Chapter 13: Freedom's Answer

East Blue, at sea—one hour after the naval battle between the Rocks Pirates and the Marines.

“Vice Admiral!! They’re getting away!! They’re heading for the Calm Belt after all!!”

“Gah…! Damn it…! Cough… This was our chance…! But I suppose this is where it ends…! What’s the damage report!?”

“Casualties and severe injuries are numerous!! Of our five warships, three have been completely destroyed!! The remaining two are critically damaged!!”

“Gh…! We need to return to base immediately…! What about Vice Admiral Garp!? Is he alive!?”

“Y-Yes!! He’s badly injured, but he’s still commanding one of the ships!!”

“…I see… Then we’ll return to base at once…”

The Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters—his handsome face now marred by a fresh sword wound—watched as a pirate ship sped toward the Calm Belt. His subordinate’s grim report left no room for interpretation.

The result of the battle? A complete Marine defeat.

The enemy ship bore minor scratches, but none that would hinder its voyage. Almost none of their crew had been captured. They had slipped through the Marines’ fingers.

The Vice Admiral clenched his fists, unable to suppress his frustration. But amid the bitter news, one report provided a sliver of relief.

“Vice Admiral!! A message from Vice Admiral Garp!!”

“…What is it…?”

He didn’t want to hear another report. They had been utterly crushed. But as a Marine Vice Admiral, he had a duty to listen.

And then, the words he had been hoping for came.

“Two crew members from the Rocks Pirates have been captured alive!!”

“!! Y-You’re sure!?”

“Yes! They were found unconscious on the deck just moments ago and were immediately restrained!!”

“…Ghh…! Good work!! Now go tend to the wounded!!”

“Yes, sir!!”

With that, the battered warships set course for the nearest Marine base.

And while the Marines reveled in their small victory… mere minutes earlier, aboard another ship—

“V-Vice Admiral Garp…! You should receive medical treatment first—”

“Hahh… Hahh… Forget that… These two… They did this?”

“Y-Yes… They finally collapsed just now…”

The Marine’s name was Garp.

He surveyed the wreckage of the deck—countless downed Marines, their bodies strewn about. And at the center of the carnage, two figures lay unconscious—two children.

“The Marines… Hahh… took this much damage… And these two did it?”

“Yes, sir… They suddenly boarded our ship, so we surrounded them and fought back. But both of them are Devil Fruit users… and despite their age, they put up a hell of a fight… Before she went down, this girl alone took out two hundred Marines. And this boy… four hundred before he finally collapsed. But not before sustaining countless injuries—”

“Enough. I can see it for myself. They’re on death’s door… Pirate apprentices, most likely… —Wait!!”

“! W-What’s wrong, Vice Admiral Garp!? Your face just—did you notice something about the girl?”

Garp knelt beside the unconscious children, studying them carefully. And then—he saw it.

His face twisted in shock.

His subordinates, sensing his shift in demeanor, followed his gaze to the girl. But to them, she was simply lying there, unconscious. Nothing seemed out of place.

Then, without hesitation—Garp placed his hand over the girl’s back, covering it completely.

And in a firm, commanding voice, he ordered:

“…I’ll take these two to the brig myself. Return to your posts.”

“Huh…? But, sir, we could—”

“Just go!! I’m exhausted!! Let me take them while I get some damn rest!!”

“!! Y-Yes, sir!! My apologies!! We should have been more considerate…! Then, we’ll leave them to you—”

“I got it. Now go.”

“Yes, sir!!”

As his officers left, Garp let out a deep breath.

Then, just as he said, he grabbed the larger boy by the collar and dragged him along, while lifting the girl with careful precision.

It looked almost as though he was hiding her back.

And indeed—he had a reason.

What Garp had seen on the girl… was a symbol.

A mark that represented the rulers of this world.

“…………Tch…!!”

Garp grit his teeth. There was no mistaking it.

It was small—small enough to fit under his palm. But its shape was unmistakable.

The mark of those he despised.

The mark of innocent people sacrificed in the name of “order.”

The symbol of slavery—the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon.

And that was why he had hidden it.

Because for Garp—for his morals, his justice—he would never acknowledge the existence of “slaves.” His face twisted in fury, his convictions unwavering.

---

When I wake up… it is never pleasant.

Because a peaceful awakening does not exist for me.

Pain. Suffering. Fear.

That is what consciousness means to me.

The life I once lived in poverty—was paradise in comparison.

I am not a person. I am a slave. A mere plaything, meant to entertain my masters.

When they grow bored, I will be discarded. My worth is less than that of an animal. Violence is routine. Obligation. Duty.

My job is to be tortured—to writhe in pain, to contort my face in agony.

Food? Once a week. Maybe once every two weeks. If they remembered. If not, I ate the corpses of things that died in my cell. Because I had to.

All the other slaves who became my friends… They all died before me.

I could not sleep. The constant pain in my body denied me rest. The only time I could “sleep” was when I passed out from the agony.

That was the only time I knew peace.

I ran away once. But the Marines caught me. Brought me back.

The punishment…

…I was sure I would die.

I endured that hell for years.

How long? I do not know. Time lost all meaning. But when I escaped, I knew—I had spent at least five years in that nightmare.

A hell beyond words.

That was why I longed for death.

I wanted to die.

—And so,

“Tell us everything you know about the Rocks Pirates.”

“……”

“Damn it! Say something!!”

“……”

…Yes. I’m used to this.

The last thing I remember is fighting an army of Marines. Then collapsing.

Kaido… He was still fighting even after I fell.

“I don’t show mercy to criminals—even if they’re children!! We know you’re both apprentices of the Rocks Pirates!!”

“…Hah… That’s obvious.”

“…What?”

“…Anyone could figure that out just by looking. And you’re acting like it was some big discovery? Are you stupid?”

“!! You little—!!!”

Fury contorted his face.

And with a crack, the whip tore into my skin.

But I made no sound.

Neither did Kaido.

“…Damn it…! Listen here!! You’re not human!!”

“!”

That…

That was what broke my silence.

And as the soldier’s hateful gaze burned into me, he declared—

“You monsters will never be human!!”

“… …”

And as he stormed out, another man entered.

A man I recognized.

A man they called… Garp.

"…In the end, you're not going to treat me like a person either, are you? Just like the Marines who sold me out… Just like the ones who turned me into a s-l-a-v-e."

"…! You… I knew it…! And what do you mean by 'sold'—"

Garp’s expression hardened. He had realized something. But that went both ways—I knew that he had caught on as well. Even though I had lost consciousness…

"My back is wrapped in bandages… There's no way I did this during the fight. Which means—you did it, didn’t you?"

"…That’s—"

"So tell me—what’s your reasoning? Why would you do this for someone who isn’t even human? A slave? A being lower than an animal? Was it just a whim? Pity? Or maybe… y-o-u t-o-o just want to toy with me for fun?"

"Tch…!"

As I spoke, Garp clenched his jaw and fell silent. His fists tightened, trembling with restrained emotion.

—Ah, I see. He really is a good person.

A good person… bound by the laws of the world, just like the ones who captured me.

After a moment, he let out a breath, loosened his grip, and regained some composure—though his expression remained stiff as he spoke.

"…The government considers the Rocks Pirates the greatest threat. They’ll do anything for information—no matter w-h-a-t t-h-e c-o-s-t."

"………"

"But… if you talk—if you tell me about Rocks—I could let you both escape. That much… I can keep under wraps."

"…Are you serious?"

"You're just apprentices. Compared to Rocks or the other infamous scoundrels, you’re insignificant. If you were to run away—even if you went back to being pirates—as long as you kept to the fringes of the East Blue, neither the government nor the Navy would waste resources hunting you down. Small-time pirates are left to the local branches. Right now, Rocks is the priority."

So talk.

Garp's words weren’t something a Marine should say, yet he kept his eyes locked on us, unwavering.

But neither Kaido nor I responded. We didn’t even flinch. Not because we were hesitating—there was simply no need to answer.

And Garp, a seasoned Marine, could sense that unspoken resolve. That was why he asked, his quiet anger seeping into his voice.

"…Why? What is it that drives you…!? Even after being wounded like this, you’d still choose piracy…!? Even after being captured, after suffering hell, you’d still go back!? Why are you being so damn stubborn—"

"—Hell? Y-o-u c-a-l-l t-h-i-s h-e-l-l?"

"!"

I responded without thinking. No—it wasn’t even a response. It was just… what naturally came to mind.

Being captured. Enduring some torture. Feeling some pain and being restrained for a while.

—And this is what he calls hell?

I couldn’t help it—I smiled. It was ridiculous.

"…Ahaha… Wow, our definitions of hell are worlds apart, huh? You think this is hell? This is nothing. If you really wanted to call it hell, you should’ve brought poison, boiling oil, torture devices—something more fitting. I bet if I asked, you’d still give me plain bread and water, right? Honestly, if you really wanted to leave a mark, you should’ve done a better job. Your superiors certainly did with me."

"…!! But… your body—"

"Heh… My body, huh? It’s pretty, isn’t it? Funny thing is, for some reason, I just don’t break easily. Maybe it’s my insane healing ability, but my wounds always close up nice and clean. They really liked that about me. It meant they could cut me up as much as they wanted—watch me heal, and then do it all over again. It was fun for them. They kept testing it, trying to find out just what kind of injury I wouldn’t recover from. Thanks to that, I built up quite a bit of tolerance. Even had my skin peeled off a few times—"

"—Stop!!!"

"!"

His voice roared through the cell, loud enough to make the iron bars tremble.

The man before me—Garp.

His teeth were grinding, his fists clenched so tightly that blood began to seep from his knuckles. He was furious.

But at what? At me? At pirates? At the Marines? At the Celestial Dragons? Or—

"…You don’t have to talk about that…!! Even if you tell me, I—I am a Marine…!! There’s nothing I can do…!!"

"…I wasn’t asking you to do anything."

I laughed.

"Sorry about that. Complaining about your misfortunes is annoying, huh? Everyone has hardships, after all. No one’s coming to save you just because you wallow in tragedy. And it’s not like some ‘hero’ is going to swoop in to save me. If you want to survive, you handle it yourself. Especially in the pirate world—no one’s going to pity you. Everything is your own responsibility."

"You…!"

Yes. In the end, it was my fault.

If I had been stronger, none of it would’ve happened. I could’ve forced my way into a better situation.

I knew how to get stronger. I just… hadn’t done it. That was my failure. No excuses about talent or circumstances.

If you don’t want to suffer, then get strong enough to change things. Play the game better.

It’s not about whether you can or can’t. It’s about whether you will or won’t.

Because in this world, if you can’t—then you don’t survive.

"…And just so you know, it’s not like I went crazy from what they did to me. I’m perfectly sane. I just… learned the truth of this world. You u-n-d-e-r-s-t-a-n-d t-h-a-t, d-o-n-’t y-o-u?"

"…Tch—!"

Garp trembled for a moment, then suddenly turned his back and stomped out of the cell.

What a shame. Honestly, I had hoped—just a little—that he might let us go. But I guess it wouldn’t be that easy.

"…? Hey, what was Vice Admiral Garp doing in there?"

"S-Sorry, sir! He ordered me to wait outside, so I have no idea… But he seemed… angry."

"Hmph. No doubt those criminals said something insolent and pissed him off. Well, no matter. I’ll just make them talk myself…!"

"………"

As Garp left, the guards and the Marine from earlier returned, looking eager.

One of them immediately cracked a whip.

"Talk!! Start talking now, or the interroga—no, the ‘questioning’ continues!!"

A pathetic attempt to frame torture as something more palatable. I almost laughed. It was all so absurd—so ridiculous.

"…! You dare laugh, you little—!? What’s so funny!?"

Before I knew it, I was smirking.

And that enraged them. The beatings intensified.

"Laughing while being tortured!? You’re insane! No—you’re a monster!! You’re not human!! You’re just a beast wearing a child’s skin—a demon!! A savage—A B-E-A-S-T!!!"

…Yeah. Maybe they were right.

The world never treated me as human anyway.

—And that’s fine. I d-o-n-’t n-e-e-d t-o b-e h-u-m-a-n.

I can be a monster, a beast—whatever they want to call me. It doesn’t matter.

"—Worororo…! A beast, huh? Now that’s a funny thing to say…"

"!"

The one who had remained silent all this time—Kaido—finally let out a dark, amused laugh.

And then, he spoke the truth we both had realized.

"Doesn’t matter what we’re called…!!"

Yes. Call us whatever you want.

But we’ll live as we please.

We’ll raise the flag of our belief—of our conviction.

We’ll build the strongest pirate crew.

“Now then—let’s start the greatest war this world has ever seen!!!”

“……!!?”

“Ugh…!!”

Yes… This was not only a challenge to the world but also—

The awakening of the one who would seek to become the strongest…

The birth of the “Beast.”

And—

“…‘Peace and…’—”

For me, this moment was also…

The true beginning.

---

A Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters witnessed that moment.

He saw two things happen simultaneously.

First—Kaidou, the massive man, unleashing a deafening roar imbued with Conqueror’s Haki, instantly knocking out the guards standing watch.

And second—the girl named Nue. She… simply vanished.

In her place, a thick, black mist emerged.

Could it be… that was the girl?

The Vice Admiral cursed himself and his men.

They had failed—she was a Devil Fruit user, and yet she hadn't been restrained with Seastone cuffs.

That was clear proof that intelligence hadn’t been properly shared among them. He included himself in that failure.

Though, given that they were still in the middle of recovering from the devastation left by the Rocks Pirates, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable that this had been overlooked.

Still, it was an inexcusable mistake.

That was why he immediately cloaked himself in Haki and moved to seize the girl.

Even if she was a Logia user, Haki could allow him to strike her true form.

Kaidou was still bound in chains, so there was no need to worry about him.

And in the end, the girl was just a pirate apprentice—

Grievously wounded from the previous battle, further weakened by torture.

From their perspective, she was utterly trapped.

Neither of them should have been a problem.

—But that arrogance would cost him dearly.

“UOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!”

“Wha—!? No way… Impossible…!!”

Just as he was about to strike the girl, Kaidou let out a roar—

And ripped apart the chains that bound him.

Impossible! he thought.

A monster like Rocks or Whitebeard, perhaps.

But Kaidou?

A mere pirate apprentice with no name or reputation—was it truly possible for someone like that to break through those chains by brute force?

Yet, it had happened.

And Kaidou had begun to move.

A beast…!

With no time to waste, the Vice Admiral launched an attack at the girl first.

With his speed, there was no way she could dodge—

“…Your stomach—‘Finger Pistol’…”

“‘Shigan’…! Huh!? What—!?”

An attack she shouldn’t have been able to evade.

Yet, as if she had seen it coming, she moved in advance—slipping away at the last moment.

That was unmistakably—

Observation Haki…!?

A girl like her? Impossible!

And yet…

It made sense.

Haki often awakened and flourished in the face of extreme danger.

Observation Haki, in particular, had been documented to manifest when someone experienced a severe shock.

Perhaps she had awakened it in the previous battle… or in this very moment.

Under normal circumstances, his own Observation Haki would allow him to read her moves, creating an overwhelming gap in skill.

But right now, his own Haki was exhausted.

And before he could correct his mistake and go after her again—

Something emerged from the black mist.

And pierced through his body.

“Gaaahhh!!?”

A bullet!? No… It’s burning—!!

He had been struck.

That much was clear.

But in the close-range chaos and the black mist clouding his vision, he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

He didn’t know what had hit him.

Or who his true enemy even was.

It wasn’t just a Logia ability.

Then what was it?

He had no answers.

No time to think.

The pain was severe—he couldn’t ignore it.

His feet faltered.

His mind struggled to keep up with the sudden turn of events.

He couldn’t even activate his Observation Haki.

His Haki had already been drained in the battle against the Rocks Pirates.

He had yet to recover enough to use it again.

—And by the time he realized it, Kaidou was already on the move.

The Vice Admiral had hesitated.

And Kaidou had already pulled his fist back for a strike.

Under normal circumstances, he would have blocked with Armament Haki, or even dodged.

But now, he had no chance.

“…! ‘Iron Body’!!”

He chose defense.

One of the Six Powers—a technique that hardened the body like iron.

Under normal circumstances, against any ordinary opponent—this alone would shatter their fists.

And that would be the end of it.

…But, unfortunately—

“UOOOOH!!”

“Gah—!! Koff…!!”

—His opponent was far from ordinary.

Kaidou’s fist smashed into his head, driving him into the floor.

Air burst from his lungs, his vision blurred.

And through the haze, he finally noticed—

Kaidou’s body had begun to change.

It was likely a Zoan ability.

A dragon.

And he had entered his Hybrid Form.

His power was overwhelming.

But it wasn’t just raw strength.

He had shattered Iron Body—

Because his attack carried—

—Armament Haki!!

For a brief instant, Kaidou’s fist had flashed with a deep crimson hue.

That alone was enough to knock out a Navy Vice Admiral.

Even though Kaidou had only just awakened to this power, his strength was already monstrous.

Damn it… Not… like this…

That was the last thought the Vice Admiral had before his consciousness faded.

His final memory—

Was of the dragon.

And the unidentified something lurking in the mist.

---

Only two people remained in the cell.

“Haa… We actually took him down…”

“Of course we did…!”

As we looked down at the fallen Navy officer, I muttered under my breath.

Kaidou, on the other hand, spoke with absolute certainty.

I found that reassuring.

And at the same time—

I was shocked by my own growth.

“That… just now… was Haki, wasn’t it…? Wait—ugh…”

“Haki? …Now that you mention it, I do feel stronger—hey, what the hell are you doing?”

“I don’t know… I’m hearing things… It’s really unsettling… and my head hurts…”

“—So you’re fine.”

“No, I just said my head hurts!?”

“Sounds like you’re fine to me.”

No, seriously, this is something I’ve never felt before.

It’s kind of annoying…

Ah—so this is what Observation Haki is like…?

Getting used to this is going to be a pain.

Wait—oh crap.

“We don’t have time for this! Kaidou, we’re getting out of here!!”

“Hah? And how exactly do you plan on catching up to the ship?”

“Just go! I’ll figure that part out!”

“…Fine.”

Kaidou seemed to accept my words.

Or maybe he just trusted me.

And with that—

He clenched his fist and—

“OOOOOH!!”

—Smashed the prison door apart.

I mean, yeah, that’s helpful, but—

“…That’ll do. Let’s go.”

“‘Let’s go’? Do you have to make as much noise as possible!?”

“If anyone gets in the way, I’ll kill them.”

“Yeah, if you can! Ugh, we’re wasting time! We have to leave before the Marines get here!”

“Let them come! I’ll crush every last one of them—”

“N-O!! We’ll do that later! You do realize that Marine from earlier fought against Captain Rocks, right!?”

“…Tch. So I’m still too weak…!!”

“Hurry up already!!”

Kaidou, perhaps recognizing the weight of Captain Rocks’ name, reluctantly followed.

For now, our plan was simple: retrieve our weapons and get outside. If we could manage that, escape was assured.

Despite the commotion we caused in the prison, the Marines had only just begun to notice the disturbance, meaning only a few low-ranking guards had gathered so far. If any patrol soldiers got in our way, we could easily take them down.

—After reclaiming our weapons, we searched for the exit. However, we couldn’t find it, and Kaidou, frustrated, swung his recovered kanabo at the wall, smashing a hole through it.

As I had suspected, this place was inside a ship.

And thanks to the hole he created, we had a way out.

Taking full advantage of this, Kaidou shifted into his beast form, and I spread my wings, preparing to take flight—

Just before we could leave—

"…Are you sure you’re not going back?"

"! …Garp…!"

As we escaped the warship and soared into the sky, that man—Garp—called out to us from behind with a serious expression.

Yet, he made no move to attack.

No, more than that—he had no intention of attacking at all.

I had expected as much.

For someone as fundamentally good-hearted as him, dealing with me must have been difficult.

I appreciated that sentiment.

But even so, I gave him a firm, resolute smile and answered:

"—I’m sure. Because this is the life I’ve chosen."

"…No matter what kind of past you have… If you become a pirate… the Navy will hunt you down. And that includes me. I’ll have no choice but to capture you."

"…Then I just have to become strong enough to shake that off. If I get caught, that’s on me. It would mean I was too weak. That’s all there is to it."

"……I see."

Hearing my response, Garp closed his eyes for a moment.

Then, without another word, he simply sat down on the ship’s floor and let out a deep sigh.

"…I still don’t know if capturing you would be the right thing to do. So for now… I’ll let you go."

"…I see. You really are a good person, aren’t you? I don’t like Marines, but… I don’t dislike you, Garp."

"…I don’t like pirates."

"What a shame. I thought we could’ve been friends, but I’ve been rejected."

I smiled, not particularly disappointed, and turned to chase after Kaidou, who had flown ahead.

…Did he even know where he was going?

I had a feeling he was just flying aimlessly.

Well, as long as we put some distance between us and the warship, it didn’t really matter.

"…Sigh, I was in a great mood, and now the whole atmosphere feels all gloomy and sentimental."

I’d rather not dwell on feelings like this.

Maybe one day, I’d come to see it as just another experience.

But for now, I wanted to keep things light, bright, and fun.

After all, I was a pirate.

"—Hey, Kaidou. The Calm Belt is that way. Not this way."

"Hah…? …Oh, right. I knew that."

"Yeah, no, you definitely didn’t know that from the start… But whatever."

Well, we’ll just have to enjoy ourselves from now on.

I’ve got my dumb siblings with me, after all.

And I’ll help him achieve his grand ambition—creating the strongest pirate crew.

It might be difficult for now.

But one day, we’ll make it a reality.

Even without saying it out loud, we both understood.

As comrades under the same flag, it was clear.

So I simply carried on, as carefree and true to myself as ever—

Bantering like a true pirate alongside Kaidou.