One Piece- Memories After All

Chapter 4- Pain of Pleasant Memories

“Where is Luffy? Take us to him. He doesn’t like to be alone. I beg you, please.” Nami cried as soon as she saw the blue figure.

“Look you share these memories with those bastards, bring us to our captain,” Sanji said fisting his hands tightly.

“Your captain is all right. He went under major surgery. He is in good hands. The moment he will wake up and the healer gives a green sign I will reunite you, so don’t worry”. The figure said almost gently. Straw hats wanted to protest but they had seen Luffy he was badly injured.

The screen showed the clip where Dadan was at Party bar, drunk. Villagers gathered around the bar. When someone said Garp the hero is here they sighed a relief. Dadan stood tall in front of the old Marine, a thick wooden stick in her hand. Her eyes were shadows and she was breathing heavily. “How dare you come back and show up here?” Dadan shouted and Garp was sent flying with his forehead bleeding. “Stay out of this I know her”. Garp ordered his subordinates. Makino and the band of bandits were gaping at them. 

And the next second, she was at Garp’s face, showering him with hard punches. People were astonished as Garp stayed motionless letting Dadan beat him.
The audience in the hall was also shocked when they saw the reputed and undefeatable marine beaten up by a woman.

“You bastard, you were there on the battlefield……. You were with them what did you do to help them?”

She kept shaking him “Why? Why? Why? Why?” Her tears fall over Garp as he looked at her with surprise “Why did you stand by and let Ace die?”

It made sense to the audience that she was connected with Ace and the news of his death had caused her breakdown. Ace himself was shocked. He always thought that Dadan didn’t care but now seeing her beating Garp his misunderstanding was cleared. He knew at the mere mention of Grandpa’s name she shivered but now she was fighting him because he didn’t help him. Suddenly Ace wanted to meet her.

“You chose your duty over your family? Hey, Garp, you are the hero of the Navy? Go to hell, you old bastard” She was sobbing and hitting him. The bandits were asking Dadan to ease up.

Ace was not upset with his grandfather because he knows he chose a path different from his. They have their destinations, loyalties, and promises.

“Why didn’t you do anything? Why didn’t you save him? You cold-blooded scum.” Garp was bleeding all over his face but he didn’t meet his eyes with Dadan.

Finally, Makino interfered and stood in front of the greying marine. “Stop it. Dadan-San”, she gave Dadan a determined look and shake her head negatively.

“Can’t you see Garp-San is taking it harder than anyone else, because he couldn’t help them even when he was there”

Garp looked down remembering both Ace and Luffy. Dadan’s tears rolled down again “That’s not true”

“That’s not true…...” Dadan cried again “The one who is having the hardest time is Luffy” Tears filled Makino’s eyes as bite her lips. Her memories were shown where little Ace was learning manners from Makino.

“Ok let’s start today’s lesson on how to express gratitude” Makino was sitting on a crate while Ace was standing in front of her and Luffy sitting beside him. They looked no more than 11 and 8.

The audience was awed by the children but couldn’t voice out their feeling because of the overall gloomy atmosphere.

“Yeah, let’s get started already,” Ace said with a serious face and Luffy cheered on him. “Oh, you got it, Ace”