Ace experienced a comforting warmth suffuse his entire being as the food he consumed swiftly nourished his body...
The energy from the digested food surged through every cell, enhancing his strength at an alarming rate...
"Is this what complete absorption feels like?" Ace pondered, his fist tightening instinctively. He already felt markedly stronger than before. The prospect of improving his physique simply by eating filled him with excitement, akin to the monstrous individuals he will encounter in the pirate world...
Having delved into the original work, Ace recognized the extraordinary abilities possessed by those deemed "monsters" in the pirate realm. Their capacity for endless food consumption, rapid digestion, and absorption were legendary, granting them inhuman physiques...
Yet, Ace's newfound understanding of complete absorption far surpassed the capabilities of these legendary figures. He was thoroughly pleased with the skill he had acquired, particularly the relief of no longer needing to rely on milk like a typical infant...
The thought of being fed milk by Dadan sent shivers down his spine...
"Hey, boss, do you think this kid's grown a bit?" Dogra, one of Dadan's cohorts, ventured uncertainly as Dadan struggled to find her voice...
"It certainly seems so," Dadan eventually managed, her gaze fixed on Ace with a mixture of awe and disbelief...
Despite her years as a seasoned bandit, Dadan found it difficult to comprehend how Ace could have undergone such rapid growth after just one meal. Even for a Neptune-type creature, this rate of development was unheard of...
However, the bandits, accustomed to the whims of the extraordinary, accepted the situation with relative ease. After all, this was Garp's grandson – the legendary naval hero. Such inexplicable occurrences were par for the course in his presence...
"Um, could you put me down?" Ace's voice interrupted Dadan's reverie, drawing her attention back to him...
Dadan's eyes widened, feeling as though her jaw might dislocate as she stared at Ace in disbelief...
"You... you can talk?!" Dadan stammered, instinctively setting Ace down.
She knew from Garp that the child before her was less than ten days old...
"I spent twenty months in my mother's belly. Is it so unreasonable for me to speak?" Ace explained, lacking any semblance of sincerity.
"Uh-huh!" Many bandits nodded in agreement, suddenly finding Ace's explanation quite plausible. After all, Garp was the one who brought the baby – anything seemed possible in his presence!
"...." Dadan nodded subconsciously, then jolted back to reality. How absurd! She had never heard of a newborn speaking without being taught!
"Uncle, I need your assistance," Ace politely addressed the strongest-looking bandit, who seemed to go by the name Magra.
"Me?" Magra pointed at himself, bewildered by Ace's request. However, seeing Ace's determined gaze, he hesitantly approached.
"Can I punch you? I feel like I've become much stronger," Ace asked sincerely.
"Huh?" Magra was taken aback, but witnessing Ace's polite demeanor, he relented with a wave of his hand. "Sure, go ahead, kid, give it your best shot, hahaha."
Bowing politely, Ace expressed his gratitude before delivering a punch to Magra's abdomen...
"Ha! Just let uncle help you, hahaha!" Magra chuckled, only to be interrupted by a sudden surge of force emanating from Ace's tiny fist...
Before Magra could react, he was sent flying, crashing into the wall with a resounding thud...
"!!!" The bandits and Dadan gawked in disbelief. A mere infant had just knocked away the strongest man among them with a single blow?!
"Well, that worked out nicely," Ace remarked, examining his fist with satisfaction.
Having practiced the Combat Turtle Breath Technique even before his birth, coupled with the complete absorption of the barbecue meal, Ace's strength rivaled that of beyond ordinary adult man...
"I apologize for the inconvenience. I didn't anticipate my strength," Ace offered as he helped Magra to his feet, his expression apologetic.
"No worries, kid," Magra managed a strained smile. He couldn't possibly fault a baby for knocking him down, especially one brought by someone as influential as Garp.
"I just ate, and suddenly my punches pack a punch. Quite reasonable, don't you think?" Ace remarked with a polite smile, addressing the bewildered onlookers.
At that moment, even the bandits who had found Ace's earlier actions plausible began to doubt their own judgment...
How absurd! What manner of creature was this child?!
Nevertheless, despite their reservations, Ace had found a new home under Dadan's roof...