A dozen or so minutes later.
On the warship one kilometer away from the island, all the Marine soldiers sat exhausted against the railing beside the deck, each of them wearing an expression of lingering fear.
Only after the warship fled to this place did they barely escape the range of the suddenly expanding forest.
“Have you rested enough?
Once you’re rested, all of you follow me off the ship and head to the center of this forest.
Let’s go meet the person who used this ability!”
Garp said to the Marine soldiers resting on the deck.
“These trees spreading across the sea have already taken root and formed a floating bridge.
You can step on them and move forward!”
Seeing that some of the new recruits on the ship looked troubled after hearing his order, Garp continued explaining.
After he finished, he did not forget to be the first one off the ship, jumping onto a massive tree root.
With Garp, their pillar of support, taking the lead and demonstrating first, the soldiers on the warship began getting off the ship one after another.
They followed Garp cautiously and jumped onto the forest of trees.
Stumbling along, they made their way toward the center of this forest that had appeared out of thin air.
…
…
“The terrain of the beach actually changed because of the appearance of this forest!”
When Garp led the Marines to the beach beside the original island and observed the terrain, he sighed in amazement.
The originally flat beach had actually caved in because of the forest’s expansion, forming a small artificial lake.
“That’s right!
An ability that can create a forest out of thin air and even change the terrain is far too terrifying!”
After hearing Vice Admiral Garp’s sigh, Commander Ryan, who was standing beside him, spoke in deep shock.
Aside from Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Sakazuki, this was only the third time he had seen an ability capable of altering the terrain on such a massive scale.
He had never expected to encounter something this strange in a place like East Blue.
The shock in his eyes was simply impossible to hide.
“Walk another thirty meters forward, and we’ll see the interesting fellow who used this ability!”
Garp used Observation Haki to sense Roy’s location, then grinned.
They continued moving forward for another thirty meters.
Sure enough, just as Garp had said, they saw a young man leaning against the trunk of a giant tree.
Garp froze for a moment.
Even someone as carefree as him was surprised by the young man’s age.
Within the range of his Observation Haki, aside from the Marines, the only living person left was Roy.
That meant the trees on this island were very likely connected to the young man before him!
Although Garp already had a guess in his heart, he still asked, “Young man, was it you who dealt with that group of pirates?”
“Mm.
I killed them all.”
Roy’s answer was calm and casual, as if killing those pirates had been nothing more than something he had done in passing.
That group of pirates was definitely one of the overlord-level forces in East Blue.
But to Roy, who had spent ten years training hard on this island, developing Wood Release, and mastering the Wood Release kekkei genkai, they truly were no different from ants he could crush to death.
“You killed them all!?”
Before Garp could react, Commander Ryan, who was standing beside him, went pale after hearing Roy’s answer.
Although he had already guessed this result, hearing a young man who looked only fifteen or sixteen say it so calmly still made him tremble.
His own current strength was roughly equal to Frand, the great East Blue pirate with a bounty of 18 million berries.
In that case, didn’t that mean that if Vice Admiral Garp were not here, and this young man wanted to kill him…
Or even wipe out all the Marines on his warship, it would be extremely easy?
Having this kind of strength at only fifteen or sixteen years old was something Commander Ryan found hard to believe!
It was not only Commander Ryan.
When Garp saw that the person leaning against the tree trunk ahead was a young man around fifteen or sixteen, he was also astonished.
A terrifyingly powerful teenage expert, suspected to be a Devil Fruit user.
Someone who could instantly wipe out an East Blue pirate crew with one attack…
Were young people on the sea these days…
All such monsters?
Garp was sizing up Roy, and Roy was also looking at this legendary vice admiral known as the Marine Hero.
The reason he had not left this place was because he had recognized Garp.
Before transmigrating, when he watched the One Piece anime, he had liked Garp’s character very much.
After all, Garp was a righteous and powerful Marine in the world of One Piece.
He had also driven the Pirate King, Roger, into desperate situations many times, and he had even helped bring down the Rocks Pirates.
He was an undisputed hero of Marine Headquarters, a legendary vice admiral!
That also meant he was one of the peak combat forces of the One Piece world!
Roy actually felt rather surprised by his first meeting with Garp.
“Young man, do you have a powerful teacher behind you guiding your training?”
At that moment, Garp suddenly asked, breaking the silent atmosphere.
Only something like that could explain why this young man possessed such terrifying strength at the age of fifteen or sixteen.
“A teacher?”
“I don’t have one.”
“During the ten years I stayed on this island, I figured everything out by myself.
For example, I trained my physical techniques beneath the waterfall or fought fierce beasts in the forest.”
After hearing Garp’s question, Roy shook his head and answered.
“You don’t?” Garp froze for a moment, feeling deeply puzzled.
No one taught him, and he learned by himself?
Was he a genius?
“Hahahahaha!”
Garp suddenly burst into loud laughter, his face filled with admiration.
“You trained alone and developed your Devil Fruit ability by yourself?
To be able to cause this much destruction, it must be an extremely powerful fruit, right?”
Garp regarded Roy as a Devil Fruit user, and one who had likely eaten a very powerful fruit at that!
Only that could explain such massive destruction.
Roy looked at the man before him, who was filled with heroic spirit.
Even though Garp’s hair had already turned white, that terrifying presence of his could not be hidden.
“He thinks my Wood Release is a Devil Fruit ability?” Roy murmured inwardly.
That was fine too.
In that case, many people might treat his Wood Release as a Devil Fruit ability.
That would be equivalent to giving him another trump card!
Because others might think seawater and Seastone would be his weaknesses.
But in reality, when others used Seastone to attack him…
It would be completely useless!
Because this was not a Devil Fruit ability.
It was the Wood Release kekkei genkai!