One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

Spandam couldn't stand it any longer and waved his hand. A row of men in suits appeared behind him instantly.

However, before the men in suits could follow Spandam's orders, they were blown away by a sudden gust of wind, crashing hard against the edge of the deck.

Whoosh!

Spandam, still in shock, felt a gust of wind before Dragon appeared right in front of him.

Spandam's eyes widened in fear, and he stammered,

"You..."

Snap!

Dragon grabbed Spandam by the neck and lifted him off the ground, saying coldly,

"Who do you represent?!"

Garp watched from behind, arms folded, but spoke up,

"Okay, Dragon, you can't be so rude to officials of the World Government. That's enough!"

Dragon sneered, staring at Spandam's terrified face.

"I'm going to finish this today..."

Before Dragon could finish, a flash of blood cut through the air, and Dragon's body was suddenly hurled against the wall of the room behind him.

Spandam dropped to his knees with a thud. When he saw who had saved him, he ignored the bruises on his neck and hugged the man's legs, crying,

"Admiral Black Dragon! You finally came! I was almost strangled to death by that Dragon!"

The man who had arrived was Carl. He glanced down at Spandam and said softly,

"I saw everything. You've been wronged."

Tears of relief immediately streamed down Spandam's face. Fearing he might dirty Carl's clothes, he quickly straightened his upper body while staying kneeling.

"Admiral Black Dragon, I'm only doing my duty for you. A little suffering is nothing!"

Carl pressed a hand on Spandam's shoulder and said,

"Stand back. I'll handle this myself."

"As you command, Admiral!"

Spandam scampered to Carl's back, looking at him with deep admiration.

In the room, Garp had already pulled Dragon out of the wreckage. Dragon's abdomen was smeared with blood, five deep puncture wounds clearly visible.

Garp shot a furious glare at Carl, who stood calmly at the door. Even though Garp was usually carefree, seeing his son beaten like this made his blood boil. The sharp claws on Carl's right hand slowly retracted as he spoke with an expressionless face,

"Vice Admiral Garp, Spandam is anr official sent by the World Government. Your son attacked him without provocation. What punishment should he face for his crime?"

Garp roared in response,

"Nonsense! It was Spandam who sent his lackeys to attack us first!"

Carl's face remained unchanged. He tapped his ear and said,

"But I distinctly heard you mocking Spandam first. His men were knocked unconscious by Dragon before they could even act. I didn't hear Spandam give any order to attack."

Spandam nodded vigorously from behind Carl, his expression eager.

Garp was momentarily speechless. Dragon, next to him, coughed up blood, a faint trickle running down his mouth. Garp's rage flared once more as he pointed at Carl and shouted,

"Forget all that! You went too far!"

Carl raised an eyebrow, bloodlust emanating from his body. He took a step toward Garp, his voice chillingly cold,

"So, you're just going to ignore the facts?"

Garp's fists turned black as they were enveloped in Haki. He narrowed his eyes and spoke deliberately,

"So what if I am?"

Crack!

The walls and floor began to fracture. The tension in the room was suffocating.

Just as Garp and Carl were about to clash, Dragon suddenly intervened.

"Admiral Black Dragon, I was wrong. Please forgive me!"

Garp froze and turned to Dragon in disbelief.

"What?!"

Dragon shot Garp a pleading look and shouted,

"Stop, father!"

Despite the pain in his abdomen, Dragon stood up, bowing deeply to Carl.

"Admiral Black Dragon, please forgive my father and me for our recklessness!"

Carl seemed momentarily surprised by Dragon's actions. He hesitated, and the bloodlust around him slowly dissipated. After a long glance at Dragon, Carl waved his hand.

Spandam, ever alert, rushed over and nervously asked,

"Admiral Black Dragon, did you call for me?"

Carl nodded and then looked at Dragon.

"The one you should truly apologize to is Spandam."

Both Dragon and Spandam blinked in confusion. Garp stepped forward angrily,

"Don't push it! Dragon can't—"

But before he could finish, Dragon had already walked over to Spandam, bowing his head in sincere apology.

Spandam pretended to be gracious, though he looked to Carl for approval. Once Carl gave a nod, Spandam made a show of forgiving Carl with a few condescending remarks. Dragon listened calmly, not taking the insults to heart. Compared to the likes of Aramaki, Spandam's words were nothing.

Sensing Carl's gaze, Spandam quickly fell silent and retreated behind him.

Dragon couldn't help but feel that something was off. Why was Spandam, a man who looked down on most, so deferential toward Carl? Just because Carl was an Admiral? That didn't seem plausible.

Though Garp held only the rank of Vice Admiral, his standing in the Navy was unique, and he could become an Admiral whenever he wished. Spandam, a senior World Government official, would certainly know this.

Dragon's suspicions deepened. Since Carl's arrival, Spandam had started acting as though he were Carl's subordinate—a strange dynamic for someone in Spandam's position.

Dragon was clearly more thoughtful than his father, Garp, who was still fuming.

Carl glanced at the five bloodied holes in Dragon's abdomen and spoke calmly,

"I'll let this go for now. Get your wound treated. We'll head to the Goa Kingdom soon. After all, it's time for a proper rest after being at sea for so long."

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+95 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg