Goa Kingdom's outskirts, a hidden shipbuilding workshop.
"Thud."
A heavy suitcase landed on the wood-shaving-covered workbench. When it opened, the full eighty million Beli inside gleamed astonishingly in the dim workshop.
Thirteen-year-old Sabo adjusted the top hat on his head and calmly looked at the retired shipwright across from him, who was already staring in shock.
"E-Eighty million Beli?!" The old shipwright swallowed, his hand trembling slightly around his pipe. "Kid, that's enough to build a luxurious three-masted ship. What exactly do you want to build?"
"We don't need a big ship."
Sabo took a set of blueprints from inside his coat and laid them on the table. His tone was measured. "It only needs to be a medium-sized single- or two-masted ship that can hold a dozen or so people. But our captain has three requirements."
"First, the frame and keel must be made from the finest wood available in the East Blue. We want absolute sturdiness, something that can withstand the Grand Line's extreme currents."
"Second, the hull's streamlined design must push speed to the limit. It has to be one of the fastest ships on these seas."
"Third, and most importantly, the ship's living quarters, kitchen, bedrooms, and even the deck must be comfortable. We want to enjoy ourselves, not suffer at sea."
After hearing the three requirements, the old shipwright drew a sharp breath.
They were throwing the budget for a large warship at a medium-sized sailboat. That meant every part of the ship, every inch of deck, could be painstakingly handcrafted to perfection.
"An intricate job with no concern for cost is a dream commission for any shipwright." The old shipwright ran his hand over the blueprints, his eyes growing feverish. "But selecting the wood and finishing the interior will take quite a while. At least three years."
"That's fine." Sabo closed the suitcase, his tone unhurried. "You have four years. We'll come to collect the ship then."
Time slipped away like sand through one's fingers.
As the seasons turned, the leaves on Mt. Colubo withered and yellowed twice.
Two years later.
Deep in Mt. Colubo, a dull impact shattered the morning's quiet.
Boom!
A massive mutated crocodile was struck squarely under the jaw by a figure's clean side kick. With no wasted motion, its huge body flipped through the air and crashed heavily into the mud, knocked unconscious on the spot.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy and fell on the black-haired boy standing with his leg lowered.
Fifteen-year-old Ace had grown to around two meters and twenty centimeters. The last traces of the awkwardness he'd had at thirteen were gone, and his physique was now a perfect work of martial arts. His broad shoulders and sharply defined muscles were no longer merely bulky; his dense frame brimmed with astonishing explosive power.
His presence had changed.
He was no longer as brash and conspicuous as he'd been as a child. Now, even standing quietly, Ace radiated the restrained, icy pressure of an apex predator.
"Ace's kicks are getting sharper and sharper."
Luffy sat on a nearby branch, biting into an apple. He looked at the fallen crocodile, his eyes full of admiration.
Just then, Ace's gaze shifted slightly.
His Observation Haki picked up a familiar, intensely oppressive presence speeding toward them.
"You three little brats!! I've only been gone for half a year, and you're wasting time in the forest again?!"
A gust of wind swept through, and Garp, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and oversized sandals, landed with a crash on a boulder a dozen or so meters away. He clenched his enormous fists, his knuckles cracking.
"Grandpa's here!" Luffy jolted in fright, nearly falling out of the tree.
Ace said nothing.
He turned and casually planted the broad-backed cleaver he'd been carrying on his shoulder into the mud. As Garp leaped down from the boulder and charged at him with fists raised, Ace's eyes grew intensely focused and profound.
"Let's see if you've been slacking off these past six months! Fist of Love!"
Garp snorted. His huge frame appeared before Ace as if he'd teleported. Jet-black Armament Haki instantly coiled around his right fist, which came crashing down without mercy, accompanied by a sonic boom that tore through the air!
In the past, Ace could only rely on his raw physical strength to block that punch, then get sent flying without the slightest chance.
But today—
Ace bent his knees slightly, and the dirt beneath his feet sank into two deep footprints. He neither dodged nor drew his blade. Instead, he clenched his right fist.
I've had your technique figured out for years.
Ace murmured under his breath. Every muscle in his body tensed to its limit. He met Garp's iron fist and swung his right arm without any fancy moves!
As he threw his punch, Ace forced the Haki he'd painstakingly honed over the past five years—the blood and vigor, the strength of will—into motion.
"Hmm—"
To Garp's utter astonishment, he clearly saw a layer of iron-black sheen appear on Ace's tanned arm as it swung forward. The gleam was faint, but unmistakable.
Armament Haki: Hardening!
Rumble!
The two black-coated fists, one large and one small, collided violently in midair!
In an instant, a terrifying shockwave erupted around them, visible to the naked eye. Grass and shrubs within thirty meters were ripped from the ground, and the force of the wind kept Luffy in the distance from even opening his eyes.
Crack!
The earth beneath Ace's feet shattered. Even with Haki bolstering him, the sheer difference in strength sent him sliding back seven or eight meters under Garp's monstrous power, carving two deep furrows through the mud.
But he wasn't sent flying.
He stood his ground.
The wind died down, and the dust settled.
Ace lowered his numb right arm. The faint iron-black coating on his fist gradually faded. He looked up at Garp, who still held his punching stance.
Silence.
A deathly silence fell over the entire forest.
Garp glanced at his fist, then at the black-haired boy across from him, whose breathing was steady. For the first time, a trace of disbelief flickered in the eyes of the battle-hardened Marine Vice Admiral.
He swore he'd never taught Ace a single thing about how to train in Haki.
Had this kid really managed to work out Armament Haki on his own, using nothing but his observations with Observation Haki and the muscle memory he'd built up from taking beatings for five years—simply because his body had finally reached the necessary level?
"Old man."
Ace brushed the dust from his arm, breaking the silence. There was no boastfulness in his tone, only matter-of-fact confidence.
"I figured it out on my own, but this rough method still takes too much stamina."
Ace met Garp's eyes. "I've built a solid enough foundation over the past five years, and my body can handle the strain of Haki. Now teach me the techniques for using Armament Haki properly, step by step."
At Ace's blunt demand, Garp first froze. Then the shock on his face gradually gave way to a deeply complicated look.
After a long moment, Garp slowly lowered his fist and gazed at Ace.
"Not bad, kid. Since you've opened that door yourself—"
Garp cracked his knuckles, and his bones gave off a series of sharp pops like beans frying in a pan. An oppressive force far more terrifying than before burst from him.
"Then steel yourself. From now on, I'll pound true Haki and martial arts into your body, right down to your marrow!"
Watching Garp get serious, Ace gave a slight nod. A sharp glint flashed in his dark eyes.
Two years remained before they set out to sea.
And the path to becoming a true monster had only just begun.
Before you continue