16 Chapter 16

Unlike Garp, however, Sengoku approached each mission with meticulous planning and precision. Just a few months ago, they had nearly cornered Whitebeard. If not for the unpredictable storm that intervened, the legend of Whitebeard would likely have met its end that day. Besieged by Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru, Whitebeard was unlucky, though I was certain he and his crew must have shipwrecked somewhere after the tempest.

Each skirmish served as an opportunity for me to grow stronger. Amidst the chaos, I secretly observed Dragon, always reserved and contemplative. His decision to leave the Marines couldn't have been impulsive; he must have weighed his options carefully. While I was Garp's protege, he maintained a certain distance, offering occasional guidance and words of wisdom. He emphasized the importance of not blindly following orders, even if they came from superiors.

Surprisingly, Bogard, typically silent, had warmed up to me, particularly impressed by my swordsmanship skills. I once overheard him boasting to Garp about molding me into an admiral specializing in swordsmanship, recognizing the Marines' need for skilled sword masters at the pinnacle of their ranks.

During my time aboard Garp's ship, I witnessed not only the noble ideals upheld by the Marines but also the dark underbelly that lurked within. While Garp strove to maintain integrity and principle among his subordinates, he couldn't ensure the same level of righteousness throughout the entire organization.

Instances of corruption and abuse of power were not uncommon, even within the ranks of the Marines. I witnessed Marines abusing their authority for personal gain, accepting bribes from shady individuals, and turning a blind eye to illegal activities in exchange for favors. Some used their positions to intimidate and oppress civilians, instilling fear rather than providing protection.

One particularly egregious example involved a high-ranking Marine officer who exploited his authority to engage in human trafficking, turning a blind eye to the suffering of innocent individuals for his own profit. Another instance revealed widespread collusion between Marines and criminal organizations, with officers turning a blind eye to illicit activities in exchange for financial kickbacks.

Despite Garp's efforts to instill his sense of justice within the Marines under his command, he couldn't control the actions of every individual within the organization. After the God Valley incident, Garp withdrew from actively promoting his vision of justice among his peers, choosing instead to uphold his principles within his own sphere of influence.

Even as opportunities arose for Garp to ascend to the rank of Admiral, he repeatedly declined the offer. Despite the vacant spot in the Admirals awaiting the appointment of a Marine hero, Garp remained steadfast in his refusal, unwilling to compromise his principles or become entangled in the corruption that plagued the higher echelons of the organization.

Over the past year, my family's influence and power have grown at a rapid pace. Despite the constraints of my duties as a Marine, I maintained constant communication with Doffy, ensuring our plans remained hidden from prying eyes. He kept me updated on the family's developments and the addition of new members, some of whom were familiar faces from the original Donquixote crew, such as Senor, Gionna, Machvise, and Lao G.

Under Doffy's command, the Donquixote family had expanded its reach, gaining considerable influence in North Blue. Our new generation weapons had become wildly popular among various customers, further solidifying our position in the underworld. With my knowledge of the One Piece world, I contributed by providing Doffy with a list of names and potential locations of talents that could benefit our family's future endeavors. The recent addition of Wolf from Swallow Island was a significant boost to our research efforts.

Additionally, I made a personal contribution to the family by acquiring a mythical Zoan fruit. Utilizing my knowledge from studying the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, I recognized the fruit's significance and requested it from Garp. Although he believed it was for my own use, I secretly smuggled it back to Doffy with the help of coordinated planning. It took nearly three weeks of anxious waiting, but the fruit eventually reached Doffy safely, and Vergo consumed it, enhancing our family's strength.

However, my actions did not escape Garp's notice. When he discovered that I had deceived him regarding the fruit, he was furious. Despite his indifference towards the fruit itself, he punished me by stringing me upside down from the mast for a week. It was a harsh reminder of the consequences of deception, even within the bonds of family loyalty.

Within the Marines, I had gained significant notoriety despite Garp's persistent attempts to promote me. Stubbornly, I clung to my rank as a choreboy, much to the confusion of those aboard Garp's ship. They were well aware of my abilities and prowess, leading them to wonder why I remained in such a low position.

Even Sengoku, recognizing my potential, had approached Garp to request that I become his apprentice. However, Garp fiercely defended his mentorship over me, even going so far as to challenge Sengoku to a death match if he dared to poach his student. It was a testament to Garp's unwavering loyalty and determination to mentor me himself, despite my reluctance to accept any higher rank.

Currently, on a certain island near the Calm Belt, Garp's Marine ship is anchored. The marines were taking a well-deserved break on the uninhabited island after a recent skirmish with some pirates. The island was abundant in resources, so the marines were busy salvaging it to replenish their stores.

Garp had just woken up from a deep sleep and noticed that his two proteges were nowhere to be found. He spotted Bogard instructing a few marines on the island and decided to approach him.

"So, where are those brats? Have they been slacking off while I was resting?" Garp jovially questioned Bogard, although he knew how hard his apprentices worked. The more effort they put in, the more he liked to push them.

Bogard couldn't help but give Garp a dumbfounded look. If anyone else had dared to suggest that Kuzan and Ross were lazy, he would have punched them by now, especially Ross. The kid always pushed him beyond his limits every single time. Sometimes Bogard even wondered if Ross was truly just ten years old; he had never seen anyone grow stronger at such a rapid pace.

"Where do you think?" Bogard nonchalantly said, continuing with his work while ignoring Garp, who liked to laze around. Garp understood what Bogard meant and quickly extended his Observation Haki to engulf the entire island. Within moments, he detected the presence of his two students on the opposite shore.

Garp swiftly used Geppo and stepped into the sky, heading towards where his two students were. As he approached closer, he could get a clearer picture of what was happening.

I was currently clashing with Kuzan without holding anything back, and Kuzan was also not holding back. In the past year, I had awakened Armament Haki just two months into Garp's training, so I always clashed with Kuzan while he used his ice powers. Despite losing in the end every single time, such battles made me grow quickly.

"Soru!" I flickered behind Kuzan, thrusting the blade at his exposed flank. "Busoshoku Koka!" I first hardened my arm and then coated Sandai Kitetsu with Haki and thrust the blade forward. Despite his Observation Haki not as good as mine, Kuzan was able to react to my attacks as he instinctively dematerialized the part of his waist where the Haki-clad blade was about to penetrate.

Seeing that Kuzan had dodged my attack, I immediately retreated back a few dozen meters. A split second later, the vast area around Kuzan completely froze; even the sand on the shore solidified into ice crystals.

"Tch, Kuzan-san, if I could use emission, then that last attack would have dealt quite some damage," I couldn't help but say frustratingly. It was tough for me to get a drop on Kuzan and land a solid blow, as most of the time, even when I had him beat with speed, he would resort to elementalization.

"Well, Ross, you should know better than this. You can't make such lame excuses when fighting a real enemy. They're not going to spare you just because you haven't learned emission yet," Kuzan teased, unable to resist poking fun at me. Since I had learned Armament Haki, I had been pestering him relentlessly about training. Eventually, he got fed up and treated me like a punching bag. But as the days went by, I was growing stronger at an alarming rate, forcing Kuzan to redouble his efforts to avoid being surpassed by me.

"Boom!" Kuzan suddenly pushed toward me and threw a punch right at my ribs. However, I was ready and covered myself with Haki around the area where the punch connected.

"Shit! That hurt like hell," I grunted, feeling the impact of Kuzan's punch. It was super effective, incorporating emission. I understood that Kuzan was simply showing off.

I was launched about ten meters and came to a stop, sliding while rubbing the blood from the corner of my mouth.

"Now, that, my little friend, is emission. I hope you can learn that soon, or you can only dream about landing a solid blow on me in the future," Kuzan continued teasing me. He knew that despite being hit by an emission infused punch, I wouldn't be affected much, as my physique was monstrous. My body was already rapidly healing from all the damage I had just received from the last attack.

"Show-off," I muttered under my breath. I sheathed Kitetsu and, with a quick draw motion, pulled out the blade again, sending a massive flying slash towards Kuzan. He chose to take the attack head-on, hardening both his arms with Haki and crossing them in front of him. As the attacks clashed, the sword attack dispersed, not yielding the intended results.

As the clash continued, the air crackled with anticipation, charged with the intensity of our training session. Kuzan and I were locked in a dance of blades and fists, each movement calculated and precise. Despite Kuzan's teasing, I remained focused, determined to prove myself and push my limits.

With a swift motion, I lunged forward, my blade slicing through the air with lethal precision. Kuzan countered effortlessly, his movements fluid and graceful as he evaded my attack with ease. But I was relentless, pressing forward with unwavering determination.

As we exchanged blows, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, fueling my every movement. Each clash of Haki echoed across the shore, a symphony of battle that spoke of our fierce dedication to our craft.

Despite Kuzan's experience and mastery over his ice powers, I refused to back down. With every strike, I pushed myself harder, my resolve unyielding in the face of his formidable skill. I knew that I had to surpass him if I wanted to stand a chance against the challenges that awaited me in the future.

With a sudden surge of energy, I unleashed a flurry of attacks, each strike aimed at testing Kuzan's defenses. He met my onslaught head-on, his own attacks coming fast and furious as he sought to overwhelm me.

But I refused to falter. Drawing upon every ounce of strength and skill, I matched him blow for blow, my determination unwavering despite the growing fatigue that threatened to weigh me down.

"Ice Block: Pheasant Peck," Kuzan declared, his hand directed towards me as he conjured a massive bird made of ice, aiming to engulf and freeze me completely.

With my energy waning, I realized I had no choice but to confront the attack head-on. "Busoshoku Koka," I muttered, shrouding myself in Armament Haki and imbuing Kitetsu with its power. As the ice bird hurtled towards me, I summoned the last reserves of my strength and swung my blade, slicing the bird in half just in time. But before I could recover, Kuzan launched a second attack, and despite detecting it, I lacked the stamina to counter it.

In a matter of seconds, I found myself encased in ice, trapped in an icy sculpture. Yet, thanks to the protective shield of Armament Haki, I remained unharmed by the extreme cold.