Chapter Text
Garp dreamed of the ocean, floating within it and seeing nothing but blue. A color of comfort and agony for him. He drifted aimlessly, not another sign of life could be seen. Suddenly he saw a bright light that pulled him to it, he could hear someone crying. Why did it sound familiar? "I wish things could be different." A voice echoed out and suddenly he was drowning.
Garp awoke to someone holding his nose closed. Springing from his bed he punched at them wildly but didn't manage to hit anything. Once the sleep wore off he looked around and was met with a man who didn't seem human when he looked close enough. "Who are you?"
The thing smirked lightly, "I'm a friend of your grandson if you will."
Garp immediately pushed the man into the wall and held his forearm to their throat with his other raised and ready to attack. "If you hurt Luffy I swear I will end you." Garp's voice was low and his eyes burned bright with rage.
"How else am I to describe what I am?" The thing wasn't even struggling to breathe, for that matter it didn't even look like it was breathing.
"Explain." Garp didn't move a single muscle as he stared the thing down, because it wasn't human or any other race from this world that he knew of.
"I guess you could say I'm from the future. I'm the embodiment of a wish Luffy made, here to make it come true." Garp didn't believe him. "He became the King of the Pirates. He got an amazing crew and sailed the world. But the Marines hunted them down and made him watch as they were executed one by one. They took his smile." Garp wanted to deny that the Marines were that cruel but he knew the truth. While he had surrounded himself with Marines who truly cared for a kind justice he knew that ones like Akainu believed in Absolute Justice, a cruel justice.
"What do you mean they took his smile?" Garp couldn't for the life of him see Luffy without a smile. His grandson was more lively than any beast and smiled brighter than the sun itself. It was impossible to imagine him not laughing and smiling, inconceivable.
"They killed his brothers before his eyes. Ace and Sabo." Garp's eyes widened at those names, "His crew was his family and each of them was executed before his eyes and he couldn't do anything to save them. He was forced to be alone in the world, all of his allies were executed as well out of fear for them trying to stop the execution of the Pirate King who saved them all. They took everything." The thing spoke softly, trying to explain to Garp that it was from the future.
Garp shook, wishing that what the creature said wasn't true, but he knew the cruel Marines who believed in Absolute Justice would go that far. "Then why are you here?"
"The night before his execution he saw a shooting star and made a wish. For things to be different. So here I am, granting his wish for things to be different." Garp moved away from what was apparently a living star here to grant his Grandson's future wish, and wasn't that confusing?
"Why me?" Why had this wish-granting being come to him? Why choose him when Luffy apparently had multiple allies from the future, why not any of them?
"You're his grandfather, despite your loyalty to the Marines you are far more loyal to your family and would do anything for them. I have a way for you to change things while ensuring Luffy will get the same crew as last time, maybe even more this time around. But I can't do that, I am only able to guide things along, I can't force anything to happen." The creature summoned a book into existence and tossed it to the Vice Admiral. "You can though, in that book are a series of events you have to change and people you need to kill, even one or two items you need to find. The events have dates and locations for when they happen. Follow them and your grandson will never lose his smile. Will become an amazing pirate who changes the world for the better." It stared at him, knowing his thoughts, "You won't be able to do it as a Marine."
Garp gripped the book with white knuckles as he took a deep breath. He knew the answer even without the creature telling him. And he couldn't care. His family was far more important to him than the Marines and he would sacrifice everything to keep them safe. "Fine then. Thank you, for helping me protect Luffy."
The creature smiled, "The ocean was practically screaming at me to do it. Your grandson is favored by many beings, even now. I wish you luck, Monkey D. Garp."
With a flash of light, the creature was gone, and the book was still in his hands. Garp stared at it for a moment before opening to the first page.
Stop Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante's Death (North Blue, Minion Island)
Garp stared at the familiar name, a child he had helped Sengoku raise, he didn't know how it would help Luffy but he couldn't question something from the future. He didn't know how to bring the Wish back. Closing the book and taking a shuttering breath, Garp took his coat off and left it on his bed before walking out the door. The night watch didn't question his walking about, used to his irregular sleep habits. Walking to the docks he stared at his own ship but knew he couldn't take it. 'I can get a better one later.' Climbing aboard a smaller ship that he knew he could handle by himself he got ready to set sail.
"Vice Admiral, where are you going?" Looking behind him he was met with one of the night watch. The Marine didn't care, having seen Garp do all sorts of odd things in the past, he just needed to know in case Sengoku asked.
"Decided the stars were beautiful tonight, wanted to see them better." The man let out a sigh and walked away, people knew Garp would sometimes do strange things and in comparison to everything else, this was tame.
Getting the ship out Garp stared at the sky before he prepared to set course. To protect his grandson's smile.