Garp had returned to Windmill Village a few days ago and quickly found Luffy and the others in the midst of their training.

However, what surprised him most was the rapid improvement in Luffy's strength.

After learning that these changes were due to Arakawa Zenkichi, Garp's heart grew heavy.

What troubled him most was that he couldn't accurately gauge Zenkichi's strength.

Even as one of the peak combatants in the pirate world, Garp wasn't confident he could face Zenkichi head-on.

Although there was no proof that he would lose, years of life-and-death battles had sharpened his intuition — and it screamed danger.

As a result, Garp kept a low profile these days, pretending to be absent while quietly observing Zenkichi's movements.

When he saw Zenkichi preparing to leave, a small sense of relief rose in his heart, and he silently followed.

Now, without Luffy and the others around, Garp felt it was time to confront this man and probe his true intentions.

But rather than heading straight for the sea, Zenkichi made his way into the tavern in Windmill Village, calling out Garp's presence the moment he arrived.

"Makino, step outside for a moment," Garp ordered in a low, serious tone.

Zenkichi glanced lazily at him and spoke with calm indifference, "No need. Let her stay. I've no intention of fighting you."

He leaned back, his expression relaxed and unbothered. "Even if I did, I could suppress you without so much as disturbing her."

A faint grin crossed his face. "But there's no need for things to escalate. After all, Luffy and the others are my godsons now."

"Still, I'll give you a word of advice — don't think you can use them to get to me."

His tone was measured, but the underlying confidence was unmistakable.

"Suppress me, without affecting her?"

Garp's eyes narrowed slightly, caught between shock and rising anger.

For all his tolerance, Garp would never stand for someone belittling his strength.

"You can mock my wits, but not my dignity," Garp growled, his voice low and threatening.

He took a step forward, his presence oppressive. "Come on, then. Let's see if you can really back those words up."

Zenkichi let out a small sigh, his expression unchanged, and before Garp could react — he vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Garp, his sword Kyōka Suigetsu resting coldly on Garp's shoulder, a sharp, invisible pressure radiating from the blade.

Garp's throat tightened as a chill ran down his spine.

For the first time in years, he felt genuine, visceral fear.

"What… monstrous strength…" he thought, swallowing hard.

The sensation wasn't just in his mind; his instincts screamed that one wrong move here meant death.

Zenkichi's disappointment was evident as he withdrew the sword.

"That's enough," he said flatly, as if bored.

To him, Garp posed no real interest.

Even if recruiting someone like Garp could boost his system's unlock progress, the man was simply too old for it to be worth the effort.

And thanks to the brief encounter, Zenkichi's system had already acknowledged his superiority — counting it as a victory since Garp hadn't even been able to respond.

Without another word, Zenkichi left the tavern, leaving both Garp and Makino stunned.

By the time they regained their senses, there was nothing left of him except a gold coin sitting atop the counter.

Even when Garp unleashed his Haki, scouring the island, he couldn't sense Zenkichi's presence anywhere.

---

Meanwhile — Cocosia Village

Far from Windmill Village, Zenkichi arrived in Cocosia Village.

As he strolled through the streets, he spotted a small, orange-haired girl stumbling along.

She was undeniably cute — a younger Nami, though she had no idea what sort of man, fate had just put in her path.

At that moment, she had just stormed out of Bellemere's house, furious over a petty argument and determined to run away from home.

She barely made it out of the village before crossing paths with Zenkichi.

"Well, aren't you a cute little thing," Zenkichi said, crouching down with an easy smile.

"Little girl, how about coming home with me?"

Nami froze, wide-eyed with fear, and instinctively took a step back.

"W-Who are you?" she stammered.

The teasing grin on Zenkichi's face widened.

"You can call me daddy, if you like."

At those words, little Nami let out a high-pitched shriek and bolted, her tiny legs pumping furiously as she sprinted toward Bellemere's house.

Zenkichi simply laughed, watching her scramble away, then casually followed at a leisurely pace.

"Bellemere! There's a pervert out here who told me to call him daddy!" Nami wailed as she charged through the yard.

Hearing the panicked cries, Bellemere burst from the house, a rifle already in hand and fury etched into her features.

Despite having scolded Nami earlier, the woman's protective instinct was fierce.

She had even prepared a hearty meal for Nami's return, eager to make up after their spat.

"Who the hell are you?!" Bellemere demanded, her weapon trained on Zenkichi.

"Easy, no need to get worked up," Zenkichi said calmly, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"I've got no bad intentions. I just think this little one's adorable."

Bellemere kept her guard up.

"You're not from around here, are you? I've never seen you in Cocosia Village."

"You're right," Zenkichi admitted without hesitation. "I just arrived today."

A grin crept back onto his face. "Actually, I don't have a place to stay. How about you put me up for the night?"

Bellemere blinked, momentarily dumbfounded by the man's nerve.

"Are you insane? We can barely afford to eat as it is, and you expect us to host some drifter?!" Nami snapped, hands on her hips.

Zenkichi chuckled and reached into his sleeve, producing a dazzling, fist-sized diamond that gleamed in the sunlight.

"How about this, then?"

The instant Bellemere and the girls laid eyes on it, their jaws nearly hit the floor.

It was more wealth than they'd ever seen in their lives.

---

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