Chapter 127: My Name Is... Roronoa Zoro [Request for Support]

That emblem looked very familiar—extremely familiar. And a fleet of this scale could never belong to an ordinary navy. There was simply no naval force of this magnitude in the East Blue. It had to be from the Navy Headquarters. A fleet of this size would be beyond the command of a vice admiral; only an admiral would have such authority. Moreover, that dog-head insignia appearing here in the East Blue instantly brought a name to Tang Shen’s mind: “Marine Hero—Monkey D. Garp.”

Just stepping out of Windmill Town and running into Monkey D. Garp—what a coincidence. Luckily, he had already left; otherwise, it would have been hard to explain later. Garp had likely returned this time to check on his grandson. After all, Tang Shen had spread rumors and slandered him; it was almost certain Garp would deal him a few loving iron punches. As for something worse, Tang Shen hadn’t dared to imagine it yet.

On the deck of the warship, Garp was also taken aback; a cannonball he had just fired was somehow cut in half. Looking toward his second-in-command, he asked in confusion, “This pirate crew actually uses swords?”

The second-in-command shook his head, equally puzzled. “No, this pirate crew’s strongest member is a burly woman wielding a wolf’s tooth iron club. The rest are just useless underlings.” He then pulled out a wanted poster—Alvida’s, with a bounty of 3 million Beli.

Such a minor pirate crew was far too weak. There should be no one capable of slicing a cannonball, especially here in the East Blue. This time, coincidentally, they had come across this scene and saw the pirates robbing a merchant ship, so they decided to handle it swiftly. After all, Garp was a Marine Hero; he couldn’t just ignore such incidents.

“Oh!” Garp showed a spark of interest. “Let’s sail closer and take a look.”

Sailing was boring—either breaking records by eating donuts or sleeping—so encountering pirates was a welcome distraction.

“Yes, sir!”

As the warship drew near, Tang Shen hesitated—should he just leave immediately? Yet, on second thought, he might as well meet them. No harm done, after all, and Garp didn’t even know who he was.

As for when he returned to Windmill Town—that was another matter.

Most importantly, he was afraid that if he fled straight away, Garp might mistake his ship for a pirate vessel and sink it with cannon fire. Having only watched anime in his previous life, he never realized how huge these warships actually were—especially ones mainly constructed from wood. Tang Shen couldn’t help but marvel. In his former life, it would have been impossible to build such a ship with wood alone, mainly because of the keel—there were no trees that long back then.

When the warship came to a halt before him, it loomed like a towering mountain, exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure. Tang Shen was awestruck, while Nami’s gaze was more complicated.

A unique burst of laughter echoed from above.

Upon hearing it, Tang Shen’s face twitched sharply. The laugh resembled Luffy’s signature laugh by at least ninety percent, differing only in their natural vocal tones. No wonder they were grandfather and grandson—their laughs were so alike.

At the massive warship’s prow, where the dog-head emblem stood, a robust figure appeared, cloaked in a cape symbolizing justice and wearing a dog-head hat. Beneath that was a rugged, square face smiling down warmly at Tang Shen.

“Boy, pretty good swordsmanship, huh? What’s your name?” Garp squinted and asked.

“Marine Hero, Vice Admiral Garp, greetings!” Tang Shen introduced himself with calm confidence. “My name is... Roronoa Zoro, a bounty hunter.”

He said it with such seriousness, such boldness and clarity, his eyes steady and voice resolute.

If Zoro had been there, he would probably have spat out a mouthful of blood. If Kuina had seen this scene, she might have secretly chuckled.

Unfortunately, no one present realized Tang Shen was speaking nonsense with a straight face. Even Garp didn’t catch on; he was quite impressed with Tang Shen’s demeanor.

Here was a young man, neither servile nor arrogant, speaking firmly yet politely. Garp nodded to himself approvingly.

His second-in-command also couldn’t help but nod. From how Tang Shen addressed Garp and introduced himself, he carried the aura of a true swordsman.

Though his strength was still weak, that could be cultivated later. At the very least, Tang Shen’s politeness, recent display of skill, and apparent youth indicated tremendous potential.

“Hm, not bad. Interested in training aboard my ship? You can start as a low-ranking sailor, and I might even get you admitted to the Navy Headquarters Academy for proper development,” Garp said earnestly, his tone reliable, despite the unfamiliarity between them.

This sudden invitation stunned the marine soldiers aboard. It was notoriously difficult to get onto Garp’s warship at Headquarters; everyone who served there had started from the very bottom as mess attendants.

Only Garp’s second-in-command showed a flicker of understanding. Since this was the East Blue—the weakest sea—and close to Garp’s hometown, perhaps he was feeling nostalgic or hesitant about letting a promising young sapling go to waste, prompting a sudden desire to nurture him.

It was almost certainly a spontaneous thought, but understandable. To him, this was a golden opportunity for Tang Shen.

Boarding Garp’s ship meant stepping onto the ladder to the stars.

Tang Shen was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected Garp to extend such an invitation. It was truly an opportunity with many benefits, but he absolutely would not accept.

For anyone else, this would be a chance of a lifetime. For him, however, it was a pirate ship waiting to be exposed once he returned to Windmill Town.

He would be beaten up, and starting from the bottom? No way.

As long as he kept killing, he could keep leveling up and improving. One day, he might even reach Garp’s level. Why bother climbing aboard Garp’s ship? Forcing growth was unwise, and sailing the seas on his own would offer genuine experience and countless breathtaking sights.

“Sorry, Vice Admiral Garp. Thank you for the invitation, but I choose to sail and train on my own. One day, I will personally journey to the New World, challenge the world’s greatest swordsman, and see the wonders of this world for myself. For now, I prefer to grow step by step,” Tang Shen said earnestly. “Besides, the navy isn’t suited for me—too many rules. Being a bounty hunter is freer. Most importantly, I don’t want to start as a lowly mess attendant.”

Garp was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected his invitation to be rejected, and so decisively.

But after hearing Tang Shen’s words, he fell silent. Geniuses were often proud and disliked too many restrictions. This was why many avoided joining the navy.

Becoming a marine meant countless rules and regulations.

He could even see a spark of ambition in Tang Shen’s eyes.

Moreover, Tang Shen’s worldview was unlike most East Blue natives—he mentioned the New World.