Luffy and Ace

"Clang!"

Toward evening, the tavern doors were violently shoved open.

Garp strode into the tavern with a hearty laugh.

"Puhahaha! You're the Marines from the 153rd Branch, right?"

"Vice Admiral Garp!"

Luo Ya and the others immediately stood and greeted Garp solemnly.

"No need to be so stiff."

Garp walked straight to the bar and asked Makino for a mug of ale. The moment he received it, he gulped it all down in one go.

He had spent the entire day beating up his two grandsons and was parched.

Luo Ya took out the prepared gift box and placed it on the bar. "Vice Admiral Garp, Colonel Rhode asked me to convey the 153rd Branch's greetings."

"That kid was thoughtful."

Garp did not refuse. Whenever he returned home in the past, Rhode would visit him, and the gifts he brought were never excessive.

They were usually snacks Garp liked.

Garp sized Luo Ya up.

This time, Rhode had not come himself and had instead sent young subordinates. His intentions were obvious: he hoped Garp would guide these young Marines.

Garp was quite willing to do so.

"You're Luo Ya, right?"

"Yes."

Luo Ya was somewhat surprised. He had not expected Garp to remember his name.

Garp crossed one leg over the other and praised him with a booming laugh. "Puhahaha! I read the papers. You've performed very well lately. It's rare for the 153rd Branch to produce such an outstanding Marine."

"Thank you, Vice Admiral. I still have a long way to go."

Luo Ya was delighted.

For most Marines, receiving Garp's approval was something to be proud of for a lifetime.

Recognition from the "strongest" Marine!

They chatted for a while about the 153rd Branch's recent situation.

Garp yawned and waved Luo Ya and the others away. "It's getting late today. Come find me tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp."

Early the next morning, the four of them arrived outside Garp's home and waited. It was nearly noon before Garp finally opened the door, still wearing his sleeping cap.

"Yo, good morning!"

"It's almost noon!"

All four of them complained in unison.

Garp showed no shame whatsoever. Instead, he laughed at them. "Puhahaha! Young people are so impatient."

"..."

Veins bulged on Luo Ya's forehead.

They had stood outside for several hours, and his temper was already flaring. If not for his respect for the elderly and care for the young, he would have slapped that old bastard silly.

Could he be a little more reliable?

After quickly tidying himself up, Garp left the house and headed north toward Mount Colubo.

"Follow me!"

"Yes."

They hurried after him.

Half an hour later, deep within Mount Colubo.

Luffy and Ace were sparring.

"Gomu Gomu!"

Luffy shouted "Gomu Gomu" as he flung his arm behind him. His short arm instantly stretched over ten meters long!

"Pistol!"

With the recoil from its contraction, his rubber fist shot toward Ace like a fired bullet, swift and ferocious.

"Luffy, your attacks are still as straightforward as ever!"

Ace merely shifted slightly to the side, easily dodging the punch that could shatter rock. Then he raised a hand, grabbed Luffy's rubber arm, and began spinning him around like a windmill.

"Aaaahhh~~"

The Young Man's screams startled flocks of birds into flight.

After spinning him more than a dozen times, Ace shouted and leaped into the air, swinging Luffy down hard toward the ground!

"Boom!"

The ground shattered!

Luffy's upper body was embedded in the earth. If an ordinary person had suffered such a devastating blow, they would have been severely injured even if they survived. Yet Luffy, with his rubber-like body, was merely a little dizzy.

However, his head was stuck.

"Ugh~~"

Luffy kicked desperately like a frog.

He was about to suffocate!

"Whoosh!"

Someone pulled him out.

Luffy greedily sucked in air. Just as he was about to thank Ace for saving him, a familiar laugh reached his ears.

"Puhahaha! This is my grandson."

Grandpa?!

Luffy was so frightened he nearly lost his voice.

His grandfather, Monkey D. Garp, was one of the most dangerous beings in the world. He could no longer remember how many times he had nearly died at his grandfather's hands.

Garp held Luffy by the collar, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"For the next while, you'll train alongside my two grandsons."

"Understood, Vice Admiral Garp."

Luo Ya glanced at Luffy, then shifted his gaze to Ace in the distance. His eyes narrowed.

Strong!

By his calculations, Luffy was only thirteen and had not fully grown yet. Even after eating the strongest Nika Fruit, he could not possibly be that strong.

Ace, meanwhile, was sixteen. He looked no different from an adult and already possessed considerable strength.

It was not merely inborn talent. Since he had been very young, Ace had tempered himself in this forest without ever slacking off.

Ace walked over, his burning gaze fixed on Luo Ya.

"Grandpa, who is he?"

"Let me introduce you."

Garp patted Luo Ya on the shoulder and fanned the flames with a laugh. "This kid is Major Luo Ya from the 153rd Branch. He's pretty strong."

"A Marine major?"

Ace looked at Luo Ya in surprise.

A Marine major was nothing special. Every time his grandfather returned, there would be plenty of officers ranked colonel and above among his subordinates. But majors around Ace's age were rare.

Was this guy really strong?

Ace could not hold himself back. His eyes held a challenge. Not having a decent opponent nearby had always been his greatest frustration, and he had long wanted to fight powerful people from outside.

"Want to fight?"

"Sure."

Luo Ya tore off his cloak.

He had not expected Garp to guide him personally, nor was that realistic. Having Ace as a Sparring Partner was already top-tier treatment.

Let him see it, then.

"Fullbody, Jango, go spar with that rubber kid."

"Understood."

After giving the order, Luo Ya walked toward an open patch of ground nearby. Without a word, Ace followed him.

Luo Ya did not draw his sword, and Ace set down his iron pipe. The two faced each other bare-handed. At the next birdcall, they charged at one another simultaneously.

"Bang!"

Their arms collided fiercely!

They were evenly matched.

Having tested each other's strength, Luo Ya and Ace both retreated to open up the distance before charging at one another again.

Luo Ya stomped forward with his left foot while drawing his right fist back to his waist. The instant Ace entered striking range, his right fist surged upward with all his strength toward Ace's face!

"So fast!"

Ace bent sharply backward, the fist brushing past the tip of his nose as he narrowly evaded the strike.

Using the momentum of his backward lean, he kicked upward with his right leg!

"Smack!"

Luo Ya pulled his abdomen back and pressed his free left hand against Ace's lower leg. Ace's foot stopped only a finger's width from his chest.

Both of them attacked and reacted with incredible speed!

"It's not over yet!"

Ace twisted at the waist, spinning his body around. His other leg swept in a wide arc toward Luo Ya's neck.

Luo Ya did not stop either. His thrown right fist pulled back in defense, blocking Ace's kick. At the same time, his left hand seized Ace's ankle and hurled him with all his strength toward a nearby tree!

"Bang!"

The tree shook violently.

Ace's back slammed against the trunk, and he slid down from four or five meters up. His back burned with pain, and the impact made his internal organs ache.

Luo Ya raised his arm. The spot Ace had kicked was bruised and swollen. If he had been an ordinary Marine, that kick could have broken his arm.

He was really strong.

He was clearly a rookie who had never gone to sea for real training, yet he could easily keep up with Luo Ya's movements and launch effective counterattacks.

Given time, he would surely soar to great heights.

Luo Ya clenched his fist.

Whether for himself or for the honor of the 153rd Branch.

He could not lose this fight!