Chapter 7
Ace was on duty when the news coo came. As the 2nd division commander of the Whitebeard commanders he was incharge of sorting the wanted posters. Not that he minded doing that. He was looking for his little sisters for a few days now. He knew that she wouldn’t be able to stay low until she entered the grand line. Flipping open the paper to see he looked through the posters. When he saw it. Gripping the paper he tried not to light on fire.
Monkey D. Luffy, 30,000,000 berry.
His first thought wasn’t about his sister using her full name. He did the same thing after all. It wasn’t that she had a bigger bounty than he did when he started. It was ‘There she is,’ followed closely by ‘What the hell!’. There was his baby sister.
But that’s not what had him upset, no, not in the slightest.
It was her bounty poster that had him fuming. Because there was his baby sister smiling at the camera man, of course it was a bounty poster. She was sitting at a table that looked like it belonged to a café, her legs crossed, One of her elbows resting on the table that was in front of her and her head resting in her palm. Around her three guys and one girl sat, one with green hair, one with blonde hair, one with curly black hair, while the girl had short orange hair.
In the bounty poster the three guys and girl faces were blurred, but The blonde one looks like he was swooning for Luffy, his nose is bleeding, and his cheeks flush. The Green haired guy was sitting right beside her, their sides touching, and his arms slim across her shoulders as he leaned back in his seat as he looked off to the side of someone, probably a waiter, as the Black haired guy and a Orange haired girl talked to each other.
But it is what Luffy was dressed in that had him seeing red, and if Ace was being completely honest, it was also the blonde hair guy and green haired guy that was also making him see red. In the bounty poster Luffy was dressed in a dress that was made out of a fine silk and mesh spaghetti strap mini dress, the dress was a skin tight fine silk dress showing off her curbs and clinging to her body. The dress had Tiger print mesh over it, the Tiger print cutting diagonal to show off half of the black part of the dress underneath while the other half it the Tiger print, with The Tiger print going further down in the black part of the dress making a little flowy tail that fluttered in the wind. The dress was short, stopping right at her mid thigh. She had black and Orange kitten heels to match her dress, with bangle bracelets, rings, a necklace, and earrings. She was still wearing her iconic straw hat, but it didn’t make her outfit any less feminine. She even put on makeup. A gradient of glittery dark brown to a glittery burnt orange eyeshadow on her lids, eyeliner, mascara, light blush, and a nude lipstick with lipgloss over top of it.
Ace's fury grew with every second that passed as he stared at the poster. He couldn't believe the camera man had the audacity to take such a picture. Luffy's friends, the Straw Hat Pirates, didn't seem to be helping the situation either. The blonde one looked like he was about to faint with joy, and the green-haired man was sitting so so so close to each other their sides were practically glued together, and he had his arm casually thrown over her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Ace couldn’t believe the audacity of the cameraman to take such a picture. And whoever the hell these guys? Her crewmate? Just some guy? Whoever the fuck they were? Did they not know who she was? Did they not know she was his baby sister? Did they not know the kind of trouble it would stir up? He felt like he was going to rip the poster apart. But he knew he had to keep it. It was proof she was okay. But oh boy, was she going to get a lecture from him and probably Garp and everyone else when they saw it. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He knew Luffy didn’t mean to cause trouble. That’s just who she was.
But the audacity of this fucking camera man!
“POPS!” Ace said, spinning around angry clear in his face. “I have to go talk to a reporter a bit.”
“What about?” Whitebeard/Pops asked just as ready to laugh or fight. He wasn’t sure why their youngest looked so angry, but he was sure it was going to be a lively reason.
Ace covered the poster as he sped over to pops. He did not want his Crewmates/pseudo-Brother looking at his sister’s first bounty poster. “They took this photo of my little sister! MEN ALL OVER, WILL SEE THIS!” He yelled showing the poster to pops.
The old man took the poster, taking a closer look. He saw a young girl, a young girl his youngest Crewmate/pseudo-son has talked about all the time ever since he joined the Whitebeard pirates, staring back at him smiling. At a café surrounded by friends? And a guy that looks like he’s about to pass out from how hard he’s swooning. She looks all prim and proper, like she just stepped off the pages of a pirate magazine. Which yeah Whitebeard gets that, she’s a teenager and a pirate, their pirates and civilians alike that are younger than her that wear less clothing.
Whitebeard glanced at Thatch as his son took the poster from his hand. Ace quickly trying to burn it as the Thatch moved away.
“So this is your- Holy shit,” Thatch said. He was half joking to make their youngest angry. It was true that the girl smiling back at him was cute but way too young.
Whitebeard chuckled, patting Ace’s shoulder. “Calm down, Ace. She’s a pirate now, this is how it goes. Besides, she’s a natural beauty. It’s no wonder she’s turning heads already. And those guys with her, they look like they can handle themselves. They’re probably her crew. I’d say she’s in good hands.”
Ace made a noise that was a mix of annoyance and frustration as he tried to grab the poster but Marco took it next while Thatch held Ace back.
“30 million. That’s a good first bounty,” Marco said reading the poster. He then smirked looking over the top of the poster. “She’ll grow up to be a knock out too,”
“SHE WILL NOT!” Ace yelled, trying to snatch the poster back from Marco, as more and more brothers started looking at the poster. They smiled, and laughed at their youngest.
Whitebeard couldn’t help but chuckle, watching the commotion. He knew Ace was just being protective, but Luffy was a grown pirate now. She had to face the world on her own terms.
“Gurarara!” Whitebeard laughed, smiling. “Well she's welcome aboard anytime.” Ace wouldn’t say it but was thankful to the Whitebeard Pirates. Even if they were going to find peppers in their coffee later.
———————
Meanwhile across the world far far far far away from any and every Whitebeard pirate.
Sabo was holding the same poster of Monkey D. Luffy. Sabo had lost his memory so long ago. He didn’t mind it now as he did when it was new. He had plenty of new memories. His friends and coworkers meant the world to him.
But when he opened the news paper to see the wanted posters he saw a a poster of a young girl. She looked to be 16 maybe 17. He did not like how much skin was showing. He couldn’t place why that was. He had seen plenty of posters of female pirates. Some wearing less than this.
“Luffy,” He whispered pouting.
“Sabo?” Koala asked looking over his shoulder. She saw the poster and then looked back up at Sabo’s face. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“I feel like I know her, and I’m not happy about the amount of skin shes showing...” He muttered, still frowning at the poster.
“Maybe shes your childhood crush?” Hack said now looking over his other shoulder. Sabo felt disgusted with that idea and shook his head. That couldn’t be it.
Koala thought about it looking at the girl. She looked so happy. The smile was infectious making her smile a little. “Maybe a little sister?”
“Little sister?” Sabo gasped. He looked like he was remembering things. “Ace, and Luffy!” He whispered, and then promptly passed out.
It was three days later when he woke up that they found out he got his memories back. All because someone took a bounty picture too revealing of his little sister.
And right now, Sabo was currently staring down at the bounty poster they got a few days ago like it had just personally insulted him.
Sabo talked with Dragon and the two were on a secret war path. Sabo is looking for the reporter that took the photo to ‘just talk’ with him. No one would mention that Dragon seemed all too happy to punch whoever was taking those photos of Luffy.
Koala laughed the first few weeks but later worried about Luffy. From what Koala knew the girl was always in some chaotic mess, and Sabo was losing his mind every time her photo showed even a bit of skin. ‘Luffy please get married without an announcement,’ Koala thought while watching Sabo beat up some nobody’s for talking about wanting to meet the ‘cute new pirate Strawhat and offering her a good time’.
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Money D. Dragon was the next to see it, he had been stuck in his office for the past couple hours doing paperwork when he heard that Sabo had passed out, and he was given the newest bounty posters by Koala, before she’s scurried out of the room like the Devil himself was after her.
He raised a nonexistent eyebrow at her, before looking down at the posters. And right there, on top of all of them, was a bounty poster of a young girl, a bounty poster of a young girl that was his daughter.
Dragon’s brain short circuited, blue screen, and rebooted when he saw Luffy’s bounty poster. The image was burned into his retinas, his eyes never leaving the page even as the world around him disappeared into a haze of pure, unbridled rage. He was going to find this camera man and give him a piece of his mind, along with maybe a few of his teeth. And Who the hell was those two guys? Did they know she was his daughter? Did they know that touching her was akin to signing their death warrant? The blonde one looked like he was about to faint just from swooing and a nosebleed, and the green-haired man was sitting so so so close to each other their sides were practically glued together, and he had his arm casually thrown over her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And Luffy? Luffy looked absolutely, utterly, and completely fine with it.
He slammed the poster down on his desk, the sound echoing through his office like a cannon shot. He knew Luffy was going to be a handful, but this was beyond anything he could have imagined. He had to talk to her, to explain the implications of flaunting herself like that. But how? He hadn’t seen her in years, not since he sent her off to live with Garp. He picked up the poster again, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. She looked so much like him, except for that damn hat. It brought a bittersweet smile to his lips. Garp was going to have a field day with this.
—————————
Meanwhile, far far, far, far, far far far far far far far away in Marineford headquarters in Sengoku’s office Sengoku sat at his desk, and when he saw the poster before its release he knew there would be trouble. Garp threw a tantrum when Ace became a pirate, now that his little, sweet, Princess of a granddaughter was one it would be worse. He cleared his throat and called Garps right hand man, Bogard, to his office. He would need help keeping Garp in check. He might even send Garp and Sakazuki to go train together. Both hated the other because their ideals didn’t match up.
If nothing else he needed to hide the bounty poster for a few days. Until it had already made the rounds and there was nothing Garp could do about it.
Bogard had picked up the poster and looked at it once, and started laughing.
Sengoku hated that people thought he was the brains behind Garp. That all he or anyone else had to do was talk to him and he would be reasonable. The man was as crazy as Luffy herself. And Sengoku had a feeling that when Garp saw that poster, he would blow a gasket. The kind of gasket that would have half of marineford scrambling to apologize for their existence.
“Vice Admiral Garp is going to ‘love’ this." Bogard laughed, slapping the poster onto the desk. “You want me to take him away so he won’t find out? Good Luck with that. He knows Luffy ran off to be a pirate weeks ago, he’s been looking for her poster ever since,” He chuckled, smiling at Sengoku.
Sengoku sighed, making peace with the last peace of relaxation he was going to have. Of course, Garp was looking out for her poster. If he didn’t get the news coo he would think something happened.
“No chance I can’t let him see this, go… go meet up with Whitebeard for a distraction?” Sengoku asked as a last ditch effort. Bogard shrugged, having finally stopped laughing. “Remember Ace joined the white beard Pirates a few months ago.” He said, Sengoku nodded, “Well, Garp is already planning to go and drag him back. He’s going to see it when he does. It’s all over the Grand Line already.” Bogard said, still smirking.
Sengoku let out a long suffering sigh, “Fine, tell the bastard to come here.” He leaned back in his chair. He would show the crazy man the poster and try to get him to see reason. Not that he thought he would be able to do so. It would be a mess.
Bogard chuckled, saluting him with two fingers before straightening out of the room. And not even a few seconds later Garp walked in.
“What's up Senny?” Garp asked, strolling in. Bogard hadn’t even been gone for a minute when Garp showed up. Meaning he was waiting for him to call.
“We are not changing the picture.” Sengoku said, holding the poster up. He waited for Garp to take it, watching as the men's casual smile turned into a frown.
Garp took the poster, his eyes widening as he took in his granddaughter dressed in... that. “What do you mean you wont change the photo?” Garp growled. “If you need a good photo then you could have just asked I have plenty,”
“We need one current. All you have is her as a kid, with her brothers.” Sengoku answered.
Garp's grip tightened around the poster. "That's not the point. Look at her! She's practically naked!"
“She’s in a sundress.” Sengoku said calmly, his voice a stark contrast to Garp’s growing rage. “It’s not exactly indecent, Garp. Besides, she’s a pirate now. These are the kind of clothes they wear.”
“But!-but! Who the hell are these guys with her?” Garp spluttered, his face reddening as he pointed at the poster.
Sengoku sighed, leaning forward. “Ah, yes, we’re already working getting all bounty for all of them. We only know the name of one of them, the green hair man, he already has a bounty of 60,000,000 Berries. His 19-years-old, named Roronoa Zoro the Pirate Hunter, but as you can see, he has been turned pirate by your granddaughter’s charm. Currently, he’s the only one that we know thd status of, the name of, the age of, and everything else because he already has a bounty on his head.”
“If I remember correctly, he became her first crewmember and her first mate after Luffy saved him from getting executed, soon followed by the both of them defeating Marine Captain Morgan from Shells Town together, then soon after, no more than a couple days they defeated Buggy the pirate and his crew, The buggy Pirates.” Sengoku explained, his tone still calm.
Garp’s eyes widened even more, “What?! First mate?! Bounty of 60,000,000 Berries?! She’s got him wrapped around her finger like a piece of thread!”
“Yeah, okay, i’m gonna tell you this here and now so you don’t flip the fuck out when you hear it from someone else.” Sengoku began, steeling himself for Garp’s reaction. “Yes, her first mate, her right hand man is the pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro, yes, Luffy turned Roronoa Zoro the pirate hunter to a pirate, and he’s already declared to stay by her side for eternity because she is his Captain, and she’s going to be the next king of the Pirates. Roronoa’s even asked for Luffy’s forgiveness when he got cut down by Dracule Mihawk. He’s completely smitten with your granddaughter. And he’s completely committed to her, Roronoa fought the Fishman of the Arlong Pirates, underwater, because Luffy asked him to. And he won, while still having the injuries of being nearly cut in half by Dracule Mihawk.”
Garp stared at Sengoku, his eyes bulging out of their sockets, his mind racing. This boy, cause yeah, that’s what he was, he was a teenager, a kid, was going to get executed, executed! Luffy saved him, somehow convinced a pirate hunter with a bounty of 60,000,000 Berries to become a pirate, defeated ax hand Morgan, then the buggy pirate together. This teenager, this literal teenager got into a fight with Dracule Mihawk, and nearly got cut in half just to ask for Luffy’s forgiveness, to ask for her forgiveness for nearly getting cut in half by the world’s best swordsman. Then he declared that to stay by her side for eternity because she is his Captain, and she was going to be the next king of the Pirates. And then this literal child, this teenager that is barely then Luffy and Younger than Ace fought the Fishman of the Arlong Pirates, underwater, And he won, while still having the injuries of being nearly cut in half by Dracule Mihawk. All because Luffy asked him to.
He looked at the poster again, his rage mixing with a strange sense of pride. His granddaughter had done all that, and she was wearing a dress that was no more revealing than what half of the female marines wore on a beach vacation.
Garp was silent for a moment, his mind racing. Then he looked up, his eyes meeting Sengoku’s. “I’m going to find this camera man, and I’m going to have a little chat with him about what is and isn’t appropriate to put on a bounty poster of my granddaughter. And then I’m going to have a little talk with Luffy and Zoro about their life choices. And by talk, I mean I’ll probably punch them both into next week,” he growled.
Sengoku raised an eyebrow. “You’re accepting that Roronoa is smitten with your granddaughter and willing to follow her to the ends of the earth and back?” He couldn’t help but smirk slightly.
Garp nodded, his grip on the poster loosening slightly. “As long as he’s good to her, I’ll let him live. For now,” he grumbled. “But that camera man, he’s going to learn about respect, and fast. No one disrespects my family like that!”
Sengoku’s smirk grew wider. “Ah, so the legendary Garp is going to become the overprotective grandpa now, huh?”
Garp glared at him, his fists clenching. “You know damn well she’s going to be the death of me!”
Sengoku chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. “Perhaps, but she’s also going to be the talk of the Grand Line, and not just for her looks. With a pirate hunter as her first mate, she’s already making waves.”
Garp grunted, still fuming but unable to deny the truth in Sengoku’s words. His granddaughter had always been a force to be reckoned with, and it seemed she had found her place in the world of piracy. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. “I need to talk to her. Make sure she’s okay.”
Sengoku sighed, “I wish you luck, I don’t know how much longer they’ll stay on Conomi Island, she’s been causing quite the ruckus everywhere she goes.”
Garp nodded, “I’ll leave now. If she’s causing trouble, she’s probably already left and is on her way to the next adventure. I need to make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid, like take on the whole navy by herself!”
Sengoku laughed, “Good luck with that, Garp. She’s got the heart of a lion. You know she’ll be fine. Just don’t let her know you’re worried, she’ll only see it as a challenge to be even more reckless!”
Garp grunted in response, already out the door, his mind racing with scenarios of what trouble Luffy could be getting into. As he stomped down the hallway, he couldn't shake the image of her in that dress with those two young men. He'd be having words with them too, once he found them.
Especially that green haired boy, Zoro. That literal child, the teenager, the pirate hunter with a bounty of 60,000,000 Berries, who had fought for his life and nearly lost it for Luffy. Garp knew that look on his face, it was the same look on those boys faces at Foosha Village when they saw or talked about Luffy. He knew that look anywhere. He had seen that look before on men who had set eyes on Luffy. It was the look of a man who had fallen hard and had no intention of ever getting back up.
And surprisingly Garp’s okay with the fact Zoro had fallen for Luffy. He was just worried, yeah, he was worried about Luffy, of course, she was his little princess. But, what surprised him even more is that he was… worried about Zoro too. The kid had nearly got cut in half by the world‘s greatest swordsman. And then went off and fight the Fishman of the Arlong Pirates, underwater, And won, while still having the injuries of being nearly cut in half. All because Luffy asked him to fight the Fishman of the Arlong Pirates. Garp knew that kind of loyalty was rare. It was the kind of loyalty that made legends, that made history books. And it was that kind of loyalty that made Garp want to punch Zoro, for making him worry. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but admire the kid’s spirit.
Garp looked back down at the bounty poster in his hand, The faces of Zoro, the other two boys and the girls face was mostly blurred. He could make out some detail like the smitten, head over heels and love smile on Zoro’s face, the curly black haired guy and the Orange haired girls smiling faces if they talked about something, and the blonde haired guys over exaggerated puppy-love-love-sick foolish grin, but the rest of it was completely blurred, but Luffy’s face was crystal clear. It was like she was looking straight at him, that same look she had when she was a child asking for more ice cream.
Garp sighed, slowing to a stop as he studied the bounty post. He needed to see the clear version of the bounty poster, the picture of the bouncy poster before it got edited to blur faces except Luffy’s. He knew he could get his hands on the original. He just had to do some digging in Marinefords online documents and archives. Maybe even get a few of the marines to help him track it down.
Garp had to admit, the more he thought about it, the more he was proud of Luffy. The way she had turned a pirate hunter into a pirate with just her charm and bravado, the way she had taken on Morgan and Buggy without batting an eye. It was the kind of spirit that had made her father a legend, and now it looked like she was going to make one of her own.
Garp shook his head, starting to walk down the halls again towards his office. The photo, he needed to find the original photo. It was the only way to figure out who the other three were, and maybe get a better read on this Zoro kid. He had a feeling that the blonde one was going to be a problem, his face looked way too love sick.
Once in his office, Garp slammed the door shut behind him and immediately started going through the marines database, looking for the original unedited photo of Luffy's bounty poster. His mind was racing with thoughts of her safety and the implications of her newfound infamy. As he scoured through the files, his heart was both filled with pride for her achievements and anger at the camera man who had captured her in such a way. The image of the blonde man's nosebleed and the intimate way Zoro's arm was draped over her shoulder was burned into his brain.
After what felt like hours, Garp finally found the untouched photograph. The image was heavily edited, not in a way that changes people’s features nor their expressions, but rather the way they were positioned. The blonde haired man, the curly black haired man, and the Orange haired woman were still in their original positions in the official bounty poster, the blonde haired man was still swooing like an idiot, and the the curly black haired man, and the Orange haired woman were still chatting away with each other, but it was Zoro’s position which was changed.
Instead of looking off to the side and leaning back in his chair, chatting to someone who he guessed was a waiter or civilian in the official bounty poster. He was slouched slightly, and leaning to the side, leaning on Luffy, his arm was still around her shoulders, but his head rested on one of Luffy’s shoulders. His eyes closed, with a smile that was so so so so tired, and so so so so so soft it was almost heartbreaking, The type of smile that would make your eyes sting and tear up with just one look. It was as if he was saying “I’ve fought for you, I’ve almost died for you, I’ve turned pirate for you, I’ve done everything for you. And now, I’m just going to nap on your shoulder for a bit. Because you’re my Captain, and I’ll do anything for you.” It was a stark contrast from the lazy smirk that was painted on his face in the edited poster. In the real version, he looked at peace, like he had found his home.
Garp’s breath hitched as he looked at the image of Luffy and Zoro. That look on Zoro’s face, that smile, that was the look of someone who had found their everything. He had seen that look in his own son's eyes when he had talked about Luffy. And it was a look that was hard to come by. Garp knew that look, knew it well. It was the same look he had when he looked at his own wife, Luffy’s grandmother, when she was still alive. The kind of love that was unshakable, unbreakable, unmovable.
But One question that hit him like a freight train when he saw the image was. ‘Why did the cameraman change it?’ Now don’t get him wrong, Garp understands blurring faces in bounty posters, it’s supposed to be one person‘s bounty poster, and having multiple faces on it would just be confusing, and might just get those faces recognized, and then the marines would have a bunch of people on their tail looking for a bounty, that wasn’t even theirs. But, why did the cameraman change it so it looked like Zoro was casually leaning back in his chair, with his arm thrown over Luffy’s shoulder casually? It was obvious that the original image was way more intimate than what was on the poster.
Garp knows this type of editing would’ve took hours to do, to completely move and change somebody’s position, especially since that person was leaning on someone. This wasn’t a simple photoshop job, this was deliberate. And it made him suspicious. The way the original photo showed Zoro leaning on Luffy, it was as if he was claiming her, saying she’s his. And Garp had to admit, it made him feel a little bit better, knowing that she had someone that cared about her that much, that was willing to lean on her, to show everyone that she’s his.
But, he still doesn’t have answers on why the hell cameraman went through so much trouble to change it. Whoever edited the photo had done a good job, but Garp wasn’t a fool. He had seen enough photos to know when one was tampered with. And the more he looked at the original, the more he realized that the cameraman had done it on purpose.
The thought made him frown, he’s not even mad about the sundress anymore, he just wants to know why the hell the cameraman did that. It was suspicious, it was like they were trying to stir up trouble, or maybe they were just trying to make the poster more appealing to the public. But why?
Garp huffed, clicking off the photo and clicking on the files details he found the photo in, and going clicking on auto organize, and in a few seconds all of the photos and documents in file started organizing themselves into neat little piles with each one having a name above it, telling him which journalist has worked on whatever document or took the picture. He found the bounty poster file and opened it up, finding the name of the journalist who took the photo and edited it.
Is was some guy named Puff.
Garp’s eyes narrowed as he read the name. He had never heard of this journalist before, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that Puff had the audacity to mess with his granddaughter’s bounty poster.
With a annoyed grunt, Garp pressed on the intercom button on his desk and said matter-of-factly and blunt. “I don’t care who it is, but someone find and bring me the journalist that is name… Puff? I have a few words I would like to… give him.” He said, before pulling away from the intercom button.
The door to his office swung open a few minutes later, and in walked a young, slightly nervous looking man with a camera around his neck and a notepad in his hand. His eyes widened when he saw Garp standing behind the desk.
“Come here, boy.” Garp said, waving him over with a finger. “You look young, unexperienced, so I’ll give you a chance to explain yourself.”
The journalist, Puff, swallowed hard as he stepped closer to the desk, his knees slightly trembling. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir!” He stuttered out.
“I just wanna know why?” Garp asked, grabbing the mouse of his computer and clicking a few things before both photos of Luffy’s bounty poster popped up, the original and edited one. “I just wanna know why? Why did you change it? Because this is not in protocol, this is not a simple edit of a bounty poster. A normal edit of a bounty poster when there’s multiple people in it is blurring faces. Not moving people, and changing their facial expressions. So, I just wanna know why?” He asked, his voice firm but calm. “You kept everything the same except for the pirate hunter, why?”
Puff looked at the screen, his face going pale. “I-I just made it more appealing to the public. More... visually appealing, sir.” He stuttered out.
“Yeah, no, that’s not gonna happen.” Garp said matter-of-factly. “Bounty posters are not supposed to be edited, they’re bounty posters for a reason. You don’t mess with the truth, you don’t mess with the image of a pirate, especially when they’re 17 and dressed like that. That’s not appealing to the public, that’s misleading and disrespectful to the pirate you’re trying to catch. Now, why don’t you tell me the real reason?”
Puff swallowed hard, his eyes darting from the screen to Garp’s face and back again. “Well, s-sir, the original photo was, uh, a bit... intimate. It didn’t seem right to have a 17-year-old girl’s first bounty poster looking like that. So I, I just made it look more like a group of friends at a café.”
“Do you wanna know why the pirate Hunter was leaning on her?” Garp’s tone was no longer calm, it was cold, and his eyes were sharp as he leaned back in his chair.
Puff took a step back, his hands slightly shaking. “I-I don’t know, I just thought-”
“That’s not what I asked. I asked you if you wanted to know why he was leaning on her.” Garp’s voice was firm, his patience wearing thin as he stared the young journalist down.
Puff gulped, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a suitable response. “I-I suppose I don’t know the full context, s-sir. But I assure you, my intention was never to cause harm or misrepresentation. I just wanted to make the poster more... palatable for the public eye, for a girl her age, you know?”
“He was leaning on her because he nearly got cut straight in half by Dracule Mihawk, and then, soon after that fought the Fishman of the Arlong Pirates, underwater, And won, while still having the injuries of being nearly cut clean in half.”
Garp’s words were like a punch to the gut for Puff, his eyes widening in shock. He had never considered the context of the image he had altered, nor the story behind the smiles and the stances. He had only thought about the sensationalism and the potential scandal it could cause, and the realization that he had unknowingly covered up something so significant made him feel sick.
Puff’s hand went to his face, rubbing it roughly before slowly, dragging it down to cover his mouth. “Cut?… Cut in half?” He whispered, his eyes never leaving the screen.
“I can probably find you the footage if you don’t believe me.” Garp said, his voice now icy cold as he stared at Puff. “But, that’s not what I’m mad about. What I’m mad about is that you had the audacity to mess with my granddaughters poster. She’s 17, and she’s a pirate, you don’t mess with that. A pirates bounty poster is their Pride, their bragging rights, their story in one image. And you, you had to go and mess with it. Why? Because you thought it would be more appealing? Because you thought it would sell more newspapers?” Garp’s voice grew louder, his fists clenching on the desk.
Puff’s eyes grew wide with horror, realizing the gravity of his mistake. “N-no, sir, I-I didn’t mean to disrespect her. I-I just thought it would be better for her if she didn’t look so... so...” He trailed off, unable to find the right words.
“So?… so? What?” Garp prodded, his eyes boring into Puff. “Because the way I’m seeing it right now is that you through protocol out the window and changed a perfectly good photo that tells a story, tells a story that is important if it’s going to be on a damn bounty poster. Where Luffy was sitting at a table with all of her friends, and One of them was leaning on her because he nearly died, and then after he nearly died, he went off and fought Fishman underwater and won, and then sat back down at the table, leaning on her, because she’s his Captain, because she’s his home. That’s what the original photo showed. That’s what a bounty poster is supposed to show. It’s supposed to show strength, determination, and the will to fight. Not some fake shit that makes it look like she’s just there to be ogled at by some sickos!” Garp slammed his fist on the desk, making everything on it shake, including the computer screen. “I may be a fucking marine, I may be the hero of the marine, and they might be a bunch of pirates. But Luffy, she’s my granddaughter, and if you think for one second that I’m going to let some nobody journalist mess with her image and disrespect her like that, then you’ve got another thing coming!”
The room was silent for a moment, the only sound the heavy breathing of Garp and the quivering breaths of Puff. The journalist knew he was in trouble, and he had no idea how to get out of it. Garp’s reputation was legendary, and the thought of crossing him was terrifying.
“Now, I want you to run along back to where the fuck the editor? Editing station? Whatever the fuck it’s called, and I want you to publish a new bounty poster, a new bounty poster of the original photo, keep the other three fuckers’s face is blurred out. But, keep Luffy’s and Zoro’s faces unblurred, do not edit anything keep it the original fucking photo. And don’t just repost the bounty, I want you to write an article in the newspaper apologizing and explaining what the fuck you did and why it’s wrong, and why it’s important to show a pirates bounty poster as it is, got it?” Garp barked out the instructions, his eyes never leaving Puff’s terrified gaze.
Puff nodded fervently, his voice shaking as he agreed to do as Garp instructed. “Y-Yes, s-sir, I understand. I’ll go do it right away.” He turned on his heel and practically ran out of the office, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the hallway as he retreated.
Garp sat back in his chair, his expression unreadable as he watched the journalist flee. He knew that his reaction might have been a bit over-the-top, but he couldn’t stand the thought of Luffy being portrayed as anything less than the strong, capable young woman he knew her to be. He had raised her, taught her, and watched her grow into the leader she was becoming. He wouldn’t let some journalist tarnish that image.
Leaning back in his chair, Garp let out a deep sigh, his gaze drifting to the photo of Luffy and Zoro that still lingered on the screen. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride at the sight of Zoro’s unabashed affection. It was clear that the young pirate had found something in Luffy that had changed him, had made him loyal to her cause. Garp knew that Luffy had always had that effect on people, a magnetic pull that drew them to her side. It was a trait that had served her well in the world, and it was one that Garp knew would make her a formidable force to be reckoned with.
It was no less then 5 hours later when Luffy’s new, ‘technically the original’, bounty poster and the newspaper article was released to the public. The article was a full page spread, detailing the journalist’s mistake, the true story behind the bounty poster, and a public apology to Luffy and Zoro. Garp had made sure that the article was not only published in Marineford, but in every newspaper across the Grand Line.
The response was... mixed. Some people were shocked by the revelation of the journalist's manipulation, while others were outraged. The pirate community, however, took it in stride, knowing full well how the Marines could be at times.
On the streets of Marineford, whispers spread about the true nature of the relationship between the notorious pirate girl and the pirate hunter. The image of Zoro leaning on Luffy, his expression one of pure, unfiltered affection and exhaustion, became a symbol of camaraderie and loyalty in the face of danger. It was a stark contrast to the edited version.
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The next day, across the ocean back on the Whitebeard pirates ship, The Moby Dick.
Ace was still pissy about the picture of his sister, and he was currently sitting on one of Whitebeard’s shoulders, crumbling to himself when Marco came over with the newspapers and new bounties that the news coo had brought them today.
“Yo, Ace, you might wanna see this.” He said, looking down at a bounty poster in his hand and waving around the bay’s newspaper. “Apparently, a newbie journalist thought it was a good idea to heavily Photoshop your sister‘s first boundary poster. And, let’s just say, Garp was not happy about it. At all.”
Ace's eyes snapped up from his brooding, curiosity piqued. He grabbed the newspaper from Marco's hand, his eyes scanning the article with growing interest.
"What'd that idiot do now?" Ace muttered, referring to the journalist.
Marco chuckled, holding up the new bounty poster he’d been looking at to get a better look. “Well, it looks like they decided to go with the original, untouched version of the photo now. And boy, is it something else. Skip over the apology and check it out. Read that then I’ll give you the new bounty poster to look at, okay?”
Ace glared at Marco slightly, before he felt whitebeard tugging the newspaper out of his hand and reading the article aloud for everyone to hear. "The journalist, Puff, has come forward and admitted to altering the bounty poster of the infamous pirate girl, Monkey D. Luffy, under the pressure of creating a more 'appealing' image for the public eye. It appears that the original photograph showcased a genuine moment of camaraderie between Luffy and the pirate hunter, Zoro, which was deemed 'too intimate' and thus changed to appear more casual. This revelation has sparked a firestorm of controversy, with many questioning the integrity of the media and its influence on public perception of pirates."
“The original image that they deemed ‘too intimate’ shows a slice of life of pirates after the Pirate Hunter Zoro turned pirate was leaning on his captain, Luffy’s shoulder after nearly getting cut clean in half by the worlds greatest swordmen, Dracule Mihawk, then just a mirror two days after that he fight the Fishman Pirates of the Arlong Pirates, underwater, And won, while still having the injuries of being nearly cut clean in half. But, The main focus that the journalist, Puff, deemed as ‘too intimate’ was the pirate hunters smile. A small that was so tired, so exhausted, so soft it was border lining on heartbreaking. It was a type of smile that would make your eyes sting and tear up with just a mirror glance. It was a smile that said, “I’ve fought for you, I’ve almost died for you, I’ve turned pirate for you, I’ve done everything for you. And now, I’m just going to nap on your shoulder for a bit. Because you’re my Captain, and I’ll do anything for you.” It was a smile that spoke volumes of the bond they shared, it was a smile that said I’m peace, that he had found his home, and it was a smile that Puff thought was too much for the public to handle. So, he changed it to a smug smirk and hoped for the best. It was a expression, it was a Pose the journalist changed without a second thought, it was an expression it was a pose the journalist changed without even trying to figure out the context of why Zoro was leaning on Luffy in the first place. He ignored the context that Zoro was leaning on Luffy because he had had not just fought the world‘s greatest swordsman and nearly got cut clean in half, but just two days later he was up and added again fighting almost every single fish man in the Fishman of the Arlong Pirates, underwater, And won, while still having the injuries of being nearly cut clean in half.” Whitebeard read aloud, his voice carrying through the ship as the crew gathered around to listen.
Marco sighed, and flipped the bounty poster around, and held it up for Whitebeard and Ace to see. “Whoever the Blondie is still swooning like its going out of season, but now, everyone can see that Zoro’s head is resting on her shoulder. And the way Zoro’s leaning on her, it’s like he’s her knight in shining armor, who’s just too tired to keep up the charade. It’s powerful, Ace. You should be proud of your sis.”
Ace took the poster from Whitebeard, his eyes scanning the untouched image. He couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions—pride, anger, and a strange warmth at the sight of Zoro’s unabashed affection for Luffy. “Yeah, she’s got a way with people. And that blondie, he’s gonna get his ass kicked if he keeps looking at her like that,” he said with a smirk.
The crew of the Moby Dick murmured in agreement, some chuckling at the thought of the blond pirate getting a taste of Luffy’s wrath. They knew the young captain’s reputation for her fiery temper and protective nature.
“Hey, yeah, The new pictures, all fine and dandy and cool and all that. But can we go back a few pieces, please?” Thatch piped up, making his way through the gathering pirates. “Can we please go back and talk about the fact Zoro, isn’t he like… barely 19-years-old? Nearly getting cut clean in half, and then two days later going off and fighting the the Fishman of the Arlong Pirates, underwater, And apparently the fact won!? Can we focus on the fact that Mihawk nearly cut a child in half and then that same child went on to fight more pirates?! Am I the only one freaked out that Mihawk was willing to cut a child in half?”
The dock fell silent, Thatch's words hanging in the air like a dense fog.
Whitebeard's expression grew serious as he took a moment to consider what the young pirate had said. He cleared his throat, his eyes scanning the crew before they rested on Thatch. "Aye, you're not wrong, lad. Zoro's got the spirit of a warrior, and the heart of a lion. But remember, he's chosen this path, just as Luffy has. They're not just any children, they're destined for greatness."
Ace couldn't help but feel a swell of pride for his sister and her unwavering determination to conquer the Grand Line. He looked around at the crew, noticing the newfound respect in their eyes for the girl they had only heard stories about.
"Alright, enough gawking," Ace said, slapping the poster against his thigh. "We've got our own battles to worry about. Let's not forget we're the Whitebeard Pirates. We've got a legacy to uphold."