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Instinct?
Garp blinked. Of course, he didn't buy that nonsense.
Still, he couldn't help but feel stunned—no, downright shaken—by the boy in front of him. Add to that the fact that the kid couldn't die, and Garp had to admit: this was a monster.
Seventeen years old. Already awakened Conqueror's Haki, and on top of that, able to control it.
Even more unbelievable, Garp quickly noticed that after this battle, the boy's power had grown significantly.
"A monster, huh?"
He muttered under his breath.
People born with terrifying talent weren't unheard of. There had been the Charlotte Linlin of the Rocks Pirates, Kaido… natural prodigies, insanely powerful.
But someone like Kyle… Garp had never seen anything like it.
A human on the outside, yet impossible to kill.
"You've got potential, kid. I'll train you properly," Garp said, laughing. "One day, you might even take my place and shake this world upside down."
At first, he'd only been curious about the boy's immortal trait, and he did appreciate Kyle's defiance of the nobles and Celestial Dragons—it suited Garp's taste perfectly. But now? He genuinely believed this kid had limitless potential.
With proper training, Kyle could grow fast and become a major force in suppressing pirates.
Kyle stood silently, thinking. Comparing his current power to someone he knew…
He considered Kuzan, measuring speed, strength, and destructive capacity in battle.
"Kuzan's rank right now is Major. He just graduated from the Marine Academy. His training is systematic, his power strong, but he hasn't eaten an Ice-Ice Fruit. My strength, speed, and reflexes… are about the same."
Kyle realized the true magnitude of his death-proof ability.
Every death only boosted his strength by a multiplier. The stronger he got, the more extreme the growth. Eventually, at the world's peak, it would escalate exponentially.
The only flaw? He couldn't exploit it by suicide.
"So, my current strength is Major-level, similar to Kuzan," he murmured.
"But add Conqueror's Haki…"
He glanced at Kuzan, still sprawled on the ground snoring.
"I could take him out in an instant."
At his current power, controlling Conqueror's Haki felt like a toddler holding a nuclear button.
Moments later, the Marines began to wake, rubbing their throbbing heads.
"What… just happened?"
"Was that… Vice Admiral Garp's Haki?"
The veterans were confused, unable to make sense of it.
Kuzan woke shortly after, first bewildered, then remembering what had just happened. His eyes snapped toward Kyle.
He'd been overwhelmed by this kid's aura?
Under Garp's orders, the Marines checked for surviving pirates. But after those two nuclear-like blows, there was no one left alive.
Those who hadn't died were knocked unconscious by Conqueror's Haki, and now, facing the Marines, slipped into permanent sleep without even realizing it.
Kyle watched silently. There was no mercy, no hesitation.
All remaining pirates were finished off without exception.
Finally, the bodies were piled on the shore and set ablaze, turning to ash in the raging fire.
"Bogart!" Garp barked. "Count the casualties from this battle."
Bogart nodded.
The crew returned to the ship. Kyle leaned against the mast, processing everything he had learned from the fight.
The midday sun was harsh, but the sadness over death wasn't as heavy as he had imagined.
Soon, he saw Garp and Kuzan laughing again, as if the battle had never happened.
It was then Kyle truly understood the meaning of life and death in war.
Life and death… were just a coin flip. Whether you lived or died, it left almost no trace in people's hearts.
He had a crystal-clear understanding of what "death" meant. In this chaotic age, it happened every single day.
"The mission at Zesilio Island is complete. Next, we head to the New World!" Kuzan said with a grin.
Kyle's eyes narrowed. "That's an even more dangerous sea."
"Exactly. But that's where we truly belong," Kuzan replied.
"The three great pirate crews are there. Everyone's aiming to become Pirate King and claim the world."
"I hear it's a sea dominated by the strong."
Kuzan's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Gol D. Roger! The Dark King Rayleigh! Whitebeard, Edward Newgate! Kouzuki Oden! The Golden Lion, Shiki! Just thinking about their names gets me hyped."
Kyle's voice was calm. "Right now, if you ran into those guys, you'd just get yourself killed."
"Ha! True enough. I'm still too weak! But Kyle… one day, I'll be strong like them. I'll be a hero, just like Vice Admiral Garp."
He grinned, full of fire.
Kyle gave a small smile and nodded. "Yes. You will be an admiral. We'll work hard together."
Bogart approached with a fresh set of Marine uniforms and laid them in front of Kyle.
"This is yours.""And your rank."
Kyle froze.
The uniform wasn't much different from what he had, just crisp and new. But his rank? Major—same as Kuzan.
"Impressive. You might just be the fastest-promoted Marine after joining, Kyle!" Kuzan exclaimed, giving him a thumbs-up.
"Does this mean I skip the probation period?" Kyle asked.
"You're my disciple and my subordinate. I know your strength and what rank you deserve better than anyone," Garp said, picking his nose and grinning.
Given Kyle's Conqueror's Haki, he could handle a higher rank easily. But considering his basic foundation, Major was just right.
Kyle exchanged his torn clothes for the new uniform.
The Major's cloak, white and emblematic of justice, flapped in the sea breeze, radiating invisible authority and presence.
Garp personally pinned the rank insignia on him.
"From now on, you're a Marine Major! It's a bit fast, but in wartime, speed is crucial. And my disciple deserves it."
He paused, looked at the sharp features of the black-haired boy, and patted his shoulder in approval.
"Good! Full of presence! We have some time before the New World battle. I'll teach you hand-to-hand combat."
"Bogart will handle swordsmanship. How much you learn… depends on you!"
"..."
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