Surprise

Zephyr then spoke up, his lips twitching slightly, his tone both helpless and amused:

"That kid Roy's too ruthless! Training is training, but there's no need to go all out in their faces..."

As he spoke, he stared at Luffy and Ace's faces, which were swollen like pigs' heads, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

Even he, the iron-fisted instructor, couldn't bear to look at it.

Although Kuina and Zoro also had several wounds, they could at least maintain their dignity. Upon hearing Zephyr's words, the two exchanged a glance, their lips twitching simultaneously.

Zoro forced himself not to laugh out loud, but the corners of his mouth were twitching uncontrollably;

Kuina pressed her lips tightly together and glanced slightly to the side, as if afraid she would burst out laughing and be "operated on the spot."

Luffy raised his hand with a wronged expression, his voice still nasal, and stammered, "Arno... Zephyr- sensei, it's not Roy..."

Ace, standing to the side, helplessly shrugged, sighed, and echoed, "Yeah..."

"Um?"

Sengoku, Zephyr, Garp were all taken aback.

Sengoku adjusted his Glasses, his brow furrowing slightly, and his tone became serious. "Not Roy? Then who else in this place could have beaten you two up like this?"

Zephyr raised an eyebrow. "Could it be that doctor's latest experimental subject?"

Garp was completely stunned. His expression went from surprise to blank stare, then to disbelief, and finally to utter shock.

"What? Not Roy? Then who could it be?! Don't tell me you two got into a fight!!"

Seeing Garp angrily rolling up his sleeves and walking over, Luffy was about to explain when suddenly, a familiar aura quietly came from behind them.

A steady, slightly smiling voice then rang out, "Fleet Admiral, Teacher, Grandpa—you've arrived."

The veterans turned their heads at the same time and saw Roy walking slowly towards them from the direction of the experimental area.

As he passed by Luffy and Ace, he simply patted them lightly on the shoulders.

"--Snap."

A pale golden energy instantly spread through the air, and streams of light glided across their faces like water.

Almost the next second, Ace and Luffy's bruised and battered faces returned to normal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Huh?!"

Luffy touched his face, his eyes wide open, "Wow! It's really healed?! Even my teeth don't hurt anymore..."

Ace stroked his chin and smiled helplessly, "As expected, Roy's actions are truly different."

"Grandpa!! Doctor--!"

Before Luffy could finish speaking, he excitedly rushed to Garp, grabbing his grandfather's arm tightly with both hands, gesturing incoherently like a child showing off a new toy:

"The doctor! He, he did something amazing—that, that—!"

"Hey, slow down, don't get your tongue tied!" Garp was shaken so badly he was swaying from side to side.

Roy chuckled softly and patted Luffy on the head, "Luffy, surprises are only interesting when they see them in person."

"Huh?"

Luffy was stunned for a moment, but then his eyes sparkled like lit stars, filled with an irrepressible brilliance.

He nodded vigorously, his voice trembling with excitement. "Okay!! Then I'll hold it in!"

"Tsk... The kid has actually become sensible?" Garp scratched his head in surprise, his expression full of disbelief.

"What do you know?" Sengoku sighed, hands on his hips. "He's about to explode."

"Haha!" Zephyr couldn't help but laugh out loud, "This look really does resemble you when you were young."

"Huh?!" Garp was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "That's because my genes are strong!"

"Shut up!" Sengoku and Zephyr said in unison, their words crisp and decisive.

Roy walked at the front, a slight smile on his lips, and pushed open the heavy alloy door of the Punk Hazard Institute.

"Alright, everyone—please proceed."

As the metal door slowly opened, the familiar mechanical hum and energy pulse sounds immediately filled the entire corridor.

Pale blue energy lines flowed across the walls, and the air was filled with a unique ionized scent—the distinctive aroma of the Vegapunk Institute —a scent of the future intertwined with madness.

Zephyr glanced around at the rows of operating machines, his eyes a mixture of wariness and curiosity.

"You little rascal, what kind of nonsense have you conspired with the professor to create this time?"

As Sengoku walked, he stroked his chin, a half-smile on his face, and said, "But to be able to beat these two brothers like that... this 'thing's' fighting power shouldn't be underestimated."

"Ha ha--"

Garp was grinning from ear to ear, slapping his thigh and saying, "I'd like to see what kind of thing this is that can make my two grandsons so obedient!!"

"Are you sure it's 'treatment' and not 'fighting'?" Sengoku glanced at him.

"Hehe, it's all the same!" Garp scratched his head nonchalantly.

As everyone followed Roy into the Laboratory, the heavy metal door slowly closed behind them, and the world around them suddenly became empty and profound.

The view suddenly opened up—it was an astonishingly vast space.

The entire experimental hall has a dome-shaped structure, with countless streams of energy shimmering on the metal dome, like a reflection of a galaxy.

Sengoku, Zephyr, Garp looked up and immediately spotted a familiar figure in the high-platform control area—

Vegapunk.

He was intently inputting data rapidly at the control panel, while his six distinct clones stood behind him, all busy monitoring the instruments.

Zephyr narrowed his eyes slightly, his brows furrowed. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

"Haha--Whatever it is, it sounds pretty interesting, doesn't it!" Garp laughed heartily, his face beaming with excitement that said, "I'm all set."

"Let's go, the main character isn't here—the doctor is just providing technical support."

After saying that, he waved his hand lightly, and everyone was teleported to the center of the experimental field.

It was a huge circular training area, surrounded by floating Energy Barriers, large enough to accommodate giant beasts dueling.

Garp, hands on his hips and eyebrows raised high, said, "Hey, kid, stop keeping me in suspense!"

"So, what new gadgets have you come up with this time?"

Roy turned to face the three old men, grinning slyly. "I know you three have been itching for a long time..."

So the doctor and I have prepared a little surprise for you."

"Surprise?"

Sengoku raised an eyebrow, Zephyr crossed his arms, and Garp grinned broadly. "Sounds good!"

Roy simply smiled mysteriously, said nothing more, and then vanished in Flash with Ace and the other three.

The room fell silent immediately.

A few seconds later--

"Boom!!"

The entire ground shook, accompanied by violent energy fluctuations, and the floor in the center of the Training Ground began to separate.

Three enormous elevator platforms slowly rose, accompanied by thick energy steam and mechanical roar.

When the fog dissipates--

Three enormous figures stood in the center of the field.

They were tall, with muscles as defined as if cast in steel, and their calm yet imposing presence made the air hum.

Sengoku, Zephyr, Garp were all startled almost simultaneously.

Because they sensed an extremely familiar power within that aura.

It's a domineering Haki and presence that only those at the pinnacle can exude.

"This... no way..." Sengoku murmured, his Glasses reflecting a dazzling light.

Zephyr's pupils suddenly contracted, his expression unusually grave. "That's--?!!"

"Hey hey~"

Garp's smile froze at that moment, his fist slowly clenched, and his fighting spirit erupted.