Chapter 44: Return to Shimotsuki Village.

Chapter 44 - 44: Return to Shimotsuki Village. "Captain Gulachi, do you know when the Marines will leave?" Ryuen asked curiously. "I haven't heard, but they haven't searched the place. Marine hero Vice Admiral Garp has been eating and drinking at the restaurant every day," Captain Gulachi said. Nami remembered Ryuen's reaction at the restaurant and the old man who ate a lot. She realized something. "Ryuen, the man at the restaurant today was Marine hero Garp, right?" Nami asked excitedly. The other three girls remembered too. They didn't expect that man to be Marine hero Garp! "You're happy, but he's here for us. Luckily, he didn't investigate you, Captain Gulachi," Ryuen said helplessly. The girls realized Garp was after them and started to panic. "Don't worry. We wore masks and different clothes. They won't recognize us," Ryuen comforted them. As long as they didn't use their powers in front of Garp, he wouldn't find them. After all, the Monkey family's brains are all with Dragon. "But that's Marine hero Garp..." Daisy's face turned pale. In East Blue, they grew up hearing stories about Garp. They didn't know how strong Garp was, but his reputation was enough to scare them. "Then... should we go back to Shimotsuki Village first?" Ryuen suggested. "Yes, yes, let's go back to Shimotsuki Village. Once we're there, the Marines won't find us!" Nami immediately agreed to Ryuen's suggestion. The other three girls nodded as well, worried about being caught by the Marines if they stayed. Ryuen understood their fear, as Garp's name was too big. So, the five kids said goodbye to Captain Gulachi and headed to the back mountain. There, Ryuen transformed into his full beast form and flew into the sky with the girls. In town, after a hearty meal, Garp was strolling down the street. With his Seimei Kikan ability, he didn't need to digest food and just wanted to see if there was any news. Suddenly, Garp looked sharply at the sky above the back mountain. "A phoenix?" "No, no, it's bigger than Marco's phoenix. Could it really be a phoenix?" Garp muttered to himself as he watched the large bird fly away. "Vice Admiral Garp, that must be the person who killed the king's nephew three days ago!" Bogart emerged from the shadows and said in a deep voice. "It must be. I didn't expect a Mythical Zoan user to appear in East Blue. This is a bit troublesome." Garp spoke casually, lost in thought. "He's gone now. Should we report back to Marine Headquarters?" Bogart asked. "Just report it with the Den Den Mushi. I haven't seen Luffy and Ace in a long time. I need to visit my grandsons!" Garp thought of his grandsons and smiled warmly. "Yes, Vice Admiral Garp!" Bogart obeyed and immediately reported the mission status to headquarters with the Den Den Mushi. At Marine Headquarters, they were initially angry about Garp wanting to visit his grandsons, but considering the Mythical Zoan user in East Blue, they decided it was fine for Garp to stay a few more days. They happily gave Garp a few days off. Meanwhile, Ryuen and the group returned to Shimotsuki Village as night fell. "Finally, we don't have to worry about being caught by the Marines." Nami sighed in relief, a smile returning to her face. "Hahaha, Nami, why are you so afraid of the Marines? They don't even know it's us. We stood in front of Garp today, and he didn't recognize us." Ryuen laughed, patting Nami's shoulder. "That old man felt really strong!" Kuina's smile faded, and she looked serious. "Of course he's strong. How else would he be a Marine hero? Let's go back." Ryuen said softly. Garp could destroy an island with one punch; how could he not be strong? "Yeah, yeah, let's go to sleep. I'm so tired today~" Daisy said, feeling exhausted. The five kids walked down the mountain towards Isshin Dojo. The girls felt tired mainly because they were so tense today. "Father!" "Good evening, Mr. Koushirou!" "Mr. Koushirou, why are you still up?" They arrived at the dojo entrance and saw Koushirou waiting for them, knowing they had returned. They greeted him respectfully. "It's still early. Zoro just got back not long ago. He's been out for a few days. Are you tired?" Koushirou asked gently, speaking slowly as always. He didn't ask what the kids had been doing. He knew they would have their own plans as they grew up, as long as they returned safely. "Of course, I'm tired. I really want to sleep~" Daisy said sweetly. "Yes, Mr. Koushirou, we're going to rest now~" Nami also felt sleepy as they returned to the dojo. "If you're tired, go rest now. You can sleep in tomorrow," Koushirou said with a gentle smile. "We know, Mr. Koushirou~" The kids walked past Koushirou to their rooms. Koushirou watched them leave, feeling satisfied. He noticed that Kuina's aura had changed. The kids must have faced many enemies during their trip. In the dark, Zoro watched Kuina leave, his eyes thoughtful. "Wow~~" "It feels so good to lie down~~" Daisy said as she lay on the tatami, her face full of enjoyment. "Hahaha~~" "Daisy, your tummy is showing. Be careful not to catch a cold~~" Nojiko laughed. "Huh?" "Kuina, are you sleeping in our room tonight?" Ryuen asked, seeing Kuina lie down. "I'm not going back. We're all friends, and friends should sleep together," Kuina replied without turning her head. "Yeah, friends should sleep together. It feels so good~" Nami said, lying next to Kuina with her eyes closed. Ryuen opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. He shook his head, turned off the light, and lay down. Soon, the room was filled with the sound of five kids snoring. The five kids in Shimotsuki Village slept soundly, but in the neighboring Foosha Village, two kids were getting beaten... The terrible screams kept the villagers of Foosha Village awake, opening their doors. ---- You can read 10 Chapters ahead on my pat reon.com/GMadman