It didn't matter which sea you were born in. It didn't matter if you lived in a country far from the ocean or if you had never left your small village lost in the mountains—at least once in your life, you had heard that name.
Monkey D. Garp.
He was a living legend, one on the same level as Gold Roger, the Pirate King, and Whitebeard, whom Allen had heard was the strongest man in the world.
At this very moment, that legend stood before Allen. There was no need to waste time trying to figure out why he was here, nor was there any need to doubt whether this old man was as terrifying as he should be.
The first thing Allen had to do was accept that he was here, and that his target was none other than himself.
'Lenalee... what's my probability?' Allen asked with a smile despite the desperate situation.
Lenalee spoke bitterly.
[Of winning?]
"Of surviving..."
[...1%... perhaps...]
Allen laughed ironically.
Facing Garp right now was the equivalent of challenging one of the raid bosses without even finishing the tutorial.
Garp remained silent. He didn't immediately capture him, nor did he attack him, but Allen knew it would be absurd for him to do so. The fact that Garp was his opponent already defied reason. If the man were forced to attack first, it would be humiliating for a Marine hero.
'...Wait.' Allen widened his eyes as he noticed an important detail. 'What do you mean by 1%?!'
That was too much!
For perspective, Roger's bounty had been exactly 5,564,800,000 Berries, which meant Monkey D. Garp should possess strength comparable to his. To someone of that caliber, Allen's power was nothing but trash, so why 1%?!
Even when zero should have been a valid possibility under the circumstances, it wasn't. It wasn't even a 1 in 1,000,000 chance or a 1 in 100,000 chance.
It was 1%.
One out of one hundred.
'Lenalee?!'
Lenalee's voice became grave.
[It's true that under normal circumstances defeating Garp is impossible. However! Right now, all the conditions necessary for that 1% have come together!]
'What?!'
[Listen, Allen Walker! We don't have secret powers that awaken at the last moment. There isn't some stronger person who will save you at the last second. You're not Garp's grandson or his godson. This old man has no reason to let you go. We currently have no additional resources beyond what we already possess. Essentially, we're alone in this, and yet there is a way out. Only one, but there is!]
Lenalee's voice filled with determination.
[You're going to have to trust me, and you're going to have to bet your life on it...]
Allen smiled fearlessly.
"Of course! What kind of King of the World would I be if I waited for someone to save me? Let's bet everything, Lenalee!"
....
Garp carefully observed the young man.
He had expected another rookie who had left the sea with a bit of strength and entered the Grand Line intending to conquer everything.
He had seen countless people like that since Roger's death. However, most of them ended their journey before reaching the second half of the Grand Line.
This wasn't because they were weak, but because they were reckless. Every pirate who surpassed one hundred million too quickly became blinded by the illusion that they were invincible. And if they managed to reach the second half, known as the New World, they would encounter the harsh reality that they were nothing more than small fish swimming among sharks.
The sharks called Yonko.
The Emperors of the Sea.
But.
'Those eyes...'
Garp's eyes widened slightly.
The young man standing before him had fire in his eyes. Not the fire of someone ignorant of danger, but the fire of someone who knew the difference in strength and still refused to surrender.
"As a Marine, I should be glad to stop a little monster like you. However, after hearing about what you did to those corrupt captains, I feel a little regret that you chose this path."
"Don't worry, you won't stop me!" Allen grinned before stomping the ground and launching himself forward using Level 3 Soru.
At this speed, even Kuro had been unable to see him. But for Garp, who would have no trouble dealing with the speed of light or electricity, Allen seemed to approach in slow motion.
....
"..." Allen clenched his teeth.
He knew how ridiculous it looked for him to attack Garp.
The Marines around them either mocked him or watched while being more concerned about Garp damaging the city.
Bogard, the other Vice Admiral, remained with his hands in his pockets. Although he wasn't mocking him, his relaxed demeanor was humiliating enough for Allen.
This was his reality.
This was his current level.
To a Vice Admiral, he was nothing more than a joke.
And yet, despite that, Allen attacked with every intention of defeating Garp!
That's right!
Not to land a punch!
Not to show off his strength!
Not to die with dignity!
Allen was attacking with every intention of winning!
Allen accelerated further, combining his Level 59 agility, speed, and strength with Soru. This allowed him to break the sound barrier and create a sonic boom.
"Take this!"
Allen's fist slammed into Garp at full power, creating a powerful gust of wind.
Everyone present, including the people watching from afar, gasped in shock.
This boy, this albino young man, possessed terrifying strength for someone outside the Grand Line.
They realized Allen was a monster.
They understood he wasn't a fraud.
His hundred-million-berry bounty was genuine.
There was even a sense of relief among the Marines.
Because this monstrous young man would never grow any further.
"Ugh," Allen grunted as he saw the result.
His fist had been stopped by Garp without the old man even flinching. Even though he had used all his strength, it had been completely useless.
"I thought they were exaggerating when I heard that, in your youth, you liked breaking mountains apart with your fists."
"That's enough..." Garp tightened his grip, and the sound of bones cracking echoed through the air.
Allen didn't complain when he felt his hand being broken. In response, he attacked with his other fist.
Garp sighed as he watched Allen's fist approach his face.
He had decided to end this.
"I won't kill you, but you'll be going to prison... brat."
Garp smiled sadly.
He knew that a hundred-million-berry pirate would end up in Impel Down, a place from which there was no escape.
But this wasn't over yet!
When Allen's fist was only ten centimeters away from Garp's face—
[Now! It's your only chance!]
That's right.
Only now.
Garp was indeed a monster whom Allen had no chance of defeating under normal circumstances.
However, a series of conditions had created an opportunity.
A 1% chance!
[Right now, you're nobody. Just a brat who has barely begun his journey. The people, the Marines, the entire world know nothing about your abilities!]
There had been no survivors among Arlong's Pirates.
Neither Nezumi nor Kuro was alive to be interrogated.
The pirates Allen robbed at sea and the merchant ships he attacked had mostly been defeated by the Black Pearl, causing Allen's own strength to be displayed only rarely.
[Time is on our side. Even if the Marines or the World Government possess the greatest intelligence network in the world, so little time has passed since we became linked that gathering information about your powers would be impossible!]
[And on top of that, your own perception of yourself is lacking! That's why even now the Marines are mocking you!]
Allen's gaze sharpened.
It was time to collect.
'But more than that, the true reason behind that 1% is standing right in front of me!'
Allen knew it.
Garp wasn't taking him seriously.
Why would he?!
It would be ridiculous for Garp to face Allen as though he were fighting a Yonko or even Gold D. Roger himself.
Even so, Allen had deliberately attacked with an attack that would have no effect, reducing Garp's vigilance to zero!
It was dangerous, since there had always been a chance he could be killed by the very first attack.
But that didn't happen.
And it created an opening.
Just one.
Only once.
For a single attack!
"..." Allen didn't waste it.
– Gura Gura: 3 > 4
– Fist of Love: Level 3 > 4
Allen's fist turned metallic black.
Not only that, a white bubble appeared around it.
Allen smiled.
He couldn't help it.
He was still young, and after betting his life and winning, he couldn't stop himself from smiling at the final moment.
Garp's eyes widened.
The man who had seen everything this world had to offer was surprised.
But it was already too late.
"You—"
Allen's fist struck Garp's face. At the same time, the air shattered like glass in every direction.
It was far larger and more powerful than before, but it was also exhausting. So exhausting that Allen felt as though the attack was stealing years from his life, and perhaps he wasn't entirely wrong.
A shockwave blasted outward, sending every Marine flying.
Buildings shook, cracked, and collapsed all throughout the city.
The entirety of Loguetown trembled.
"Garp-san!" Bogard shielded himself from the shockwave, but his expression said it all.
'Impossible! That boy didn't have Haki a moment ago! And this power! This power should belong to no one except Edward Newgate! Why do you possess it?!'
The ground cracked apart, and several Marines fell into the fissures. As for Garp, he was launched away, smashing through multiple buildings without stopping.
A single impossible attack had shattered destiny!
....
....
Allen braced himself on his knees as he gasped for breath.
He had gone pale.
"Lenalee..." he let out a shaky breath, feeling as though he might faint. "Raise... raise the level to sixty..."
[Yes!]
A surge of energy coursed through Allen's body, helping him stay conscious, but it didn't feel like enough. He still felt weak.
Whenever a Skill increased by one level, its power grew exponentially. Allen, at Level 59, could use Level 3 versions of both Skills without issue, but after gaining just one more level, he nearly collapsed. It was absurd how much power a single level added to each Skill.
Allen grabbed his chest.
"It's not enough. Use the rest of the coins!"
After the loot from the docks, Allen had 38.3 million. Of that amount, he had spent 10 million to upgrade the Gura Gura, one million on the Fist of Love, and another 10 million to reach Level 60, leaving him with 17 million.
Lenalee wasted no time and used nine more copper coins to raise Allen to Level 69. The pain in his chest disappeared, but he was still exhausted and wouldn't be able to keep fighting.
"Let's run!"
Without wasting time, Allen launched himself forward and sprinted toward the sea at full speed. However, at that moment, Bogard appeared behind him.
[Watch out!]
His eyes carried murderous intent. Allen had gone from being a reckless rookie to a monster that needed to be eliminated.
"Isn't the difficulty a little too high? I haven't even entered the Grand Line yet," Allen asked with an ironic smile.
Still, he reacted immediately, raising his hand and firing a Noro Beam.
Bogard unsheathed his sword and cut through the wave, assuming it was an attack. But the moment it touched his blade, the sword slowed down.
"Vice Admiral, do you know what a man fears most...?" Allen extended his hand and touched Bogard's slowed arm. "Hie Hie..."
Bogard's eyes widened as his arm began to freeze. How could he not recognize the power of the Ice Logia when he had shared meals with its user just a few days ago?
'Allen... Walker... what... are you?'
Bogart was frozen.
Allen had used the last 8 million and, fortunately, had obtained several more Skills.
But this would only work once.
There wouldn't be a second time when it caught the marine off guard.
"Two Vice Admirals in one day. What kind of terrible luck is that?" Allen laughed while cold breath escaped from his mouth.
Once Bogard was completely frozen, Allen withdrew his hand.
"Now! Run!"
Allen immediately dropped his serious expression and fled the scene in panic, unconsciously using the legendary Joestar family technique.
He wasn't stupid.
That punch hadn't defeated Garp, and Bogard would remain frozen for a minute at most. Allen was nowhere near capable of defeating two Vice Admirals. But he had managed to escape.
That alone was an enormous achievement.
....
Moments earlier...
The girls had gathered aboard the Black Pearl and intended to support Allen with the Marines' money. However, they were caught completely off guard by an earthquake that shook both Loguetown and the surrounding sea.
They worried about Allen so much that they had considered going back to help him, but Lenalee appeared in scroll form and told them that Allen was fine and had already escaped.
Hearing that filled the girls with relief.
Uta dropped to her knees, overwhelmed with relief. Kaya threw herself into Nojiko's arms and burst into tears, while Nami stared toward Loguetown with a distant look. For a moment, she had imagined never seeing Allen's shameless grin again, and it had felt like falling into an abyss.
Nojiko watched silent tears fall from Nami's eyes while she maintained a firm expression.
Uta observed this with a faint smile. It seemed she had underestimated Allen.
Though deep down, she had been just as worried and angry. Their journey had only just begun. She didn't want it to end so soon.
"You haven't fulfilled your promise. Don't you dare die..."
....
Allen landed atop a building and stopped when he noticed something that caught his attention.
It was Luffy and Zoro.
The two were fighting a Marine whose body was made of intangible smoke. This surprised Allen because, although he possessed Logia abilities himself, this was the first time he had seen a Logia user.
"This is really bad for them."
Allen laughed.
Deep down, he was happy he wasn't the only unlucky bastard having a rough day in Loguetown.
However, before he could continue making fun of them, he saw Luffy get captured by Smoker.
[What are you doing?! We need to leave!]
"I know... but..."
[Hey, don't tell me you're getting some stupid altruistic streak right now? Remember how you sacrificed Koby to save yourself? They're not your crew.]
"It's not that. But don't you think their last names sound awfully similar?"
Allen slapped his forehead.
Only now that he had seen Luffy again did he remember that his full name was Monkey D. Luffy, and of course, he immediately connected it to the famous Monkey D. Garp.
[And why does that matter right now?!]
Lenalee was on the verge of cursing.
Allen had barely escaped from hell itself. What did it matter whether Luffy was Garp's son, grandson, or grandfather?!
Allen smiled like a complete bastard.
....
"Damn it! Everything went to hell because of you, Straw Hat!" Smoker's body was partially transformed into smoke as he held both Luffy and Zoro captive. It was impossible to defeat a Logia user with ordinary punches and sword strikes.
"What?! You're the one who attacked us, bastard!"
Luffy threw a punch that stretched forward and passed right through half of Smoker's head, but it quickly reformed.
"What's wrong with your body?!"
"I don't want to hear that from a rubber man!" Smoker snapped.
He didn't have time to waste on Luffy. The earthquake from earlier and the explosion had both come from the execution plaza.
'What happened?! Why is nobody answering the Den Den Mushi?!'
Smoker was an extremely loyal Marine and genuinely devoted to justice. There was no way he could ignore Luffy when the pirate was right in front of him.
However, he had mistakenly assumed he could defeat him quickly and then head to the ambush.
Instead, Luffy had proven annoyingly persistent, and once his first mate appeared, things became even more complicated.
"Zoro, can you break free?!"
Luffy struggled inside the smoke, but it possessed a semi-solid composition.
"I can't!" Zoro growled in frustration. Smoker wasn't an opponent he could defeat by cutting.
"Idiots! You want to enter the Grand Line and you don't even know how dangerous Logias are?!" Smoker raised his Jitte, a weapon resembling a double-ended police baton.
"Damn it!" Luffy shouted.
Just as the weapon came down, Smoker was suddenly punched and sent tumbling across the ground several times before stopping.
He pushed himself up and grabbed his bleeding nose.
"Argh! How?!" Smoker stared at Allen, his eyes shrinking. "Why are you here, Allen Walker?!"
"You?!" The freed Zoro looked at Allen in surprise.
"Allen!" Luffy got to his feet, astonished. "Hey, how did you hit him?!"
"With my Fist of Love."
Allen laughed.
He had suspected that Garp's technique would work against Logias. After all, it wouldn't make sense for a Marine hero to be unable to deal with Logia users.
"What did you say?"
The moment he heard the name of the technique, Luffy turned pale and grabbed his head.
"How do you know that technique from hell?!"
Allen raised an eyebrow.
Knowing that Luffy was related to Garp and that the technique belonged to him, it made sense that he recognized it.
Though the future Pirate King looked genuinely traumatized.
"Why... why can some East Blue brat use Haki?" Smoker asked darkly.
Allen's eyes widened.
"Wait, this is Haki?!"
"You didn't know?!" Smoker exclaimed, making the entire situation absurdly comical.
Allen slapped his forehead.
He had completely ignored the "Haki" section of the scroll because he had no idea what it was.
All this time, he had overlooked a power like this.
At first, the Fist of Love had seemed like an ordinary punch, but it possessed some mysterious ability that amplified damage and even bypassed enemy defenses.
Now, after seeing what it could do against Garp and a Logia user, he finally understood how terrifying Haki truly was.
"Doesn't matter..."
Allen ignored Smoker and turned toward Luffy with a grave expression.
"Luffy, this is serious. Someone attacked your... father... grandfather... at the execution plaza! He needs your help!"
[...]
"Huh?"
Luffy stared blankly.
Allen grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.
"Monkey D. Garp is your grandfather, right? A moment ago I saw someone attack him. It was terrifying! He got blasted through several buildings and might be injured. He's a maniac, Luffy! You have to save your grandfather from that handsome, perfect, magnificent, sublime monster!"
[What the hell?!]
For a moment, Luffy couldn't believe anyone could actually hurt his grandfather. But seeing the concern on Allen's face convinced him that something had happened. Even if that old man was terrifying, he was still human.
"But..." Luffy glanced at Smoker. This guy was dangerous. He couldn't simply ignore him.
"Don't worry!" Allen exclaimed with a heroic expression. "We both aspire to become kings, so this time I'll do you a favor. Leave this Logia guy to me and go save your grandfather!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled and a huge, sincere smile spread across his face.
"Thanks! I'll repay you for this later!"
Luffy turned around and ran off.
He had completely swallowed every bit of bullshit Allen had fed him and genuinely believed that Allen was nobly sacrificing himself for his sake.
[You are definitely going to hell.]
'Come on, it'll be fine. Unlike me, he's his grandson. I don't think Garp will kill him... probably.'
"Thank you," Zoro said before turning and running after Luffy.
But before crossing the next street, he suddenly turned right and ran in a completely different direction.
Allen was speechless.
Had Zoro seriously gotten lost?
But Luffy had been running right in front of him!
How do you get lost like that?!
"Damn it!" Smoker got back to his feet, gripping his Jitte tightly and preparing to face Allen. "I won't let you escape!"
Smoker looked ready to give his life if necessary to stop Allen.
That's what his eyes said.
"..." Allen remained silent.
Then he disappeared, leaving Smoker standing there like an idiot.
Both Smoker and Dragon, who were watching from the sky, were stunned.
Allen had shamelessly inserted himself into the situation solely to use Luffy as a shield against Garp.
In his defense, he had unexpectedly run into a final boss out of nowhere.
He had the right to be a bit of a bastard.
====
A/N: The moral of the story today is that no matter how hard you're running from the devil, there's always time to be a mf 🗿
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