Chapter 21: Warship Sandbags, Suppressed by the Admiral!
Three days later.
The Marine Headquarters Offshore Shipyard.
The sea breeze carried a salty tang, and the air was thick with the smell of rust. Decommissioned, dilapidated warships lay quietly here, like steel behemoths forgotten by time.
"Warship sandbags?!"
"So, the terrible dents on these two warships are..."
Nami stood beside Ian and was the first to be shocked by Garp's words. Ian, on the other hand, remained expressionless, as if he had expected everything here.
Ever since he had sent Garp flying on the training ground three days ago, Ian had slightly controlled the pace at which he learned the remaining five of the Six Powers. He completed all six forms within three days. After all, learning them all in half a day would inevitably arouse strong suspicion. Taking three days was reasonable and could be attributed to the proper development of the human body by his Human-Human Fruit.
Ian had already mastered both Armament and Observation Haki. To elevate his Haki to a higher level, the next step was to spend time practicing. And now, the place Garp most wanted to take Ian was this very shipyard!
"Ian, don't think you can become complacent just because you learn quickly! Starting today, your real training begins." Garp warned sharply, his expression serious.
Ian was a genius beyond Garp's imagination. Now that he thought about it, the meeting's strong urging for him to take Ian on was truly an important decision. The leader of the Navy's new generation was undoubtedly right before his eyes. Precisely because of this, Ian could not be allowed to become complacent and lose his direction in training.
"Ah la la, Mr. Garp, you got up half an hour earlier than usual today. You actually arrived before me. It seems you really care about your new disciple. This has truly hurt me, your first disciple!" A lazy voice drifted over slowly from among the group of derelict warships.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. A tall man in a simple white training suit slowly came into view.
"Admiral... Kuzan!"
"First disciple? So Admiral Aokiji is... Vice Admiral Garp's first disciple?"
Nami was completely shocked by Kuzan's words. So the Admiral of Headquarters had once trained under Vice Admiral Garp. Simultaneously, Nami began making some fantastical comparisons in her heart...
Admiral Aokiji is Vice Admiral Garp's apprentice, so Vice Admiral Garp is greater than an Admiral.
Vice Admiral Garp was sent flying by Commodore Ian, so Commodore Ian is greater than Vice Admiral Garp.
Conclusion: Ian > Admiral!
Nami looked back at Ian with stars in her eyes: Commodore Ian... is so strong!
Ian was confused: "???"
"Hey, Kuzan! You've come just in time. Show your junior disciple how it's done. We've been practicing here for decades, day after day, and we still do so today." Garp had originally intended to demonstrate himself, but upon seeing Kuzan appear, he directly ordered him instead.
A man who could command an Admiral so freely at Headquarters... aside from Fleet Admiral Sengoku, probably only Vice Admiral Garp could do so!
Ian knew very well... When Mr. Garp was young and possessed Admiral-level strength, Admiral Kuzan was just a rookie starting out. That he could achieve what he had today was thanks to Mr. Garp's guidance... though it didn't matter much! The main reason was his own awesome Logia ability! There was no helping it. Hard work was worthless compared to talent.
"Admiral Kuzan."
"Admiral Kuzan!"
Ian and Nami saluted. At Marine Headquarters, with its strict hierarchy, there weren't many people Commodore Ian needed to salute. The three Admirals were naturally among them. For this reason alone, he needed to raise his rank as soon as possible. It was really troublesome having to salute everyone.
"Mr. Garp, you're still the same. I am an Admiral now, after all. Don't make me put on a show in front of the youngsters!" Kuzan scratched his head helplessly, an extremely reluctant expression on his face. Doesn't a Navy Admiral deserve any respect?
Although he complained, his actions were very honest. Kuzan had originally come to the scrapyard to train anyway. It wasn't too difficult to let his junior see the hard work and true skills of his senior.
"Hahaha, Ian, watch closely! This kind of opportunity is very rare! If you want to become strong, strong enough to rival the Admirals of Headquarters, foundation is key. The path to strength is not accidental! During training here, you are not allowed to use Haki or Devil Fruit abilities!" Garp's eyes were fixed on Kuzan's performance.
"Yes, Mr. Garp! I will definitely watch carefully!" Ian responded loudly.
Warship Sandbags!
As the name suggested, it used the decommissioned warships before them as sandbags for strength training. Continuous pounding, day after day, year after year... The dented, deformed marks left on the armor of the two warships in front were the masterpieces of Garp and Kuzan.
BOOM!!
Kuzan approached his exclusive "sandbag" and threw a casual punch at the warship's armor. A powerful, domineering sound erupted sharply, as if tearing the air apart. The gravel on the ground trembled slightly.
An ordinary warship weighed over ten tons, a decent one nearly a hundred tons, and an elite Vice Admiral-level warship over five hundred tons. Judging by the size and specifications of the warship Kuzan was facing, it was definitely of Vice Admiral rank or above. Only this type of warship was worthy of the name "ship." The one Ian and Hina had taken before could only be called a "boat."
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
...
Kuzan continued punching, the power of each blow steadily increasing. The entire shipyard was filled with shocking noises.
Nami's mouth hung open, utterly speechless with horror. It was her first time feeling the pressure of the Navy's strongest combat force at such close range. To be able to shake such a high-standard warship alone was simply inhuman!
After several dozen punches, Kuzan stopped. With a provocative look in his eyes, he stared at Ian and said, "Ian, my little junior brother. If you can't do this... No matter what Mr. Garp thinks, I certainly cannot approve of you. Do you think that just by learning Haki and mastering the Six Powers, you can truly become the Navy's 'rising star'? Those pirates in the New World are not as simple as you imagine. I don't know what Fleet Admiral Sengoku is thinking, letting you form your own unit. You look like a wet-behind-the-ears brat."
Kuzan's sarcastic words surprised Garp. This guy was usually quiet at Headquarters. When speaking to an unfamiliar subordinate, he never said more than three sentences. He never actively put down his subordinates and was essentially a man of calm character. What had gotten into him today? He'd actually said so much!
However, this move saved Garp a lot of trouble. Ian, who had never known failure, could easily fall into the vortex of "believing victory is assured." Without timely suppression, it would be difficult for him to achieve a higher breakthrough. Kuzan had done a good thing.
Ian sensed the "inexplicable hostility" from the Admiral and understood what was happening. It was simply because Garp had taken the initiative to request him, which made Admiral Kuzan unhappy. That's why he was being so undignified, indiscriminately targeting a new Commodore.
Ian didn't take it to heart and maintained a sunny, warm smile.
Action is the most powerful counterattack!
You want to watch a show?
Fine, today I'll let you, my cheap senior brother, see enough!
"Admiral Kuzan's admonition is absolutely correct! May I choose a warship to try?" Ian raised his hand.