One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

When Dragon learned that he would be escorting the Heavenly Tribute, to Garp's surprise, he remained calm, responding only with a quiet,

"Okay, I got it."

However, the more composed Dragon appeared, the more uneasy Garp felt, though he couldn't do much about his rebellious son. After all, with the defiant bloodline of the Monkey family, Garp being a loyal Navy officer was already a rarity. Managing his descendants, though? That was another matter entirely.

A month passed swiftly, and the World Government's ship arrived to collect the the Heavenly Tribute. Carl took Lucia and Ginny aboard. The official sent by the World Government this time was an old acquaintance—none other than Spandam, Carl's number one lackey. As soon as Spandam saw Carl, he excitedly exclaimed,

"Lucky... Admiral Black Dragon! I'm so glad to see you again!"

Under the watchful eyes of the Navy and the suited men on board, Carl shook hands with Spandam with a smile, causing Spandam to heap flattery upon him. This continued until Garp and Dragon arrived, at which point Spandam's enthusiasm waned noticeably.

While Spandam made only a formal greeting toward Garp, he ran back to Carl to shower him with more compliments. Garp noticed the change in behavior, but brushed it off, turning to his son and saying,

"Dragon, you see this? This is the face of the officials in the World Government. You might as well get used to dealing with them. It's unavoidable."

Dragon responded with a slight hum, though disgust flashed briefly across his eyes. He turned his gaze toward the sea, silently asking himself,

"Is there any point in the existence of such a World Government?"

The journey was smooth overall, except for the tense atmosphere between Garp and Dragon. They mostly stayed in their quarters, occasionally taking a short stroll on deck. Even when they encountered pirate ships, the challenges were laughably weak. Any pirates who dared attack, knowing the Heavenly Tribute was on board, were quickly dispatched—most of them novice crews unaware of the forces accompanying the World Government's treasure.

While Carl didn't even need to lift a finger, Lucia and Ginny handled most of the skirmishes, earning their military exploits. Spandam didn't dare overstep with the two formidable women. After each battle, he would rush out, lavish praise upon them, and assure them that he would report their contributions when they returned.

Yet, Lucia and Ginny remained indifferent, spending most of their free time with Carl. As the ship sailed on, countries along the route voluntarily handed over rare treasures, including two Devil Fruits, though they were only identified as ordinary Zoan types by the experts aboard.

Carl instructed Spandam to deliver the fruits to Vegapunk for study upon their return to Mary Geoise. The collection of the Heavenly Tribute filled the ship's giant cabin by one-third, making it clear just how vast the wealth disparities were between the countries. Dressrosa alone contributed wealth equivalent to ten nations.

There were, of course, a few countries that couldn't afford the Heavenly Tribute, and Carl, while not a cruel man, had no pity for them. He let Spandam handle it, which only fueled Dragon's growing contempt for the World Government.

Several times, Dragon wanted to intervene and confront Spandam, but each time, Garp held him back. Carl watched it all with quiet understanding, continuing to steer the ship toward the East Blue.

As they approached the East Blue, Garp and Dragon—both natives of the sea—felt no joy. Instead, there was only silence as they arrived on a mission for the Celestial Dragons, something that brought them no pride in front of their hometown elders.

Since arriving, the father and son duo had become nearly invisible, staying in their quarters like ostriches, avoiding any unnecessary interaction. But Carl wasn't going to let them stay hidden forever.

One day, as usual, Garp and Dragon stayed in their room, passing time with a game of military chess. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Dragon opened it to find the one person he despised the most—Spandam.

Without a word, Dragon turned and returned to his bed, ignoring him completely. Garp, not eager to deal with Spandam either, picked his nose casually, pretending not to see him.

"Dragon, who's standing outside?" Garp asked nonchalantly, as he continued the game.

Dragon didn't even look up, replying, "I don't see anyone."

"Huh?" Garp replied with a smirk, continuing to play along with the mockery.

Spandam's face darkened with fury. While he accepted his role for the Celestial Dragons, , outside of their influence, even kings called him Lord Spandam.

How dare these two insult him like this?

Clenching his fists, Spandam gritted his teeth. "How dare you speak to me like that? Do you know who I represent?"

His threats were meaningless to Garp and Dragon. Garp flicked his booger, which landed perfectly on Spandam's pristine white collar. Dragon glanced at him coldly and warned,

"I don't care. Say one more word, and I'll throw you overboard."

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+95 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg