"So, you're certain of this? You're aware you can ask for more, right?"
"Ha! And make it too easy? Dream on! If I'm gonna indulge in delusion anyway, might as well make it interesting."
"..."
"And if you're wrong, and this is real?"
"Then that's on me!"
"..."
*Sigh*
"Very well then... foolish soul"
.
.
.
Loguetown, two days after transmigration.
Sprawled out on a patch of grass, deflated, a young lad could be seen staring blankly at the sky, coming to grips with his new reality.
His eyes were devoid of life, not because of where he was, but what he'd squandered.
"..."
"...Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-"
.
.
.
*Cough*
"Damn, when's the next shift change?"
"..."
"20 minutes... ugh, better than nothing I guess."
Guarding the entrance to the Loguetown Marine Base, a marine was trying to pass the time before an annoyingly familiar voice interrupted his peace.
"I did it."
"Huh?"
"I did what you asked me to."
"...Like hell you did, go back to playing around and stop pestering me, kid."
In response to the dismissal, Reid, the transmigrator, calmly walked over to a nearby tree before punching it, leaving a clear indent.
He then walked back and showed his knuckles to the marine that had dismissed his claim, showing his unharmed hand to him.
"See? Perfectly fine, just like you asked, now let me join the marines."
Unable to deny what he was seeing, the marine felt a headache coming along.
He recalled telling Reid he could become a marine when he could punch a dent into a tree without being harmed about a week ago to get him to stop bothering him for good.
He'd never actually believed Reid could pull it off.
So, faced with someone clearly still too young to enlist, the marine resolved himself to simply fall through on his 'promise' before a loud, booming voice startled him.
"Bwahaha! What's all this I'm hearing about letting a snot nose brat into the marines?"
Goosebumps spreading through ought his body, the marine stiffly turned toward the voice's origin, his eyes widening in horror as his fear was confirmed.
It was the renown Marine Hero, Vice Admiral Garp.
But why the hell was he here?!
"V-v-vice Admiral G-Garp, I n-never thought the kid would pull it off, I-I swear."
Terrified, the marine frantically tried to explain himself to Garp.
Fortunately for him, Garp didn't seem particularly interested in reprimanding him.
"Hear that brat? Ya ain't joining any time soon."
"But keep it up, and you'll get there."
Smirking, Garp still made sure to provide Reid some encouragement as a courtesy.
However, undeterred, Reid smirked back, defiantly.
"Oi."
"You, train me!"
Not expecting the response, Garp's smirk faltered.
"Old man, you're a marine too, right? Train me."
Seeing Reid had no intention of giving up, Garp became frustrated.
"Ya got wax in your ears brat? I just told you-"
But Reid cut him off before he could finish.
"Nonono, you can't do that."
"I was promised I could be a marine if I completed a task, and I did, so you have to accept me, see?"
Correspondingly, Reid pulled out a crumpled piece of marine propaganda that was plastered all around Lougetown.
It depicted a crude cartoon of a friendly looking marine and a rabid looking pirate.
Above it was the text:
{Pirates lie, marines don't.}
{TRUST MARINES.}
Originally, he had planned to use it as a way to emotionally blackmail the marine guarding the front door to let him join as a chore boy.
But then Garp showed up.
After being shown the now uncrumpled propaganda, it was clear Garp was reaching his breaking point.
So, through gritted teeth, he gave Reid a warning.
"...I won't say this gain, brat."
"Leave if ya know what's good for ya."
Having achieved his intended goal, Reid didn't stall before switching gears.
Putting on a betrayed look, he re-crumpled the paper, threw it on the ground, and turned around, storming off while making sure to speak loud enough Garp could still hear.
"Ugh, fine, I'll just go be a pirate then!"
Reid then paused briefly, as though he'd reached some sort of enlightenment, making sure to switch his tone from frustrated to excited.
"You know what? This is perfect actually, I can just set sail now."
"Yea."
"Screw justice!"
"YEA!"
"I'LL JUST BE KING OF THE PIRATES!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA-"
And thus, as intended, a switch flipped within Garp, who had just returned from Foosha Village to spend some 'quality time' with Luffy.
So, before he could even stop laughing manically, Reid found himself held up from the ground by the head as Garp grinned demonically.
"Ya got parents?"
Hearing this, Raid grinned back.
"None."
Sensing no lie, Garp didn't waste another moment.
"Congrats then, welcome to hell."
Not even a second later, Reid found himself halfway to Garp's ship, the Hounder.
.
.
.
"Oh, Vice Admiral, you're back."
"Wait, what's with the kid?"
Having been waiting for Garp's return for quite a bit now, the marine in charge of logistics on Garp's ship was glad to see him back.
The sight of an unknown child did worry him slightly, though.
Reid noticed this.
So, not an ounce of hesitation, he looked at the Marine innocently and smiled as he joyfully said:
"He kidnapped me!"
Alarm bells blaring in the logistics marine's mind, he swiftly made eye contact with Garp, desperately seeking an explanation.
Especially as the attention of more and more marines on board locked onto them.
Unfortunately for him, this was Garp.
"Damn right."
"Phew, I see, that makes sens-"
Then, his, and everyone else's minds caught up with Garp's words, and all hell broke loose.
"HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH?!?!?!"