Chapter 1: Baby in the Chest
The chaos of God Valley had long faded into history, but the scars it left behind lingered in the hearts of those who survived. The island, once teeming with life, had become nothing more than whispers among the old veterans of the sea.
Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp sighed as he wandered through the remnants of battle. The World Government had erased any trace of the incident, but even after all these years, something pulled him back. As he stepped over broken debris, his ears caught the faintest sound—a cry.
Frowning, Garp followed the noise until he stumbled upon an old, forgotten chest, half-buried beneath rubble and vines. His instincts screamed caution, but curiosity won. With a grunt, he pried it open. Inside, swaddled in tattered cloth, lay a baby—his silver hair glistening under the dim sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Garp's breath hitched. He had seen many things in his lifetime—monsters, warlords, even legends—but this? A child, abandoned yet alive in the ruins of God Valley? Impossible.
The baby's emerald-green eyes locked onto his, unblinking, as if studying him. There was no fear, no confusion—just a piercing gaze that sent a strange chill down Garp's spine. This was no ordinary child.
A memory flickered in Garp's mind, whispers of a man wielding an impossibly long blade, cutting through the battlefield like a demon incarnate. But that man had perished, hadn't he?
Shaking the thought away, Garp sighed and gently lifted the child from the chest. He had come here to reminisce, not adopt a stray baby. Yet, as the infant gripped his finger with surprising strength, something within him stirred.
He couldn't leave him here.
"Tch. Guess you're coming with me, brat."
Just as he turned, a Den Den Mushi in his coat pocket rang. He clicked his tongue before answering.
"Oi, Garp! Where the hell are you? Get back to HQ immediately!" Sengoku's irritated voice echoed through the receiver.
Garp grinned. "Relax, Sengoku. I got a little detour to take care of first."
"A detour? Garp, this isn't the time for your nonsense—"
But Garp had already hung up, stuffing the Den Den Mushi back into his pocket. He had another destination in mind before returning to Marineford—North Blue. An old friend of his, Morgan Blue, had settled there with his wife, yet they had been unable to have children. Maybe fate had lined up the pieces just right.
With a chuckle, Garp adjusted the baby in his arms and made his way to his ship, heading toward Hawkins Island—where a new beginning awaited.