The cold, mechanical voice was still echoing in Garp's mind.
[Congratulations on clearing the dungeon: Strongest Spear]
[Distributing clearance rewards...]
[Congratulations, you have received the reward: Chakra Extraction Technique (A-Rank)]
The moment the voice fell, an unimaginably massive flood of information rushed into Garp's brain without warning!
It was a completely different kind of knowledge, concerning the use and cultivation of energy.
Meridians, acupressure points, Chakra...
A completely new world exploded open in his mind!
Garp's pupils shrank suddenly, his entire body frozen.
He could feel it.
Inside his body, apart from the "Haki" he had cultivated his entire life and was familiar with to his very bones, another, brand-new energy was slowly being born!
"This... This is..."
Garp subconsciously spread his palm, feeling the faint but real foreign energy in his body, his face filled with an unprecedented shock.
This wasn't some Devil Fruit.
This was another, completely new power system, entirely separate from Haki!
And it was just... given to me?
One million Beri, for a complete cultivation method?
What kind of international joke is this!
Just as he was reeling from the shock, his body had completely dissolved into motes of light, disappearing from the ravaged gorge.
Meanwhile.
East Blue, Foosha Village.
"You absolute, total, moron!"
"Mmph... mmph... It hurts! Let go, Ace!"
The two little brats were still wrestling, causing a ruckus.
Blake continued to prop his chin, an expression of someone watching a good show.
Suddenly, on the market street, right next to the two wrestling brats, a figure appeared out of thin air, then staggered, nearly falling to the ground.
Garp was back.
It was just that his current appearance was truly a bit miserable.
His body was covered in wounds, his iconic "Justice" coat was gone, his bronze torso was covered in bloody marks and bruises, and a trace of blood hung from the corner of his mouth.
"..."
"..."
The sound of fighting stopped abruptly.
Luffy and Ace, the two little brats, froze completely.
They stared dumbly at their grandpa, who had suddenly appeared and was in such a wretched state, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
The next second.
"Grandpaaaa!"
Luffy's signature loud voice, tinged with tears, once again resounded through the sky!
He let go of Ace's cheeks and charged forward like a small cannonball, hugging Garp's leg!
"Grandpa! You're back!"
Luffy looked up, and when he saw the wounds on Garp's body, tears instantly welled up.
"You're hurt! You're bleeding so much! Who did this to you!"
Ace also rushed over. Although he wasn't as expressive as Luffy, the pale color of his face and his tightly clenched fists exposed the terror and anger in his heart.
"Old man! Are you okay!"
The grandpa who was, in their hearts, as invincible as a mountain.
He was actually injured this badly!
"BWAHAHAHA!"
Garp's signature wild laughter shook the windows of the entire street.
He pushed away Luffy, who was hugging his leg with a face full of snot and tears.
"What are you crying for!"
"I came back just fine, didn't I!"
He spoke casually, but in his heart, a storm was raging.
That dungeon world.
That dark-skinned brute covered in lightning.
And that terrifying big octopus.
Every single one of them was a formidable enemy capable of pushing him to his limits.
Especially that final, all-out collision. If he had been the slightest bit careless, he wouldn't just be returning in a sorry state; he would have been completely finished there!
And that was just... a beginner dungeon?
What a joke!
Garp's gaze, without any change in expression, fell on the white-haired kid still leaning lazily behind the stall.
For the first time, his eyes held a thorough gravity and scrutiny.
This guy...
This guy who can casually create such a terrifying world, what is his origin?!
Blake slowly stood up from behind the stall, stretching lazily.
He ignored the two little brats still wrestling on the ground and the surprised gazes from the surrounding passersby.
His gaze fell directly on the man who was covered in blood but still standing straight.
"Yo, old man."
Blake, hands in his pockets, sauntered over, a playful smile on his face. He stopped in front of Garp, looking him up and down, examining his wounds.
"How was the experience?"
Blake chuckled, rubbing his fingers together in a money-grubbing gesture right in Garp's face.
"I told you, this one million Beri was definitely worth the price, no deception of young or old, right?"
Luffy and Ace were stunned. They looked up, watching this white-haired kid talk and laugh in front of their grandpa, and for a moment, they forgot to cry and fight.
"BWAHAHAHA!"
Garp suddenly burst into a wild laugh. The laugh was full of vigor, shaking the surrounding air.
He looked down at Blake, his deep eyes no longer holding any of the previous contempt. Instead, they held an unprecedented gravity.
"Worth it!"
Garp grinned with his bloody mouth, spitting out the word with determination.
"It was f*cking worth it!"
He casually took out a small notebook and a pen from his pocket, scribbled a line on it, and tore it out. He shoved the piece of paper into Blake's hand.
"Take it!"
"A check specially approved by Marine Headquarters. Go get the money yourself later!"
Blake took the paper without any modesty, whistled, and put it in his pocket with satisfaction.
"Doing business with a hero is just so refreshing!"
Just then, the wild laughter on Garp's face instantly receded. His weathered face became extremely serious. A heavy aura spread from his body.
"Now, it's your turn to answer my questions."
Garp's voice lowered, his eyes locking onto Blake's.
"Who in the world... are you?"
"And what exactly is that so-called dungeon?"
The atmosphere froze at this moment.
Even Ace sensed that something was wrong and subconsciously pulled Luffy back a step.
But Blake still had that lazy look.
He tilted his head and pointed at his own nose.
"Me?"
He smiled.
"I'm just an ordinary traveler."
"A humble traveler who journeys through the myriad heavens."
Myriad heavens?
Garp's pupils shrank suddenly.
This was a term he had never heard.
"As for that dungeon..."
Blake raised a finger and tapped lightly in the air.
"You can understand it like this."
A mysterious arc hooked his lips.
"I just... intercepted a small fragment of time that was happening in another world."
"And then... sold it to you for fun."