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Major Koby hurriedly left, clearly showing that, to him, this Vice Admiral was far more important than a boy doomed to die.
Under the watch of a squad of Marines, Kyle couldn't find a single chance to escape.
It made him even quieter, though people kept asking for his name, his age, and other details.
After fleeing from the noble estate, he quickly realized the kind of world he'd ended up in—one straight out of a popular anime from his past life.
A world filled with freedom, dreams, hot-blooded courage, friendship, and kindness. On paper, it sounded like pure bliss.
Reality, however, hit him like a hammer, showing the dark core beneath all that beauty.
The nobles held absolute power, and the fates of the lower classes were completely controlled. The Celestial Dragons—those living gods above all—could execute ordinary citizens at will.
Darkness and blood were the true colors of this world.
Before long, Kyle was dragged to the base's training grounds.
When the Marines realized they couldn't get anything useful from him, they gave up questioning him directly and started probing in other ways.
Soon, iron shackles infused with Seastone were fastened around his ankles.
"If he's a Devil Fruit user, this one shot would finish him," one Marine said.
"Boy, in your next life, try not to act so recklessly. Don't make enemies of the Celestial Dragons," someone else sighed.
Even among the Marines, there was pity for him.
On the Sabaody Archipelago, things like this happened far too often.
Some incidents were handled by the Celestial Dragons' guards, others by the Marines.
It filled many of the Marines with resentment—blood boiling with ideals of justice, yet ultimately reduced to serving the whims of the world's nobles.
"Better send him off quickly. He's lucky this time. If he'd fallen into their hands…" one Marine muttered, raising his rifle with a heavy sigh.
Then, without hesitation, he fired.
Blue smoke curled into the air. The gunshot faded, leaving a profound silence.
The Marines surrounding Kyle blinked in disbelief, their mouths slightly open. Shock and astonishment etched their faces.
"What the hell… is going on with this kid?"
"He's… not a Devil Fruit user?"
They stared at him, perfectly unharmed and still silent. The sight was utterly incomprehensible.
Even Major Koby hadn't expected this. None of it made sense.
"If we can't kill him, we're the ones in trouble!" a Marine muttered shakily.
They weren't green to the life of a Marine—they had fought pirates countless times—but they had never seen anything like this. A plain-looking boy who simply could not be killed.
Kyle pressed his lips together and glanced at the counter on his wrist—it had ticked up again. Thirty-four.
Thirty-four deaths he had endured.
"Bring out the cannon," a Marine captain ordered, taking a deep breath.
Fear flickered in his eyes. A boy who couldn't die, combined with the pressure of the Celestial Dragons, was unnerving.
At first, they thought he might be some strange Devil Fruit user. Now that theory was gone, the sense of dread only grew.
At the base office, Major Koby composed himself and pushed open the door.
Seeing the broad-shouldered man at the desk, his square jaw and black buzz cut, Koby tensed further.
"Vice Admiral Garp… you're here?"
The man in front of him was the legendary Vice Admiral Garp, a Marine hero whose reputation towered above all.
"You just keep digging yourself into trouble, don't you, Koby?" Garp boomed.
"Fallen to serving the Celestial Dragons, those trash of a family," he added, looking down at him.
The hero of the Marines showed no sign of age. His black hair, short and sharp, bristled with vitality. His entire presence radiated sheer force, dominance, and iron-willed intensity.
Garp's nickname, Iron Fist, wasn't just about his punches—it spoke to his entire young-life ethos.
Koby shivered. "There's nothing I can do, Vice Admiral. On the Sabaody Archipelago, some things… you just can't help."
"Maybe you should transfer me, or I could follow you and hunt pirates instead."
Garp laughed. "Nice thought. But promotions and transfers? That's up to the Fleet Admiral."
"Besides, your personality? Doesn't suit following me around either."
Koby's face fell, a faint sorrow in his expression. He knew Garp had taught him once, and there was a teacher-student bond—but Garp had never respected his tendency to curry favor and bend for nobles.
"Sorry, didn't mean to insult you," Garp said, waving off the tension.
"I just happened to be passing by and thought I'd check in."
"I'll take care of your ship's supplies," Koby said cautiously.
"Ugh, hate your type. A Marine who always bows and scrapes, no backbone at all!"
Garp's irritation flared, and he grabbed a decorative item from the desk and hurled it across the room.
Koby flinched as it whizzed past his ear and crashed behind him.
"Don't ever call yourself my student again!" Garp barked, leaving Koby with a bitter sigh. The rumors of what had happened on the Archipelago had clearly reached Garp's ears.
For a moment, Koby didn't know what to say, but luckily Garp cooled off and began chatting idly.
About half an hour later, hurried footsteps sounded outside the office.
Garp looked up, and Koby reacted immediately.
"Major Koby! Something's wrong!"
The knock and the anxious voice came almost simultaneously.
"That kid… he really can't be killed!"
Koby' face tightened. Garp's curiosity piqued at once.
"Can't be killed? Who can't be killed?"
The door opened. The Marine outside inhaled sharply, ready to report, but froze when he saw Garp lounging there, commanding presence suffocating all nerves.
"V-Vice Admiral Garp!"
Garp waved lazily. "Go on, tell me everything."
"Since capturing him until now, he hasn't spoken a single word," the Marine reported nervously.
"But through other channels, we've managed to gather some info."
"This boy's name is Kyle. Originally a servant of the Donquixote family on Sabaody Archipelago. Ten days ago, he went berserk, killed the entire family, and escaped."
The Marine kept his head low, avoiding Garp's gaze.
"Today, he angered the Celestial Dragons and was captured by us."
"We tried guns, cannons, fire, hanging, drowning in seawater…" His voice trembled as he continued.
"But none of it could kill him."
Koby froze.
Garp leaned forward, eyes glinting with curiosity. "A Devil Fruit user?"
The Marine shook his head quickly.
"No, from start to finish, he was shackled with Seastone during execution."
Garp's expression went blank in shock.
Koby' face darkened. If they couldn't handle this boy, the Celestial Dragons would. And now, with Vice Admiral Garp present… trouble had just escalated exponentially.
"..."
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