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Seasons passed and years went by in the peaceful "East Blue," and in the blink of an eye, seven full years had passed since the day "Portgas D. Rouge" placed her child into the arms of fate.
"Boom! Boom!"
The ground shook in the deep mountain forests, and the towering trees trembled as if an earthquake were striking their roots. From the thick fog, a massive creature slowly emerged... a mythical beast resembling a bull, but ten times the size of a normal one! A creature that made elephants look like dwarf pets in comparison.
But this ferocious monster was not roaring; rather, it was completely unconscious, being dragged by a small shadow with one hand in utter coldness. Seven-year-old Ace was walking with steady steps, leaving a deep trail in the dirt behind the beast's body, like a scratch on the face of the earth.
"Hey! Dadan! Look what I brought for lunch today, get ready for a banquet fit for the mountain kings!" Ace let out a clear laugh and called out in a loud voice that pierced the walls of the wooden house.
Dadan stopped in front of the door, but she did not dare reply or joke around as she usually did. She stood with exaggerated military stiffness, a cold sweat covering her forehead as if she were facing the hangman's noose.
"You have raised Ace well, Dadan. It seems he has become a skilled hunter."
Upon hearing that familiar voice, Dadan's entire body trembled. She turned around to see the person standing before her, wearing that "demonic" smile known to pirates in the farthest corners of the earth.
"T-That is my duty, Mr. Garp! We are doing our absolute best!" Dadan exclaimed, standing with her back straight as a ruler, like a rookie soldier on a military parade ground.
"Hmm? What's this? Is the stinky old man here again? Don't you dare lay a hand on my meat this time!" Ace reached the doorstep, and upon seeing Garp and the trembling Dadan family, he spoke with a tone overflowing with disdain and annoyance, casually tossing the massive bull's body aside.
"Call me Grandpa! You little brat!" Garp's anger suddenly flared, veins popping on his forehead. "You're polite to strangers, but you're so rude to your grandfather!"
"Others don't steal my catch, you greedy old man."
Ace did not back down; instead, he stared defiantly into Garp's eyes. Deep down, he acknowledges Garp's favor, but he refuses to let him exploit their relationship. For the past seven years, Garp would show up out of nowhere, devour the best cuts of meat Ace had hunted, and then leave, leaving utter chaos in his wake.
"Maa maa, don't sweat the small stuff. Your catch this time is truly excellent, bwahahaha!" Garp felt no ounce of shame, bursting into laughter as he inspected the massive beast appreciatively. Secretly, however, Garp was astounded:
— "Has he already gained this much power?" Garp thought to himself silently.
Although Garp is a careless man, he hadn't subjected Ace to his "brutal" training while he was still so young. This meant that Ace, without anyone's guidance, had acquired strength far beyond his years.
— "What a rare talent..." Garp sighed inwardly.
"Let the banquet begin! Dadan, butcher this bull!" Ace shouted, ignoring Garp's scrutinizing gaze.
"Never mind the banquet for now, Dadan." Garp placed his heavy hand on Ace's shoulder, a sudden look of seriousness crossing his face. "I've gotten a rare leave from Headquarters, and I'm going to use it to train you properly! It's time for you to take your first steps toward becoming a great Marine, bwahahaha!"
"A Marine? I don't want to be that!"
Ace's face wrinkled in disgust. The idea of turning the bloodline of the Pirate King into a Marine could only cross the mind of this senile old man. Besides, the Marines are subordinate to the World Government, and even the Admirals are forced to act as bodyguards for the "Celestial Dragons."
Ace doesn't have the habit of working under anyone. In the world of One Piece, the only path is to become a pirate.
"What?! You brat, it seems I'll have to make you realize the greatness of the Marines through this training!"
Garp was infuriated by Ace's audacity and biting bluntness. He dragged him by the collar with an irresistible force and headed toward the port where his warship was docked, shouting his final words at Dadan:
"I'll bring this rascal back in a month... if he stays alive, bwahahaha!"
Dadan looked toward the horizon with deep anxiety. She knew that "Garp's training" was nothing short of a trip to the gates of hell and back.
After two days of sailing on the open sea, Ace asked impatiently while looking at the crashing waves, "Where are you taking me, old man? Are you going to hand me over to the Government and end your headache?"
"Call me Grandpa!" Garp yelled as he struck Ace's head with his famous "Fist of Love," then continued with a malicious laugh:
"We're going to an uninhabited island... an island where the strong eat the weak. Try not to die there, as I'd be very sad if I had to bury my grandson before his time!"
As the ship approached, a small island shrouded in thick fog appeared. Even from a distance, the roars of monsters tore through the sky—terrifying sounds that would freeze the blood of ordinary men.
"Tch, just an island full of wild animals." Ace spat the words arrogantly, but his eyes were meticulously scanning the island's terrain thanks to his superhuman perception.
"But remember, old man, I have to take a warm bath every night. I won't break my mother's rule no matter what!"
"Don't worry about your warm bath; you'll find plenty of steam there."
A mysterious and suspicious smile formed on Garp's face as he pulled out two unnaturally large fishing rods.
"But before I throw you into the forest to suffer, let's catch some little 'fish' first to satisfy our hunger."
Ace looked at the fishing rods, then at the suspicious smile on Garp's face. He instinctively realized that the "fish" Garp meant in these waters weren't just tuna or salmon, but rather another test of his endurance.
[You have reached the peak of Supreme Perception; your senses are picking up terrifying vibrations beneath the surface of the water... it seems the training has already begun!]
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Author's Note:
Reading, following, and support... these are the three most important things!