Translator: PapaSmurf0700
"Bait or not, I will not stand by and watch my son suffer for one more second."
Whitebeard rose to his full, towering height, his gaze fixed on Sabo. He wasn't trying to intimidate, he didn't need to. The sheer force of his presence was a physical weight, a crushing pressure that settled on everyone in the room.
"This plan… it has the fingerprints of that upstart, the Priest, all over it," Whitebeard rumbled, his voice like grinding continents. "You know the Navy will throw everything they have at my fleet. You plan to slip through the cracks while we soak up their fire, is that it? Fishing in troubled waters?"
He knew of the Straw Hats. Ace had spoken of them, and their recent exploits were impossible to ignore. But even after toppling a government stronghold like Enies Lobby, in the eyes of an Emperor, they were still just rookies. They had no experience in a true war against the world's greatest powers. They hadn't earned a place on this battlefield.
So, while Whitebeard could admire the boy's determination, he saw their plan for what it was: a childish sneak attack. It was a naive approach to a war of monsters.
"The Straw Hat Pirates have no such intentions," Sabo retorted, his voice sharp and unwavering. "When you see them in a month's time, you will understand. I only ask that you remember this proposal when that day comes."
He had delivered his message. Sabo wasn't disappointed by Whitebeard's rejection; he had expected it. His purpose was to plant the seed. When the war finally erupted, he knew the Whitebeard Pirates would see the truth.
"One last thing before I leave," Sabo said, his tone shifting. "To ensure your absolute victory in this war, the Straw Hats have decided to lend you their strength." He looked the giant straight in the eye. "They've prepared a small gift for you."
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His duty fulfilled, Sabo returned to the ghostly shores of Thriller Bark. This was the rendezvous point he and Bai Ye had arranged—a gateway into the pocket dimension of the Rainbow Mist.
Inside, a month had passed in what felt like a lifetime of relentless training. The Straw Hats were already a formidable crew, but under the brutal tutelage of three living legends, their growth was explosive. Each of them began to hone their skills, finding their true path to power.
First, the crew's monster trio.
Luffy's mythical Zoan fruit remained dormant, but the raw resilience of an animal-type was beginning to surface. For him, Garp's "training" was the perfect crucible. It was less instruction and more of a non-stop, bone-jarring assault. Under this constant pressure, Luffy's Armament Haki and raw physical combat skills were forged in fire. By chance, Luffy demonstrated the strange, fluid martial art Bai Ye had taught him—Tai Chi. The otherworldly style intrigued Garp, a master of straightforward, overwhelming force. He and Bai Ye even clashed for days, a battle of opposing philosophies. Garp had no interest in adopting the style himself; his own power was absolute. But he saw its potential for his grandson. In a bizarre twist, the Hero of the Marines began instructing Luffy in the very martial art brought by the Priest, seeking to integrate its principles into Luffy's brawling. Meanwhile, Luffy spent his remaining time learning Observation Haki from Rayleigh and absorbing Dragon's insights on Devil Fruit mastery.
Zoro, the swordsman, had the most direct path. For a man who dedicates his life to a single discipline, improvement is a matter of relentless focus. Rayleigh, a master swordsman in his own right, was the perfect mentor. While perhaps not at Mihawk's level in pure swordsmanship, the Dark King's knowledge was vast. He guided Zoro, refining his technique and philosophy. In his spare moments, Zoro sought out Garp, demanding to be taught the secrets of imbuing his blades with stronger Armament Haki.
Then there was Sanji. As another specialist, he spent most of his time facing Garp. The "Fist" was a master of all forms of combat, not just punches. After decades of battling the world's strongest pirates, Garp's knowledge of kicking arts was more than enough to elevate Sanji's style. But something else was happening. The "Marrow Cleansing Pill" from Bai Ye had unlocked a door inside him. Every battle, every brutal training session with Garp, was stoking the embers of his latent bloodline factor. Being Garp's personal punching bag was accelerating the awakening of his Germa heritage, a power he didn't even know he possessed.
The rest of the crew grew in their own ways.
Nami and Usopp, both possessing a rare talent for Observation Haki, trained under Rayleigh to sharpen their senses. Dragon supplemented their growth with the Revolutionary Army's vast resources. Nami received unparalleled meteorological data and guidance on her Clima-Tact's devilish weather abilities. Usopp was handed over to the Revolutionaries' top sniper for a grueling crash course in the fundamentals of marksmanship. His natural talent was being reinforced with ironclad discipline, a truly terrifying combination.
The "senior group"—Robin, Franky, and Brook—were already seasoned fighters. Their training was less about learning new tricks and more about refining their existing arsenals. They were veterans shoring up their defenses and sharpening their blades. Robin studied with both Dragon and Garp, absorbing knowledge of espionage and raw power. Franky took technical guidance from Dragon, while Brook joined Zoro and Rayleigh, seeking to perfect his own ethereal sword style.
Finally, the specialists, Chopper and the spirit of the Sunshine Merry, spent their time with Bai Ye. Merry practiced the mystical cultivation methods the Priest provided, strengthening her spiritual form. Chopper, alongside the occasional input from Trafalgar Law, delved deeper into the science and wavelength of Devil Fruits with Bai Ye, pushing the boundaries of medical science.
As each of them settled into their grueling routines, the final five months before the war began to burn away.