Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don't own it.

 

Chapter 14– Back Again. 

 

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So there I was again, once more sailing through these treacherous seas where no wind blew, and dangerous beasts littered every corner of the ocean, some being bigger than the islands themselves. And once more, I am the one that has to row the boat and not only that, but this time I have a heavy gorilla onboard as well, along with Garp, who sleeps around all day, somehow managing to eat his crackers in his sleep.

 

And by far, the most bizarre thing is that this trip back to the Conami Islands is way easier for me than the trip to Troga ever was. Even though the load was heavier than ever, having a massive gorilla on board, I was zooming across the sea, my strong arms somehow never tiring even as I rowed nonstop for a full day.

 

Seeing my speed and knowing the distance between the me that first arrived on Troga and the me that had just left, I felt extra confident, and I was positive that I could get back to Shokuyasi Village in no time, and that is what I wanted to do. So I didn't stop for anything, not the Seakings that suddenly popped out to devour us, assured that Garp would protect us lest he risks capsizing and losing all his crackers again and not even to eat.

 

I didn't even stop when George waved some fruit at me for me to peel it so he could eat, but I did not. I plainly told him to ask Garp and ignored it after that. George wouldn't leave Garp in peace, so he had to peel the fruits for him, and with me officially no longer having feeding duty, I could focus on just purely rowing.

 

Add so here we are, in the part of the ocean where the wind actually blows, which would be great if we actually had any sails, except we did not, but this did signify that we were close to home. And there, upon the horizon, I could make out a dock that had multiple marines running around on it and one big marine ship parked there. It was the dock that we left from, where I first met Garp.

 

Finally, we had made it. Garp just ate his crackers and slept all day, only getting up to smack some Seakings and peel some fruit for George. And George himself was just the same, sleeping all day and only getting up to annoy Garp into peeling his fruits and eating them, and then there was me, who had been rowing nonstop all this time, never having stopped from Troga.

 

And yes, my arms burned, my forearms stung, and I couldn't feel my knuckles because of just how hard I was clenching onto my oar. But all of that paled in comparison to the intense relief that washed over me at the sight of my home island and the immense pride I felt for having completed this voyage in less than three days, a wild improvement.

 

"YES!! WE ARE FINALLY HERE, GARP-SAN!! LOOK, GEORGE, IT IS MY HOME, SHOKUYASI!!" The sight of my home forces my excitement to come bubbling up, and I can't help but shout to my compatriots. Incidentally waking George up, who sits up blearily and makes Garp lift his head out of his bag of snacks, his eyes narrowing at the sight of my village. 

 

"Shrimp, is there anywhere else we can dock? It would be better if we did not go to those docks and depart from our boat there." Garp speaks up, not wanting us to dock thee for some reason, making me look at him weirdly.

 

"Why? We are finally here, and we can finally get off this boat. Or is there a reason you don't want to get off there, maybe because your crew is there?" I look at him with suspicion, suspecting that he does not want to see his crew just yet. I bet he only intends to skive off work even more and relax a bit longer before Bogard comes to see him and drags him off to actually do his job.

 

"Shut up, you dumb brat. What do you know? I don't want us to get off there because we have this giant stupid monkey with us, and while he is a fragile little thing, he will scare all of those civilians. That is why we need to find another place to dock so that George won't disturb any of the islanders.

 

Finding his reasoning to be on point and that it actually makes sense because George can be pretty scary up front when meeting him for the first time. So I quickly begin to row to the left, deciding to go around to the left side of the island, where I know a deserted beach we can dock at. Luckily we are far away enough that no one on the island or the docks can spot us unless they would be looking through a telescope, so we easily divert our curse with no one the wiser.

 

As I continue to row, I take the opportunity to look out at my island, taking in the familiar sights and enjoying them while Garp munches on his crackers. However, George is also looking around and appreciating the surroundings, curious about my home. As we move, the forests on the coast of the island begin to become sparse before the trees disappear altogether, leaving only a sandy beach upon which I beach the boat.

 

And then, in the distance, I can see a shoddy little shack that is half broken down, with all of the pain having been washed off. The wood making it up is cracked and split. I can see quite a few holes in the walls, though they are blocked up on the inside. Once the boat comes to a stop, I jump out of the ship carrying my book with me and begin to walk over to my home, the home that I made a commitment to when I said I would make it into a fricking mansion, and I don't plan on going back on that.

 

"Good choice, brat. It seems no one lives around here; this place is deserted. Just look at that shitty house over there. It is all broken down. There is no way anybody lives in a shithole like that." Garp exclaims happily, stepping out of the boat and carrying his big sack of snacks on his back. He just casually insults my home, the only place I have, with a big smile on his face.

 

"That is my house." I deadpan at him, and I watch the big smile on his face freeze in place as my words ring out into the empty air. George himself has also climbed out of the boat and is now wandering around on the beach, looking every which way and pawing at the sand, which is definitely very different from the sand on the shores of Troga.

 

"Hm? Oh, really? Haha, well, then you are a terribly bad owner. Look at this place. It is falling apart. You should really look after your home better, boy." Garp catches himself and resumes walking, and instead of apologising, he doubles down on what he said and continues to talk shit about my home, and he isn't wrong.

 

"I know, it is broken down, but it was like this when I got it. And that is why I have this book. I am learning how to build, and I am going to fix this place up. In a few years, you won't even recognise the place." So I say, holding out the book for Garp to see, proving my point. I will admit that the shack wasn't exactly like this when I got it. I did trip one night and put my hand through one of the thin walls making another hole, but that is neither here nor there.

 

"Oh, so that is why you were reading a book, it was because you needed to. No wonder, those things are so boring with all those words and letters." So Garp muses as I turn and walk over to a single tree that stands out in this sandy expanse like a lone boat surrounded by the sea. Reaching the tree, I kneel down and start to use my hand to brush away the sand, scrapping handful after handful of sand away from the side of the tree.

 

"What are you doing? Is there something buried under this tree? Is it treasure? But... only pirates hide and dig up treasure. You aren't secretly a pirate, are you, brat?" Garp annoyingly asks me various questions over my shoulders as I work hard to unearth the object hidden beneath this tree, even though they are hurting like hell after all the rowing. Still, I need to do this since I can't simply walk into town dressed as I am or, more accurately, as undressed as I am.

 

"YES!" I exclaim, grabbing onto the object hidden beneath the sand and whipping it above my head, raising it into the air in triumph. And then I immediately bring my arm back down and clutch it, having strained it by suddenly whipping it up and outstretching it when it was already very sore.

 

"Is that a key?" Garp states the obvious, looking down at the sand-encrusted metal key in my grasp. I start to dust the key off since it won't work correctly if it is dirty, and I don't particularly want the sand to get into the lock the key is for in case it somehow messes up the mechanism.

 

"Yes," I answer simply. It is a key, the key to my front door. When I learned I would be going on a trip with Garp for training, I made sure to sort out my belongings and assets accordingly. The only thing I had to sort out on this island was the weekly stipend I received from Mummy Mee, which I won't be able to collect while on the trip. 

 

So I told Mummy Mee that I got some non-paying work experience on a ship for a couple of weeks and would have no money when I returned. So that she could save my money for me, and when I return, I can collect it, having a surplus built up as I thought Garp would be putting me up for free, food and board. I hid the money I did have under one of the floorboards in my house but then came the issue of my house key.

 

I couldn't store it inside my house. Since then, I would not have been able to unlock it, but I had nowhere else to keep it. I could have given it to Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee to look after, but I feared that if they had the key, they would come over to keep the place clean and look after it. And if they did that, then they would see the state of disrepair my home was in and realise that they were tricked and bought a broken down house for me.

 

I didn't want that. As the kind and generous people they are, I know Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee would feel incredible guilt and shame for giving me this broken-down house even though they were tricked into it, and they didn't even have to procure a home for me. So I decided to just hide my key for the time being, and I decided to bury it here in front of this tree, deep under the sand, and now I have gotten it back.

 

Turning around, I walk off and up to my front door, using my key to open the door and enter my home, and then when Garp tries to follow me inside, I slam the door shut behind me, keeping him out. He goes to join me inside, but I quickly yell that I am getting changed, which stays his hand. I take off my ratty blue shorts and throw them onto my bed, uncaring of the dust on top of it and all around the room. I then walk up to my wardrobe and grab some new clothes, though I am not spoiled for choice since Garp flung all my other clothes into the ocean when I attempted to bring them with me.

 

I quickly throw on some baggy beige shorts and a simple red vest, leaving it open and exposing my chest. After all this time when I was practically wearing some underwear, I really don't see the need to wear too many clothes, and the weather doesn't really bother me after multiple weeks under the hot sun on Troga. 

 

One thing I am very happy about, though, is footwear. I hurriedly slip into some sandals and relish in the soft feeling under my feet. The sandals I wore to Troga were demolished long ago, and I had since been training barefoot, which didn't really bother me much when I was on the sand except maybe when it got insanely hot. Still, it was indeed problematic in the woods and on the rocks Garp forced me to train on top of.

 

Feeling refreshed in my new clothes, I close my wardrobe and walk over to a loose wooden board on the floor and lift it to see that the money I left is still there. So the rest of the money that has been accumulating while I was gone should be safe with Mummy Mee, who has been collecting it for me, ready for me to take. Placing the board back, I walk to the front door and open it to see Garp standing outside. And he goes to walk into my home, but I quickly step out and slam the door closed behind me, hurriedly taking my key and locking it. 

 

"Hey, what gives? I wanted to come in and rest my feet, this was a very tiring journey, and we need to rest for a bit." Garp says, disappointed that I had closed my home to him, and I easily ignore the fact he is acting like he has strained himself at all. I have become quite good at it after spending all that time together on Troga. Even if I did let him in, the only place to really sit is on my bed, as everything else would probably break under his weight. Plus, the whole house is in a state, not ready for guests.

 

"We are going to go to the docks, so you can join up with your crew again. We have been away a really long time, and I am sure they are missing you. They are probably running around like headless chickens without you." So I say to him as I walk away from my house, though really I have spent a bit too much time with the man and want to get some relief. I spot George in the distance, who is jumping around on the sand, having spotted a crab on the beach that he is curious about but cautious about as well.

 

"What, no way, Bogard is there, and he will have them all in tip-top shape." Garp deflects, trying his damnedest to not go back to work. For some reason, I think we diverted to my home because he didn't want to reveal himself to his marines and not because George would scare the villagers. I ignore him in favour of watching George's funny actions, with the crab continuing to move towards him and George having to hurriedly stumble back, trying to stay away from it and hopping from side to side.

 

"Garp-san, I already feel bad as it is. How will I feel keeping you away from your crew any longer? You are a marine, and it is your job to protect people and defeat the savage pirates that threaten them. The more time you spend here, the more time you spend not doing your job, saving the people that need to be saved. I have already kept you long enough. I can't keep you any longer." I bullshit with ease, coming up with a good and morally upstanding reason for Garp to leave me alone for a bit.

 

I continue walking towards George, who hasn't noticed me yet, and Garp remains behind me, and he doesn't say anything, staying silent. So either that means he has taken my quickly thought-up words to heart, or he simply can't come up with a good excuse after that and has to just remain silent.

 

"George, come here," I call, startling George, who whips his head around to look at me before realising what he has done and quickly turns back around to find that the crab is closer than before and quickly jumps back and then sprints off towards me. George skids o a stop in front of me, kicking up a lot of sand that blows against my face and forces me to close my eyes. When I open them back up, George is standing there, waiting for me to talk, but before I do so, I shake myself off and get rid of most of the sand on me.

 

"George, listen up. Me and Garp-san are going to leave for a while, but I will be back soon. Just stay here and don't run off. That house there is where I live, so just stick around. I will be back soon." So I tell George, who constantly turns around to look back at the crab as I talk, and when I stop, he once more glances back at the crab and contemplates for a moment before turning back to me and nodding his head. 

 

With that sorted, I turn around and walk towards the village path, walking straight past Garp, who just watches me go. I don't bother trying to convince him to follow me or anything since as soon as Bogard sees me, he will know that Garp is back if he doesn't already. Garp follows after me a moment later, joining me on the walk to the village, which I am excited to see after all this time.

 

"Haah, I suppose you are right, shrimp. I have already stayed away long enough, and that annoying Sengoku will be angry at me if I delay any longer." He says, mentioning someone called Sengoku, and given the context, it must be another marine and most likely Garp's superior. It is good to know that this guy isn't in charge of any big decisions and that there is someone above him to supervise and ensure he doesn't mess anything up.

 

For the rest of the journey, we are pretty silent, except for Garp occasionally pointing out a thing or two and asking a question which I answer for him if it isn't a dumb question. I mostly spend my time looking around my surroundings and taking it all in. I don't know how long we were precisely on that island, but I felt like it was a long time, and I had forgotten these surroundings.

 

"Detoro-Kun, it is good to see you."

 

"Finally back, eh, Detoro-san. How was your apprentice training?" 

 

"Detoro-chan, how are you? How did you get so tan? Tell me your secret." 

 

When we finally entered the village, many of the villagers began to greet me with waves and big smiles, happy to see me. Somehow they even knew that I had gone on a trip, and I only told Mummy Mee that I was going, and I told her it was an apprenticeship on a boat, so she must have told everyone. However, I am ashamed to say that I still don't know any of the villagers' names. In fact, I don't remember anyone's name except for Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee, not even the other kids.

 

I continued to walk through the village, looking around and taking all the buildings that I hadn't seen for months, talking to the villagers and answering their questions to the best of my ability. Although I didn't know how to answer the young woman who enquired about my secret for being so tan, I didn't even realise my skin had become tanner after all that time in the sun. I even saw the bookstore owner who asked about the book he sold me and if I had built anything, and I told him I had, which he was pleased to hear.

 

And finally, we had made it to the docks, where there were a bunch of marines standing around orderly on the pier, looking fully disciplined as they did regimented work and movements that looked clean and swift, loading supplies onto the boat. I am surprised that these lazy idiots that made so much trouble and mess for me are now acting appropriately like marines should be.

 

"G-Garp-san? V- VICE ADMIRAL GARP! YOU ARE BACK!" One of the Marines looks up and notices us walking down the docks towards them. They do a double take and then shout aloud as if they can't believe it. And his words alert the other marines, who all drop what they are doing and look up towards Garp as if their hopes have been answered.

 

"GARP-SAN, I- NO, GARP-SAMA, PLEASE DON'T EVER LEAVE AGAIN!!"

 

"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH, VICE ADMIRAL!! WE WERE LOST WITHOUT YOU!!"

 

"NEVER LEAVE AGAIN!! DON'T ABANDON US!!"

 

"DON'T LEAVE US WITH BOGARD EVER AGAIN!! HE IS SO STRICT AND DEMANDING. WE AREN'T USED TO IT!!!"

 

They all start to shout, happy that Garp is back and pleading for Garp to never leave again, passing it off as if they missed him and couldn't function without him. Though that last guy let his true feelings slip through, and I am pretty sure he speaks the truth for everyone, however, his voice is lost in the chaos, and I might have been the only one to hear it.

 

It seems that Garp is usually lax and not too strict with all of his underlings, just like I experienced when they continually made a mess for me trying to win the prize Garp offered them. But when me and Garp left for our training trip, Bogard obviously became acting leader and took command of all the men, and it is clear he ran a tight ship, which the crew was not used to. 

 

Hearing the commotion, Bogard appears on top of the ship and looks down at us. Garp doesn't seem to notice, being overwhelmed by the screams of his crew, and he smiles, feeling happy to be missed and wanted so much. He scratches the back of his head embarrassedly.

 

"All of you, load everything onto the ship immediately. Have it done in twenty seconds flat, and prepare to sail. We are leaving." Bogard says, walking down the plank from the big marine ship and onto the dock, all of the crew groans at his orders, but it has clearly been instilled in them to follow his orders as they quickly do so.

 

"Detoro-Kun, it is good to see you. It seems the training has served you well. Garp-san, we are leaving." Bogard greets me before grabbing onto Garp, who doesn't realise what is going on, and he starts to drag him off towards the ship, leaving me standing on the dock, not knowing what to do.

 

"What, why? Bogard, let's relax for a moment. I just got back. We can leave tomorrow." Garp tries to protest and find any way to delay his leaving, but Bogard is having none of it. He continues to drag Garp off towards the ship, and while I think Garp could easily resist, he doesn't for some reason.

 

"We need to leave now, Garp-san. You have been gone too long, and a lot of stuff has happened. Red-haired Shanks robbed a world government ship and ran off with the loot. He stole a devil fruit as well. More importantly, every single person on Minion Island has been killed. We need to leave now." I am shocked to hear such things leave Bogard's mouth, a confirmation that those mystery fruits that grant powers are real and the fact that the entire population on an island has been genocided, though I have never heard of the island before.

 

"That damned Roger brat. What the hell has gone on while I wasn't looking? Set sail for headquarters. The Minion Island incident is much more important than that stupid red hair" Garp, hearing Bogard, pulls his arm free and walks onto the ship of his own free will. Bogard follows behind him, and a few moments later, the ship is sailing off into the distance, leaving me standing there blankly watching.

 

He just left, just like that. 

 

I don't know how to feel. I-

 

I am tired. I am going home to my bed.