[Discontinued] Two Birds, a Crocodile, and a Little Bit of Everyone

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight: The Little Princess

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The air was cool as the wind entered through the open window, smelling of salt. He could hear the marching of the marine soldiers as he sifted through the papers on his desk, a tired look in his eye. Garp was tired. There was nothing interesting that ever went on around Marine Ford, and it was irritating. He wanted back the days when you were still young, running around the base without a care in the world, never daring to set a foot off the base.

He wished that he had never succumbed to Sengoku's decision to bring you to Mary Geoise in the first place, attracting the attention of very important people.

And yet what of you? What about your freedom? You were happy now weren't you? Shouldn't he be happy too? That his unofficial granddaughter was happy now as her life training to be a.. a pirate.

Should he have pestered you? To tell you that it was a mistake, like he did with those other brats? So why didn't he? Was it because he already saw that you would have turned eventually, that he knew that Red-Haired Shanks or Luffy would do something to guarantee you to become one of them? Why didn't he step his foot down on it when he heard it come out of your mouth?

Was it because of how happy you looked, with those sparkles in your eyes? Was it because he knew how life on Marine Ford was no place for a child? That you were constantly isolating yourself from the rest of the world? Was it because he felt that he should have been a better guardian for you, and felt that this was the right decision?

Was it the right decision?

The snap of a pencil caused him to look down at his hands, sighing in realization that he had snapped it out of frustration. The broken fragments littered the small children's picture book that sat on his desk, title written beautiful golden characters/letters The Little Princess, a book that you loved with all of your heart. And because you loved it so much, he had taken good care of it. He quickly brushed the broken pencil off.

Sometimes he wondered if it was a coincidence that you loved the book so much, or perhaps that there was something bigger at play that he wasn't noticing. Did you know? You probably didn't, but he knew it wasn't wise to underestimate you. He sighed. There wasn't a day that passes by that Garp didn't think of you, and how you were doing surrounded by those damn shichibukai. And he knew that that frustration he was feeling was the same to those that you were close with, here in Marine Ford.

Garp shivered, remembering the reaction of Akainu. That was certainly not a pleasant memory. Thank god that he had Kizaru and Aokiji to restrain the man from causing a disturbance. If those two weren't there, Garp was sure that the Admiral would have kidnapped you and reprimanded you or some sort. Man that man was extreme.

A crash downstairs caused him to remember that there was in fact, a few people that kept the place lively.

"Eh? Saka-chan, you're flipping a table again?"

"Get the fuck out of my office, and don't call me 'Saka-chan'."

"You guys woke me up from my nap."

The Vice Admiral put his hands together and prayed. "Dear lord, please have mercy and bring Y/n back to us."

And they were the most terrible of company, especially after you left.

* * *

"Captain, I think you should take a break."

"Not now, Bepo." Law flipped the page of his book, taking in as much information as he could get.