The forest clearing echoed with the sound of chirping birds and rustling leaves—a peaceful morning that was about to be shattered by the infamous "Fist of Love."
Garp stood before his three grandsons with a grin that would make even seasoned Marines break into a cold sweat. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy sat cross-legged on the grass, their expressions a mix of determination and growing concern.
"Bwahaha! You brats wanted to learn Observation Haki? Well, prepare yourselves for the training from hell!" Garp's voice boomed through the clearing, scaring away nearby wildlife.
Luffy bounced excitedly. "Yosh! I'm gonna be the King of the—"
BONK!
A baseball connected squarely with Luffy's head, sending him face-first into the dirt.
"Owwww! Grandpa, that hurt!" Luffy whined, a sizeable bump already forming on his head.
"Of course it hurt! Pain is going to be your best friend from now on!" Garp laughed heartily while juggling three more baseballs. "Now, put on those blindfolds!"
Sabo adjusted his blindfold nervously. "Um, Garp-san, isn't there a gentler way to—"
THWACK!
"Nope!" Garp answered cheerfully as Sabo nursed a fresh bump.
Ace smirked beneath his blindfold. "Ha! I bet I'll master this before any of you—"
WHACK!
"Less talking, more sensing!" Garp called out, already winding up for another throw.
The next two hours were filled with a symphony of thwacks, bonks, and various creative expressions of pain. Luffy bounced around like a pinball with each hit, while Sabo developed an impressive collection of bumps that made him look like a human mountain range.
"My head feels like meat being tenderized," Luffy moaned, sprawled on his back.
"Your head IS meat being tenderized," Sabo replied, dodging left but getting hit from the right. "Ow! How is he throwing these so fast?"
"BWAHAHA! You think pirates will announce where they're attacking from?" Garp launched another volley of baseballs.
Ace, despite his growing frustration, remained focused. Something was starting to feel different—like a subtle tingling at the edge of his consciousness. A baseball whistled through the air, and for the first time, Ace felt its approach before hearing it.
He tilted his head slightly, and the ball whizzed past his ear.
"I... I did it!" Ace jumped up triumphantly, still blindfolded.
"Good job, grandson!" Garp's proud voice came from somewhere to his left.
Ace beamed with pride—for approximately half a second.
WHAM!
A much harder throw sent Ace flying into a tree trunk.
"What the hell, old man?!" Ace shouted, ripping off his blindfold.
Garp stood there, tossing another baseball up and down. "Lesson two: never let your guard down! In fact—"
BONK!
"Owwww!" Luffy's voice came from somewhere in the bushes. "I wasn't even part of this conversation!"
"Exactly!" Garp's laughter echoed through the forest. "Enemies won't wait for you to finish your victory speech!"
Sabo, who had been quietly trying to sense incoming attacks, suddenly felt something approaching. He ducked, successfully avoiding a baseball, only to be hit by two more from different directions.
"How are you throwing multiple balls at once?!" Sabo demanded.
"BWAHAHA! Did you really think just because I'm old. I'm also not fast!"
"...Yes." the three boys said, uncertain, not liking where this was going.
"I was one of the only marines that was able to go toe to toe with the King of the Pirates, Roger."
"WHAT?!" all three boys shouted in unison.
"Now you have to sense multiple attackers!"
Luffy pulled himself out of the bushes, leaves stuck in his hair. "That's not fair, Grandpa!"
THWACK!
"Pirates don't play fair either!" Garp reminded them as Luffy rolled away like a rubber ball.
"I'm starting to think this was a bad idea," Sabo muttered, narrowly avoiding one baseball only to be hit by another.
Ace, back on his feet, put his blindfold back on with renewed determination. "No way! We asked for this training, and we're going to master it!"
"That's the spirit!" Garp approved, before promptly hitting Ace with three consecutive throws. "But spirit alone won't save you from my Fist of Love!"
"It's not love if it hurts this much!" Luffy protested, somehow managing to get hit even while complaining.
The training continued with Garp's booming laughter providing the soundtrack to their suffering. Occasionally, he'd share wisdom between throws:
"Remember, Observation Haki is about feeling the intent behind attacks!"
BONK!
"Like the intent to give you a headache?"
"Exactly, Sabo! BWAHAHA!"
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the three brothers showed small signs of improvement. Ace could now dodge one in every five throws, Sabo had developed a sixth sense for when Garp was about to launch a particularly nasty throw, and Luffy... well, Luffy was still getting hit, but he was bouncing back faster.
"Grandpa," Luffy called out, rubbing his latest bump, "when can we take a break?"
"Break? BWAHAHA! We've barely started! This is just the morning warm-up!"
The color drained from all three boys' faces.
"W-warm-up?" Sabo stammered.
"Of course! After lunch, we'll switch to coconuts!"
"COCONUTS?!" they screamed in horror.
THWACK! BONK! WHACK!
"Rule number one of Observation Haki: never lose focus during battle!" Garp declared as all three boys lay twitching on the ground.
"I think I'm seeing stars," Luffy mumbled.
"Those aren't stars, that's just your brain rattling around," Ace groaned.
"At least you have a brain to rattle," Sabo quipped, earning weak chuckles from his brothers.
Garp watched them with pride, though he'd never admit it. Their determination to get stronger, despite the brutal training, reminded him of himself at their age. Still, he had an image to maintain.
"Alright, you've had enough rest! Back on your feet! Let's see if you can dodge while doing handstands!"
"WHAT?!"
"BWAHAHA! Trust me, this will help your balance!"
As the three brothers reluctantly assumed handstand positions, still blindfolded, Garp prepared another round of baseballs.
"Grandpa," Luffy called out, his voice wobbling as he struggled to maintain his handstand, "I'm hungry!"
THWACK!
"Hunger is just another form of training!"
"That doesn't even make sense!" Ace protested.
BONK!
"Making sense is for weaklings!"
"Your teaching methods are questionable!" Sabo observed.
WHACK!
"Question my methods after you can dodge my throws!"
And so the morning continued, filled with flying baseballs, growing bumps, and Garp's endless laughter. The forest clearing, once peaceful, now echoed with the sounds of training, pain, and the occasional Straw Hat flying around the air sometimes until Luffy grabbed it and put it back on his head.
Deep down, all three brothers knew this was just the beginning of their journey to becoming stronger. Though they'd never admit it to Garp, they were grateful for his training, no matter how brutal it seemed.
Just as this touching thought crossed their minds...
THWACK! BONK! WHACK!
"Emotional moments are openings for attack! BWAHAHA!"
"WE HATE YOU, GRANDPA!"
"That's the spirit! Now, who's ready for coconuts?"
After a lunch break that lasted precisely 47 seconds (according to Garp's "generous" timing), the afternoon training session began with Garp hauling three enormous sacks of coconuts into the clearing.
"Now then," Garp grinned, holding up a coconut like it was a precious gem, "these are much harder to sense than baseballs because they're heavier and move differently through the air. BWAHAHA!"
Luffy gulped audibly. "They look really hard..."
"That's because they are! Perfect for building character!" Garp launched a coconut without warning, catching Luffy square in the face.
"OWWW! Even with my storm powers, that really hurts!" Luffy wailed.
Sabo raised his hand tentatively. "Garp-san, isn't this a bit extreme—"
THUNK!
A coconut bounced off Sabo's head, sending him spinning like a top.
"The only thing extreme is your lack of awareness!" Garp bellowed cheerfully. "Now, this time, I want you to not only dodge but catch the coconuts!"
Ace, already sporting several bumps from the morning session, tied his blindfold with determination. "Catch them? How are we supposed to—"
THWACK!
"Figure it out! That's part of the training!" Garp called out as Ace peeled himself off a tree trunk.
The clearing soon became a danger zone of flying coconuts.
"Remember," Garp shouted between throws, "feel the intent! Feel the trajectory! Feel the—"
"PAIN!" Luffy finished as another coconut caught him in the stomach.
"Exactly! BWAHAHA!"
Sabo, applying his analytical mind to the challenge, tried to establish a pattern. "If I calculate the approximate angles and timing of the throws—"
Three coconuts simultaneously struck him from different directions.
"No calculating! Feel it in your gut!" Garp corrected.
"My gut's too busy feeling coconuts!" Sabo groaned.
Ace, meanwhile, had managed to sense an incoming coconut and attempted to catch it. The result was a painful reminder that catching something you can't see requires more than just putting your hands out.
"OW! My fingers!"
"Good attempt!" Garp praised, immediately following up with two more coconuts. "But next time, try not to catch it with your face!"
The training intensified as Garp introduced new elements to increase difficulty.
"Now spin in circles while dodging!"
"Jump on one leg!"
"Do a handstand!"
"Sing the Marine anthem!"
"I don't even know the Marine anthem!" Luffy protested.
THUNK!
"Then make one up!"
Soon, the clearing was filled with the sound of coconuts hitting trees, ground, and unfortunate training participants, accompanied by a very off-key rendition of what Luffy thought a Marine anthem should sound like:
"Marines are mean and throw coconuuuuts!
They hit us hard and give us booooboos!
Grandpa's crazy, that's for suuuure!
Our heads are hurting more and moooore!"
"That's the worst Marine anthem I've ever heard!" Garp laughed, punctuating each word with a coconut throw. "Ten more coconuts as punishment!"
As the afternoon wore on, small improvements became noticeable. Ace managed to partially deflect a coconut instead of taking the full impact. Sabo successfully predicted the direction of several throws, even if his timing was still off. And Luffy... well, Luffy had developed an impressive ability to bounce coconuts off his storm body in random directions, occasionally hitting back at Garp of all people.
"Did I hit someone?" Luffy asked excitedly after hearing a distant 'oof!'
THUNK!
"Focus on your own training!" Garp admonished, though there was pride in his voice.
By sunset, the clearing looked like a coconut battlefield. Broken shells littered the ground, several trees had suspicious dents, and three exhausted boys lay sprawled in various positions.
"I can't feel my everything," Sabo mumbled.
"I think I've got coconut fragments in places coconut fragments shouldn't be," Ace groaned.
"I'm hungry again," Luffy whined.
Garp stood over them, juggling three coconuts with ease. "Well, you've all survived day one! Tomorrow we'll work on—"
"THERE'S MORE?!" they screamed in unison.
"BWAHAHA! Of course! Next time we'll combine baseball and coconut training!"
"How would that even work?" Sabo asked, immediately regretting his question.
"Simple! We'll put baseballs inside the coconuts!"
The three brothers shared a look of absolute horror.
"Can't we go back to regular punching?" Luffy pleaded.
THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
"Final lesson of the day: never ask for easier training! Now, who's hungry for coconut juice?"
As Garp cheerfully cracked open coconuts for them to drink, the brothers silently vowed to master Observation Haki as quickly as possible—if only to avoid any more of Grandpa's "creative" training methods. Though none of them would admit it, they had already started to sense the presence of coconuts a split second before impact. Whether this was actually Observation Haki or simply traumatic conditioning remained to be seen.
"Tomorrow's going to be even better!" Garp announced with his signature grin.
"We're gonna die," all three brothers muttered in perfect synchronization, before being hit with one final round of coconuts for their pessimism.
After 1 Month
"Flames of Innocence Lost"
The night sky glowed an unnatural orange, casting twisted shadows through the forest canopy. Three small figures stood frozen at the forest's edge, their eyes reflecting the inferno that consumed the Grey Terminal.
The crackling of flames couldn't drown out the screams.
"They... they really did it," Sabo whispered, his hands trembling at his sides. "They actually set fire to everything."
Ace's fists were clenched so tight his knuckles had turned white. "We heard the rumors, but this..." He swallowed hard, watching as a figure emerged from the smoke, aflame, only to collapse mid-stride.
Luffy stood between his brothers, uncharacteristically still. His straw hat cast a shadow over his eyes, but tears streamed silently down his cheeks.
The smoke carried the scent of burning wood, plastic, and something else—something that made all three boys instinctively know they would never forget this night.
"Help! Someone, please!" A woman's voice cut through the roar of flames. She was carrying a child, running blindly through the maze of fire.
Luffy took a step forward, but Ace's hand shot out, gripping his shoulder.
"We can't," Ace's voice cracked. "We'd never make it through that inferno."
"But they're dying," Luffy's words came out barely above a whisper. "They're dying, and we're just watching."
Sabo wrapped an arm around Luffy's shoulders. "Sometimes... sometimes being powerless is the worst pain of all."
Another explosion rocked the terminal, sending burning debris flying. The screams intensified, then gradually began to fade—not because the chaos was subsiding, but because there were fewer voices left to scream.
"The nobles," Ace spat the word like poison. "They're watching from their wall. I can see their lights. They're watching people burn like it's some kind of show."
Through the thick smoke, they could indeed see the distant lights of High Town, where the nobility observed the "cleansing" of their kingdom's trash heap.
"I used to be one of them," Sabo's voice was hollow. "They probably told everyone this was necessary. That it was for the good of the kingdom. They always have pretty words for ugly things."
A gust of wind parted the smoke momentarily, revealing the full scope of the devastation. The Grey Terminal, once a maze of makeshift homes and scavenged treasures, was now a sea of flames. People who had once been neighbors were trampling each other in their desperation to escape.
Luffy's body shook with silent sobs. "I don't understand. Why would anyone do this?"
Neither Ace nor Sabo had an answer that could make sense of such cruelty.
Then, through the hellish glow, they spotted it—a ship approaching the burning shoreline.
"They'll burn if they get too close," Ace muttered, but then something extraordinary happened.
A powerful gust of wind swept across the water, pushing back the flames near the shore. It created a temporary safe passage, and the desperate survivors who noticed it began running toward the ship.
"That wind..." Luffy's eyes widened slightly. "I think I've seen that ship before, but I can't remember where."
They watched as people climbed aboard, some still smoldering, others helping those who could barely walk. The ship's crew worked quickly, pulling survivors from the water and throwing down ropes.
"At least someone in this kingdom has a heart," Ace said quietly, his eyes fixed on the rescue effort.
"They can't save everyone," Sabo observed, his voice heavy with the weight of that truth. "But they're saving who they can."
Another explosion lit up the night, closer this time. The heat was becoming unbearable even at their distance.
"We should go," Sabo said, finally breaking their frozen vigil. "Back to the treehouse. We can't... we can't do anything here."
Ace nodded slowly, but Luffy remained rooted to the spot.
"Luffy," Ace's voice was gentler than usual. "We have to go."
"I won't forget this," Luffy said, his voice carrying a resolve that seemed too heavy for his seven years. "When I become Pirate King, I won't let things like this happen. I won't let people treat others like trash to be burned."
Sabo squeezed Luffy's shoulder. "We'll all get stronger. Strong enough that next time, we won't have to just watch."
As they turned to leave, a particularly loud scream made Luffy flinch. Ace immediately pulled his little brother close, letting him bury his face in his shirt.
"Don't look back," Ace instructed softly. "Just keep walking."
Their trek through the dark forest was silent, each lost in their own thoughts. The orange glow followed them, casting their shadows long and dark against the trees. Even the forest creatures were quiet.
When they reached their treehouse, none of them made a move to climb up. Instead, they sat at the base of the tree, huddled together, unable to shake the images burned into their minds.
"I keep thinking about the people we knew there," Sabo finally broke the silence. "Old man Jenkins who always saved interesting books for me. The lady who would mend clothes for food..."
"The kid who used to follow us around sometimes," Ace added, his voice tight. "The one with the pet rat."
Luffy pulled his knees to his chest. "Do you think they made it to the ship?"
Neither older brother answered. The truth was too heavy to voice.
"We should get stronger," Ace said after a long pause. "Not just strong enough to fight. Strong enough to protect people."
"Strong enough that no one can force us to watch something like this again," Sabo agreed.
Luffy raised his head, his eyes red but determined. "Promise me," he said, looking at both his brothers. "Promise me we'll never be like them. Like the people who did this."
"We promise, Luffy," both older brothers replied without hesitation.
"Wait!" Luffy's voice cut through the somber atmosphere after a minute of silence. Before either brother could respond, he had scrambled up the treehouse with an urgency they'd never seen before.
"What's he doing now?" Ace muttered, wiping his still-damp eyes.
The sound of rummaging came from above, followed by Luffy's footsteps on wood. When he jumped back down, he was clutching something in each hand.
Sabo's eyes widened in recognition. "Are those... Devil Fruits?"
In Luffy's right hand was a fruit that looked like it was made of solidified flame, swirling patterns of red and orange dancing across its surface. In his left was a pristine white fruit with spiral patterns that seemed to emit a faint mist.
"Gramps gave me the Fire Fire Fruit," Luffy said, his voice unusually serious. "The white one's a Steam Steam Fruit. Found it in the forest two months ago."
"Two months?" Ace's jaw dropped. "You've been hiding Devil Fruits for two months?"
"Gramps said to wait for the right moment," Luffy shuffled his feet. "Said I'd know when. I think... I think this is it."
Sabo reached out to touch one of the fruits, then pulled his hand back. "But you already ate the Storm Storm Fruit. Why would Garp give you more?"
"Not for me," Luffy shook his head. "For you two. Shanks told me eating two Devil Fruits kills you. But..." he looked at the still-glowing horizon, "after what we saw tonight, we need to be stronger."
Ace stared at the Fire Fire Fruit with an intensity that matched its appearance. "You're sure about this, Luffy? Devil Fruits are worth fortunes. And once eaten..."
"I don't care about money!" Luffy thrust the fruits forward. "I care about my brothers being strong enough to fight back!"
A moment of silence passed between them, broken only by the distant crackling of flames.
"The Fire Fire Fruit would suit you, Ace," Sabo observed. "You've always been the most hot-headed."
"Oi!" Ace protested, but there was a ghost of a smile on his face. "What about you? Steam's just hot air, perfect for a noble's son."
"Ex-noble," Sabo corrected, but he was studying the white fruit with interest. "Though I suppose steam can be quite powerful..."
"Like a steam engine!" Luffy added helpfully. "Gramps said it's really strong, but nobody wants it 'cause it's not flashy enough."
Ace picked up the Fire Fire Fruit, turning it over in his hands. "How bad did your fruit taste, Luffy?"
"Like a thunderstorm in my mouth!" Luffy made a face. "All zingy and wrong."
"Well," Sabo took the Steam Steam Fruit, "it can't be worse than some of the things we've eaten from the dump, right?"
The three brothers shared a look, then nodded simultaneously.
"Together?" Ace suggested.
"Together," Sabo agreed.
"Wait!" Luffy held up his hands. "Shanks said you gotta eat the whole thing, even the gross parts!"
Ace and Sabo looked at their respective fruits with growing apprehension.
"Bottom's up," Ace muttered, then took a massive bite.
His face immediately contorted into an expression of pure disgust. "It tastes like burning garbage!"
Sabo, following suit, wasn't faring any better. "Mine's like... like licking a hot kettle that's been filled with swamp water!"
Luffy bounced anxiously. "Keep eating! Keep eating!"
The next few minutes were filled with gagging sounds and creative cursing as the two older brothers forced down their fruits.
"I think..." Ace gasped, finishing his last bite, "I think I'm dying."
"If not," Sabo wheezed, "we might wish we were."
They both collapsed against the tree, looking slightly green.
"Do you feel any different?" Luffy asked eagerly.
"Besides nauseous?" Sabo groaned.
Suddenly, Ace sneezed, and a small fireball shot from his nose, singeing a nearby bush.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" he jumped back, patting his nose frantically.
"That was so cool!" Luffy clapped.
"Cool?! I could've burned my face off!"
Sabo started laughing, but his amusement turned to surprise when his breath came out as visible steam. "Oh, this is... interesting."
"Try making a big fire!" Luffy suggested to Ace.
"I don't even know how—" Ace stopped mid-sentence as his entire arm burst into flames. "AAAAH!"
"Don't panic!" Sabo called out, then promptly began emitting steam from every pore. "Oh great, now I'm doing it too!"
Luffy watched his brothers' chaos with undisguised glee. "This is awesome! Now we can all be weird together!"
"I don't want to be on fire!" Ace shouted, running in circles.
"The fire IS you," Luffy explained, remembering Shanks' lessons. "It won't hurt you! It's like how storms don't hurt me anymore!"
Ace gradually slowed down, realizing the flames weren't causing him any pain. "This is... actually kind of amazing."
Sabo, meanwhile, had created enough steam to fog up the entire area. "I can barely see anything!"
"That's perfect for sneaking!" Luffy beamed. "And steam can burn worse than fire sometimes! Gramps showed me when he was boiling water!"
The fog began to clear as Sabo gained some control. "We're going to need a lot of practice."
"Good thing we've got a training expert right here," Ace grinned, pointing at Luffy. "Our little brother's had his powers the longest."
Luffy puffed up with pride. "I can teach you! Well, kind of. Mostly I just try things until they work."
"That explains so much about your fighting style," Sabo chuckled.
"Hey! I'm getting better! Watch this!" Luffy concentrated, and a small storm cloud formed above their heads. Instead of rain, however, it dropped flower petals.
"...You meant to do that?" Ace raised an eyebrow.
"Um... no. I was going for snow."
The three looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter—the first real laughter since they'd witnessed the horror at Grey Terminal.
"We're going to be quite the trio," Sabo mused. "Storm, Fire, and Steam."
"Luffy," Ace called out after creating his third uncontrolled fireball, "how long did it take you to stop making storms when you sneezed?"
"Oh, about three months! Every time I sneezed, it rained fish!"
"Fish?" Sabo paused his steam experiments. "Why fish?"
"I was usually thinking about lunch."
"Of course you were," both brothers said in unison.
As they practiced, their powers slowly began responding to their wills rather than their emotions. It wasn't much, but it was a start. And with the ashes of Grey Terminal still cooling in the distance, they knew this was just the beginning.
"Next time," Luffy said as they finally collapsed from exhaustion, "we'll be ready."
"Next time," Ace agreed, watching a small flame dance across his palm, "we'll be the ones doing the saving."
"Next time," Sabo added, his steam curling around them protectively, "we'll show them what three brothers can really do."
"We're gonna need a lot more training," Sabo mused, watching his hand fade to steam and back.
"And a new training ground," Ace added, eyeing the damaged treehouse.
"And meat!" Luffy chimed in.
"NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT MEAT!"
Luffy suddenly froze, his eyes widening comically. "Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you something!"
Both older brothers turned to look at him, already dreading whatever was coming next.
"You... um... didn't actually need to eat the whole fruit," Luffy said, poking his fingers together nervously. "Just one bite was enough."
The clearing went deadly quiet.
"What." Ace's voice was dangerously flat.
"Yeah! Shanks told me after I ate my whole fruit. He was laughing really hard about it too!"
Steam literally began pouring from Sabo's ears – though this time it wasn't from his powers. "You mean... we forced down those disgusting fruits..."
"...For nothing?" Ace finished, small flames flickering in his hair.
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed, then immediately recognized his mistake when he saw his brothers' expressions. "Oh. Um. I should run now, shouldn't I?"
"Three."
"Two."
"ONE!"
"SORRY! I FORGOT!" Luffy took off running, using a gust of wind to propel himself faster.
"GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Ace shouted, leaving a trail of fire in his wake as he chased after his younger brother.
"WE ATE THOSE HORRIBLE THINGS BITE BY BITE!" Sabo yelled, using steam to boost his speed.
"BUT YOU HAVE COOL POWERS NOW!" Luffy's voice echoed through the trees, followed by the sound of crashing and explosions as three Devil Fruit users with minimal control wreaked havoc through the forest.
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"
"I SAID I'M SORRY! Oh look, a butterfly—"
"DON'T GET DISTRACTED WHILE WE'RE CHASING YOU!"
The forest animals watched in bewilderment as fire, steam, and small storm clouds raced past them, accompanied by screaming, laughter, and the occasional falling tree.
After 1 Year
"The Haki Lesson"
Garp stood with his arms crossed, his keen eyes taking in the subtle changes in his grandsons. The way steam occasionally leaked from Sabo's collar, how Ace's fingers sparked with tiny flames when he fidgeted.
"So you gave them the fruits," he said to Luffy, his tone carefully neutral.
Luffy met his grandfather's gaze steadily. "After what happened at Grey Terminal... we needed to be stronger."
"Hmph." Garp's expression didn't change. "And your Haki training?"
"Well," Luffy brightened, "I can sense people pretty far now! And sometimes I can make my storm attacks stronger with... with..." he scrunched his face trying to remember the term.
"Armament Haki," Sabo supplied.
"Yeah, that! And Ace is really good at dodging stuff now—"
"Because you keep trying to hit me with lightning!" Ace interjected.
"—and Sabo's getting better at sensing when people lie!"
Garp's frown deepened. "And how long have you spent training your Devil Fruits instead?"
The three boys suddenly found the ground very interesting.
"Nine... months?" Luffy admitted quietly.
"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT PRIORITIZING HAKI TRAINING, YOU BRATS?!" Garp's fist came down, and all three boys narrowly dodged.
"But Jiji, we need to control our powers!" Luffy protested, dancing away from another swing.
"Yeah, I kept setting things on fire in my sleep!" Ace added.
"And my steam was giving away our position to bandits," Sabo chimed in.
Garp took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. When he spoke again, his voice was controlled but intense.
"Tell me this, then. What happens when someone slaps seastone cuffs on you?"
The silence that followed was deafening. All three boys paled, with Luffy's face particularly ashen as he remembered Shanks' warnings about the same thing.
"TELL ME!" Garp demanded.
"Nothing," Luffy mumbled.
"Speak up!"
"Nothing! We wouldn't be able to do anything!" Luffy's voice cracked slightly.
"Exactly!" Garp's voice softened marginally. "Listen well, because I'm only saying this once. Gold Roger, the Pirate King himself, never had a Devil Fruit power."
"What?!" all three boys exclaimed in unison.
"That's right," Garp continued, actually smiling slightly at their shock. "The strongest man I ever fought relied on his Haki and his natural strength. Devil Fruits are tools, not crutches."
"But you gave us—" Ace started.
"I gave you those fruits because power is power," Garp cut him off. "But power without foundation is worthless. That's why I was angry when Luffy ate his fruit so young. However!" His voice rose again, making them jump. "That's in the past. From now on, we focus on Haki until I say otherwise!"
"Yes, sir!" they responded automatically.
"Good. Now..." A familiar glint appeared in Garp's eyes. "Let's see how your observation Haki handles... THIS!"
Before they could blink, Garp had grabbed a handful of rocks and was pelting them with terrifying accuracy.
"Dodge!" Ace yelped, barely avoiding a stone to the head.
"Focus on sensing the projectiles!" Garp called out cheerfully. "No Devil Fruit powers allowed!"
"But Jiji—" Luffy started to protest.
"No buts! And if I see one spark of lightning, one wisp of steam, or one flicker of flame, we double the training time!"
"You're enjoying this way too much!" Sabo accused, ducking under a particularly fast stone.
"BWAHAHA! Of course I am! Nothing brings a Marine hero more joy than proper training! Now, let's work on your Armament Haki next!"
The sound of rocks hitting flesh and pained yelps echoed through the forest, punctuated by Garp's booming laughter and occasional shouts of "Focus!" and "Feel the Haki flow!"
"I'm starting to think," Ace muttered between dodges, "that maybe we should have kept training Haki after all."
"You think?!" his brothers responded in unison, right before all three had to dive away from Garp's newest barrage.
"Less talking, more sensing!" Garp called out. "We've got months of slack to make up for!"
The three brothers shared a look of resigned determination. It was going to be a very long day.
Years Later
"A Storm Sets Sail"
The dawn painted Fuusha Village in gentle hues of gold as villagers gathered at the docks. The sleepy town had seen many changes over the years, but none quite as significant as this moment. Their troublemaker, their whirlwind of chaos and laughter, was finally spreading his wings.
Luffy stood tall at the dock, cutting a different figure from the child who once chased after Shanks. At six feet, he had grown into his own, his red cardigan fluttering in the morning breeze, the legendary straw hat sitting proudly atop his head. His build was leaner than his brothers', but there was an unmistakable strength in his stance.
"Take care, Luffy!" Makino called out, her eyes glistening with unshed tears even as she smiled.
"He'll be the death of our reputation," Woopslap grumbled, but even he couldn't completely hide the fondness in his voice.
"Just like those brothers of his," someone in the crowd muttered.
Luffy's small boat barely seemed adequate for such grand dreams, but his grin was wide enough to split the sky. As he pushed off from the dock, he turned back one last time, raising his hand in a gesture that spoke of both farewell and promise.
Luffy reclined in his boat, spinning his treasured hat on one finger. "Perfect weather for the start of an adventure!"
A disturbance in the water caught his attention – bubbles rising from the depths, growing larger and more frequent. The Lord of the Coast, the same sea king that had once cost Shanks his arm, emerged from the waves with a roar that sent birds scattering from nearby cliffs.
Luffy's grin never wavered. "Oh? You came to see me off too?"
The air crackled with sudden energy as dark clouds gathered overhead, appearing as if summoned by Luffy's will. Lightning danced between the clouds, reflecting in Luffy's eyes as he raised his hand, electricity arcing between his fingers.
"You know," he addressed the sea king conversationally, "I'm not that same weak kid anymore."
The lightning that struck from above was precise and devastating, a focused bolt of nature's fury that lit up the morning sky. The sea king didn't even have time to roar before it sank beneath the waves, leaving only spreading ripples in its wake.
Standing in his boat, Luffy placed his hat firmly on his head, his voice carrying across the water with unshakeable conviction:
"Ace, Sabo, Makino, Shanks... watch me. I'm going to become the King of the Pirates!"
The wind picked up, catching his sail. Behind him, Fuusha Village grew smaller, but the dark clouds lingered, nature's own farewell banner for the boy who could command storms.
A few villagers swore they could hear Makino whisper, "The sea's getting another dangerous one," as she wiped away a tear and turned back toward her bar.
As Luffy's boat disappeared over the horizon, the clouds gradually dispersed, leaving behind clear skies and calm seas – the calm before the storm that would soon shake the whole world.