7 Chapter 7: Garp’s Special Training

As the years cascaded from one season to the next, seven cycles of spring and autumn had swiftly passed. In the quaint Foosha Village, perched upon the majestic Mt. Colubo, the ground shuddered with a resounding "Boom! Boom!" A creature of mythic proportions, resembling a cow but magnitudes larger, made its grand entrance. This gargantuan beast made even the noblest of Earth's elephants appear as mere calves in comparison.

Yet now, the mighty creature lay defeated, its vast bulk being dragged by a figure so small, it seemed a child's plaything, etching a deep scar upon the earth. "Oi, Dadan! Feast your eyes on this—time to kick off the banquet!" Ace's triumphant laughter rang out. Dadan, frozen in place, stood before his dwelling, his visage awash with a cold, fearful sweat.

"You've done well by Ace, Dadan," Garp's booming voice filled the air, his infamous grin unfurling across his visage. Dadan, stiff as a mast in a gale, could only offer a silent nod, his brow beaded with perspiration.

"What have we here? The old timer's come to poach my prize?" Ace's voice dripped with contempt as he neared the house, noting Garp's presence beside the trembling Dadan clan. Garp's laughter echoed, deep and sonorous. "Show some respect, lad! To your grandpa, no less—spry and seasoned as the sea!"

Garp bristled at Ace's cheeky retort. "Rest assured, your trophy's safe from me, you ungrateful pup." Ace, bearing the same blood as the legendary Pirate King Roger, chafed at the moniker 'grandpa'—a cunning ruse for respect unearned.

For seven long years, Garp had occasionally claimed Ace's hard-won spoils. "Let's not quibble over trifles. Your haul is commendable, indeed!" Garp's chuckle was hearty, his gaze admiring Ace's conquest.

Garp contemplated the subdued leviathan. "Such might already?" His concerns lingered, yet he eschewed the notion of harsh training for the young Ace. Unaided, Ace had harnessed a strength far surpassing what his youth would suggest—a talent most extraordinary.

"A banquet awaits, Dadan!" Ace declared, oblivious to Garp's contemplation. "Banquet be damned! It's time you learned the true call of the sea. Not just any call—a Navy's call!" Garp's infectious laughter bellowed as he corralled a resistant Ace.

"Navy? Not on your life," Ace spat back, his expression contorted with disgust.

The audacity of Garp, to envision training the Pirate King's progeny as a Navy man! Beneath the World Government's yoke, even admirals kowtowed to the World Nobles. Ace would bow to no one. In the realm of One Piece, the pirate's life was his chosen destiny.

"What? You defiant whelp. This training will reveal the Navy's true valor!" Garp's fury ignited at Ace's scorn, and with a decisive proclamation, he ushered Ace towards his vessel. "Dadan, await the boy's return in a month's time!"

As Garp and Ace receded into the distance, Dadan's gaze lingered, fraught with concern and silent foreboding.

...

"Hey! Stinky old man, where are you taking me?"

After two days of sailing, Ace looked at Garp helplessly on Garp's ship.

"Call me Grandpa! And keep that tone in check, Ace. We're heading to a place where you'll have to toughen up, not whine about it," Garp retorted with a hearty laugh, his eyes glinting with the thrill of the upcoming challenge.

"Go to an uninhabited island, Ace. Don't get too cozy there, hahaha," Garp continued, his laughter belying the serious training that awaited.

"Well, look, it's already here."

Garp pointed into the distance, and a small island appeared in Ace's view. The roars of wild beasts could be heard even from afar, hinting at the formidable creatures that inhabited the island.

"Well, it's just an island with some random beasts, but I have to take a hot bath at night," Ace muttered under his breath, recalling his mother's words and the comfort they brought.

"Don't worry about the hot bath. As for the ordinary beasts? These aren't your usual prey, and this island is about more than just beasts," Garp said with a smirk, his tone teasing yet foreboding.

Garp then took out two huge fishing rods from the boat. "Before we throw you into the jungle, let's go fishing," he said, his strange smile promising a lesson in every action.

...