The People Who Got Talked into Limping

"Hmm?" Arudo raised his head blankly. What had I just heard?

"Huh?" Loa was completely stunned by Garp's sudden question. What had I just heard?

"What?!" The eavesdropping crowd screamed in unison, their ears pricked. What had we just heard?

Garp dug at his ear impatiently. "You're all too damn loud! I'm just taking on a disciple! What's so surprising about that?!"

He said it with such righteous confidence that Loa nearly felt like his own ability to process things was lacking.

However...

The eavesdropping crowd felt that taking on a disciple was not strange at all, but!

Vice Admiral Garp! The strange part was that you wanted to take on a disciple, okay?!

Back when Kuzan had still been an officer under him, Garp had never once mentioned taking him on as a disciple. What was this supposed to be now?!

Loa truly had not recovered from the shock. Why did Garp suddenly want to take him as a disciple?

Why did this development feel so strangely familiar?

My name isn't Zhao Ri!

In the One Piece world, the relationship between disciple and master mostly existed within dojos.

On the seas, people yearned for freedom. Whether they were good or evil, whether their actions were kind or cruel, they all pursued freedom.

Thus, people in this world—especially men of the sea—generally considered taking on disciples troublesome and refused to do it.

Hawkeye taught Zoro for two years, and Rayleigh taught Luffy for two years. Did that make them master and disciple?

Of course not.

By the standards of the sea, it was simply: I can teach you, but you are not my disciple.

Kuzan had "become" Loa's teacher only because Loa had pestered him so relentlessly that he had tacitly accepted the title. Kuzan himself had never publicly declared that Loa was his disciple.

Zephyr took on disciples because it was a force of habit.

He had once been called the Admiral Who Did Not Kill. One could imagine what kind of person he had been—far better than Garp's title of "Marine Demon." After losing his family and becoming the chief instructor of the Recruit Camp, that side of his personality had become even more pronounced. He cared for every recruit, which was why he regarded the recruits of the Elite Camp as his disciples.

But what about Garp?!

Were you compassionate, or had someone simply pestered you into it?

Besides, Loa truly did not dare compliment Garp's teaching results.

He taught one son, and that son became the leader of the [CENSORED] Army.

He taught two grandsons, and both became pirates.

One became the commander of Whitebeard's Second Division, though he would kick the bucket a few years later! The other, barring any surprises, would become the future One Piece!

Taking me as a disciple now—were you planning to supply talent to the pirates, or create enemies of the World Government?!

All things considered, Loa decisively chose to refuse. "I'm sorry, Vice Admiral Garp, but I can't become your disciple."

"Eh~?!"

Arudo excitedly grabbed Loa and lifted him up. Loa was just about to punch him when he discovered that Arudo had somehow burst into tears. "How can you not be jealous?! Damn it! You actually rejected Lord Garp! Do you know who he is?!"

Loa helplessly struggled free and stood on the bench to straighten his collar. Before he could speak, he heard Garp's disbelieving voice.

"You actually refused! Kid, tell me why, or you're finished today!"

Garp's original goal had been to disgust Zephyr. Think about it: everyone knew Zephyr had already tacitly accepted this disciple. If Garp suddenly stuck his nose in, would Zephyr get so furious he suffered a stroke when he found out?

The two had been comrades for decades, so whenever they had a chance to disgust each other, neither of them ever held back.

Garp had even thought up several ways to mess with Zephyr, but he had never expected Loa to reject him!

That made Garp lose face. Usually, he was the one acting unreliable while Sengoku was the one getting mad. Since when was it his turn to be the one fuming?

"Ah-ha!"

Garp suddenly smacked his forehead and found an excuse for himself. "Loa, you must not know, right? After all, you used to be an ordinary person. Come, let me tell you. I am Monkey D. Garp, Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters—"

Before Garp could finish, Loa immediately interrupted his boasting with a disdainful look. "The Marine hero who personally captured One Piece Gol D. Roger, the Iron Fist Vice Admiral whose fame shook the seas, the renowned Marine 'Demon,' Monkey D. Garp. Even when I was nothing more than an insignificant handyman, I had often heard your great name."

Then, amid Garp's blank expression, Loa shook his head and sighed. "A master chooses a disciple, and a disciple chooses a master. Vice Admiral Garp, please permit me to ask an impertinent question. What can you teach?"

"What can I teach?" Garp thought blankly for a moment, then suddenly laughed loudly. "Hahahaha! Are you worried I can't teach you, Loa? Hahahaha, how could that be?! I can do plenty! I'm proficient in every one of the Six Powers, and I've never feared anyone when it comes to Armament Haki—"

Garp laughed smugly, unaware that Loa now looked down on him even more. Loa directly interrupted him. "Then may I ask what Teacher Zephyr can teach?"

"Of course he can—uh..."

Garp froze. It seemed that Zephyr could do everything he could.

But he was not someone who gave up so easily. He retorted, "Even if he can, he's weaker than me! If you're looking for a master, of course you should find a stronger one!"

Loa continued shaking his head. "I will truthfully relay your statement that Teacher Zephyr is weaker than you to Teacher Zephyr. Also, I need to correct you on one point. A disciple chooses a teacher, or wants a teacher, in order to become stronger. A master's strength does not represent the strength of his ability to teach."

"As you said, one should find a stronger master because a stronger teacher naturally has methods to become stronger. But! Have you considered whether those are methods for the teacher himself to become stronger? Can they truly suit the disciple? Not necessarily."

After pausing to give Garp time to think, Loa continued, "Therefore, one cannot choose a teacher based solely on strength. One must choose according to teaching ability. Otherwise, why wouldn't I seek out Whitebeard, the publicly acknowledged strongest man in the world? So, the teacher I want does not need overwhelming strength. He only needs to make me stronger. And in my understanding, the best teacher in this world is Teacher Zephyr."

"In terms of strength, he was once an Admiral and is not much weaker than you. In terms of teaching, the current three Admirals, Momonga, and several other vice admirals from Marine Headquarters, such as Onigumo, were all taught by him. His teaching ability is beyond question. Therefore, I refuse to become your disciple."

Garp finally understood the frustration Kuzan had felt a month ago. This kid's mouth was far too sharp!

He was completely outmatched!

Looking at it this way, this old man had truly lived all these years for nothing! He did not even have a single disciple worth showing off.

Arudo's gaze traveled back through time to the day he had first met Loa. This scene felt strangely familiar. He still could not understand a word of it!

At last, Loa delivered Garp a fatal blow. He leaned close to Garp's ear, covered his mouth with one hand, and whispered, "Besides, Vice Admiral Garp, your only son is actually part of the [CENSORED] Army. Please forgive me, but I really cannot compliment your teaching ability."

Pfft~

Garp felt something inside him shatter, never to be recovered.

The farce of Garp taking on a disciple ended with Garp suffering the most severe injury of his life. So devastated was he that he did not even bother asking how Loa knew that secret, instead miserably choosing to go home.

Garp could be heard muttering to himself the entire way.

"Why..."

"Why..."

In truth, Loa had taken advantage of Garp's carefree personality and used an example that could not withstand scrutiny.

If Loa could truly become Whitebeard's disciple, he would have gone long ago!

That was the strongest man in the world! A monster who could beat Akainu flat even while on the verge of death!

With him guiding Loa, who would care about Zephyr?

Fortunately, though, everyone in the Monkey family was like this. As long as it did not involve family or companions, their intelligence plummeted.

After seeing Garp off, Loa could finally relax and enjoy his food. However, the Marines around him looked at him very differently now. If they had previously viewed him as a mischievous young junior, they now treated him like a lifelong enemy.

Because what he said made so much sense that they had nothing to say in response!

Even Vice Admiral Garp had been talked into limping. No matter what, they could never chat with Loa again.

After eating, Loa did not bother with Arudo. Since he had decided to give himself the day off, Arudo was simply unlucky. Garp was not the only one Loa had talked into limping; Arudo was as well.

After they parted, Arudo wandered around alone in low spirits to clear his mind. Loa lay atop Ice Wolf's broad back and headed straight back to the dormitory for a nap.

Training required a balance between work and rest. When it was time to relax, one should relax properly.