy raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I want to say there's no need for this between us—we're brothers, after all—but..."

Despite his words, his hands carefully reached out to take the fruit.

"A Devil Fruit is a Devil Fruit. You can never have too many."

Grinning, he gave the fruit a once-over before nodding.

"Since you're offering it to me, I'd be an idiot to refuse."

Then, as if remembering something, he added:

"But I won't let you suffer a loss. Based on the current market price for Devil Fruits, I'll have someone send you 100 million Berries in exchange."

Sabo immediately waved his hand.

"No, no! I already said it's a gift! There's no way I'd take your money."

Ace crossed his arms and smirked.

"You saved two future pirates. What's one Devil Fruit in comparison? Just take it."

Luffy rolled his eyes.

"'Future pirates? You mean you, an idiot who almost got himself killed?"

Ace's face turned red with embarrassment.

"S-Shut up! You don't have to say it like that!"

Luffy laughed but shrugged.

"Well, whatever. If you won't take the money, that just means I get to save some cash. I'm broke as hell right now, so every bit counts."

With that, he grabbed a bag, placed the Devil Fruit inside, and secured it shut.

Seeing Luffy finally accept it, Ace and Sabo let out relieved sighs.

With that settled, they moved on to other topics of interest.

After a while, Ace's curiosity got the better of him.

"Hey, I heard your business on Onigashima is booming."

Luffy raised an eyebrow.

"What about it?"

Ace leaned forward.

"I also heard that you started a company selling computers and video games… and that you're making insane amounts of money."

Sabo nodded in agreement.

"Rumors say you're the richest admiral in the entire Marine."

Ace smirked.

"A guy like you—rolling in cash—claims to be broke?"

Luffy choked on his tea.

"Ahem—WHO the hell is spreading these rumors?!" he coughed violently.

Clearing his throat, he quickly denied it.

"That company—Olive Corporation—belongs to my girlfriend. It has nothing to do with me."

Sabo and Ace exchanged knowing glances.

Luffy continued, waving a hand dismissively.

"At most, I can borrow some money from her when I need it."

That part was only half true.

Luffy had, in fact, strong-armed Olivia into giving him 50% of the shares.

But to avoid suspicion, the shares were still officially under her name.

Of course, every quarter, Olivia sent Luffy dividends—essentially making him a silent partner.

Ace and Sabo weren't buying it.

"This guy…" Sabo thought. "He's acting like we're investigators sent by the Marine. Why is he being so secretive?"

Ace resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"You're not fooling anyone, Luffy."

Luffy, meanwhile, ignored their skeptical looks and changed the subject.

"Anyway, don't let my 'glamorous' image fool you. I've been going through hell lately."

Ace and Sabo raised their eyebrows.

"Hell?"

Luffy sighed.

"I've been recruiting new marines on a large scale. My forces suddenly expanded to 10,000 men."

He rubbed his temples.

"The little money I make now barely covers their salaries. I don't even have enough to buy proper weapons and equipment."

He let out a deep sigh.

"And on top of that, pirates somehow got the ridiculous idea that Onigashima is some kind of gold mine. Now, I keep getting random idiots attacking me—thinking they'll find treasure."

His frustration was obvious.

"I swear, it's a pain in the ass dealing with them."

Ace and Sabo exchanged looks once more.

Finally, they understood.

"This guy…" Ace thought. "No wonder he's been so successful."

Sabo smirked.

"To be a businessman, you need two things: shamelessness and the ability to talk nonsense."

They glanced at Luffy.

"And this guy has mastered both."

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