"Ace, Sabo, and Luffy have gone astray. They're always talking about going out to sea and becoming pirates. This time, we can't let Damon be influenced by those three brats. He should come back with me and become a proud Marine!"
Wolves are not suited for long-distance pursuit. Once they run beyond five kilometers, their stamina begins to falter, and after ten kilometers, they usually abandon the chase.
Despite having four targets right in front of it, the wolf couldn't catch any of them. After running nearly ten kilometers, it finally gave up and turned away.
Once they were sure the wolf was gone for good, Damon and the others finally stopped.
It wasn't wise to sit down immediately after such an intense run, so Damon leaned against a tree trunk, gasping for breath.
"Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…"
Sweat soaked his clothes from head to toe, making him look like he had just been pulled out of the ocean.
He had never trained this intensely before. His leg muscles spasmed painfully, forcing him to stretch where he stood to ease the discomfort.
After a while, Garp suddenly appeared, as if out of nowhere. He tossed a bag onto the ground and grinned.
"You brats, hurry up and eat something. After that, even harsher training awaits you!"
Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were already used to Garp's sudden appearances. As natural physical prodigies, running ten kilometers was nothing to them—it was barely a warm-up.
Damon dragged his exhausted body closer.
Inside the bag were high-energy foods: cream bread, cheesecake, and boxed milk—perfect for replenishing lost energy.
First come, first served.
Seeing Ace and the others devouring the food like starving wolves, Damon didn't hesitate. He grabbed a cheesecake and swallowed it in one bite.
Thanks to the constantly operating Six Treasures Immortal Thief technique, the food was digested at an astonishing rate. The nutrients were quickly converted into Qi, flowing through his limbs and meridians.
The energy felt like a skilled massage therapist, soothing his cramped muscles and gradually relieving the soreness.
After eating five buttered bread rolls the size of rugby balls and ten palm-sized cheesecakes, Damon downed 800 ml of milk in one go. Only then did he feel his strength return, with some energy still left over.
Strenuous exercise right after eating wasn't advisable.
So Garp led them back to the backyard of Dadan's house and began explaining combat fundamentals.
"The goal of combat is to subdue your enemy with minimal loss and in the shortest time possible…"
"You must clearly understand both yourself and your opponent…"
"The most vulnerable parts of the human body are…"
"There are several key principles behind generating power in a punch…"
Before long, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy began yawning, nearly falling asleep on the spot.
Only Damon remained fully attentive.
He even went inside to grab paper and a pen, carefully writing down everything Garp said, as if he had returned to a classroom from his previous life.
Seeing the other three not paying attention, veins bulged on Garp's forehead.
Fortunately, Damon's diligence eased his frustration. For once, Garp experienced the satisfaction of being a teacher.
A willing teacher, and an eager student.
Damon absorbed Garp's combat experience like a dry sponge soaking up water.
Though it was only theoretical knowledge for now, it opened a new door for him—showing him that combat was an art, not just reckless punching.
…Well.
Luffy's wild punching style didn't count.
After an hour, Garp clapped his hands.
"That's enough theory. Time for practical training."
With that, he vanished into the forest.
Moments later, accompanied by loud roars, he returned—dragging a black bear out from the woods.
The bear had a large bump on its head and looked utterly wronged, as if it had no idea why it had been dragged out of its den.
Garp tossed it in front of them.
"You'll take turns fighting this bear one-on-one. No firearms—only your own strength and skills!"
At this, Garp glanced specifically at Damon.
Damon gave an awkward smile and reluctantly threw his two flintlock pistols onto the ground.
The animals of this world were surprisingly intelligent. The black bear seemed to understand the situation—and grew furious.
Dragged from its den… just to be a sparring partner?
It stood upright, over three meters tall, like a towering wall of black iron. The pressure it emitted was immense.
Since Damon was new, Garp placed him last, giving him time to observe.
Damon was more than happy to watch and learn.
Under Garp's arrangement, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy went first.
Ace and Sabo fought smartly. They avoided direct clashes, instead dodging and targeting the bear's knee joints.
Even with its thick hide, the bear howled in pain under their attacks.
Luffy, on the other hand…
Relied entirely on shouting and brute force.
No strategy whatsoever.
His fight was chaotic and inefficient, leaving Garp red-faced with anger as he shouted from the sidelines.
If not for his rubber body, Luffy would have died countless times already.
Finally, it was Damon's turn.
Still chewing on a donut, Garp asked:
"Damon, are you ready?"
Damon nodded firmly, determination flashing in his eyes.
"I feel my youth is boiling over!"
Garp grinned, clearly pleased.
At the same moment, a system notification rang in Damon's mind.
Ding!
"Congratulations, host. You have recited a classic line from Naruto. You have been awarded one lottery draw. Activate now?"
Facing the black bear, Damon could feel its murderous intent.
Its eyes were bloodshot. Its aura was violent.
It wanted to tear him apart.
Damon steadied himself, taking a fighting stance.
Hopefully… I get something useful.
"Lottery!"
⸻
"Roar!"
The black bear lunged, swinging its massive paw.
But it hit nothing.
Prepared, Damon had already dodged.
Boom!
The paw slammed into the ground, leaving a deep imprint and sending dust flying.
Damon began circling the bear, moving clockwise while dodging its attacks.
At the same time, his attention shifted to the lottery wheel—visible only to him.
Summoned Characters: Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi…
Ninjutsu/Taijutsu: Fireball Jutsu, Water Dragon, Shadow Movement…
Bloodline Limits: Ice Release, Magnet Release, Lava Release, Explosion Release…
If I could get one of those…
He shook his head.
Too unlikely.
The stronger the reward, the smaller its slot—some with probabilities as low as 0.01%.
Winning one would be like hitting the jackpot.
When the pointer finally stopped, Damon's eyes narrowed.
[Konoha Taijutsu]: Basic taijutsu mastered after three years of Ninja Academy training.
In an instant, memories flooded his mind.
Three years of training—compressed into a single moment.
When he snapped back to reality, his gaze had completely changed.
Sharper. Calmer.
When the black bear attacked again, Damon could clearly read its movements—they were simple, predictable.
This time, he didn't retreat.
He advanced.
A real fighter takes initiative.
Garp's eyes lit up.
"Confidence… or foolishness? Let's see."
He stopped eating and prepared to intervene if necessary.
The bear's attack narrowly missed, the wind slicing past Damon's face like a blade.
Seizing the moment—when the bear's strength had just been spent—Damon stepped in.
His left foot slammed into the ground.
His body twisted.
His right leg whipped forward—
Aimed straight at the bear's nose.
"Konoha Tornado!"
Smack! Damon delivered a whip kick to the black bear's nose.