Chapter 38: Garp — Don’t Worry, We Marines Are Violent Too!

Maybe it was the sheer intimidation of Garp's dog-headed warship, or maybe they were just lucky on this trip.

Either way, the journey was smooth and uneventful for a long stretch, with no trouble in sight.

It's worth noting that it wasn't until the third day after leaving Liqueur Island that Ortoren suddenly remembered to ask about Mihawk. But Garp hadn't paid any attention to Mihawk at all—he had no idea what that guy was up to. Probably nothing serious though; he was likely still traveling the world, challenging great swordsmen.

Inside the warship's training room, Ortoren was currently using Haki to coat his fists, striking the pillar in front of him with heavy punches. Regular training pillars were usually made of wood, wrapped in cotton cloth, animal fur, or other soft padding for cushioning and protection.

But this one was clearly made of metal. What kind of metal, Ortoren had no idea—but it definitely wasn't regular steel. He couldn't even leave a dent in it with his punches.

And it wasn't just any pillar—this was Garp's training post!

"That's right, that's right! If you want real progress in your Armament Haki, you've gotta keep pushing past your limits—hit stuff that's tougher and harder than your Haki itself!" Garp stood nearby, watching Ortoren train with satisfaction, occasionally offering pointers.

"Garp-san, how did you get your Haki to be this strong?" After throwing another dozen punches, Ortoren grabbed a medicated towel from the side and wiped the swelling on his knuckles.

"Year after year of relentless training, that's all. If there's a real trick to it... it's belief!" Garp replied after thinking for a moment, speaking with unreserved honesty.

"Belief?" Ortoren looked puzzled.

"Yeah, belief! Sounds a little vague, I know—but a punch full of belief and a hollow, aimless punch are worlds apart in power. But belief isn't something you can be taught. You've got to find it on your own. Still, don't stress over it. This sea is vast—whatever answers you're looking for, you'll find them out there." Garp laughed heartily and patted Ortoren on the shoulder.

"I understand…" Ortoren replied softly, then went right back to pounding the training pillar.

After watching for a while, Garp casually pulled over a stool, sat down, and fished out a large bag of snacks from his pocket—on closer look, they were senbei!

A big bag of rice crackers like that would normally last someone a while. But for Garp, it was like tossing feed to a pig. Ortoren hadn't even thrown fifty punches yet, and Garp had already finished the entire bag.

Nearby, the Marines on duty didn't even flinch—they clearly knew the drill. As soon as Garp started munching, they pushed over a whole cart of senbei and even brewed a pot of green tea, setting everything neatly beside him.

Then Ortoren watched, slightly stunned, as Garp wolfed down bag after bag like some ravenous beast.

After another hundred punches, Ortoren stopped again. While wiping his hands with the medicated towel, he couldn't help but ask, "Garp-san, did you know my mother?"

"Charlotte Linlin?" Garp asked through a mouthful of senbei. Then he gulped everything down and said, "Of course I knew her. I even fought her when you were little… Wait, no, by then she'd already abandoned you. So I guess not."

"I mean, aside from that whole enemy thing?" Ortoren tried again.

Garp thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not really, no. But I did hear the snacks at her tea parties were amazing. I've always wanted to try them—but she never invited me…"

Charlotte Linlin's tea parties were legendary. If you got an invitation, you absolutely couldn't refuse—otherwise, you'd be hunted down by the Big Mom Pirates.

Over time, as Charlotte Linlin's influence grew across the seas, her tea parties became one of the ocean's most famous tales...

However, there was a clear logic behind it—Charlotte Linlin would never send tea party invitations to people like Whitebeard, Kaidou, or Red-Haired Shanks.

The reason was simple: what if they couldn't make it? Would Charlotte Linlin retaliate or not?

If she didn't, it would hurt her reputation. If she did, well... she might not be able to pull it off.

So when Garp said Charlotte Linlin had never invited him to tea, Ortoren could fully understand. Even if you weren't a Marine, she probably wouldn't have invited you anyway.

After muttering a few words of regret, Garp asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly asking about this stuff?"

"It's nothing. Watching you snack on senbei just reminded me of someone I used to know," Ortoren said with a tinge of nostalgia.

"Who?" Garp asked, a little intrigued.

"My older brother, Charlotte Katakuri. Back when I was developing the Goro Goro no Mi on Whole Cake Island, he acted just like you—except he was scarfing down donuts instead," Ortoren said with a smile.

If it weren't for Garp's age, Ortoren might've suspected he had Charlotte family blood in him, just based on the way he demolished senbei.

"From the sound of it, you two were close?" Garp asked while still chewing.

"Yeah. I don't really have many friends, and at the time, he was probably the only one I had," Ortoren replied after thinking for a moment.

"A friend, huh?" Garp mused, then burst out laughing. "Don't go telling other people that. You're gonna be one of the Navy's elite!"

"You don't mind?" Ortoren countered.

"I'm pretty open-minded. Besides, it's not like I've never had pirate friends," Garp said casually.

"Roger?" Ortoren grinned.

Garp didn't shy away from the complicated relationship he had with Roger. He nodded calmly and said, "Something like that. But if I ever get the chance, I'll still capture him and throw him into Impel Down to atone for his crimes!"

...

After chatting for a while, Garp suddenly seemed to recall something.

"By the way, if I'm not mistaken, didn't you say Charlotte Linlin helped treat an illness of yours? What illness was that?"

"Yeah. I have a hereditary mental illness," Ortoren said seriously as he slammed a fist into the pillar.

Garp: ???

He picked up the nearby green tea, took a few gulps, then looked at Ortoren.

"If you don't mind, you can tell me more…"

"Actually, I haven't properly introduced myself yet. I'm not a pure-blooded human," Ortoren said.

"I figured. You're from the Oni race, right? Just like that Kaidou guy!" Garp said confidently.

Back when Ortoren was unconscious, Garp had already confirmed the horns on his head weren't decorative—they'd grown in naturally. So Garp had always assumed he was from the Oni race.

Considering Charlotte Linlin's odd preferences and ideals, that wouldn't be surprising. In fact, if Ortoren hadn't said his father was someone named Seronis, Garp might've thought he was the product of Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin!

"No, I'm a bull-type Mink," Ortoren replied, shattering Garp's confidence on the spot.

"Huh?" Garp blinked in disbelief. "But you don't even have any fur…"

Ortoren didn't explain and simply continued.

"Maybe it's a variation of her food craving disorder. Either way, as the full moon approaches, my temper and personality become violently unstable. And once the full moon arrives, I enter the Sulong form and completely lose all reason—driven by an uncontrollable urge to destroy everything in sight. I'll keep going until the full moon ends."

A serious expression crossed Garp's face. He lowered his voice.

"That's no small problem. So what kind of medicine did she give you?"

"Violence," Ortoren replied, looking Garp straight in the eye. "Violence stronger than my own frenzy. She used it to beat me out of my full moon rampages. According to her, if I get snapped out of it enough times like that, I'll gradually learn to control it—and eventually, cure myself."

"She's just a pirate. What does she know about medicine? What makes her think that would work?" Garp asked skeptically.

He even suspected it was just Charlotte Linlin's excuse to keep Ortoren close.

Ortoren paused before replying.

"Experience. She said that back when she was on the Rocks Pirates, she nearly cured her food craving disorder the same way…"

Garp fell silent at that. After a long moment, he gave an awkward chuckle and said,

"Don't worry. We Marines are pretty violent too!"