Work Text:
It was no use.
Despite his many attempts, his little brother will never listen to him. He will keep fighting for him. There must be a way, a way to get his precious little brother out of here.
There was a way. But he has to break a promise, a promise between him and Luffy. A secret only he and Luffy knows. Will Luffy still trust him after he breaks his promise?
"Gramps!" Ace yelled out loud. Everyone on the battlefield looked at him.
Garp gazed at him, waiting for him to continue.
"It was Luffy!" Luffy looked up at his brother in confusion.
"Nine years ago, Luffy ate the last piece of meat you saved for your next visit! And then he blamed it on the bandits!" Garp's fist tightened. Luffy's eyes gaped open.
"I know this because I saw him eat it! I was covering up for him!" Ace panted heavily from all that yelling. He opened his eyes to see that enraged look from his grandfather and little brother. But his grandfather's glare wasn't directed at him, it was directed to Luffy. And Luffy's glare was directed at him. Shit.
"Ace! You said not to tell anyone! You promised!" Luffy started to tear up. Ace felt guilty for making him cry.
The Fleet admiral saw that Garp was no longer in his seat. He was walking on the battlefield. "Garp! I didn't tell y-"
"Quiet! Sengoku! This is a family matter between grandfather and grandson." Garp walked towards his grandson. Luffy backed up at each step his grandfather took.
"Gramps!" Luffy stops backing away when his grandfather stops walking. "I can explain!"
"Call me Grandpa! You brat!" Garp raised his fist, ready to give the rubber boy a fist of love. Luffy managed to dodge the hit. "I saved that last piece of meat on purpose!" Garp raised his fist again. "It was a special type of meat that you could only find in some places in East Blue!"
Luffy raised his hands to protect himself from the upcoming blow. "I didn't-" Luffy expected a fist to collide with his head, but instead, there was nothing. But there were sounds of droplets hitting the ground.
"It was for your birthday."
What?
"I was saving the last piece of meat because I know you wanted it. I didn't get you anything for your seventh birthday, so I got one for your eighth birthday." Garp teared up.
"Grandpa...." Tears start to form in the grandson's eyes.
"I didn't even get you anything this year, since you had already gone to become a pirate before I could even visit you again. I also didn't get Ace anything three years ago on his birthday too."
"Shitty geezer..." Ace looked away, trying to stop the tears that were coming out of his eyes.
"I'm a failure as a grandfath-"
"YOU'RE NOT!" Both grandsons shouted in union.
"You're the best grandpa I could ever ask for! You're definitely not the best grandfather out there, but you're trying your best!"
"Luffy's right! Gramps! Whitebeard might be my Pops, but you will always be our shitty geezer!" After listening to the words of his precious grandsons, he pulled Luffy into a hug.
"I have... I have the best grandsons!" Garp broke down into tears.
The people around them watched as the emotionally heartwarming scene played in front of them. Most teared up, the others didn't react.
The execution had to be postponed after that.