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Chapter 53 is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
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Boom!
However, Bai Shui realized he had still severely underestimated the destructive power of the iron cannonball.
The moment it made impact, it felt as though an entire mountain had crashed into him. The sheer, terrifying force made the color drain from his face. His bones groaned in protest, his blood boiled, and a sweet metallic taste coated his throat before he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
His Light Particle Energy Shield fractured violently. Spiderweb cracks spread across its surface, bringing the barrier inches away from completely shattering.
Just who the hell has this kind of power?! Bai Shui forced his eyes wide open, glaring in the direction of the attack. What met his gaze was a heavily armed Marine battleship. Standing proudly at the bow was a Marine wearing a dog-head hood.
So it's him. But why attack me? And what is he doing here? Oddly enough, seeing that iconic dog hood actually managed to put Bai Shui's mind at ease.
"Heh, interesting. He's quite a capable brat, indeed!" On the distant battleship, Garp nodded approvingly as he observed Bai Shui's reaction.
Even though Garp had only used about fifteen percent of his strength, the force behind the throw was equivalent to the full-powered strike of a pirate with a 300 million Beri bounty. The fact that Bai Shui managed to block it meant the kid had the baseline strength of at least a 150 million Beri pirate. Only someone of that caliber possessed the necessary endurance.
Back on the shore, the villagers were utterly stupefied.
What had they just witnessed? A Marine battleship had actually launched an unprovoked attack on Bai Shui—and it had hit him hard enough to make him cough up blood! In their eyes, Bai Shui was practically a god. Yet, someone as impossibly strong as him had just been brought to his knees.
"Cough, cough!"
Forcing through the agonizing pain in his chest and his sudden wave of weakness, Bai Shui dropped heavily onto the sandy beach, clutching his chest as a violent coughing fit seized him.
Whoosh! The battleship sliced through the waves at breakneck speed, finally dropping anchor in the shallows.
"Bwahahaha!"
The ship had barely stopped moving when a massive figure came striding through the air itself. A boisterous, ear-splitting laugh accompanied his arrival.
"Garp, you bastard! What the hell did you hit me for?!" Bai Shui snapped fiercely the moment Garp's boots touched the sand. He looked thoroughly pissed, fully prepared to jump the legendary Marine and fight for his life if he didn't get a damn good explanation.
"Bwahahaha! You've got some nerve, kid," Garp laughed, staring at Bai Shui with a glint of genuine curiosity on his weathered face. "But it's rare for someone to recognize me right off the bat. This should be our first time meeting, shouldn't it?"
"What's there to be surprised about? Ask around for two seconds, and who wouldn't know about Garp the Fist and his stupid dog mask?" Bai Shui picked his nose, looking at Garp as if he were an idiot.
"Uh..." Garp was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected the kid to act so casually. There wasn't an ounce of the usual intimidation or restraint most people showed upon meeting him.
"Spit it out," Bai Shui demanded, cutting straight to the chase. "What could possibly bring Vice Admiral Garp all the way out here? If there's something I can help with, I'll do my best."
He knew a guy like Garp didn't just wander around aimlessly. Captain T-Bone had just left, and now Garp was here. Bai Shui would be beaten to death before he believed that was a coincidence.
"Fine, since you're putting it like that, if I beat around the bush, I'll probably just get looked down on by a brat!" Garp plopped down on the sand, fixing Bai Shui with a hard, appraising stare. "You're a remarkably capable kid. Why not consider joining the Marines?"
"What's in it for me?" Bai Shui shot back, looking completely disinterested. "If there are no benefits, why the hell would I join the Marines? I'm living completely free right now. Why would I slap a pair of shackles on myself?"
"Uh..."
Garp found himself speechless for a second time. He really hadn't expected Bai Shui's reason for refusing to be so incredibly simple. He had braced himself for some grand, philosophical rejection of absolute justice. Instead, the kid's reasoning was blunt, straightforward, and unapologetically practical.
"What? Did you think I was going to spout a bunch of self-righteous bullshit? Sorry to disappoint, but this is just who I am." Bai Shui rolled his eyes.
"Bwahahaha! Good! It's been a long time since I've met a young man as interesting as you," Garp roared with laughter, his impression of the boy ticking up a few notches. "No wonder young T-Bone praised you so highly. You've definitely got a charm all your own!"
The villagers could only watch in stunned silence as the two sat on the beach, chatting merrily about life like old friends who hadn't seen each other in years. Still, the sheer scale of the battleship loomed over them. It was a terrifying behemoth. With a warship like that, they thought, what pirate could possibly survive its cannons? They couldn't fathom how any mere human could go up against such a monster.
"Alright, enough chit-chat. Get to the point of why you're here. My chest is killing me, and I want to go home and sleep," Bai Shui interrupted the idle banter, dragging the conversation back on track.
"Nothing much, really. Just came to take a look at you," Garp waved a dismissive hand. "And, if possible, recruit you into the Marines. But it looks like that plan is a bust."
"Right, let's put that aside for now. How about we discuss something else?" Bai Shui's expression suddenly morphed into that of a sleazy merchant as he rubbed his hands together with a sly grin.
"Like what?" Garp narrowed his eyes, a bad premonition creeping into his gut.
"You injured me, so shouldn't you pay some sort of compensation? Otherwise, I just took a beating for nothing, right?" Bai Shui smiled like a fox that had cornered a chicken.
"You're a shrewd little brat, aren't you? Striking while the iron's hot!" Garp chuckled. "Fine. As long as it doesn't violate Marine interests or go beyond reason, I'll compensate you. What do you want?"
He assumed the kid just wanted a fat stack of Beri.
"Perfect! Glad you're so straightforward," Bai Shui grinned, flashing a row of white teeth. "In that case, teach me Soru from the Rokushiki!"
"Eh?! What did you just say?" Garp genuinely thought his ears were failing him. Of all the things he expected...
"I said, teach me the Marine Six Powers technique, Soru!" Bai Shui rolled his eyes, repeating his demand.
"Why do you want that?" Garp asked, thoroughly bewildered. Why refuse money for a combat technique?
"Are you stupid? In this world, if you have absolute strength, you can get whatever the hell you want!" Bai Shui cast Garp a look of profound disdain.
"Uh..."
For the third time that day, Garp was rendered completely mute. The kid's logic was entirely too sound, and his mental leaps were a bit hard to keep up with.
"Alright, your turn to answer. A simple yes or no will do!" Bai Shui pressed his advantage, forcing an answer.
"I'm going to need a minute to think about this." Garp's usual boisterous demeanor faded, replaced by a rare look of serious contemplation. He stroked his chin, lost in thought.
No one can say for sure which path this brat will walk down in the future, Garp thought. If he chooses to be a Marine, great. But if he takes to the seas as a pirate, teaching him Soru is basically handing a weapon to the enemy.
But if I refuse now, it'll make me look like I go back on my word. How can I justify breaking a promise to a kid? I'd never live it down!
Dammit, is there a right answer here? This kid is sharp, throwing a puzzle like this at me.
Ah, whatever! So what if I teach him Soru? If he ends up raising a Jolly Roger, I'll just hunt him down and drag his ass back to Impel Down myself!
With that realization, Garp's mind cleared, and his previous dilemma vanished entirely.
"Alright, you've got a deal!" Garp laughed heartily, accepting Bai Shui's condition.
"Oh? You aren't worried I'll use it to become a pirate? I figure with my strength, making a name for myself as a Supernova wouldn't be too hard," Bai Shui said, a teasing lilt in his voice.
"Not worried at all! If you take to the seas, this old man will just have to personally sail out and reel you back in. I might be getting on in years, but I can still handle a brat like you. Right?" Garp crossed his arms, flashing a predatory grin.
"Fair enough. You definitely have the right to say that." Bai Shui nodded. "Tell you what. On account of those words, unless it's absolutely necessary, I won't choose the life of a pirate. Of course, if my back is against the wall and I'm out of options, then raising a flag is exactly what I'll do."
He laid his cards on the table, giving Garp just enough reassurance to put the old man at ease.
"Good! Knowing that is enough for me. I'll have the scroll for Soru sent over in a few days. It'll have the complete training method. I expect you to train hard," Garp stood up, his towering frame casting a shadow over Bai Shui as he looked down with earnest eyes. "I sincerely hope the day never comes where you and I have to cross blades. Do you understand?"
"Got it. Believe me, I have zero interest in fighting you anyway. Having every bone in my body shattered doesn't sound like a fun time!" Bai Shui let out a bitter chuckle.
If there was a list of people in the Grand Line that Bai Shui wanted to avoid fighting, the top tiers from Roger's era were right at the summit. Sengoku, Garp, Whitebeard—he wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. Fighting monsters of that caliber required immense psychological preparation. Their attacks were world-shattering and ruthlessly unrelenting. Taking a direct hit from any of them was a nightmare. Without an iron-clad body, challenging them was suicide. Even a man as powerful as Marco could only curse his luck and eye Garp with deep wariness after being swatted out of the sky by a single punch.
"Well, since we're settled, thank you for your generosity, Vice Admiral Garp. If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave to go deal with these injuries!" Now that the deal was struck, Bai Shui had no desire to shoot the breeze any longer, and he figured the feeling was mutual.
"Mhm. Be off with you." Garp nodded. Kicking off the air itself with Geppo, he bounded effortlessly back to his battleship.
"Incredible...!"
The townspeople gasped, absolutely awestruck by Garp's ability to walk on the sky. They were so utterly captivated by the superhuman feat that they didn't even notice Bai Shui slipping past them. By the time Garp's ship sailed away, Bai Shui was long gone.
Three days later.
A middle-aged man in a suit—one of Garp's subordinates—arrived, handed Bai Shui a scroll containing the copied instructions for Soru, and promptly departed.
Over those three days, Bai Shui had only done one thing: he built a massive house for himself and Aqi. Three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom—it had everything they needed.
Over the past few days, Bai Shui had finally learned that Aqi was an orphan. Before he had arrived on the island, the little girl had barely managed to survive by scavenging for shellfish on the beach and relying on the occasional charity of her neighbors.
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