Pirates: Seeing My Proficiency, I Became a Legend

Three days had passed, and it was yet another sunny day. Nico Robin, now accustomed to life aboard the ship, changed back into her signature dark-blue swimsuit and lay beneath the sun umbrella, her eyes scanning through another book about the great legends of the sea.

The encounter in Alabasta had shifted her entire worldview. Before, she believed no matter how strong an individual was, resisting an army was impossible. But witnessing the firsthand downfall of Crocodile and Baroque Works—one of the most formidable organizations under the World Government—had shattered that notion completely.

Her gaze briefly flickered toward Dongze, who sat cross-legged on the deck, deep in meditation. There was something enigmatic about him—like an abyss that drew people in, tempting them to explore its depths.

Lost in thought, Robin absentmindedly played with one of her bookmarks, flipping it between her fingers before reading the elegant script inscribed on it:

"If life is just like the first time you see it, what is the autumn wind and the sad painting fan!"

The words carried a profound melancholy, but she found their beauty undeniable. Another quote followed:

"I am born to be useful, and I will return after all the wealth is gone!"

These small phrases intrigued her more than the cryptic Poneglyphs she had spent her life studying. And yet, she had a feeling that Dongze, enigmatic as he was, might even hold knowledge of the Void Century—but simply chose to remain silent.

Meanwhile, Dongze had introduced a new daily practice since returning from Alabasta—Meditation.

This was no ordinary mental exercise. It was a skill he had acquired after defeating Sir Crocodile, the former Warlord of the Sea. At first, he had dismissed it as trivial, but as he continued practicing, he realized the effects were real. His mental strength grew, and more importantly, he discovered he could integrate 10% of his increased willpower into his Sword Intent, enhancing its lethality.

Although it was merely Basic Meditation with a maximum proficiency of 1000 points, he had already raised it to 150/1000. His current focus was entirely on improving Sword Intent, which he suspected might eventually evolve into the Way of the Sword—a level few swordsmen ever reached.

Thus, their next destination was Skypiea.

Robin had told him about the Poneglyph hidden near the Golden Belfry in Shandora, the lost City of Gold. With a Sea King towing their ship, Dongze estimated they would arrive in just a few days.

East Blue – Loguetown Naval Base

In the naval branch of Loguetown, a marine officer named Harry hesitated before picking up a den-den mushi. After a moment of internal debate, he finally made the call.

"Vice Admiral Garp! We've found the trail of that swordsman!"

"Oh? Where is he?" came the deep, gruff voice of Monkey D. Garp, the legendary Marine Hero.

"He's currently in the waters near 45°23′ and 36°52′. His target appears to be Gaya Island!"

"Understood."

Harry hesitated before continuing. "Additionally, we've received word that Admiral Aokiji is also in the East Blue. He should arrive at the Loguetown base in a few days. Would you like to meet him?"

Garp snorted. "Kuzan? That lazy brat? What the hell is he doing in the East Blue? No, I don't have time for that—I finally got two days off! My lovely grandson needs a little… education."

Meanwhile, aboard his warship—a colossal vessel adorned with a giant dog's head figurehead—Garp stood with his hands on his hips, biting into a rice cracker. He muttered to himself:

"Tch, if Kuzan was sent by Sengoku to drag me back, then it's a good thing Harry warned me! Otherwise, my vacation would be ruined!"

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, his grin widened. "Ah yes! My dear grandson! Once I find that brat, I'll take him back for some proper training. I'll turn him into a fine Marine yet!!"

At that moment, his adjutant Bogard looked utterly exasperated. Seeing Garp rant with his mouth full, he thought, Why am I not surprised? This is the same family where the grandson eats in his sleep…

Just as Bogard was about to speak, a strong sea breeze blew in, popping the bubble forming at the tip of Garp's nose. The old man suddenly jolted awake.

"Huh? How did I fall asleep standing up? Did something happen just now?"

Bogard's eye twitched. You were literally talking a second ago…

Suppressing a sigh, he reminded him, "Vice Admiral Garp, weren't you planning to meet that pirate hunter? And, um… 'educate' your grandson?"

"Ah! Right, right!"

Garp spun on his heels, punching the air excitedly. "Alright, boys! Set sail for Gaya Island!"

Bogard rubbed his temples. The emperor is never in a hurry, but the eunuchs panic for him.

East Blue – Open Waters

Two days later, Dongze, deep in meditation, suddenly snapped his eyes open.

His Observation Haki had detected an approaching warship. Not just any warship—a dog-headed warship.

A chill ran down his spine. There was only one ship in the entire World Government fleet that matched this description—Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp's personal vessel.

His mind raced. Garp… The man who once hunted down Gol D. Roger across the seas. A Marine whose strength exceeds even that of the Admirals.

More than that, this wasn't Luffy's era yet. The old man was still in his prime. There was no telling how powerful he truly was at this point.

Dongze clenched his fists. His Erosion Sword Intent had only reached 420,000/1,000,000.

If he were facing an Admiral, he might still stand a chance. But against Garp?

"Oh, hell no!"

Robin noticed the sudden shift in his expression and immediately grew concerned. "Mr. Dongze? What's wrong?"

Dongze turned to her, his face serious. "Turn the ship around! Now!"

Alarmed by his urgency, Robin quickly rushed to the helm and used her Hana Hana no Mi powers to spin the wheel.

However—

Garp had Observation Haki too.

There was no way a war-hardened Marine Hero wouldn't notice a ship suddenly altering course the moment he set his sights on it.

The old man cracked his knuckles. Strange ship, no flag… Then, it clicked.

"Wait a minute—no flag, single-masted sloop… aimed at Gaya Island… Oi, isn't this the ship that brat Harry told me about?!"

Then, he saw something even more interesting. A lone figure leaping off the deck, carrying another person.

Garp's eyes twinkled.

"Observation Haki? Moonwalk? Plus, he's a swordsman? HAHAHA!!"

Excited, he stretched his limbs.

"Oi, oi, brat! You think you can run from me?!"

Without hesitation, Garp leapt from the warship, launching himself straight toward them.

Dongze's body jolted. His instincts screamed at him.

"Oh, hell no—"

Without a second thought, he snatched Robin into his arms and bolted into the sky using Geppo.

Robin, caught completely off-guard, stammered, "M-Mr. Dongze?! What—?"

Dongze's face was dead serious.

"Listen, Robin. When you meet that old man, you don't fight. You RUN."

Garp, meanwhile, grinned from ear to ear.

"Hahaha! This kid's got guts! Let's see if he's Navy material!"

And with that, the chase began.