Night fell on the nameless island.
Beside a crackling campfire, Ace—already fast asleep—had activated his Combat Hibernation Technique. His body, swollen like a massive balloon, rose and fell with each breath.
Next to him lay the skeletal remains of a Sea King—completely devoured.
Garp sat nearby, silently watching his grandson.
"Huff… Huff… Huff…"
With every exhale, Ace's inflated form gradually shrank. It didn't take long before his body returned to normal—but even to the naked eye, the difference was obvious.
Ace had grown.
He was taller now. His muscles, visibly stronger and more defined.
And his strength… it was still rising.
"Was it all absorbed instantly?" Garp murmured to himself, withdrawing his Observation Haki.
Such terrifying physical talent… Not even Aokiji and the others could compare to this.
With a body like that, the Flame-Flame Fruit, and Conqueror's Haki awakened at birth…
Ace's future was almost unimaginable.
Garp grinned, deep in thought.
Right. Tomorrow, I'll hit him even harder with the Fist of Love. Gotta beat it into his thick skull—pirates have no future! He's destined to be a great Marine!
The next morning, Ace's eyes snapped open.
Instantly, he could feel it—his body had changed.
He clenched his fists, power surging through them like never before.
[Your comprehension is unparalleled! You perfectly perceived the changes in your body. Constitution increased by 30%!]
A line of text floated through his mind.
"Hah, just as I thought. Even with the Combat Hibernation Technique and Total Absorption, actual combat is still the fastest way to grow stronger."
Ace grinned, satisfied.
Just one day—and his constitution had grown by 30%. That kind of leap was downright terrifying.
"Yo! Ace, you're up! Ready for the next round of your grandpa's training?"
From a short distance away, Garp cracked his knuckles, grinning like a demon.
"Tch—smug old man!"
Instead of backing down, Ace charged, fists blazing with fire, straight at his grandfather.
"BWAHAHAHA!!"
Garp laughed heartily as he met the attack, his right fist wrapped in Armament Haki.
BOOM!
...
"Huff… Huff… Huff…"
Just like yesterday, Ace collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
"He really got stronger... that much in one night?"
Garp's eyes narrowed.
Ace's overall power had increased—by at least 30 or 40 percent.
Overall.
Not just raw strength, but speed, control over the Flame-Flame Fruit—it had all surged.
And all he'd done… was train to his limit yesterday, then eat a Sea King.
Such an absurd rate of growth—even Garp had never seen anything like it.
Sure, the Navy's most gifted rookies had made insane gains when they began hellish training—but compared to Ace? It was like comparing dirt to the sky.
This only made Garp more determined.
He would raise this boy into a great Marine.
Ace… might even surpass his father someday.
The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
"So, Ace," Garp said, rolling up his sleeves with a chuckle, "you ready to give up on that pirate nonsense yet?"
Ace lay on the ground, still panting heavily.
"Oh, right—felt that punch? That's Armament Haki. It lets you hit Logia users, even if their bodies are made of fire, lightning, or whatever."
Garp grinned, the glint in his eye unmistakable.
"Wanna learn it? Join the Navy, and I'll teach you everything."
Ace remained silent, unmoving.
"…Tch. Who wants some lame, boring power like that anyway?" he finally muttered, turning his face away.
"The Navy's strength is so dull—how could it ever compare to the beauty of my Mera Mera no Mi?"
He smirked, though a flicker of excitement sparked in his eyes.
Armament Haki was strong, sure—but it wasn't the power that truly caught Ace's attention.
"'Boring,' huh…"
Garp's eye twitched.
Iron Fist Garp—renowned across the Grand Line, feared by pirate and soldier alike… and now this little brat was calling his fists "boring"?!
And that look of disdain on Ace's face—infuriating!
Wait…
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
Ace was only seven years old.
At that age, it was totally normal for a kid to love flashy moves, cool-looking powers, and dramatic effects.
Which meant… if he could show Ace something flashy enough…
Maybe he could redirect this reckless kid off the path of piracy and onto something better.
"Oh? You think the Navy doesn't have flashy techniques?"
Garp's eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Ace, let Grandpa show you... the most powerful—and the most dazzling—force in this world."
Garp locked eyes with Ace, and in that moment—
A deep, dark purple glint flashed across his irises.
Then—BOOM.
A bolt of purple-black lightning cracked across the sky.
A wave of pure, overwhelming pressure rippled outward.
Conqueror's Haki.
It didn't just flicker. It shined.
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TL/N:
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