"Grandpa. I want you to train me" I said to my grandfather.
"Why?" Garp asked, suspiciously, "Is it so you can become a better pirate?"
"No, it's so I can... become a great marine! Like you!" I said with a grin, to Luffy and Ace's shock and horror.
"Bwahahahaha! Of course! I'll make the greatest marine out of you yet Raevan! You'll be even better than me!" Garp said with a large grin as he pats my head affectionately.
""What! No! Rae was going to join my crew!"" Luffy and Ace shouted at the same time, before looking at each other in confusion.
""Your crew? Nuh-uh! He's gonna join my crew! Will you stop copying me!? Stop it! It's getting annoying!"" Luffy and Ace shouted at each other, before they began brawling each other.
Garp quickly took me away from Dadan's house.
"Now... why do you actually want me to train you?" Garp asked me with a small smile on his face.
"I... these lions attacked us in the woods and I... I just froze, if Luffy and Ace were weaker... we'd be dead... because of me... because I'm a coward" I said, tears in my eyes as I clenched my fist.
Garp pulled me into a hug.
"My boy... freezing in the face of a threat is a natural reaction in some people. We just need to train it out of you!" Garp said with a large grin.
"Okay... what are we going to do first?" I asked, curious as to what I'd be doing.
"Well, first. You have to lift this boulder!" Garp said as he pointed at a boulder that just... appeared next to him.
Anime or... Manga logic, I guess.
Ah crap, am I in the manga or anime? Whatever. I'll learn which one I'm in, as I go.
"Alright... how much does that weigh?" I asked Garp.
"Ah, around a ton" Garp said, before falling asleep.
"A... what!?" I squealed, as I looked at the boulder in front of me.
Alright... screw it, if Garp thinks I can do this, then I can do this!
I lifted up the boulder with all my strength, lifting it over my head, straining all the way.
"I-I did it!" I said with a shaky grin.
"Huh, so you did. Didn't think you had it in you, squirt" Garp said with a grin as he woke up.
"What do you want me to do now?" I asked, hoping it wouldn't be as strenuous as this, but not dropping the boulder just in case Garp would hit me with his patented 'Fist of Love'.
"Well, now, I want you to take it up that mountain! To the very peak" Garp said, as he pointed at a... large mountain that I hadn't even noticed beforehand.
Ah, crap.
Today was looking to be a long day.
But, I'd do anything to get stronger.