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✣ Rokushiki: Tekkai ⭄ Iron Body! ✣
In the nick of time, Hyaku instinctively used Tekkai. His body hardened like steel as he crossed his arms in front of him.
The next moment, Garp's fist arrived.
Clang—
Bang!!
A sharp metallic sound rang out as the punch landed. Hyaku's figure plummeted, crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact that created a massive crater and sent dust billowing into the air.
Garp slowly descended back to the ground.
"Cough... cough... You old geezer! Are you trying to kill me?" Hyaku's voice called out from within the dust cloud.
He emerged from the haze, brushing off his clothes.
"Oh?" Garp remarked in surprise.
Despite being covered in dust, the young man hadn't sustained a single injury!
Though Garp had held back his strength, that punch would have incapacitated any ordinary person. He had meant it as a lesson in discipline.
A glimmer of anticipation flashed in his eyes as he observed Hyaku.
In just one week since joining the Marines, Hyaku had mastered the Rokushiki. His ability to switch between techniques even surpassed many veteran Marines.
His potential seemed limitless.
In Hyaku, Garp saw hope for the Marines' next generation!
Yet it frustrated him that he hadn't taught the boy any of these skills himself. Instead, Hyaku frequently skipped training to practice swordsmanship alone.
This irritated Garp further — swordsmanship wasn't even his specialty.
"Hmph! Not bad! You can even withstand one of my punches now, kid!" Garp said with feigned indifference.
"..." Hyaku responded with an eye roll.
"I see you've grasped the basics of the Rokushiki. The recruit training course is clearly beneath you now. How about it? Want me to personally teach you even more powerful techniques?" Garp continued, ignoring Hyaku's reaction.
He emphasized 'basics' and 'grasped', implying that the Rokushiki were mere elementary techniques in his eyes.
"Not interested." To Garp's surprise, Hyaku refused without hesitation.
Truth be told, he simply didn't have time to spare for Garp's training.
Want to get stronger? Just swing a sword! Why complicate things?
Besides, practicing with the sword would make him stronger far faster than learning from this old man!
"What?! Do you know how many people dream of being my disciple?" Garp snapped through gritted teeth, stung by the brat's second rejection.
Was the title of Marine Hero meaningless? Being personally taught by him was countless Marines' dream!
But Hyaku was clearly cut from different cloth.
"Whoever wants training can have it. You already said I don't need those basic courses anymore. If there's nothing else, I'd like to get back to my practice."
With that, Hyaku flexed his slightly sore wrists and walked over to retrieve his beginner's tachi that Garp had knocked aside earlier.
This system-rewarded tachi might be basic, but its durability was exceptional. Even after taking one of the old man's punches, its surface remained flawless.
"I see you really need a good thrashing!" Garp fumed, watching him silently pick up the tachi to resume practice.
Rolling up his sleeves, he stepped forward to teach this brat a proper 'lesson'.
"Report!" A young Marine soldier suddenly came running over.
He stopped before Garp and offered a polite salute.
"Can't you see I'm busy? Whatever it is, tell me later." Garp impatiently waved him away, in no mood for interruptions.
"Report, Vice Admiral Garp! The Marine branch stationed in Alabasta has sent a distress signal." The Marine soldier pressed on.
"Alabasta?" Garp's hands dropped to his sides as his expression shifted. Some crucial intelligence seemed to surface in his memory.
He fell into deep thought.
At this moment, while lost in thought, Garp's eyes drifted to Hyaku, who had already resumed his practice swings with the sword.
A flash of inspiration struck his mind as the corners of his mouth curled into a mischievous smile.
"I understand. You may leave now."
After dismissing the Marine soldier, Garp walked over to Hyaku's side.
"Kid, are you absolutely sure you don't want to learn from me?"
"I don't want to." Hyaku stated bluntly.
"Well, this makes things difficult... After all, new recruits need a transition period. If I were to personally guide you, you could skip many of the new recruit courses... But now..." Garp put on a deliberately helpless expression.
"If you have something to say, just say it straight." Hyaku said, stopping his sword practice.
He had a feeling this old man was up to no good!
"How about this — I'll make you a deal. Complete the task I give you, and I'll grant whatever you need. Fail, and you'll have to learn from me obediently!" Garp declared.
Sure enough!
Hearing this, Hyaku silently cursed the geezer a thousand times.
"What's the task? Be specific!" Unable to resist the conditions, he asked cautiously.
With Garp as a shield, he could have more time to practice swordsmanship and earn rewards. He'd also have more freedom within the Marines.
However, the mission location Garp mentioned next made his face darken instantly.
"It's simple — just reinforce our troops stationed in Alabasta." Garp explained casually.
Alabasta!
Upon hearing the country's name, Hyaku immediately realized this matter wasn't as simple as it seemed. It was nothing like what Garp had described.
Considering the current timeline, this had to be related to the events surrounding former Warlord Crocodile from the original story.
On the surface, this was about inciting a civil war in Alabasta to seize control of the kingdom. The true goal, however, was to obtain the Poneglyph hidden beneath the royal palace.
This ancient stone contained details about Pluton — one of the three legendary weapons!
Such a weapon could pose a grave threat not only to the Marines but to all major powers in the world.
And here was Garp, calling this a "simple job"?!
The old man was practically sending him to his death!
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