Opening the box, Jon was surprised to find a large number of seeds inside—not just one kind but a wide variety. After carefully counting them, he realized there were more than fifty types of seeds.
"Dragon, where did you get all these seeds? Many of them I've never seen before."
Jon could create seeds with his abilities, but the range he could produce was limited. Among these fifty-plus types, he could only recognize about ten, while the rest were entirely new to him.
Dragon explained, "Some I found myself, and others I had people buy for me. I don't know what many of them are, but I do recognize a few. This one is a type of thorny plant, that one seems to be a willow tree, and this one is a type of poisonous flower."
"I wasn't sure what you needed, so I brought everything I could find. Try them out, and if you find any of them useful, I'll have people search for more."
"Thanks so much. How much did all this cost? I'll pay you back," Jon said.
Dragon laughed, "Have you forgotten? I still owe you money. Don't worry about it. These are just seeds—they can't cost much. Consider it repayment for what I owe you."
"No, debts are debts. I know you'll keep helping me look for seeds in the future. If I don't pay you, your losses could add up," Jon replied, shaking his head.
Ordinary seeds might not be expensive, but some rare ones were hard to come by and could fetch a decent price. With so many seeds, the cost was sure to be significant.
"Fine, we'll leave it at that," Dragon said dismissively, refusing to accept payment.
Seeing Dragon's firm stance, Jon reluctantly agreed. Truthfully, Jon wasn't short on money.
When he first arrived at Navy Headquarters over a year ago, his father had given him a large sum of money. Since he rarely spent it while stationed at the base, most of it remained untouched—aside from the part loaned to Borsalino.
Additionally, Jon had earned considerable rewards for completing missions and capturing pirates, all of which he had saved.
Jon had come to realize that Navy Headquarters had a surprisingly practical approach to management. While capturing pirates was a duty, successful captures also earned the Navy a share of the bounty—though significantly less than the full amount.
Even so, catching enough pirates ensured a steady income, which was why many Navy soldiers were enthusiastic about hunting them down.
Few people joined the Navy purely for justice—those were rare exceptions. Most came for the stable pay and benefits.
After all, if the Navy had no money, how could it attract so many recruits? Did anyone really think the banner of "justice" alone could feed their families?
Several more hours passed, and it was already dark by the time Garp finally arrived.
None of the waiting soldiers were surprised by Garp's lateness—it was something they had grown accustomed to.
"Wahahaha! Was everyone waiting for me? I'm not late, am I?"
No one responded to Garp, except Jon, who couldn't help rolling his eyes.
When Garp saw Jon, he exclaimed, "Jon, why are you here so early?"
Jon was speechless. He didn't even want to answer, but Garp just had to tease him.
"I got ready and came, Vice Admiral Garp. Of course, you're the most punctual one here."
Garp laughed heartily. "Jon, you don't understand. Sailing at night is ideal—the weather is cooler, the moon and stars light the way, and it's perfect for traveling."
"I don't believe you for a second."
Jon didn't bother to argue further. It was obvious Garp was just making excuses for his laziness, acting as though it was all perfectly reasonable. When it came to shamelessness, Garp was definitely in the top ranks.
"Well, since everything is ready, let's set sail!"
With a grand wave of his hand, Garp boarded the warship with a commanding presence. The others followed him aboard.
Soon, the large warship left the port at Navy Headquarters and sailed into the vast ocean.
Once on board, Jon quickly realized how slow-paced Garp's approach was. Despite being on a mission, Garp didn't seem the least bit rushed, taking his time as they sailed leisurely.
Dragon eventually explained to Jon that it wasn't due to Garp's inefficiency. Their mission target was difficult to pinpoint, and they were waiting for intelligence updates from Navy Headquarters.
Without a confirmed location, speeding up their voyage wouldn't make sense.
According to Dragon, when it came to dealing with pirates, Garp's efficiency was among the best at Navy Headquarters. He not only worked quickly but also had an unparalleled success rate.
Jon, having never worked with Garp before, wasn't sure what to make of him. However, if even Dragon—who was often critical of his father—acknowledged Garp's abilities in this area, it must be true.
As the ship sailed on, Jon found himself bored. Unable to use his abilities freely aboard the vessel, he resorted to practicing martial arts on the deck.
"Jon, your training method won't cut it."
While Jon was practicing the Navy's Six Powers, Garp approached him and shook his head. "You youngsters train like old men—slow and weak. If you keep this up, your progress will be too slow."
"Then how should I train?" Jon asked, looking to Garp for guidance. He knew Garp was an expert in this field and didn't question his advice.
Garp called out to Dragon, "Dragon, take off your gear and give it to Jon."
Dragon frowned and protested, "Dad, Jon hasn't trained like this before. You'll injure him if you push too hard."
"Injure, my foot!"
Garp smacked at Dragon, who quickly dodged. "I raised you this way, and Jon is already stronger than you were at his age. If he doesn't face challenges, how will he grow?"
Though Garp often joked around, he could be extremely serious when needed. He understood that Tsuru had entrusted Jon to him not just to give Jon experience, but also to hone his skills.
Garp, seeing potential in Jon and liking the young man, decided to train him properly.
"Fine," Dragon said reluctantly, giving Jon a sympathetic look that left him feeling uneasy.
What are these two up to? Why does it feel like they're teaming up to mess with me? Jon wondered nervously.
Dragon removed his gear, revealing his muscular build. He then took off a special vest he was wearing, along with weights strapped to his wrists and ankles.
Thud!
Even though Dragon didn't drop the weights heavily, they still landed on the deck with a dull, resonant thud.
Jon's heart skipped a beat. He recognized the equipment as weighted gear—and it wasn't light. Dragon had been wearing all this the entire time?
Pointing to the weights, Garp said, "These are weighted training tools. The weight is decent enough. Jon, put them on."
Jon approached the weights and reached for the vest. As soon as he lifted it, he felt its incredible heft. What the hell?!
He looked up at Dragon, his expression questioning.
Dragon smiled faintly and said, "It's not that heavy—just three tons in total."
"You monster," Jon muttered, his eye twitching.
Even after all his training and progress, three tons was still a significant burden. Wearing three tons as part of your daily routine was an entirely different challenge compared to using the same weight with standard equipment.
Carrying three tons everywhere… Could anyone even call that human?
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Powerstones?
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