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On the way home, Garp glanced at Goku, whose face was beaming with joy, and couldn't help but rub his chin. He thought it was quite odd that Gion had taken such a strong liking to the boy, though he admitted Goku was incredibly likable. He absentmindedly wondered if the kid would grow up to be quite the charmer, then chuckled to himself. He realized that Gion's fondness for Goku was actually a lucky break for him; now he had a perfect excuse to follow the boy to her house and freeload those world-class meals. He figured Gion wouldn't be so heartless as to feed the student while leaving the teacher out in the cold.
The next evening, however, Garp's plan hit a snag. As Goku excitedly scampered into Tsuru and Gion's house, Gion slammed the door shut, blocking Garp just as he was about to step inside. Looking at the iron door mere centimeters from his nose, Garp awkwardly scratched his head and knocked, calling out that he was still outside. Gion's voice drifted from within, bluntly stating that he wasn't invited for dinner. Garp felt a slight ache in his teeth, wondering if she was truly that cold, until Goku and Tsuru spoke up from inside to plead his case.
Two seconds later, Gion opened the door, pouting as she told Garp she was only letting him in for the sake of her sister and little Goku. Garp chuckled, patting his head and thanking her for the hospitality. But Gion wasn't finished; she unceremoniously informed him that if he wanted to eat there in the future, he would have to pay for his meals. When Garp quickly agreed, thinking a small fee was a fair price for such cooking, Gion left him frozen with a single remark: "One million Berries per meal."
That night was silent, save for the breeze rustling across the ground. In Garp's house, the two slept ungracefully on the large bed. Garp had a foot dangling off the edge and a finger stuck in his nostril, while Goku was sleeping perpendicular to him, propping his short legs up on the old man's body. Suddenly, Garp began mumbling in his sleep about training Luffy to be a qualified Marine. His dream took a violent turn as he roared about the "Iron Fist of Love" and slammed his fist down, hitting Goku squarely on the head.
Goku sat up instantly, clutching his reddened forehead and glaring at the sleeping Vice Admiral. He saw Garp's sleep bubble expanding and heard him mumbling about not becoming a pirate, and his anger quickly dissipated. Realizing it was just a dream, Goku rubbed his head, adjusted his position, and fell back into a deep sleep. Soon after, one of Garp's eyes furtively opened; seeing the boy was back at rest, a small smile appeared on his face before he, too, returned to sleep.
Goku settled into a steady "four-point" routine at Marineford. Every morning started with breakfast in the mess hall followed by hours at the abandoned dock, pounding his fists against the iron ship hulls. After lunch and a nap, he would return to the docks for more training. When the sun set, he would wash up and head to Gion and Tsuru's house for dinner. Following the meal, Tsuru would guide him through cultural studies and arithmetic, as they had realized his education was severely lacking.
Goku found the studying far more headache-inducing than the physical labor. He had endured similar lessons under Master Roshi, so he didn't resist, but he often looked miserable. He could maintain perfect focus while training, but the moment he sat over a book, he would doze off as if possessed by a god of sleep. Whenever this happened, Garp would deliver a hard "Iron Fist of Love," claiming that enough physical pain would chase away any sleepiness. Gion would watch these outbursts with interest, thinking Goku looked quite cute when he was angry.
Time flew by, and soon a week had passed. One day, while heading to the docks, a familiar figure stepped out to block Goku's path. Goku scratched his head, recognizing the face but failing to remember the name. It was Bogard, the Marine genius whose spirit Goku had previously shattered. Bogard corrected Goku's various mispronunciations of his name with a stiff face, then looked at the boy with a newfound, serious determination.
Bogard admitted that while Goku's talent was vastly superior, he refused to admit defeat. He declared that he would spend every day working to surpass his limits so that one day he could prove that even a monster of talent could be defeated by hard work. Goku blinked at the determined Marine, then showed a brilliant, supportive smile. He told Bogard he understood and that he truly looked forward to their next match. Bogard stared at him for a long moment before turning sharply to stride away, his path forward finally clear.