[OP] Matchless 無双 / AceLu

01 PROLOGUE: A New Guardian

A black haired marine stayed seated on the wooden floor with his legs crossed on top of one another. His fists were on both of his knees as he grit his teeth.

"What is he doing?" A mountain bandit whispered, trying to get a look at whatever ritual the old marine was performing on his... adopted grandson. Soon enough, a pile of mountain bandits were doing the same thing, all shoving each other around.

"Aah-" a toddler's voice began to babble. All of their eyes widened, anticipating what the boy was about to say.

But sadly, they were interrupted by a large woman, who stormed in rather abruptly, "What's with all this commotion??" Her booming voice instantly made all the bandits collapse on top of one another, making the door fly open.

The woman looked around, shifting her cigarette to the other side of her mouth as she lifted an eyebrow, "What are you all doing huddled up in one place? Go prepare dinner!"

The men groaned as they replied disappointedly in unison, "Yes, boss..."

The woman stood there, tapping her foot while she watched them leave one by one. She shook her head and walked into the room, "Garp??" She gasped, jolting backward slightly.

"Dadan!!" The old marine yelled a reply in a rather irritated tone. He pushed himself up from his knees and crossed his arms.

"G-Garp-san!! What are you doing here??" The orange haired woman, said to be called 'Dadan' asked in shock, in the most polite way a mountain bandit could muster up.

The marine, Garp, narrowed his eyes at her and shouted impatiently, "You just made me miss Ace's first word!"

"A-Ace?" Dadan squeaked, then she looked down and caught sight of the toddler, who was staring right back at her. Dadan jumped, her eyes bulging outward, "Holy shit! Th-That's...!"

"Dadan, shut it! You can't say that in front of a kid like that! You already scared him enough!" The curly haired woman gulped and glanced at the little boy. He didn't look like he was even a bit intimidated.

"He-He's *his* son?" Dadan whispered through her teeth.

Garp nodded, "Yeah." Was the blunt reply.

"O-Okay?? Well what is he doing in my house, what are you doing in my house??" Dadan said cautiously, "...Garp-san!" She added, for safety.

"I'm dropping him off."

"You're dropping him- What??!" Dadan screamed. Garp waited.

"Okay.. okay.. let me get this straight.. you're dropping this.. this.. baby... *his* baby... off! To a buncha.. scary mountain bandits to look after??"

Garp nodded.

Dadan narrowed her eyes, seeing that Garp didn't get her point. "N-Garp-san!! Y-You can't do that!! What about the kid?? He's gonna miss you so much if you leave him here with strangers!"

Garp nodded. Dadan panicked more.

"Garp-san, please! We can't take care of a damned baby!! How can you feel safe entrusting *his* child to.. us?? I mean, we feel *beyond honored*, but this is simply too much to-"

"Either this or eternal prison." Garp stated coldly. Dadan shut her mouth immediately.

"Y-Yes Garp, sir!" She said quickly.

"Good, good." The marine chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets, starting to walk out of the house, "Take good care of him!"

"Hey, hang on!! Are you permanently making him stay here??" Dadan hurriedly called after him.

"Yeah, as long as I'm busy! Make sure he grows up to be a good marine!" Garp added from a distance, and beginning to whistle, carefree.

The entire mountain was silent as the noisy old marine left.

"How.. long would that be, Boss?" A mountain bandit, Dogra asked.

"I.. don't know..." Dadan grew more and more worried as she stated the words.

She snapped out of it, throwing her cigarette on the grass as she stomped on it angrily, "Great!! Stupid arrogant Garp thinks we can raise a child, and.. and.. THAT man's son, he's THAT MAN's.... " Dadan shivers as she thinks of the name, and then grunts in disappointment.

"There's no other way. It's this or prison for life, Boss, I guess we can only think that it's for the best." Mogra, another mountain bandit commented, in hopes of calming the woman down,"Besides, we can probably get used to keeping him, we'll help out!"

Dadan sighed, "Yeah. That's true... hey speaking of that little rascal, where is he right now?"