When the new recruit dorm supervisor arrived at the scene, all he saw was complete devastation.
The already grimy walls and floors were now blackened beyond recognition, covered in scorch marks. Every lightbulb on the ceiling had exploded, leaving piles of shattered glass. Sparks flickered across the bedding, gradually spreading into flames. On the floor... new recruits lay scattered in every direction, their hair in disarray as black smoke drifted from their mouths.
The supervisor pondered the sight, stroking his chin.
"So... the wiring short-circuited?"
Pfft!!!
The supervisor's first sentence made the entire group cough up blood...
Were you blind, old man?!
Could a short circuit possibly cause this kind of destruction?!
Yet he seemed utterly unaware, indignantly raising a fist. "I told the higher-ups long ago that the new recruit dorm equipment was too old and needed replacing, but they wouldn't believe me... This works out nicely. We can replace everything at once."
The new recruits: "..."
While everyone else stood speechless, Ron caught a trace of shock and fear in the supervisor's eyes... He knew who Ron was and had recognized that Ron had caused the destruction here. For some reason, he had chosen to turn a blind eye. It could be said...
His survival instincts were remarkably strong!
For such a "reasonable" dorm supervisor, Ron stood behind him and silently dispersed the lightning he had been about to unleash... This was Marine Headquarters, after all. It was better to follow the rules. Friction between new recruits could be brushed off with an excuse, but if a new recruit attacked the dorm supervisor and defied a superior, the consequences would be serious!
It definitely wasn't because he was afraid of some idle Marine hero...
"You made this mess, so clean it up yourselves! We'll deal with replacing the lightbulbs tomorrow during the day!"
With that, the dorm supervisor walked out without looking back and reached for the door.
Crash...
The screws on the wooden door had come loose, and it toppled over in one piece.
The dorm supervisor's mouth twitched a few times. Without shifting his gaze, he turned and left... After he vanished from the doorway, Ron heard hurried thump, thump, thump footsteps rapidly retreating into the distance.
"What a talent!"
After the dorm supervisor with the powerful will to survive left, Ron crouched down and rummaged through the pocket of the black guy who was suspected to be Zoro, taking out a cigarette pack and selecting one with fewer scorch marks.
Crack!
Electricity burst from his thumb and index finger, lighting the cigarette with lightning. Then he sat on a bed and took a long, satisfying drag.
"Hiss... That's strong. Just what you'd expect from something from the One Piece World!"
With the cigarette clenched between his teeth, Ron looked at the new recruits sprawled on the floor and raised an eyebrow. "Dorm bullying? Isn't that pretty interesting..."
Strangely enough, although Ron had possessed an unusually strong body since childhood and was built like a tank, he had never been one of the school bullies. That was because... compared to picking on little brats his own age, he preferred beating up the young thugs who blocked the school gate to collect protection money.
After all, adults could take a beating better than children, no matter what.
So dorm bullying was genuinely new to him...
Hearing those words, the new recruits who had been throwing their weight around moments ago began weeping profusely, trying to speak.
"I... wuuurggh blub blub blub..."
The numb, stabbing pain had not faded. Their bodies were already beyond their control, and the moment they opened their mouths, residual lightning spread and coiled between their moving lips, delivering unbearable stimulation! Zoro, who had received the most special attention, had it even worse. His tongue was curled up, and he could not even speak clearly.
Yet his eyes were filled with resentment as he glared viciously at Ron.
After all, he was a little monster with 300 Power Level. Lightning was indeed highly destructive, but it was not enough to make him completely lose his fighting spirit in a single blow. His body was simply too numb for him to resist right now.
This showed that the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's reputation as the "strongest Logia" was by no means undeserved! Even though Ron's Doriki Value was only one-sixth of Zoro's, without Armament Haki to strengthen his defense, the destructive effect of electricity on the human body alone was enough to let Ron fight above his level!
But Ron really did not like that look in his eyes.
So, under the terrified gazes of the new recruits, he stretched out a hand, grabbed Zoro by the hair, and lifted him up.
Crackle...
What should you do when someone refused to accept it?
Keep beating him, of course!
Ron's way of thinking had always been simple.
An hour later, Garp arrived outside the dormitory.
By the candlelight, he found Ron sitting on the bed closest to the entrance, electricity flickering over his body and blood staining the corner of his mouth as he carried out his usual self-harming training.
But the others were not doing much better. Every one of them was wrapped in bandages, silently cleaning the dormitory... Every now and then, they twitched and jerked stiffly like broken puppets.
"Uh... what happened here? And where did the door go?"
Hearing the voice, the new recruits turned around in surprise.
The Hero of the Marines, "Iron Fist" Garp?
Why was he at the New Recruit Camp?!
As a Division Vice Admiral, Garp held an exalted position and was "busy" with missions. In the past, he rarely showed up even for the New Recruit Camp's year-end evaluations or the graduation assessments that determined placements. For a moment, the new recruits stared at Garp blankly, their eyes filled with shock and admiration.
But... this was also an opportunity!
The group exchanged glances and nodded!
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
At once, the new recruits rushed over excitedly, intending to expose Ron's atrocities to Garp!
But before they could, the electricity around Ron's body seemed to jump out of control, striking a puddle on the floor. Blue light instantly flared, and currents surged forth!
Crackle crackle crackle...
Noticing that everyone else had started doing breakdancing jumps, Ron opened his eyes and looked at them sincerely with an expression full of apology. "Oh no... I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to!"
The hell you didn't mean to!
Did you think I was blind?!
Garp's mouth immediately twitched, and he could not help wanting to punch him. He had already roughly figured out what was going on... Decades ago, he, Sengoku, and Zephyr had been the same, fighting fiercely in the dormitory and refusing to yield to one another.
He wanted to ask a few questions, but considering the purpose of his visit and wanting Ron to cooperate a little more, Garp pretended not to see anything. Under the desperate gazes of the new recruits, he said to Ron.
"Come on. Come outside with me."
"Hm?"
A few minutes later, the two arrived at an open area.
This was the platform behind the New Recruit Camp dormitories. From here, one could gaze out at the sea and take in more than half of Marine Headquarters. The view was magnificent.
Of course, its purpose was not to serve as a scenic overlook. It was part of the dormitory area's emergency evacuation route. Just around the corner ahead, one could reach the underground harbor for shelter and escape... Back when the legendary Great Pirate "Golden Lion" Shiki had attacked Marine Headquarters, the Marines had learned an immensely painful lesson in blood and tears!
On the platform, the two stood ten meters apart. Garp took off his white cape and draped it over a tree trunk, then loosened up his limbs.
"Come on, let me try out your new move!"
He had explained his purpose on the way over. Garp wanted to personally test how Ron could unleash an attack four times greater than his own Doriki Value. His reason... was simply curiosity.
Talent was the least reasonable thing in the world!
Some people could work their entire lives without ever breaking through their own limitations, left only to watch others go farther and farther ahead.
Garp understood that principle deeply.
"Sigh, don't waste my training time, Vice Admiral Garp..."
Ron sighed helplessly... Garp was not Shuzuo. Even if Ron possessed every possible advantage, he had no chance whatsoever of defeating him. This fight, bluntly put, was just to satisfy the curiosity of a certain disrespectful old man.
During the afternoon test, if not for the need to fully display his current ability so the instructors could devise a targeted training plan for him, Ron would not have bothered using that move and drawing the attention of that old bastard Garp.
"Enough nonsense! Once we're done, you can go back!"
Garp snorted and waved a hand impatiently. "Are you coming or not? If not, I'll attack first."
"Don't! Please stay where you are. I can't control the direction once this move changes course..."
"So it really is an incomplete move!"
At that, Garp narrowed his eyes slightly.
Ron was indeed incredibly talented and possessed determination that ordinary people lacked, but he had only obtained the Rumble-Rumble Fruit a little over a month ago. There was a limit to what he could do. Before this, he had never displayed anything too shocking aboard the ship, such as an attack with 228 Power Level. Yet after arriving at Marine Headquarters, he had unleashed one, immediately drawing Sengoku's attention!
Garp could not help wondering whether Ron had deliberately concealed his strength in front of him before, infiltrating the Marines to earn their trust and accomplish some unspeakable objective.
Garp was easygoing, not stupid!
Sometimes, people like him were the smartest of all.
And besides... Ron had been brought into the Marines by him. Garp could not separate himself from responsibility for Ron's every action, just as he had not been able to separate himself from Dragon's departure years ago.
If you stray onto the wrong path... I'll pull you back!
With that conviction firm in his heart, Garp's muscles tightened as he prepared himself at any moment for Ron's powerful new move.
Before you continue