"Six Styles—Iron Body!"
At the critical moment, Bai Yu instinctively activated Tekkai.
In a flash, his muscles tightened like steel, his body hardening to an almost indestructible state.
Bai Yu crossed his arms in front of him just in time—
CLANG!
BOOM!
Garp's iron fist struck down like a meteor. A metallic ring echoed out before a thunderous crash split the training ground. Bai Yu's body slammed into the ground, carving a massive crater and throwing up a cloud of dust and debris.
Garp slowly landed, his boots crunching against the cracked earth.
"Ahem…"
"Damn old man! Are you trying to kill me?!"
From within the smoke, Bai Yu's voice rang out, hoarse but clearly very much alive.
He stepped forward, clapping dust from his uniform, his figure barely scuffed.
"Oh?"
Garp raised a brow, surprised.
Despite taking a direct hit from Garp—one of the Navy's strongest—the kid didn't have a single visible injury. Garp had held back, of course, but not by much. That punch could flatten a Sea King.
Originally, he'd intended to humble the arrogant brat with a bit of pain.
But now?
Bai Yu stood there, whole and defiant.
Garp's surprise morphed into quiet satisfaction. In just one week of joining the Navy, Bai Yu had already grasped Rokushiki. Not just grasped—he was switching between forms with the finesse of a veteran. Many seasoned officers couldn't manage that.
The old war dog saw it: the potential of a new Navy generation. A spark of hope.
But what irked Garp most?
He hadn't taught Bai Yu any of this.
The brat skipped classes, sneaking off to train in swordsmanship instead—a style Garp wasn't skilled in.
"Hmph!" Garp snorted, trying to mask his pride. "Not bad, kid. You can take a punch from me now!"
Bai Yu rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out.
"I see you've barely scratched the surface of the Six Styles," Garp continued. "Those recruit classes are too basic for you anyway."
He stepped closer, his grin widening. "What do you say? Want me to personally train you? I'll teach you techniques far beyond those six petty moves."
His voice emphasized "barely" and "basic" with heavy sarcasm—clearly baiting Bai Yu.
"Not interested."
Bai Yu didn't even hesitate.
Train under Garp? No thanks. If he wanted to grow stronger, he just needed to swing his sword—again and again.
Why complicate things?
Besides, the growth from his system came much faster through swordsmanship than any training Garp could offer.
"WHAT?!"
Garp nearly choked. "Do you have any idea how many people beg to be my disciple?!"
The Hero of the Marines. The man who once cornered the Pirate King!
To be trained by Garp was every marine's dream—except Bai Yu's, apparently.
"Go find someone who cares. You said I could skip the basics, right? Then don't bother me."
With that, Bai Yu casually twisted his sore wrist, walked to the edge of the crater, and picked up his Novice Katana—the one rewarded by the system.
Despite taking a direct blow, the blade's surface was untouched.
Tough weapon.
"You little punk! You really deserve another beating!"
Garp fumed as Bai Yu resumed his sword swings like nothing had happened.
He rolled up his sleeves, ready to "teach" the brat a lesson—
"Report!"
A sharp voice cut through the tension.
A young marine ran up, saluting crisply.
"I'm busy, can't it wait?!" Garp barked.
"Report to Vice Admiral Garp! We've received a distress signal from the Alabasta branch!"
The name froze Garp mid-step.
Alabasta?
A flicker of seriousness crossed his face. He fell into thought—memories, implications, strategy.
Alabasta wasn't just another desert kingdom.
And as Garp pondered, he glanced at Bai Yu—swinging his sword, sweat glistening on his brow, blade slicing clean arcs through the air.
A smirk curled Garp's lips. Inspiration struck.
"I understand. You're dismissed."
With a nod to the marine, he turned back to Bai Yu.
"Kid," he said, tone oddly friendly, "last chance—want to become my disciple?"
"Nope."
Bai Yu didn't even pause his swings.
Garp sighed dramatically. "Shame. The transition period for recruits is important. If you were learning under me, you could skip all that boring training…"
He trailed off with an exaggerated shrug.
Bai Yu halted mid-swing. His instincts screamed danger.
"…What do you want?" he said flatly. "Spit it out."
Garp clapped his hands together. "Let's make a deal."
"You complete a task I give you—one mission—and I'll grant any request you have."
"But fail… and you train under me, no complaints."
Trap!
Bai Yu cursed ten thousand times in his heart.
Yet the offer was tempting. If he succeeded, Garp would owe him—a powerful shield for future sword practice and system-triggering missions.
"…Fine. What's the mission?"
Garp smiled like a fox.
"Reinforce the garrison stationed in Alabasta. That's all."
…Alabasta.
The moment Bai Yu heard the name, his face darkened.
This wasn't the simple errand Garp made it out to be.
He recalled the events tied to that kingdom—former Shichibukai Crocodile, secret plots, civil war. The surface goal was to control Alabasta.
The real aim?
The Poneglyph hidden beneath the royal tombs.
The one that spoke of the ancient weapon—Pluton.
A power capable of shaking the world. A threat to the Marines, the World Government, even the Yonko.
And Garp had the nerve to call this an easy job?!
That old fox had thrown him into a death trap!