The sun had barely begun to peek over the horizon when Garp's thunderous voice echoed across the training grounds like a cannon blast.
"GET UP, YOU BRATS! THE SEA DOESN'T WAIT FOR WEAKLINGS!"
Haru bolted upright, sweat already beading on his brow from the nightmares of the previous two days—battling sea kings with blunt weapons, dragging a boulder up a cliff with a chain tied around his waist, and being used as a punching bag for Garp's 'love taps.' Naomi, who was also sore from the insane regimen, gave Haru a sidelong glance as they sprinted toward the field.
"Tell me again why we didn't run away when we had the chance," she muttered.
"Because we're idiots in love with the idea of becoming stronger," Haru replied with a half-smile, trying to suppress the ache in his legs.
When they arrived at the grounds, Garp stood waiting—arms crossed, grinning like a devil.
"Today, we see how much of that Haki training stuck. And if you cry, I'll make sure you cry harder!"
Without further warning, he hurled a giant steel cannonball toward them. Naomi's eyes widened, but Haru reacted first, drawing Honjo and his odachi, coating both in Armament Haki. The steel groaned under the force of his slash as he split the cannonball in two.
"Good!" Garp barked. "But don't celebrate yet!"
He tossed another one—this time at Naomi.
Naomi didn't flinch. Her axe spun to life in her hands, coated in her signature blackened Haki. With a single upward cleave, she shattered the projectile into shards that rained down like confetti.
"Nice swing, Princess," Garp teased. "But let's turn it up a notch."
He motioned toward a pair of enormous Den Den Mushi attached to a tower behind him. "Those are connected to a warship rigged with explosive dummies. You've got fifteen minutes to swim there, fight through the dummies, and disarm the ship. Fail, and it explodes. Simple, right?"
"That's insane!" Naomi growled.
"That's training," Garp said with a wink.
Without hesitation, the two dove into the ocean, slicing through the waves as the timer ticked. Sea Kings circled below, but they avoided Naomi's intense Haki pressure and Haru's focused killing intent.
Upon reaching the ship, they were met with over two dozen mannequins, each rigged with timed explosives and equipped with Haki-infused weapons. Naomi leapt forward with a roar, swinging her axe in a wide arc that shattered three at once.
Haru dashed ahead, weaving between the dummies, using Soru to blur through their ranks and dismantle them with lightning-fast strikes. One managed to land a punch laced with Armament Haki, and Haru coughed blood, but he pressed on.
Together, they danced through the gauntlet, Haru's precision and Naomi's brute force forming a deadly rhythm.
With seconds left on the timer, Haru plunged his blade into the control panel while Naomi smashed the detonator core. Silence fell.
Then an explosion rocked the rear deck—not from failure, but from Garp, who'd tossed a celebratory firework into the sky.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Naomi shouted, furious.
Garp laughed from the shore. "Relax! You passed!"
As they swam back, exhausted, Garp nodded approvingly.
"You're strong. But strength alone doesn't make a great Marine."
They collapsed on the shore, heaving for breath. Garp sat beside them, unusually serious.
"Let me tell you a little something… Strength is good. But heart—that's the real power. If you've got the guts to protect others even when it costs you, you're on the right path. I see that in both of you."
Naomi, still panting, looked at Haru. "I don't know whether to thank him or punch him."
"Maybe both," Haru grinned.
As the sun set on Day Three, both Haru and Naomi knew this training was breaking them down—but also building them back up, stronger than ever.
Day-4
The morning sun had barely crested over the sea when the blaring sound of a conch horn echoed through the training grounds of G-1 Marine Headquarters. Haru and Naomi groaned in unison, muscles aching and minds weary from three consecutive days of brutal, no-holds-barred training under the legendary Vice Admiral Garp.
Yet, as they stumbled out to the grounds, there he was—shirtless, arms folded, grinning like a demon out of hell—Garp the Fist, standing atop a massive boulder with a bag of rice crackers in hand.
"You two lovebirds ready for more hell?" he boomed.
Haru muttered under his breath, "I think death might be kinder."
Naomi elbowed him with a tired smile. "If we survive today, we're treating ourselves to cake."
"Deal."
Part I: Day 4 – Peak Punishment
Today's focus was on reaction speed, mental endurance, and enhanced Haki control.
Garp started the day by blindfolding both Haru and Naomi, hurling cannonballs at them from opposite directions while screaming, "DODGE OR DIE!"
Each cannonball exploded on impact with the training dummies behind them. Haru tapped into his Observation Haki, sweat dripping from his chin as he leaned back just in time, narrowly missing a steel projectile. Naomi wasn't far behind, gritting her teeth and redirecting the incoming ball with her axe, which she infused with black-armored Armament Haki.
After a full hour of this, Garp introduced the "sprint-of-death."
"From here," he said, pointing at the base of the cliff, "to that mountaintop—five kilometers straight up. You'll sprint while dodging boulders I toss at you."
"Toss?" Haru asked, incredulous.
With a casual shrug, Garp hurled a boulder the size of a house straight over the cliff. "RUN!"
Haru and Naomi bolted, panting, legs pumping, dodging massive chunks of stone raining down like divine punishment. Midway through the climb, Naomi slipped—but Haru caught her wrist, muscles straining. He pulled her up with a pained grunt.
"You okay?" he asked.
She panted, nodding. "Remind me to kill your grandfather when we're done."
"He's not my grandfather!"
Part II: Combat Gauntlet
Just as they reached the summit, Garp waited with three large boxes of Marines' greatest hits: weighted cuffs (each 500kg), resistance bands, and… blindfolds.
"You two will spar. But blindfolded. And the cuffs stay on."
Naomi groaned. "You want us to fight each other like this?"
"Exactly. Fight like your lives depend on it. 'Cause they do."
With every swing of Naomi's axe, the wind pressure alone sent Haru sliding. He retaliated with twin slashes from Odachi and Honjo, his swords dancing like flame in the air. The cuffs and blindfolds pushed their Observation Haki to new limits. Naomi, who had previously relied on brute strength, now fought with sharper instincts. Haru, agile and focused, began to predict her strikes before she even moved.
Blow after blow rang out across the mountain peak, steel clashing against steel, sparks lighting up the early twilight.
But eventually, both collapsed—exhausted, bruised, but alive.
Garp chewed a cracker, smirking. "Good. That's enough for today."
They both looked up at him from the dirt.
Naomi gasped, "You're… insane…"
"Thank you," Garp said with a proud nod.
Part III: Aftermath
The next morning, a rare stillness fell over the training grounds. No horn. No yelling. Just silence.
Haru and Naomi lay on the infirmary beds, bandaged, iced, and in clean Marine uniforms. Tsuru and Gion visited them first, both impressed.
"You both survived four days under Garp," Gion said with a smirk. "Few can say that."
Tsuru's gaze softened on Naomi. "Your father is proud. He won't say it, but I know he is."
Naomi looked away, biting her lip. "I'm not sure he'll ever say it…"
Tsuru added, "But you've both exceeded expectations. This training wasn't just for your growth. It was a test. One you passed."
When Garp finally walked in, arms behind his back, he stared down at Haru and Naomi with a grin.
"You two did good," he said. "I pushed you hard 'cause the world out there is cruel. Ain't no room for soft hearts. But you held on—to your strength, and to each other."
Haru, still sore, managed a smile. "That's the nicest thing you've said to us."
"Don't get used to it."
Naomi added, "So… what now?"
Garp laughed. "Now? You rest. Then your real journey begins."
As they left the infirmary that evening, Haru and Naomi stood on the balcony, watching the sea.
Naomi leaned into Haru, resting her head on his shoulder. "We survived Garp."
"We can survive anything."
But inside, Haru's heart still wrestled with doubts—the corruption they had witnessed, the weight of being a Marine… and his dream to change it all.
Naomi must have sensed it. "Hey… whatever path you choose, I'll be there."
Haru looked at her, eyes full of warmth. "Then I'll keep walking forward."