"Haul him up, pull!"
The Navy warship slowly approached. A few sailors cast a large net overboard, scooping up Rosinante and hoisting him aboard with great effort.
Snap!
"Wahahaha! Sengoku, casting a net in the dead of night? What, trying to catch me a midnight snack? You really are my best friend! Wahahaha!"
At the bow, watching the net being dragged onto the deck, stood a burly man in a Vice Admiral's cloak, sporting a signature dog-headed cap. Laughing heartily, he held a bag of rice crackers in one hand.
"Kuzan's beard, Garp! You stole my rice crackers again!"
Sengoku bellowed, eyes burning with rage. But Garp waved him off like it was no big deal.
"Don't be stingy! It's just a bag of crackers. I'll pay you back next paycheck."
"You bastard! Give it back!"
Sengoku lunged forward, but before he could snatch the bag, Garp simply opened his mouth and dumped the entire thing down his throat in one go.
"Nggh—gone!"
Like a wild beast, Garp stuffed every last cracker into his mouth and swallowed hard. His eating habits remarkably reminiscent of his grandson, Luffy, whenever meat was involved.
"Guh...!"
But Garp had eaten too fast. He suddenly started choking, his face turning bright red as he struggled to breathe.
"Vice Admiral Garp—tea!"
His adjutant rushed over, offering a steaming cup with practiced efficiency. Garp snatched it and downed the contents in one gulp.
"Phew... I'm saved!"
With that, the color returned to Garp's face, and he gave a victorious grin to Sengoku, who was grinding his teeth in frustration.
"Garp, you absolute menace! You didn't leave me a single bite!"
"Wahahaha! Don't be so uptight, Sengoku—look! They've pulled the net up!"
Garp's laughter diverted Sengoku's attention. Sure enough, the sailors had just finished hauling the net onto the deck. Inside was a blond-haired boy, about eight or nine years old.
"Huh? A kid? Where's my midnight snack?"
Garp scratched his nose as he peered into the net at Rosinante. Sengoku quickly realized what was happening and gave orders to open the net and summon the ship's doctor.
The medic arrived promptly and examined the unconscious child. After administering medicine, he stood up and saluted.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the boy is fine—just a brief blackout from the fall. He should wake up within half an hour."
"Understood. Take him to the cabin. Have two sailors carry him inside."
Sengoku gave the order, then glanced at Rosinante lying on the deck. It was just one look, but something about the child stirred a strange sense of affection in him—an inexplicable feeling of familiarity and warmth.
What an adorable kid... If I'd chosen to marry back then, my son would probably be around his age now.
…
Half an hour later, Rosinante finally awoke.
Looking around at his surroundings, he quickly surmised he'd been rescued by the Navy. Just then, the ship's doctor entered and gave him a quick check-up.
"You're still very weak. Avoid any strenuous movement." The doctor advised.
"Got it. Thanks, Doctor. Um, where am I?"
"You were pulled from the sea by Fleet Admiral Sengoku. This is his ship."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku?!
Hearing that title, Rosinante's eyes lit up.
This is it, the golden ticket!
"I see. Would you mind taking me to see him? I'd like to thank him in person."
"You sure? You're still very frail…"
"Please. I insist."
"Well… Alright then. Come with me."
The ship's doctor nodded and led Rosinante out of the cabin and up to the deck.
Sengoku, as was his habit during missions, stood at the prow of the ship, keeping watch over the seas. It was partly a precaution against sudden pirate attacks and partly a deterrent, a message to any foolish pirates thinking of picking a fight.
"Fleet Admiral, the child would like to see you." The doctor announced.
Rosinante immediately recognized Sengoku and standing beside him, the muscular man with the dog-head cap could only be one person: Garp.
Sengoku looked much younger than in the anime. His hair was thick and unruly, he wore glasses, and that iconic braided goatee had yet to grace his chin.
"I understand. You're dismissed."
The doctor left with a nod.
Sengoku turned to Rosinante with a kind smile. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, sir. I wanted to thank you for saving my life."
Rosinante bowed respectfully. Sengoku smiled at the boy's manners.
"You're a polite one. But you don't need to thank me. It's the Navy's duty to protect civilians."
"No, sir. It's different. Protecting people may be your duty, but being rescued is still a personal matter to me. If someone saves your life and you don't offer thanks, that's just plain rude. So, this thank-you is necessary."
Rosinante's tone was composed and sincere. Sengoku nodded in approval.
"You make a good point. What a thoughtful child. So, would you mind telling me about yourself? How did you end up in the sea?"
Without hesitation, Rosinante shared everything—his background, and his connection to Doflamingo. There was no use of hiding it anyway. With Sengoku's rank and resources, uncovering his identity would be effortless.
More importantly, he couldn't afford to plant a seed of distrust in Sengoku's mind. Honesty was his best strategy.
As Sengoku listened, a heavy silence fell between them. Then, slowly, he crouched down and placed a firm hand on Rosinante's shoulder.
"You poor child… Losing your parents so young and with a brother like that... You've been through too much. Go ahead, son. Cry. Let it out."
Sengoku gently squeezed his shoulders. Rosinante hadn't actually planned to cry but now that the words were out there, if he didn't, it would feel like he'd been lying.
So, he forced a wail.
And then, something unexpected happened.
That forced cry triggered something deeper. A surge of memories flooded in, genuine pain from the original Rosinante's soul. The fake sob turned into real tears, and once he started, he couldn't stop.
He cried for a long time, until the tears finally slowed. And to his surprise, Sengoku's eyes were misting too.
A hardened veteran like Sengoku, who'd witnessed untold carnage on countless battlefields—hadn't shed a tear through war or bloodshed. But this child's sobs reached something in him that nothing else ever had.
And in that moment, Sengoku made a decision.
"Rosinante... If you'll let me, I'd like to take care of you. Will you be my son?"
(End of Chapter)
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