Chapter Text
On his home island, Monkey D. Garp was known to everyone as a real jerk. He talked nonstop, was loud, had deplorable manners, and ate with his mouth open. Furthermore, his short temper and strange justice often baffled people: he could beat someone mercilessly, but if he saw another in the same situation, he would intervene to stop the fight.
Garp was an anomaly by nature. The bandits at Gray Terminal were convinced that he was a demon sent by the devil to torment their poor souls.
When the news of Garp joining the Marines reached everyone's ears, no one could believe it. Even the haughty nobles of the uptown of the Goa Kingdom were impressed.
Woop Slap, his old friend, was incredulous when Garp told him of his plans to join the Marines. For a moment, Woop Slap thought that maybe his friend had been hypnotized or that he had hit his head.
Even years later, Woop Slap still remembered the reason Garp, of all people, decided to join the Marines.
He remembered that day as if it had been yesterday, even though more than 40 years had passed...
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The bar was filled with noise and smells, a normal occurrence in this part of the kingdom. Although Woop Slap preferred to drink at the Foosha Village bar, he couldn't understand why Garp always chose that dive. He admitted, however, that he had never tasted such delicious barbecue; perhaps it was worth enduring drunken fights for such a meal.
The sound of breaking glass caught his attention, and he turned to see Garp, who had just entered the bar. A couple of drunks stood in his way, and the young man, no, the man, punched them both, sending them out the window. That was where the sound of breaking glass came from.
Garp, who had been frowning throughout the entire process, relaxed his frown and smiled widely upon seeing Woop, as only a Monkey D could. He quickly walked over to the chair in front of Woop Slap, and as expected, he reached out to grab a piece of barbecue from his friend's plate and began chewing it loudly.
— Wow, the old lady sure knows how to cook meat! — Garp exclaimed, while Woop Slap rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink. The warm beer wasn't to his liking, but it was better than nothing. He extended the jug to Garp in greeting while Garp devoured the food like an animal.
—Well? Why did you want to speak to me? It's not that I mind coming to this area, but was it really that difficult to go down to the villa? My mother would have prepared something for us to eat. Although, these ribs aren't bad at all. This place is full of criminals and I'm a civilian; I am fresh meat, you know that. Also... — he began to ramble, grimacing in disgust at the dirt of the place, where the moss between the cracks in the floor mixed with the blood of poor unwary people.
— I'm going to join the Navy — and for a second, Woop Slap believed he had died and been transported to a parallel timeline where pirates did not exist, Garp was a vegetarian and he was a millionaire.
— Ha, ha, ha, ha! What a good joke, friend! — he laughed out loud, drawing the attention of some of the local customers, who soon returned to their business — I didn't know you had the soul of a comedian! That was good! You? In the Navy? —His laughter was losing strength as he noticed Garp's serious and frowning expression. Oh god, he was serious, he thought as he looked at his friend in disbelief. —You were being serious, right? Nope! You? Of all people, you! — he exclaimed in obvious panic. Garp was simply looking at him seriously; Damn, he was never so serious, he hadn't even finished eating. The taller one rested his elbows on the table and rested his face on his fist.
— Yes, I'm serious. I already submitted my application, I'm leaving this week — Woop Slap stifled a scream. Garp had already submitted his application, the meeting wasn't to mentally prepare him or give him an ultimatum, a warning or simply tell him his plans. Garp had already made up his mind...
— That's why you asked me to meet you here... — he said as he took off his fisherman's hat and ran his hands frantically through his hair.
Garp usually dispensed justice in his own way, but he wasn't the kind of person you'd imagine in the Navy. He robbed bandits, distributed the treasure among the villagers or spent it on food, fought to the death with the pirates of the Gray Terminal and argued with the nobles of the upper city of Goa. Hell, people said he had even slept with a noble during a drunken binge and that they hated him because he had refused to marry him.
Garp didn't follow rules, or orders, or anything. Garp was... just Garp.
Woop Slap gulped, struggling to believe what he was hearing. He sighed and looked at his friend, Garp, who had cared for and supported him for years, ever since they were kids. After so many years of friendship, you'd think you'd get used to his extravagant attitudes by now.
—When are you leaving? he asked again. "I guess you'll leave without saying goodbye," he said with a sigh, only to receive a toothy grin from Garp.
"I'm leaving early tomorrow, and it's a pain going from house to house announcing that I'm leaving. The women will cry, man! I'll leave so many empty beds!" he exclaimed dramatically. Woop Slap let out a frustrated sigh; of course, half the women in the Gray Terminal would be in mourning. Damn! The damn Casanova was a rude man, but he had both genders after him.
"Besides," the future marine continued, "I don't want to be lectured or anything like that." You know, the shitty old man will probably bother me that I'm finally being responsible or something,” he mentioned, referring to the mayor.
Because if there was one thing that Garp detested with all his being, it was those endless sermons about responsibility, education and the like. He hated them more than a thorn in his shoe, more than the stifling heat of summer, more than a toothache. Every time someone began one of those speeches, he felt his patience evaporate faster than water in the desert. He couldn't stand the monotony of those moralizing lessons that pierced his ears and made him wish he were anywhere else, even in the middle of a hurricane.
“Why are you leaving?” Woop Slap suddenly asked, a hint of desperation in his voice. “I mean, is there a specific reason or something?” he insisted, knowing that Garp wasn’t the type to do things without an ulterior motive. While his friend was somewhat stupid, he wasn’t dumb enough to fall for the Navy’s idiotic recruiting tactics.
Garp looked at him and, without further ado, began picking his nose with his little finger, while Woop Slap watched him nervously, fearing the answer. Had the bandits finally threatened to kill Garp? Was he running away from something? Finally, Garp opened his mouth and, with complete indifference, spat out the words:
“I’m bored here, and they promised me that if I joined, I could fight all I wanted with the pirates and, besides… they say that the food in the cantina is good.”
He said it with such simplicity that Woop Slap could only laugh bitterly. Of course that would be it! Garp ate violence for breakfast along with roast beef. Suddenly, Woop Slap raised his hand and shouted at the waiter:
- Waiter! Bring me two large vats of beer and another round of BBQ!
He then looked at Garp, who looked puzzled and obviously confused, and continued:
— Since you're leaving, we can't leave you without a celebration, can we? Go ahead, today's on me.
The black-haired man smiled brightly and, without thinking twice, shouted to the waiter to bring another three more rounds of barbecue. For a second, Woop Slap was afraid for his wallet; That man's appetite was astronomical. But then he remembered that Garp always took him out to eat, and since they wouldn't see each other for a while, the sacrifice of today's bills would be worth it in the future.
The night passed with laughter, screams and mountains of food, while Woop Slap and Garp celebrated one last time before their paths took different directions.
Woop Slap remembered that day as if it had been an endless drama book. After Garp left after his unexpected declaration, Woop was forced to go house to house in the village to announce the news. The task turned out to be a real ordeal, especially because he had to endure the crocodile tears of the girls who broke down in sobs over the departure of the infamous Casanova. It was a parade of scarves and lamentations that seemed to have no end.
It wasn't long before even a wealthy man, one of those haughty nobles from the upper city, came forward to confirm if the rumor was true. The disbelief on his face spoke volumes: Garp, the man many considered a force of nature, was leaving home to join the Navy. At the young age of 21, almost 22, Garp was embarking on an adventure that would leave great chaos in his wake.
Since Garp left, life in the village has never been the same. The taverns seemed emptier, the laughter less frequent, the girls less enthusiastic. Garp's absence left a void that couldn't easily be filled. His exploits, loud presence, and unusual sense of justice had become an integral part of everyone's lives. It was as if a hurricane had taken with it not only the man, but also the energy and vitality that he had brought to the community.
Every time Woop Slap passed some place where Garp had left his mark, he couldn't help but remember his friend with a mix of nostalgia and admiration. The chaos that Garp had left behind was a testament to the vibrant, overflowing life he had led, a life that had touched everyone who knew him...
Then the idiot came for the holidays and there wasn't a human being who didn't wish he would go away again, but that's another story.