Unnamed island.
"What's that again?!!!" Garp's voice boomed like a lion's roar.
"I won't be a marine... I'm gonna be a pirate!" Ace declared, his face set in determination.
"What are you blabbering about, kid!" Garp's eyes narrowed as he glared at Ace.
"It's not blabber. I'm serious about being a pirate," Ace said, unfazed by Garp's anger.
"Alright then! Time to straighten you out! You're not becoming a pirate on my watch!" Garp's voice was firm.Upon witnessing Garp's clenched fists, a chill gripped Ace. …
Ace had incited Garp intentionally, seeking to provoke a bout of direct combat training. …
The aim was clear: to push his limits and activate the Combat Turtle Breathing Technique for rapid self-enhancement. …
As Ace's physical prowess burgeoned, reaching his threshold through mere training grew increasingly challenging. …
A confrontation with Garp, however, would effortlessly push him to his limits. …
Ace braced himself as Garp's fists clenched. He had wanted this — a real challenge to push his limits.
"Get ready, Ace!" Garp lunged forward with his fist.
"Whoosh!" Ace's body burst into flames, dodging with ease. "He's already mastering his fruit's power?" Garp thought, impressed.
Ace had just eaten the Mera Mera no Mi, but he was already using it like a pro.
"I've got to step it up, Ace. That fruit won't make you invincible. Here comes my 'fist of love'!" Garp's fist turned black with Haki.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Garp moved with incredible speed, appearing right above Ace.
"Whoosh!" Ace focused all his power into his right fist, which blazed with intense fire. "Fire Fist!" he yelled, launching a fiery punch at Garp.
The heat was intense, rippling through the air.
Garp was taken aback by the sudden burst of flame. "This kid's got potential... maybe even for a marine."
"Take this, Ace!" Garp's Haki-infused punch descended. It looked simple, but the power behind it was immense.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" "tss!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" "hiss!"
"Man, Gramps! You don't hold back, do you?!"
Ace's voice echoed across the island, filled with a mix of pain and defiance. ...
....
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
Ace lay on the ground, gasping for air, feeling every bit of his body pushed to its limits. ...
Nearby, Garp was busy with the fish and sea kings that Ace had caught earlier.
...
Garp couldn't help but laugh. "Ace, you're really something, you know? Using your powers for cooking now, huh? Haha."
...
"Laugh it up, old man. One day, I'll be the one laughing," Ace managed to say, though every muscle in his body ached. ... Being hit by Haki is no joke.
Ace wasn't shocked by his defeat. After all, he was up against Garp, the 'Iron Fist,' one of the strongest out there. ...
But Ace felt he was close to a breakthrough. He sensed that his Combat Turtle Breathing Technique was about to kick in. ...
And he had a feeling that the gains from this battle would be greater than any before.
"Oh? Can't wait to see that, hahaha," Garp said, still chuckling. ... "Now, let's check on our dinner. I..."
"Whoosh!"
Before Garp could finish, Ace, who had been lying on the ground just a second ago, suddenly sprang up and started gobbling down the roasted sea king.
Garp watched, mouth agape, as the huge sea king disappeared bite by bite.
"Hey! Save some for me, will ya?!"