Mox was completely stunned.
He stood rooted to the spot, mouth slightly agape, unable to say a word for quite some time.
“That was… an advanced application of Armament Haki… Internal Destruction?!”
His original plan had been to have Garp use just a little Armament Haki to push the iron block away.
That way, he could use Observation Haki to carefully observe the flow of power and the condition of Garp’s body while the Armament Haki was active, hoping to glean even the slightest clue.
But who could have imagined that the old man would go straight for the grand finale the moment he made a move?
The gap was like that between an elementary school student who had only just learned how to count and a high school student solving a quadratic equation.
Instead, the other party had directly demonstrated a calculus derivation…
They weren’t even on the same level!
Watching it was completely useless.
There was simply no way he could understand it!
Mox couldn’t help but laugh bitterly to himself.
Luffy was dumbfounded as well.
He muttered, “So… so strong… He didn’t even push the iron block away, but somehow it feels even more powerful than just pushing it away…”
Garp had clearly realized that he’d messed up.
But when he saw Dadan storming toward him, a crafty look flashed across his eyes.
Suddenly, with lightning speed, he snatched the mooncake from Mox’s hand before Mox could even hand it over, stuffed it into his mouth, and began chewing enthusiastically.
“Mmm… delicious!
Mmph… This flavor is absolutely perfect with soy milk!”
While mumbling his praise through a mouthful of food, Garp quickly swallowed the entire mooncake, afraid that Dadan or Luffy might snatch it away.
Luffy stared in dismay as the mooncake he’d been longing for was devoured by Garp.
His face immediately fell, his lips puckering as though he were about to burst into tears.
Mox was equally helpless.
Plans never survive contact with reality.
Still, fortunately… he had a backup plan!
For now, the most important thing was to calm down the furious Dadan.
Dadan was still shouting angrily at Garp, demanding that he compensate her for the iron block.
Looking at the fragments scattered all over the ground, she was practically hopping with distress.
Mox took a deep breath, suppressing his distracting thoughts and concentrating.
He quietly activated his Trash-Trash Fruit ability while simultaneously activating his Observation Haki, precisely locking onto the shattered iron fragments on the ground.
“Trash Recycling.”
He silently issued the command in his mind.
The next second, a mechanical notification that only he could hear rang out in his head:
[Ding!
Recyclable material detected: fragments of high-density iron damaged by a special energy.]
[Recycling successful!
Obtained x100 Black Iron Units.]
[Special energy residue detected within the material.
Additional Energy obtained: x—.]
[Host has recycled “high-energy trash” containing a high concentration of special energy for the first time.
Special reward triggered: Physical Strength +100!]
Mox’s eyes widened.
A storm erupted in his heart.
Holy crap!
What is going on?!
I’m rich!
His Physical Strength had increased by a full 100 points!
That was even more effective than several days of painstaking training!
And there were the Energy points, as well as this thing called “Black Iron.” This was an entirely unexpected windfall!
Before he could recover from the enormous surprise, the system notification sounded again in his mind:
[Analyzing the residual special energy within the recycled material…]
[Analysis complete.
The special energy originates from a gaseous energy produced by human cells in a highly active state.
When its energy density reaches a certain threshold, it can harden into a semi-solid state, possessing properties such as altering the form of matter, penetration, and partially ignoring physical temperature.]
[Preliminary analysis of energy activation and utilization methods:
Through high-intensity physical training, stimulate cellular activity to gradually awaken and accumulate this energy.Through meditation with one’s eyes closed, eliminate distracting thoughts and perceive the flow of the latent energy within the body.Rely on powerful willpower to guide and concentrate the energy in specific parts of the body.]
Mox’s heart pounded violently.
Thump, thump, thump!
He clenched his teeth, barely managing to keep himself from shouting out in excitement.
This… this was practically a pie falling from the sky!
The Haki training method he’d dreamed of obtaining had actually been delivered straight to his doorstep in this manner?
Granted, it wasn’t exactly comprehensive.
But the system had directly analyzed the nature, characteristics, and preliminary training methods of Armament Haki!
Although the information was still quite basic, it undoubtedly gave him a direction to follow, saving him countless hours of trial and error and preventing him from taking countless unnecessary detours.
Calm down.
Calm down…
Mox repeatedly warned himself not to lose his composure, forcing his face to remain calm.
Right now, he had to deal with the situation in front of him!
He quickly synthesized another iron block and placed it in front of Dadan.
Dadan immediately shouted toward the house, “You lot!
Get your asses out here!
Take this iron block to the blacksmith and have him make me a super-sized safe!”
Having finally dealt with Dadan’s troublesome complaint, Garp breathed a sigh of relief.
He wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, stood up, and barked at Mox and Luffy:
“All right, you two!
Stop dawdling!
Come with me.
Today’s training starts now!”
Luffy was still dejected because he hadn’t gotten to eat the mooncake.
He lowered his head and followed behind listlessly.
Mox, meanwhile, quickly composed himself, suppressing his excitement before hurrying after them.
The group soon entered the depths of the forest.
Garp pointed toward several stone targets hanging from a large tree and ordered Luffy:
“Luffy, your job is to hit those targets with your fists.
Every punch must hit the bull’s-eye dead center and smash the target to pieces!”
“Oh…”
Luffy responded listlessly.
He walked beneath the tree and began throwing punches at the targets.
Then Garp turned around, his gaze settling on Mox.
His eyes immediately sharpened.
“As for you, kid, I’ll personally put you through your paces!”
Mox’s heart tightened.
He immediately assumed a defensive stance.
He knew that the real “hell” was about to begin.
Before long, the forest echoed with the dull thuds of fists colliding and Garp’s booming shouts.
“Oh?
Kid, you’re improving pretty quickly!”
Garp knocked Mox back with a single punch, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.
“Your fighting style is pretty interesting.
Every move goes straight for the vital points.
Ruthless, too.
But…”
His tone suddenly shifted.
His speed abruptly increased.
Mox didn’t even have time to react before a fist slammed into his abdomen, making him grimace in pain.
“Too slow!
And you don’t have enough power!”
Garp’s voice boomed like a great bell.
“Don’t you know Observation Haki?
Use it to track your opponent’s movements, anticipate them in advance, and take the initiative!
Don’t just stand there like a piece of wood and take a beating!”
“Bang!”
Another punch crashed into Mox’s shoulder, sending him stumbling sideways.
“Good grief!
You’re really a blockhead!”
Sunlight streamed through the gaps between the leaves, casting mottled shadows across the forest floor.
Mox was knocked down again and again, only to get back up again and again.
His entire body ached, and he was battered and disheveled, but his eyes grew brighter with every exchange.
Being beaten to a pulp certainly wasn’t pleasant, but his heart was filled with a sense of fulfillment and anticipation unlike anything he’d experienced before.
His increased Physical Strength, the unexpected acquisition of a Haki training method, and Garp’s seemingly crude yet surprisingly insightful guidance…
Although today’s training was still another day of Garp completely overwhelming him, Mox could clearly feel that he was growing at a visible rate.