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Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!!
The usually silent, abandoned dock now echoed with a rhythmic, metallic thud. Goku's gaze was firm and unwavering as he punched the warship's hull repeatedly. Despite his small frame, he possessed such immense strength that the massive vessel clanged loudly with every strike. Standing behind him, Garp and Kuzan observed the scene in silence.
A moment later, Kuzan—better known as Admiral Aokiji—finally spoke. "This is the talented child you brought back, isn't he? I heard about him from Fleet Admiral Sengoku".
Garp nodded slightly, his arms crossed over his chest. "That's right. He's the best prospect I've seen in recent years. If he's nurtured properly, he'll become the pillar of the Marine's next generation!".
"A pillar? That's quite an extraordinary assessment," Kuzan replied, a hint of surprise breaking through his usual lazy demeanor. In the Navy, a "pillar" typically referred to someone with the strength of an Admiral.
"You should consider who discovered this talent! I have complete confidence in this little guy!" Garp laughed, his eyes filled with a mix of expectation and amusement as he watched Goku work.
Kuzan's gaze sharpened as he watched the boy's back. After a moment, he yawned and asked, "You're having him punch the warship now; you want him to inherit your Iron Fist, don't you? But isn't he a bit too young for that?".
Punching a warship is no small feat. Without the protection of Armament Haki or a Devil Fruit, striking such a hard object is an incredibly strenuous and painful task that requires immense willpower. Kuzan himself hadn't started this specific training until he was around twenty years old. It was hard for him to imagine a child in his early tens possessing such conviction.
Garp scoffed at the suggestion. "Hmph! When is it too early? In my opinion, it's just right! And don't underestimate him because of his age; his conviction is definitely not weaker than yours was back then!".
"Oh?" Kuzan raised an eyebrow. "What conviction does this little guy have?".
"His conviction is to cultivate and become stronger—to surpass himself," Garp replied. He explained that Goku had been so impatient to learn Haki that he had insisted on starting training immediately.
Garp grinned, admitting his little white lie. "I told him that once he can dent the ship's bow as much as mine, he'll be able to cultivate Armament Haki!".
Kuzan shook his head with a small, amused smile. "You really are...". He knew that the massive dent in Garp's ship had taken decades to form. Asking a child to match it was practically bullying, though he understood that the consistent tempering would eventually lead the boy to awaken Haki anyway.
Bang!!! Bang!!!
Half an hour passed quickly. Garp and Kuzan stopped talking, their expressions shifting from observation to genuine surprise.
"It's been quite a while, old man," Kuzan noted, glancing at the sun.
"Hmm, this little guy surprises me more and more," Garp admitted. Normally, a first-time trainee would have to stop frequently to shake out the pain in their hands. But Goku hadn't stopped once; his rhythm was highly regular, as if he felt no pain at all.
"He hasn't eaten any special Devil Fruit, has he?" Kuzan asked.
"No, he's not a landlubber; I saw him swim before," Garp replied. He knew the boy felt pain—he had seen him cry from a "Fist of Love" just that morning—but his physical talent was simply off the charts. Goku's skin and flesh were naturally much tougher than an ordinary human's.
Garp's smile faded slightly into a profound look mixed with a hint of worry. This level of physical talent was usually a matter of genetic inheritance. It made Goku's origin suspicious; his parents couldn't have been ordinary humans. Garp began to suspect there was more to Goku being on that island than simple abandonment.
However, Garp's resolve remained firm. He had grown fond of the pure-hearted, righteous little guy. Even if there were dark secrets in the boy's past, Garp was determined to train him into an excellent Marine. If anyone tried to harm Goku, they would have to answer to Garp's Iron Fist first.
An hour into the session, a shallow dent finally appeared on the ship's hull. Kuzan let out a final exclamation of respect. "A truly remarkable little guy has arrived". With a final nod to Garp, the Admiral turned and lazily strolled away.