Praise Garp!

He violently shoved open the office door, startling the people inside.

Vice Admiral Field was just about to reprimand him when he saw it was Garp. His face immediately broke into a smile.

"Vice Admiral Garp, what can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for him."

Garp fixed his gaze on Mammon and grinned. "Kid, come with me."

Mammon and Ed exchanged glances. The two were reporting on their mission, and Mammon had no idea what to make of Garp's uninvited arrival.

As an undercover agent, he assumed the worst. Had his cover been blown?

Ed proved himself a good brother, immediately stepping forward. "Vice Admiral Garp, what do you need Captain Mammon for?"

"This doesn't concern you. I'm just going to help him train a little, so he won't be caught without even knowing Haki the next time something like this happens."

Garp had no interest in Ed. Although the kid had a Vice Admiral for an uncle, he didn't have much potential to draw out.

At that, a thought stirred in Mammon's mind.

He had kept his master's instructions in mind. Besides gathering intelligence on Punk Hazard, he was also supposed to try to master Haki when he had the chance.

However, getting too close to Garp might increase the risk of his cover being blown.

Just then, Vice Admiral Field gave him a decisive look and said with a smile,

"It's an honor for him that Vice Admiral Garp is willing to teach him. Mammon, hurry along with Vice Admiral Garp."

"Yes, Vice Admiral Field."

With no choice in the matter, Mammon immediately followed Garp out.

The two left the office and headed straight downstairs.

Following right behind Garp, Mammon calmly asked, "Vice Admiral Garp, this isn't the way to the training grounds, is it?"

"Who told you we were going to the Marine training grounds?"

"Aren't you going to teach me Haki?"

"I'm not interested in taking on a disciple. I'm taking you to see an old man who was a Marine Admiral in the previous generation. He's much better at teaching disciples than most people."

Never mind a new Marine like Mammon-even when Aokiji had wanted to become his disciple, Garp hadn't been bothered to teach him personally.

Hearing this, Mammon immediately recalled some of the high-ranking Marines his master had told him to watch out for when he sent him undercover.

"A Marine Admiral from the previous generation—is it 'Black Arm' Zephyr?"

"Looks like you know quite a bit about the Marines, kid." Garp grinned. "That's right, he's the one I'm taking you to see. He's the Marines' chief instructor now that he's retired."

After a pause, he added, "The current Three Admirals-'Aokiji' Kuzan, 'Kizaru' Borsalino, and 'Akainu' Sakazuki-were all Zephyr's students."

One man had taught all Three Admirals?

Mammon grew curious about Zephyr.

"Vice Admiral Garp, am I going to become his disciple?"

"If he's willing to teach you..."

Garp stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the youthful Mammon, his smile fading.

"You have a Mythical Zoan. Admiral Black Bat, who lived three hundred years ago, ate the same Vampire Fruit you have now. It has the potential to make an Admiral."

"Mammon, you're the future of the Marines too!"

Chapter 46: Praise Garp!

Me, Greed of the Seven Deadly Sins, the future of the Marines?

Mammon was stunned by Garp's words of encouragement.

Was this guy an idiot?

Had the Marine higher-ups really not suspected him in the slightest throughout this entire operation?

Seeing Mammon's expression, Garp assumed he was feeling pressured. He immediately grinned and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't look so shocked. Right now, you only have the potential. The Three Admirals are in their prime, and it won't be your turn to shoulder that pressure anytime soon. Just focus on training and getting stronger."

With that, he turned and continued leading the way.

Mammon didn't know what to say. This was unexpected, and his acting still wasn't good enough. Fortunately, Garp was an idiot.

"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp."

He followed silently behind him and said nothing more.

The two left the headquarters fortress and headed for the town on the northern side of the island.

On the island of Marineford, the Marine fortress stood to the south, while the town where servicemen's families lived was to the north.

It was Mammon's first time coming here as well. He usually stayed in the barracks.

After reaching town, Garp led him to a small cabin on its outskirts.

A tall man stood shirtless in front of the cabin, swinging an axe to chop wood.

Mammon noticed that the man had no right hand. His entire right forearm was missing, and the stump was wrapped in medical gauze.

Apparently hearing their footsteps, the man paused with his axe raised, straightened up, and looked over.

"Garp?"

"Long time no see, Zephyr." Garp laughed as he greeted him.

Zephyr's expression was impassive. "What are you doing here? And he is..."

"Mammon, a Mythical Zoan vampire-form user. You've probably heard of him. This kid's quite the star at headquarters lately."

Garp strode casually into the yard, pulled up a chair, and sat down.

Zephyr couldn't help frowning. A new Mythical Zoan user had joined headquarters, and whether he wanted to hear about it or not, that disciple of his would have mentioned it to him. There was no way he could have missed it.

"What are you here for?"

"Sorry for the trouble, but could you teach this kid Haki? You've got plenty of time on your hands lately anyway, haven't you?"

"I'm retired. I won't take on any more disciples."

Zephyr gave a noncommittal reply and went back to chopping wood.

Garp pulled a packet of rice crackers from his pocket, tore it open, and spoke as he ate.

"Still blaming yourself? No one blamed you for what happened four years ago."

Zephyr's hand tightened slightly around the axe handle. The wound on his right arm suddenly began to ache, and images from four years ago rose unbidden in his mind.

He had been sixty-five that year.

While leading a training ship on a voyage, he had been attacked by a pirate. Of his beloved students, only two had survived by luck; all the rest had been killed.

In that battle, he had lost his right hand.

Now he was already sixty-nine years old, his fighting strength was no longer what it had been, and he had lost an arm. He couldn't even avenge his students.

He was useless now.

Zephyr took a deep breath and swung his axe again, viciously splitting the log on the chopping block.

"I told you, I'm retired. Find someone else to teach him Haki."

Mammon continued watching the drama without interrupting.

Garp's next few words, however, immediately caught his attention.

"Hahaha, how embarrassing, Zephyr." Garp laughed at him without any regard for his old friend's dignity.

"Bastard, laugh all you want."

Garp's laughter stopped. Abandoning his usual casual tone, he said gravely, "Vegapunk has made progress in his research. He can fit you with a mechanical arm made of Seastone."

Bang!

Zephyr brought his axe down, using Haki instinctively. It tore through the ground in an instant, carving out a bottomless chasm.

"What did you say?!"

"It's experimental, so you'll need to go to Punk Hazard and cooperate with him."

Zephyr's earlier dejection vanished. He stared intently at Garp, then, after a moment, suddenly turned to Mammon.

"So, this is the condition?"

"It's not a condition. I'm just asking you for a favor. The mechanical arm is a separate matter and has nothing to do with this."

Garp grinned as though his scheme had succeeded. "You haven't taken on a disciple in years, have you? I've brought you an unpolished gem. Give this fellow a little training, and his fighting ability won't be any weaker than an Admiral's."

At that, Zephyr's previous attitude changed. After giving Mammon a brief appraisal, he nodded.

A Mythical Zoan Fruit gave its user an exceptionally powerful physique, and the vampire was a rather special type among Mythical Zoans.

What made it special was that the fruit could keep its user young.

For that reason, Zephyr agreed with Garp. As long as the kid was given a little time to grow, he would definitely become a Marine Admiral in the future.

"Your name is Mammon?"

"I'm Mammon, Admiral Zephyr."

Mammon nodded calmly, but inside he was anything but calm.

Vegapunk was going to fit Zephyr with a mechanical arm?

The mission his master had given him was within reach!

As long as he became Zephyr's disciple, he could accompany him in that capacity and enter Punk Hazard openly.

And he could learn Haki from Zephyr along the way.

He had Garp to thank for all of this!

Praise Garp!

"What do you know about Haki?"

Mammon suppressed his excitement and calmly shook his head.

Zephyr dropped the axe, walked straight up to him, and continued,

"Haki is, in essence, a person's life energy. It is also a latent power everyone is born with."

"It is divided into Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki."

"Conqueror's Haki is different. It can't be acquired through training, so we'll only discuss Observation Haki and Armament Haki."

"And to awaken Haki and draw out a person's latent power, the most crucial things are... spirit and will!"

Mammon, a Devil Fruit that had only recently gained sentience, had no idea what Zephyr was talking about.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Zephyr smiled and said,

"For an ordinary person to awaken Haki, they must undergo long and grueling training, tempering their spirit to its limit. Only then can they suddenly awaken it under some form of external pressure."

"It is a state achieved through the union of a person's life energy, spirit, and will."

"But you're different. You're a Mythical Zoan!"

"As everyone knows, Zoan users possess extraordinarily powerful regenerative abilities, and you are a king among Zoans. A Mythical Zoan's regenerative abilities are even greater."

"Therefore..."

Zephyr's tone turned grave. "If you want to awaken Haki quickly, I have a shortcut for you."

"Please instruct me, teacher." Mammon made the decision on the spot to become his disciple.

"Lower all your defenses and let your body relax completely. I'll attack you with Haki, and you'll experience that power firsthand with your body."

A beating?

Mammon froze for a moment.

Zephyr continued solemnly, "This method isn't guaranteed to succeed, and it's also very dangerous."

As he spoke, he raised his right foot and stomped down hard, making the ground in the yard tremble slightly.