Chapter 29 - 29: Who Do You Think I Am?

Words : 1391 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Zou Island. A mysterious land nestled deep within the New World. According to legend, Zou Island rests upon the back of an ancient, colossal elephant. This behemoth has lived for over a thousand years, its legs plunge into the ocean's depths, and its towering body reaches into the clouds. The island itself moves with the giant, borne on its back as it roams the sea. The island is inhabited by the Mink Tribe, beastmen, to put it plainly. The Minks are fiercely isolationist, forbidding outsiders from setting foot on their land. As a result, Zou Island has never been brought under the jurisdiction of the World Government. What's more, because the island moves, the usual navigational tools of the New World, and Log Poses are rendered useless. No pointer can lead the way to Zou. After Bogart gave Garp a brief overview of the island's peculiarities, the Vice Admiral fell into silence. Roger was on a moving, untraceable island. How the hell was he supposed to give chase?! "Oi, Bogart. You messing with me?!" "If the Log Pose is useless, then how the hell do I find Zou?!" "And this intel, where did it come from? Did someone actually see the island?" Garp shot question after question, annoyance beginning to creep into his tone. Not far off, Aokiji and Yoriichi who had been sparring just moments ago paused and drifted over, bamboo swords in hand, ears perked as they listened in. "The information came from Branch G-33," Bogart replied. "They got it from a group of captured pirates." "According to the branch officers, the pirates ran into the Roger Pirates while stopping for drinks in the Kingdom of Dressrosa. They overheard it by accident." "They spotted Roger's crew just a week ago. From the timing, it looks like the Roger Pirates were storing magnetic fields, probably setting up their Log Pose and stayed in Dressrosa for a while before heading out." "Based on that, Branch G-33 inferred that they're heading to Zou." Garp's frown eased somewhat. He lowered his head in thought for a moment, then grinned. "Alright, let's move! We're heading for Dressrosa!" "If Zou's nearby, then that's our best lead!" "We may not be able to track Zou itself, but if Roger was logging the magnetic field there, it means his intended course runs through Dressrosa." "Once we get there, we'll know which direction he's likely to go next!" With that, Garp turned and strode toward the naval harbor, clearly intending to set out immediately. Yoriichi and Aokiji exchanged a look, sheathed their practice swords, and quickly followed behind him. During Garp's stay at Branch G-10, his crew had remained aboard the Dog-Head Battleship. For daily drills, they used the branch's training grounds—an arrangement made specifically so they could set sail the moment they received news of Roger. "Vice Admiral Garp," Bogart interjected, catching up to him, "Dressrosa branches off toward three separate islands. There's no guarantee the Roger Pirates went to Zou." "And if Roger has an Eternal Pose pointing elsewhere, we might be completely off-course." "A rash move like this could end up wasting time and resources, maybe we should consult Marine HQ first." Before he could finish, Garp cut him off: "If we have to ask permission for everything, then we won't get anything done!" "My mind's made up. We sail for Dressrosa!" "I get it, Bogart. You're worried. This trip won't come cheap, and if we come back empty-handed, Sengoku'll have my hide, right? Hahaha!" "But hey, this is the New World! If there's one thing it doesn't lack, it's pirates. We're bound to run into someone." "And once we reach Dressrosa, we will get something out of it!" "We'll cut a bloody path if we have to and Sengoku won't say a word about it! Hahahaha!" With that, Garp picked up his pace, heading full speed toward the Dog-Head Battleship. Once aboard, he ordered a broadcast for immediate assembly, his men had been trained for this. The sudden activity caught the attention of Major General Roka, the base commander. The tiny old man stormed out of the command post, fuming as he saw Garp about to leave without even a proper goodbye. "Rude bastard!" he hollered from the pier, shaking his fist toward the ship's bow. But his voice was lost in the crashing waves. In less than ten minutes, the crew had assembled. Garp stood proudly at the prow and shouted back toward Roka: "Uncle Roka! I'll bring back some souvenirs!" "As for the compensation from the Kingdom of Neil, have Sengoku cover it. I already cleared it with him!" "See ya! Hahahahaha!" The mooring ropes were released. The Dog-Head Battleship's anchor rose slowly. With sails unfurling and engines roaring, the ship pulled away from port, carving through the sea. Garp gave one last wave before stepping back onto the deck. Major General Roka stood quietly on the dock, watching as the ship faded into the distance. He chuckled softly and murmured, "Wonder if I'll live long enough to taste those souvenirs you promised, kid…" His stooped figure lingered at the edge of the dock for a while longer, until the ship finally vanished beyond the horizon. Only then did he turn around and slowly walk back toward the base. In this treacherous sea, goodbyes often meant forever. Partings like this were all too common in the Navy. Roka knew Garp was strong. But he also knew the Roger Pirates were no ordinary crew. Even for someone like Garp… this mission wouldn't be without peril. "Juuuuuu~~" BOOM!!! A deafening shriek pierced the air as cannon shells tore through the sky. The next instant, a massive explosion shattered the calm of the open sea. "Move it!!" "Hard to port, bring her around! Return fire, now!!" Panic spread aboard a pirate ship flying the skull-and-crossbones. On deck, Captain Kasper Lyman drew the long blade from his hip and shouted orders, trying to rein in the chaos. The Lyman Pirates total bounty exceeding 210 million berries. Captain Kasper Lyman alone was worth 80 million. They had only entered the New World this year, but they were already a force to be reckoned with, having made their name in West Blue. Their most famous feat? Escaping an ambush laid by three Marine Vice Admirals, each commanding a battleship and sinking one of them during the retreat. But now, behind their ship, a lone Marine battleship, the Dog-Head was charging toward them at full speed. It was as if the enemy had never heard of the Lyman Pirates. Just one ship, daring to charge in head-on. "Captain! We're out of time! They're closing in too fast, we have to evade!" Some of the crew broke into a mad dash for the engine room, while a seasoned sailor stared at the pursuing ship's speed and urgently warned Lyman. "Out of time?!" "Evade?!" "There's only one ship, and we're dodging?!" "Three Marine ships couldn't take me down, and now you want to run?!" "Who the hell do you think I am?!" "So what if we take some damage—no dodging!" "Bring the ship in close! Prepare for boarding!" "Kill the Marines! Use their damn ship wood to patch up our hull!" Kasper Lyman roared, grabbing a nearby crewmate by the collar and hurling him aside. Then, he rushed to the stern, leapt atop the rear mast, and swung his blade at two incoming cannon shells. With a crack and a flash, the shells split midair and exploded harmlessly away from the ship. Seeing no further cannon fire from the Marine ship, Lyman grinned. "Heh. Looks like they've seen what I can do… and gave up on bombardment." ********* Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 250 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch! For advance chapters, please do visit and consider joining me on Patreon, it really helps me out and I'd love to have you along for the journey! p(a)treon.com/Lnee *remove () to open it

Chapter 29 - 29: Who Do You Think I Am?

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