Restaurant Stable
"Somebody stop that crazy dog!"
A noble young man shouted in distress:
"That's a purebred Alabasta warhorse I spent a fortune on importing from the Grand Line!"
"We're terribly sorry!"
One of the restaurant's security guards bowed apologetically. "We're really powerless here."
Doge had unleashed a terrifying level of combat strength.
The same guards who had previously subdued him with ease were now struggling not just to stop the rampaging big poodle—but nearly got seriously hurt themselves.
The noble was on the verge of tears, feeling as though his beloved steed's noble bloodline had been utterly defiled by this mad dog.
Even though… his beloved horse was male.
And it wasn't the only victim.
Several other fine horses had also fallen prey and now lay collapsed in the haystack nearby.
"This…"
Nami, face flushed, pointed at big poodle and asked Garen, "This is your mount?!"
Even the well-traveled Cat Burglar Nami couldn't handle such a shocking "battle scene."
Wallace quietly took a photo for the memories, then made a strange remark:
"Sir Garen really is... quite the unconventional one!"
Garen, covering his face in helpless embarrassment, said gloomily,
"He's not my mount!"
"I thought he ran back to the mountains already…"
"Sir Knight!"
The restaurant manager clearly didn't buy that explanation. He was anxiously urging,
"Please, just rein him in already!"
"Um…"
Garen hesitated. "I'll give it a try."
He raised his voice and shouted at Doge from several dozen meters away:
"You wicked beast, cease this madness at once!"
Big poodle paid no attention to his supposed "master."
He was very busy right now.
He had temporarily forgotten the terror brought on by Garen's giant sword.
"Surrender now!"
"Or I'll…"
Garen's voice faltered halfway through.
He could charge into battle against infamous pirates without hesitation—
But when it came to getting close to a giant rabid teddy dog, he honestly didn't have the guts.
Could he use Wing of Justice to launch a ranged attack?
Garen briefly entertained the idea but immediately rejected it.
That massive sword was his personal weapon—
He still needed it for future battles.
No way he was throwing it into this mess!
"Sir Knight?"
The manager pushed again, clearly losing patience.
"Um… that beast isn't easy to deal with right now."
Garen hesitated, then forced a thick-skinned smile.
"I'll deal with it later."
The farce finally came to an end, but the damage was already done.
All the horses that had suffered under big poodle's assault were premium stock, raised with great care by nobles and wealthy merchants.
The owners themselves had also sustained a great deal of mental trauma.
In the end, after a collective outcry from the restaurant guests, Garen had to pay 500,000 Berries in compensation on Doge's behalf.
And that wasn't all—
Some emotionally fragile guests couldn't bear to look at their traumatized mounts again,
So they forcibly sold them off to Garen on the spot.
Garen had to fork over an extra 1,000,000 Berries, becoming the reluctant new owner of several traumatized horses.
(The money was borrowed from Nami.)
As for where Nami got the money?
She'd recently stolen it from the Steel Blade Pirates.
She only managed to keep that loot thanks to Garen's righteous reputation as a knight.
As for how Garen—who had zero survival skills—didn't end up getting lost or starving in the forest…
Well, that was all thanks to big poodle guiding him.
So, all things considered…
Big poodle was fated to meet Garen today.
"Woof woof."
Doge was very pleased with this fated meeting too.
The giant dog even wagged his tail happily at Garen.
"Get lost!"
Garen raised his sword in frustration.
"Woof woof!"
Big poodle stood his ground.
He wasn't going back.
Though he was a big dog, Doge had intelligence on par with the many fantastical beasts of the One Piece world.
He knew his previous life was dull and repetitive.
He'd grown up in a remote, isolated mountain,
With only his long-dead parents for company.
No other large animals ever appeared.
So Doge spent all his time alone, training in the dragon-slaying techniques innate to his species.
But dragon-slaying required dragons.
And in that forest, there were only trees and rocks.
Doge was unwilling to give up,
But also afraid to leave the little world he was familiar with.
Until today—
A catalyst appeared:
A burly, musclebound "beautiful creature" stumbled into his life,
And brought him into the vibrant world beyond the mountains.
As the saying goes: A golden-scaled fish is no pond-dweller; once the storm comes, it becomes a dragon.
After years of secluded training, Doge had finally found the perfect stage to unleash his talent—
The restaurant stables.
Inside lived pampered noble steeds,
Strong-bodied and elegant, exuding an air of superiority.
They were initially dismissive of this outsider that barged into their domain.
But they soon learned they were wrong.
In his debut battle, big poodle made a splash—
A crushing victory.
And thus, Doge's ambitions awakened.
There were countless other "beautiful creatures" beyond the mountains,
Far more than he had ever imagined in both number and quality.
"Woof! Woof woof woof!"
Doge let out a bold, skyward howl.
"You're really taking that dog with us?"
Nami asked, clearly disturbed.
"Woof woof!"
Before Garen could reply, big poodle barked sharply at her.
Nami immediately crossed her arms over her chest and backed away several steps in fear.
As a woman, she had a deep-rooted fear of this curly-haired giant dog.
But Doge made a very human expression of disgust:
He had zero interest in Nami.
To him, her small and delicate frame wasn't even half as appealing as Garen's towering, muscular build—
Let alone those graceful, majestic warhorses.
"You perv dog!"
Offended by being rejected by a dog, Nami clenched her fists in frustration.
"What's with that face?!"
Doge proudly ignored her, his eyes full of disdain.
Smart, disobedient to women, ruthless in conquest—
He had an even more perfect protagonist template than Garen.
How could he lose face to an NPC like Nami?
"Alright, Nami."
Garen finally spoke, after a moment of contemplation.
But instead of deciding himself, he turned to Big poodle.
"Are you sure you want to come to sea with me?"
Doge understood perfectly.
He puffed out his chest in response, striking a heroic pose.
"Woof woof woof!"
"But you have to understand—"
"There might be days or even weeks at sea where we don't see a single living creature."
"Woof woof woof!"
Big poodle remained resolute, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
Even Nami, who had initially been against him, could vaguely see something in the dog's gaze—
A glimmer of… dreams.
"Alright then."
Garen nodded, and casually added:
"I thought we were just passing through, so I left you a little parting gift."
"I released the horses I bought from those guests back into your forest."
Big poodle froze for a moment.
"But now I realize…
That was a complete waste of good horses."
Garen said as he turned toward the docks.
"Let's go!"
"Woof…"
Big poodle hesitated.
Then looked back in the direction of the forest.
"Woof woof woof!"
He let out a loud howl and took off running—
Disappearing in moments.
"Huh…"
Watching their "new teammate" retreat, Nami couldn't help but comment dryly,
"Didn't he say he wanted to chase his dreams at sea?
Why'd he suddenly bolt?"
"I think I get it."
Garen said solemnly, as if translating the dog's thoughts.
"What he meant to say was—"
'Forget dreams. The girls are mine!'
............
[Note from the author:]
Due to reader feedback, the over-the-top parody character "Doge" has been removed from the story.
This chapter serves solely to forcefully write him off. ==
There will be no more dog-related chapters from here on out.
(End of Chapter)