onepiece_300 | *salutes back* Reporting in for duty! (Reply)

Title: To Believe in What is Right

Rating: G

Media: fic

Characters: Garp, Tsuru, Sengoku (in their youth)

Word Count: 300

Prompt: Justice

Honestly, I've been itching to write fanfics about these three ever since I saw that awesome picture of them as young marines that was released with Film Z but couldn't decide where to start. This prompt came at a great time. Thanks,

night_mare_chan!
To those of you who haven't seen the picture: http://25.media.tumblr.com/b8d8446a1420bd1b3d7ac8a617b988be/tumblr_mf8p05EAvp1rj4yw0o1_500.jpg

Alright, I'm done with my ramblings. Hope you enjoy reading the drabble as much as I enjoyed writing it!

“Say, Tsuru-chan, what made you want to be a Marine?”

This question was proposed out of the blue by the young man stretched out lazily on the deck of the ship.

The young woman spared a moment to give his careless appearance an exasperated glance before she continued to clean her rifle. “Why did you become a Marine?” she said in lieu of answering.

“But I asked you first,” Garp complained. When Tsuru didn’t respond, he sighed. “Honestly? I wanted to see the world, but not on the wrong side of the law. A selfish reason, isn’t it?”

“If it leads you to good, it’s sometimes acceptable to be selfish.”

“Is that so…” Garp looked thoughtful. “Anyway, Tsuru-chan, you haven’t answered my question yet.”

Tsuru was quiet for a moment. “My wish is to cleanse evil from this world. If Justice can lead me towards it, I will walk this path.”

“I think, in our own way, we all believe in that,” a new voice contributed.

“How about you, Sengoku? Why are you a Marine?”

“To uphold Justice, of course,” he answered simply as he joined them on the sunny deck.

Garp laughed. “What a noble answer, as expected of you.”

“Justice… If men are corrupt, then what is Justice?”

“That is a dangerous thing to say, Tsuru.”

“But have you never thought of the possibility? If one day we can no longer believe in Justice, what then?”

Those words shook something, deep down.

“I want to believe in Justice,” Garp said suddenly, breaking the silence.

“As do I.”

Tsuru looked at her friends, whose eyes shone with their conviction, and smiled. “Me too.”

Years later, as two of the three handed in their resignation letters, each remembered that conversation from a lifetime ago.

What then?

They didn’t know anymore.