When Garp finished bragging, Steel Bone Kong just sat there for a moment, eyes slightly unfocused.
"Learn the two types of Haki in just a few months, huh…" he muttered.
If it were anyone else saying that, he'd have tossed them out on the spot.
But this wasn't just anyone.
This was Garp's grandson.
A four-year-old who'd already mastered Conqueror's Haki.
For that kind of monster—
Kong found that he… couldn't completely dismiss it.
"If it's that freak of a grandson of yours," Kong sighed, looking at Garp, "it might actually be possible."
"Right?" Garp grinned, proudly thumping his chest. "So, Fleet Admiral, hurry up and call Zephyr over. We need to talk about getting my grandson into the training camp."
He sprawled back on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other, digging idly at his ear with his pinky.
Absolutely zero respect for the dignity of the Fleet Admiral's office.
Kong didn't even bother scolding him anymore.
He was used to it.
He just picked up the Den Den Mushi on his desk and dialed.
Purururu~
The snail-phone's grating ringtone echoed in the spacious office.
After a while—
Click.
"I'm Zephyr," a deep, steady voice answered.
Marine Headquarters Admiral.
Black Arm Zephyr.
A powerful top-tier fighter on this sea.
Even if he didn't stand at the absolute summit like the legends of the previous era—
Within the Marines, few could look down on him.
"Zephyr. It's me," Kong said.
"Fleet Admiral?" Zephyr sounded faintly surprised. "What's the matter?"
"If you're not tied up with something urgent," Kong replied, "come to my office right away. There's something important we need to discuss. Face-to-face."
"Understood. I'll be there shortly."
The line cut.
While Garp and Kong waited—
Someone else showed up first.
Two someones, in fact.
Marine Headquarters Admiral Sengoku.
And Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Old comrades-in-arms of Garp's generation, veterans who had fought shoulder-to-shoulder with him for decades.
Their bond ran deep.
"Sengoku? Tsuru? What are you doing here?" Garp blinked.
"We heard you dragged some absolute monster back from the East Blue," Sengoku said calmly, stroking his beard. "Naturally, we had to come see for ourselves."
"To confirm," Tsuru added with a small smile, "whether this so-called prodigy of yours is really as ridiculous as you claim."
"A four-year-old who's already mastered Conqueror's Haki…"
"Even across the ocean's long history, that's unheard of."
"On top of that…"
"We also heard this grandson of yours has mastered Marine Rokushiki."
"A four-year-old child who can wield Conqueror's Haki and use the Six Powers proficiently…"
"That's well beyond the limits of imagination."
Today, Tsuru was far from the white-haired elder the world would come to know in the future.
Her hair was still a glossy black cascading down her back.
There were faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, time's fingerprints—
But they couldn't hide the sharpness of her gaze or the lingering grace of a beauty who had once dazzled the world.
Even now, she stood tall and elegant, presence composed yet striking.
"Fahahaha!"
Hearing people praise his grandson, Garp couldn't hold back.
He burst into loud laughter, chest swelling with pride so blatant it practically radiated off him.
Sengoku could only rub his temples.
Here we go again…
This was what Garp looked like when he entered "my-grandson-is-the-best-in-the-world" mode.
"Where is he?" Sengoku cut straight to the point. "Why didn't you bring him?"
"I had someone arrange quarters for him first," Garp said dismissively.
"Why not bring him along to meet the Fleet Admiral?" Tsuru asked, eyebrow lifting. There was a clear hint of curiosity and anticipation in her eyes.
She'd only just learned about Kai from Sengoku.
A four-year-old with Conqueror's Haki and Rokushiki.
Even with her calm temperament, that had shaken her.
A genius like that…
Was too rare.
Too absurd.
In all the centuries of Marine history—
There had never been such a case.
Not once.
"No rush," Garp waved her off. "Let the brat get used to Headquarters first. It's not like he's going anywhere any time soon."
"He'll be in Marineford for a while. What are you so impatient for?"
"…You're one to talk," Sengoku muttered under his breath.
"Anyway," he continued aloud, "how do you plan to arrange his future?"
"Simple," Garp replied. "I'm going to throw him into Zephyr's training camp. Let that old man teach him the two types of Haki properly."
"Starting him on Haki at four years old, huh…" Tsuru exhaled softly. "What an outrageous talent."
When they had joined the Marines, they'd been well past twenty before they even learned about Haki, let alone started training it.
And even then, it had taken a long time before they could actually use it in combat.
She still remembered—
Even a monster like Garp had needed almost a full year to barely get a handle on the two types of Haki.
So Tsuru couldn't help but be curious.
With such terrifying natural aptitude…
How long would it take Kai to master Haki?
A year?
No way.
A four-year-old with Conqueror's Haki wasn't something you could measure with normal standards.
For a top-level talent, one year was a reasonable timeframe to grasp the two types of Haki.
But a once-in-a-century freak?
Kai was on a different level.
"…Half a year?" Tsuru murmured quietly to herself.
She remembered.
That was how long it had taken Kuzan to master Haki back then.
And Garp's grandson—
Would surely surpass Kuzan.
By how much?
That was the question.
While they were talking—
The main event finally arrived.
The door opened.
Zephyr stepped into the office.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Both arms intact.
This was Zephyr before he'd sacrificed his limbs to the gears of fate.
Even now, after his family had been murdered by pirates in a cruel act of revenge, his spirit had not completely collapsed.
He had withdrawn from the frontlines, yes—
But he still believed in the idea of justice.
In the Marines.
In the possibility of change.
He had devoted everything to teaching the next generation.
If nothing else—
Zephyr was, beyond doubt, a model Marine.
"Fleet Admiral," he asked, slightly puzzled as his gaze swept across the room, "what's going on today?"
Not only Garp…
But Sengoku and Tsuru were all present too.
The lineup looked like someone was about to declare war.
"Zephyr," Kong said, "calling you here was mainly Garp's idea."
"I'll let him do the explaining."
"Garp?" Zephyr turned to look at the grinning old man sprawled on the couch.
Garp didn't bother standing.
He just grinned wider.
"Zephyr," he said, sounding very pleased with himself, "I've got someone I want placed into your training camp."
Zephyr's brow creased almost immediately.
"You know I don't allow people to use connections to bypass procedure," he said bluntly. "Not even you."
"The current session is already halfway through their program. Graduation is in less than a year."
"And now you want to shove some newcomer into their ranks?"
"That will only disrupt the pace of my entire camp."
"I can't sacrifice an entire batch of trainees for the sake of one person you decided to force on me."
He wasn't angry.
Just firm.
Zephyr had standards.
He'd rather resign than turn his training camp into a place where special favors ruled.
Garp chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder.
"You're misunderstanding me," he said. "I'm not trying to shove dead weight into your camp."
"On the contrary—"
"Putting him there will motivate the entire camp."
"He'll light a fire under them. Turn everything into a real competition."
"His presence won't drag them down. It'll drag them up."
"Besides…"
"He's not just some random rookie."
"He's my grandson."
"A once-in-a-century, monster-level genius!"
"In your entire camp right now…"
"There isn't a single person who can hold a candle to him."
"He's only four," Garp went on, "but he's already mastered Conqueror's Haki and Marine Rokushiki. He's even trained the ultimate technique—Life Return—to a level I'd call 'perfect.'"
"So trust me."
"Putting him in your camp will not slow anyone down."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Then—
Zephyr frowned even harder.
"You're saying…"
"He's four years old…"
"And he's mastered Conqueror's Haki and Rokushiki?"
He looked at Garp like he'd grown an extra head.
"…You're joking, right?"
He'd taught more students than he could count.
Among them were freaks like Sakazuki and Kuzan.
But in all his years—
He had never once heard of a child that young with such achievements.
A four-year-old who had awakened Conqueror's Haki.
A four-year-old who'd learned all six forms of Rokushiki.
A four-year-old who could already use Life Return.
That wasn't a genius.
That was insanity.
"Is this some kind of elaborate prank?" Zephyr muttered.
He simply could not believe it.
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