The thin morning mist had yet to completely clear.
Dull thuds already echoed across the training grounds outside Foosha Village, accompanied by Garp’s trademark booming laughter.
“Ha!
Kid!
Put some more effort into it!
That level isn’t nearly enough!”
Garp’s fist came crashing down with a powerful gust of wind, slamming into the iron block Mox was using to defend himself—
This was no ordinary iron block.
It had been synthesized by Mox’s ability, and its hardness far exceeded that of ordinary steel.
Bang!
After the deafening impact, cracks spread outward from the center of the fist mark, and the entire reinforced iron block shattered.
“Whew… Vice Admiral Garp, your strength is seriously ridiculous.”
Mox wiped the sweat from his forehead while using his ability to decompose and recycle the fragments scattered across the ground, triggering a series of system notifications.
At the same time, he deliberately complained.
This was the third day of Garp’s five-day special training session.
Ever since Garp had agreed to train them, Mox had fully embraced his inner “capitalist”—trading delicious food for information while using the training sessions to farm Energy.
Every day, he prepared an enormous amount of top-quality food, far beyond what Garp would normally eat:
Tender grilled meat with a crisp exterior, rich soup made from rare ingredients, and all sorts of other delicacies…
They had completely captured Garp’s stomach.
In return, Garp’s training regimen was nothing short of terrifying.
For Luffy, there were merciless Iron Fists and massive rocks hurled at him, forcing him to repeatedly dance on the edge of life and death while pushing the resilience of his Devil Fruit abilities to its limits.
For Mox, Garp placed greater emphasis on technique and control of strength, occasionally offering Luffy a few pointers as well.
Mox’s objective was very clear—
Extract as much information about Armament Haki training as possible.
“Vice Admiral Garp, that punch just now seemed to have some invisible force wrapped around it.
“That must be why it was able to smash my ‘special iron block,’ right?”
He asked as casually as possible, though his heart was actually pounding like crazy.
Garp was currently holding a roasted meat leg larger than his own face, chewing away with grease covering his mouth.
Hearing Mox’s question, he replied indistinctly:
“Hmph.
You brats are still too young to learn Haki.”
He washed down the meat with a huge gulp of iced black tea before wiping his mouth.
“But since you want to learn it, I might as well give you a few pointers.”
Perhaps because he had recognized the potential of the two brats, Garp intermittently explained the basic principles and introductory methods of Armament Haki.
How to sense the latent “energy” within the body.
How to refine and condense it through meditation and actual combat.
Mox listened extremely carefully, committing every word to memory.
Although he could directly obtain Armament Haki through the system’s stat allocation, these fundamental methods would be crucial in the future if he wanted to raise the overall strength of the team.
Over the course of those five days, Garp destroyed dozens of special iron blocks made by Mox every day.
Mox tirelessly decomposed and recycled them.
Aside from the normal Energy gained, iron blocks that had been saturated with Armament Haki would also be synthesized by the system into Black Iron.
According to the system’s notification, this material contained pure Armament Haki energy factors and could only be utilized more effectively after the user awakened Armament Haki.
Five days later, Mox’s system panel had undergone a significant change:
[Energy: 100,000]
[Physical Strength: 570]
The surge in Energy allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief, providing sufficient “fuel” for his subsequent plans.
After his Physical Strength surpassed 570, his physical strength, recovery ability, and explosive power all advanced by a significant degree.
During breaks in training, Mox hadn’t forgotten about the defective SMILE artificial Devil Fruit he had obtained from the Big Eater Tournament.
The system’s scan results were less than ideal:
[Item: Defective SMILE Artificial Devil Fruit (Zoan—Unknown Model)]
[Status: Energy instability, structural damage]
[Assessment: A failed artificial Devil Fruit.
It can only fuse with non-living objects.
After fusion, there is a high probability of producing incomplete or even distorted abilities.
Side effects unknown.]
[Note: Energy can be consumed to repair it.
Once repaired, it will grant the ability “Devour.”]
“Devour…”
Mox stared at the note, his thoughts stirring.
This ability seemed to have some potential connection with his own Matter Recomposition and energy absorption.
Since Energy took priority for repairing the fruit, he placed it inside the System Storage Space and had the system begin repairing it.
A repair-progress bar appeared on the system panel.
Repair Progress: 1%.
Watching his Energy rapidly drain, Mox felt his heart ache.
What delighted him even more was that, with Garp’s guidance and his own extremely high Physical Strength, he could now clearly sense a faint yet genuine “flow of energy” moving and gathering within his body.
That was the embryonic form of Armament Haki.
The five days of special training passed in the blink of an eye, and Garp’s leave came to an end.
Before leaving, Mox suddenly called out:
“Grandpa Garp, wait!”
“Hm?
Is there something else, Mox?”
Garp was carrying a massive bundle stuffed with all sorts of portable food Mox had packed for him.
Mox rubbed his hands together, wearing a slightly sly expression.
“Well… Vice Admiral Garp, as a Hero of the Marines, you should have some Seastone handcuffs, right?
Could you… lend us a few pairs?”
“Seastone handcuffs?”
Garp froze for a moment before understanding.
His eyes widened, and he burst into uproarious laughter.
“Oh-ho-ho-ho!
You brat!
You’re even more ruthless than I was!”
“You want to use them on that Luffy brat, don’t you?”
“Hehe.” Mox scratched his head.
“You know Luffy’s Gum-Gum Fruit.
Ordinary physical-resistance training has limited effectiveness.
“Seastone can suppress Devil Fruit abilities.
If he trains while wearing Seastone handcuffs, he might be able to improve his basic physical strength faster.”
“Good!
Good thinking, brat!
You’ve got my old style!”
Garp was extremely pleased with the suggestion.
He immediately reached deep into his bundle, pulled out a heavy pair of Seastone handcuffs and their key, and tossed them over.
“Take them!
Train that brat properly!
Don’t let him slack off!”
Mox was startled and hurriedly jumped aside.
“Hey!
Old man, I’m a Devil Fruit user too!”
“You little brat!
So what if you’re a Devil Fruit user?
Or do you think this old man’s fists have gotten soft?”
“Sorry, Grandpa Garp!
Have a safe trip!”
As the Dog-Head Marine Warship disappeared into the horizon, Luffy stared curiously at the Seastone handcuffs lying on the ground.
“Mox, will these really make me stronger?”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Mox replied.
“But once you put them on, you’ll become weak all over.
Training will be extremely difficult.”
“Oh!
Perfect!”
Luffy picked up the handcuffs without hesitation.
The next second—
“OW!”
He collapsed limply onto the ground.
“Wah!
This feels awful!
My body is so heavy!
I can’t use any strength at all!”
Mox smiled.
This was only the beginning.
After Garp left, the two didn’t stop training.
Instead, their training became even more systematic and grueling.
Taking inspiration from the way Rayleigh had trained Luffy in the manga from his previous life, Mox used his familiarity with Foosha Village’s terrain to lead Luffy—while he was wearing the handcuffs and struggling to move—deep into the jungle.
There, he made Luffy experience danger firsthand and learn to anticipate attacks while being chased by wild beasts.
At first, Luffy was repeatedly battered by the beasts until his face was swollen and bruised.
But his resilience was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Through repeated struggles on the brink of life and death, he gradually adapted.
One day, when a ferocious wild boar charged at him with a foul gust of breath, Luffy’s eyes suddenly went blank.
Everything around him seemed to slow down.
He could clearly “see” the trajectory of the attack and instinctively shifted his body to dodge it.
“Huh?”
Luffy himself was stunned.
“You did it!”
Mox smiled from nearby.
“Luffy, you just awakened Observation Haki!”
From that day onward, Luffy’s use of Observation Haki became increasingly proficient.
He was nowhere near capable of predicting the future like Charlotte Katakuri, but sensing movements around him and anticipating an enemy’s attacks in advance was no longer a problem.
To raise enough money and gather materials for their voyage, Mox took Luffy along to pull off something big—
They accepted the garbage-cleaning job from the manga involving the massive junkyard.
The place reeked so badly that nobody wanted to go near it.
But Mox’s Observation Haki range was already vastly greater than the two meters it had once covered.
From a great distance, he could use his Devil Fruit ability to decompose discarded materials and absorb their Energy, while simultaneously synthesizing recyclable metals, timber, and other useful materials.
The nobles were extremely satisfied with their efficiency.
In the end, they paid the two of them 1,000,000 Berries.
The very next day, Mox sought out the most stubborn bearded carpenter in the village.
The old man frowned deeply as he examined the blueprint Mox had drawn.
“A fan on the stern?
And you want me to build it using this pile of scrap metal?
“I’m a carpenter, but a carpenter has his dignity too!
I won’t let my work have a single flaw!”
Mox didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.
“All right, then.
Come on, Luffy.
Let’s go ask your grandpa for a boat.”
He turned around and was about to leave.
The bearded carpenter immediately panicked.
“Wait!
What I meant was… it’ll cost extra!”
“How much?” Mox asked, crossing his arms.
“At least 100,000 Berries,” the carpenter replied.
Two months later, a brand-new little ship sat in the harbor.
The vessel wasn’t particularly large, but it was exceptionally sturdy.
The deck was made from rot-resistant timber synthesized by Mox, while all four cabins were lined with soft rubber, providing enough room for four people to lie down.
The most unusual feature was the half-person-tall fan mounted at the stern.
Its blades had been assembled from the steel plates of discarded warships, making them exceptionally sturdy.
When the fan spun, it produced a loud whirring sound and gave off a rugged sense of raw power.
“Will that fan really make the ship move?”
Luffy leaned over the side of the boat and reached toward the blades.
“Of course.”
Mox smiled and grabbed his hand.
“Once we’re at sea, I can power it with my ability.
Even without wind, it’ll keep moving.
At full power, it’ll be faster than a sailboat.
“That way, we won’t have to worry about the Marines catching up to us.”
Over the course of that year, Garp returned twice.
“You two little brats!
Ready to receive your grandpa’s Iron Fist?”
Each time, he beat Mox and Luffy into the ground before finally stopping.
When Garp left, he gave the two of them a complicated look.
He also handed each of them a yellowed piece of paper.
They were made from the strands of hair Garp had asked for from Luffy and Mox during his previous visit.
Garp explained that they were Vivre Cards.
“If you ever get separated, just follow it and it’ll lead you to the other person.”
Mox tore his card in half and gave one half to Luffy.
Luffy copied him, tearing his own card in half and handing a piece over.
He grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth.
Mox and Luffy trained every morning.
At noon, they would return to the little treehouse and take an afternoon nap.
With Mox around—and with no shortage of materials—the treehouse had undergone a complete transformation.
There were now two small wooden beds, a clean bookshelf, and even a brand-new floor.
The little treehouse had become a paradise for Mox and Luffy.
In the afternoons, they trained their combat awareness.
Sometimes they sparred with each other.
Other times, they ventured into the forest to challenge the King of the Black Bears.
Time in Foosha Village passed like the wind spinning the village’s windmill.
Before they knew it, an entire year had passed.
The village had changed dramatically.
The black, heavyset man’s roof no longer leaked.
The farming tools belonging to the auntie who always gave Luffy meat were still as good as new after a year of use.
Even the wasteland at the village entrance had become covered in lush green crops.
Whenever the villagers saw Mox, they would smile and stuff wild fruit into his hands or offer him a roasted potato.
Even the bearded carpenter who had disliked him at first would stroke his beard and say:
“That boy actually gets things done.”
Mox and Luffy had changed as well.
Luffy had grown to 1.8 meters tall.
His shoulders had broadened considerably, and he had developed a clearly defined eight-pack.
He could now run through the jungle faster than wild deer while wearing Seastone handcuffs, and his Observation Haki could cover dozens of meters.
Every now and then, a faint black sheen would flash across his fist when he punched.
That was a sign that his Armament Haki was close to awakening.
When sparring with Mox, he was no longer someone who simply charged ahead recklessly.
He would deliberately leave an opening to lure Mox into attacking, then suddenly stretch his arm around behind him for a surprise strike.
Mox’s transformation was even more astonishing.
The figures on his system panel were dazzling:
[Physical Strength: 985]
[Energy: 0]
[Skills: Matter Recomposition (Proficient), Eight Extremities Fist(Advanced), Observation Haki (Proficient, Range: 1 km), Armament Haki (Beginner, Can Be Condensed)]
[Item: Defective SMILE Artificial Devil Fruit (Repair Progress: 90%)]
His Physical Strength was approaching 1,000.
He tried coating his fist in Armament Haki and punched a piece of scrap iron left over from the bearded carpenter’s shipbuilding.
Clang!
A faint fist mark appeared on the metal plate.
When he expanded his Observation Haki, he could sense every movement within a one-kilometer radius.
However, raising his Physical Strength to 985 and repairing the SMILE fruit had consumed every last bit of Energy he had accumulated over the year.
The mold covering the fruit had now completely faded, revealing a smooth, dark-red surface.
It faintly emitted a strange attractive force.
Mox knew that complete restoration was not far away.
On the day of their departure, the weather was almost unbelievably perfect.
The sea breeze carried a salty, humid scent as it swept through the harbor, making the flags flap loudly in the wind.
Luffy stood on the deck wearing a newly made red vest that left his sturdy arms exposed.
He was seventeen years old now.
When he smiled, his eyes were filled with longing for the sea.
“Mox, let’s go!
Let’s find the One Piece!
I’m going to become the Pirate King!”
Mox stood beside him.
He was nearly half a head shorter than Luffy, yet he stood straight and firm like a young tree.
He wore a clean blue vest with a skull emblem on the chest, which he had asked Makino to embroider for him.
Black three-quarter-length pants covered his legs, with elastic bands securing the cuffs around his calves.
The sixteen-year-old boy’s eyes were as calm as the deep sea.
Yet when he looked toward the ocean, the same light that burned in Luffy’s eyes appeared in his own.
Everything aboard the ship had been prepared long ago.
Mox had stored more than ten days’ worth of biscuits, dried meat, and plenty of other food he’d prepared himself inside the System Storage Space.
Fresh water was stored in three large sealed clay jars.
The toolbox was packed with spare screws, wooden planks, and even some ship-repair adhesive that the carpenter had stuffed inside.
“Yeah.
Let’s go.”
Mox nodded and placed his fingertip on the switch controlling the fan at the stern.
Energy flowed from his fingertip into the mechanism.
The blades slowly began to turn.
At first, they produced only a faint hum.
Soon, however, they accelerated until the sound of the wind rushing through them became a powerful whir.
The airflow pushed the little ship slowly away from the harbor.
The windmill on the shore grew smaller and smaller, while the waving figures of the villagers gradually blurred into the distance.
Luffy spread his arms wide and shouted into the sea breeze, his voice carried far away by the wind.
“THE SEA!
I’M COMING—!”
Mox watched the bow cut through the waves, then glanced at his brightly smiling companion.
The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile as well.
Their adventure had truly begun.