Garp gulped softly as he guzzled down the gla.s.s of water. His eyes roved over the calm water as he smiled softly, if only everywhere was as peaceful as here…"Vice admiral, Vice admiral Kuzan requests for permission to board the ship!" A loud voice roared. With a snort Garp put down the gla.s.s, grunting loudly in affirmation.
"Heh what are you a pig, old man?" Kuzan"s lazy drawl belted out as he got onto the ship, his pants completely wet and his hair slicked back awkwardly.
"Brat, I"m surprised you didn"t contact ol" Buddha for a pick up." Garp rumbled out as he turned around, glaring darkly at the man that had caused his superior to force him on a pick up mission.
"I did. Sakazuki straight out refused and Borsolino was carted off to go on a subjugation mission into the new world.. You were the one closest to the Blue." He said simply, looking at him with a bored glance before settling down on a chair on deck.
Garp rounded on the ice man with a glare as he looked at him. His graying beard seemingly bristling as he took in the desolate frame of the once righteous Marine.
Seemingly without being prompted to Kuzan sighed as he opened his mouth, an acute feeling of pain in his beady eyes as he looked at the man that had once had a hand in his training.
"What am I to do, old man…?" he whispered out loud, the lazy façade melting away to reveal a man that was conflicting within himself.
"What do you want to do?" Garp responded neutrally as he looked at him, an emotionless gaze regarding the now quivering man.
"They ordered for me to kill, so I did… I remember Saul used to say, that justice was what we were to work with. Was there any justice in what I have done Garp…?" he said memories of his fallen friend seemingly clawing at his back.
"hah… Look at me, boy. Look at these seas. Peaceful isn"t it? This is what we protect, not those arrogant blowhards and not Sengoku. We protect these seas, and the people within it. But, the forces that we can protect it against are small…. True pirates like that b.a.s.t.a.r.d White beard may be a right pain to deal with, but they are not the ones we protect the seas against.
We protect the seas against our superiors, for whatever foul thing that they make us do, it shall pale in comparison to the things they themselves would do. In some convoluted way, we do as much as we can.
After what happened on Ohara, I cannot hope to hide behind the fragile façade of Marine integrity, neither I nor Z have ever considered that. All we know is this, however bad it is now, war is worse.." Garp said solemnly.
He still did not know why he lied as he did to the boy. He had long since seen the true face of his organization, sheer denial. That was what he felt, however acclaimed he was, however many people called him "The Hero of the Marines", he would still be an old man that hoped against hope that his life had meaning the way he hoped it to.
"Oh! Sengoku, why did you do it..?" he thought worryingly as he witnessed the most kind and caring of the marines begin to fall.
In front of him, Kuzan crumbled. No tears fell from his eyes, and no sobs shook his body. The change was more fundamental. His pa.s.sion burnt out and his motivation froze. His eyes that once held a fire that Garp admired now began to splutter and die.
This was the day that Garp would forever remember as the day that he failed in his duty to protect, he failed in his duty to nurture, and failed in his duty to lead..
*******************************
Water thrashed against the solitary island as jack sat on the beach. The golden sand already crawling into his prosthetic leg. The sun glistened silently as it sunk beneath the watery surface as sharp pink light glistened on his chiseled face.
His trusty sword sat at his side, shining as bright as the day it had been forged. The hilt had long deteriorated, and the etching on the scabbard stood weathered, a sign of the time that had pa.s.sed.
A single bottle sat in his hands, obviously containing alcohol, nonetheless unopened.
A hand on his shoulder broke him from his revere as his brother walked beside him. Bandages still littered his body, sickly as it was.
The man silently sat beside him, a hand gently nudging at the hilt of the sword while another played carelessly with the cover of a book.
"What are you doing here, Raigar? Weren"t you healing.." Jack muttered as he glanced to his side, before immediately looking back to the empty horizon.
"I heard of what happened to your leg.." He said as Jack snorted. " I haven"t known you to beat around the bush, brother. Just say you heard of when Ellie died. You don"t have to p.u.s.s.yfoot around matters, I have long accepted it."
"Brother, I have a request of you." Raigar said, breaking through the nascent brooding atmosphere. Uncaring of his wounds he turned around. The fire that Jack had seen the first time he had laid eyes upon his brother when he had reached Raftel gleamed once more.
"Say it then. As long as it is something the current me can accomplish say it." Was Jack"s reply as he looked to his side, his eyes clear and his clenched fist relaxed.
"I want to train. I want to grow strong! Help me brother!" rancor rife in his tone as he clenched his hands at his side.
"The only thing I know is how to wield the blade, I cannot train you in much else." Jack replied as he swiveled to the side, his eyes staring straight into the fiery eyes of his adoptive brother.
"That is fine! I can"t possibly train in that which I choose now can I?" He said as he motioned to his injuries, his hands shaking at his side as he glared into Jack"s eyes.
"I will do it!"