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[TIOP] Chapter : 60
🕑 Added 2025-03-06 17:43:55 +0000 UTC"Roar!"
Jack’s punch surged forward with immense force. Yet, Garp remained unfazed. He understood Jack’s fighting style—his true strength came in relentless, wave-like assaults, each strike stacking upon the last. A single move on its own wouldn’t be enough to threaten him.
With a single punch, Garp shattered Jack’s strike. But as the energy dissipated, Jack was already upon him.
"Stubborn old man—take this!"
In a flash, Jack appeared behind Garp, aiming a powerful punch at the back of his head. The previous attack had merely been a feint—his true strike was now!
Bang! Boom!
As expected, Jack was sent flying once again.
Garp grinned, shaking his head. Close combat was his domain, and the moment Jack closed the distance, his defeat was inevitable.
"Hahaha! You’ve got a long way to go, brat!"
Though he spoke with amusement, deep down, Garp couldn’t help but feel impressed.
How long has it been?
Jack’s growth was nothing short of astonishing. Not long ago, his greatest weakness had been his physical limitations. But after whatever adventure he had during his time at sea, that weakness had vanished.
And now?
He had even mastered a set of techniques bordering on the absurd.
At this rate... he might even surpass me one day.
Of course, it still looked effortless for Garp to deal with Jack—but that was only because of the vast difference in their strength. Against an opponent of Jack’s caliber, these techniques would be more than enough to give them a serious fight.
"Hah~ You old geezer, the day I finally beat you, I’ll make sure to give you a taste of your own medicine!" Jack growled, gritting his teeth as he pulled himself out of the rubble.
Though he had been sent flying, Garp had held back just enough to avoid causing real damage. And with Jack’s body now far stronger than before, he remained unscathed.
"Hahaha! Well, let’s see if that day ever comes!" Garp chuckled, completely unfazed.
Jack dusted himself off and walked up to Garp, a hint of pride in his voice.
"So, old man, what do you think of my moves?"
Having tested them in real combat, he could feel the potential in his techniques. Given the overwhelming gap in strength between him and Garp, losing was inevitable. But still—he was sure his performance had caught the old man off guard.
Garp stroked his chin in rare contemplation before responding.
"Not bad, not bad at all. But the power’s still lacking." He paused, studying Jack for a moment.
Jack smirked to himself. He had never expected to bridge the gap with just a fighting technique. The real game-changer was the advanced martial arts hidden within the system. Once he mastered those to their peak, even top-tier opponents would have to think twice before facing him.
After a moment’s thought, he turned to Garp with a serious expression.
"Sensei, I’m thinking of teaching my Krav Maga at headquarters. What do you think?"
"Teaching? What brought this on all of a sudden?" Garp asked, momentarily stunned, before shifting into a more serious tone.
Jack scratched his head before responding. "Well, sensei, my techniques come from my family—they’re complete, structured sets. It’s not that my family forbids me from teaching them, but I never considered it necessary. With Observation Haki being so widespread, I thought traditional moves wouldn’t be very useful, so I never brought it up."
He paused for a moment before continuing, his voice carrying newfound confidence. "But now that I’ve realized mastering these techniques at a high level allows counterplay against Observation Haki a bit, there’s no reason to hold back. Teaching them to the soldiers could make a real difference. Captains and above in the New World regularly face opponents with Observation Haki, and given their experience, they’ll grasp the techniques even faster. As for the regular soldiers, even if they only learn the basic sequences, their combat effectiveness against non-Haki users will improve significantly."
Garp fell into deep thought, considering Jack’s reasoning. Seeing this, Jack pressed on.
"What do you think, sensei?"
After a moment, Garp grinned and said, "You should run this by Sengoku, but I don’t see any problem with it!"
Hearing Garp’s approval, Jack smiled. "Alright, I’ll go speak with Sengoku-san right away!"
Shortly after, Jack and Garp arrived at Sengoku’s office. Coby and the others, meanwhile, had been sent off for physical training.
After listening to Jack’s explanation, Sengoku turned to Garp. "What’s your take on this?"
Garp nodded seriously. "It’s a good idea. Jack’s techniques are solid. Before, they were countered by Observation Haki, but now he’s proven that with mastery, they can be highly effective. More importantly, the bulk of our navy consists of regular soldiers. If they learn these techniques, their battlefield performance will improve significantly."
After considering the matter, Sengoku finally nodded and said, "Alright. Jack, you will begin training the soldiers during morning exercises starting tomorrow. As for the officers, I won’t make it mandatory—those interested can come to you on their own."
Jack nodded in agreement. This was the ideal arrangement. Just because his techniques were effective didn’t mean everyone had to learn them. He had no intention of forcing anyone. His goal was twofold—strengthening the navy as a whole while also using this opportunity to cultivate his own trusted subordinates.
The next morning, during the headquarters' routine training, Jack stood before the assembled soldiers and gave a brief introduction to the techniques. He then began teaching the first three moves of the Krav Maga.
Without the reinforcement of chakra, the techniques appeared far weaker than when Jack performed them, leading many officers to dismiss them as unimpressive. However, Jack remained unfazed. Every morning, he continued instructing the soldiers in Krav Maga. Once all foundational moves were taught, their captains would take over and lead their teams in daily practice.
Just as Jack finished that day’s lesson and was taking a break, urgent news arrived at headquarters—the Straw Hat Pirates were attacking Enies Lobby.
The report caught Jack off guard. He hadn’t expected the events to unfold so quickly. If he remembered correctly, the battle at Enies Lobby would ultimately lead to the activation of the Buster Call. Though the official order had yet to arrive, it was likely to be issued within the day.
Wasting no time, Jack immediately sought out Lena, boarded a ship, and set sail for Enies Lobby through the Gate of Justice.
"I figured you'd show up as soon as you got the news. But as a fellow marine, I’d advise you to stay out of this."
Just as Jack was about to reach Enies Lobby, an unexpected figure appeared before him.
"Admiral Aokiji? Why are you here?" Before Jack could respond, Lena spoke up in surprise.
Jack tilted his head slightly and said with a smirk, "Pirates are attacking Enies Lobby—shouldn't a marine like me be here to check things out?" He watched as Aokiji stepped aboard the Pearl.
He suddenly recalled that the Buster Call in CP9’s hands had been authorized by Aokiji. Yet, when it came down to it, the vice admirals hadn't truly tried to kill Luffy. If they had, the Straw Hat Pirates would never have escaped.
Aokiji's gaze was calm as he said, "If you intervene in this battle, even Garp might not be able to protect you from the consequences. It’s best if you let them decide their own fate."
Jack studied the admiral before him. Aokiji was known for his "Lazy Justice," but at this moment, Jack realized—perhaps Aokiji wasn't truly lazy at all. Instead, as a high-ranking marine, he was often forced to carry out orders that clashed with his personal sense of justice. His so-called "Lazy Justice" might just be an excuse—a way to avoid actions that went against his beliefs.
Jack’s expression hardened. "I have no intention of interfering with Luffy’s fight. But you and I both know who he really is. He cannot die here. If he does, the world will be thrown into chaos."
Jack wasn’t trying to threaten Aokiji—just stating the facts. Forget Garp; if Luffy’s father found out about his son’s death, even the usually composed Dragon might act unpredictably. And with Jack’s guidance, there was a strong chance that Sabo would recover his lost memories. If that happened, the Revolutionary Army would undoubtedly declare war on the Navy.
Moreover, since Ace was still alive, the Whitebeard Pirates would inevitably get involved. The Navy wouldn’t just be dealing with the Revolutionary Army—it would also have to face one of the Four Emperors, a force equal to Marine Headquarters. The Navy wouldn’t be annihilated, but the cost would be catastrophic.
Aokiji didn’t refute Jack’s words. He understood the gravity of the situation. Even if Luffy perished at Enies Lobby, at least the Navy could claim he had died in battle. But if Aokiji himself interfered, the Revolutionary Army would never let it slide. They would hunt him down relentlessly until he was eliminated.
Seeing Aokiji casually setting up a deck chair to nap, Jack grasped his intent. He wouldn’t interfere, nor would he allow Jack to help Luffy. Instead, he chose to remain on Jack’s ship—a silent statement of neutrality.
"Let’s go, Lena. We’ll observe for now. No action until we understand the situation," Jack instructed.
By the time the Pearl reached Enies Lobby, the news had already spread—the Buster Call had been initiated. As Jack gazed upon the island, now a smoldering battlefield, a rare flicker of unease crossed his face.
"Don't worry, it will take some time before the warships and vice admirals arrive," Aokiji said softly, as if reading Jack's thoughts. He lifted his blindfold slightly, his tone calm yet firm.
Jack exhaled slowly. "So, now that the Buster Call has been issued, does that mean Luffy will be left to fend for himself?" He wasn’t willing to gamble on whether the vice admirals this time would spare Luffy as they had in the original timeline. No, he needed to see things for himself.
"I told you, you’re not going anywhere." Aokiji’s hand was already resting on the deck of the Pearl. The moment Jack made a move, Aokiji would be there to stop him.
Meanwhile, Luffy was locked in a fierce battle with Lucci, struggling to keep up. Even with his newly developed techniques—Gear Second and Gear Third—he was still no match for Lucci's overwhelming strength.
As for the rest of the Straw Hat crew, they had each fought their own grueling battles and, though exhausted, had managed to defeat their opponents.
Then, Jack spotted them. "The warships are here." His voice was almost a whisper as he watched ten Marine warships, led by a vice admiral, emerge through the Gate of Justice.
Aokiji's gaze remained steady. "Don't forget, we are the Navy." His words were a quiet but firm reminder.
At that moment, Jack became even more certain—Aokiji’s so-called ‘Lazy Justice’ was merely a facade. While his personality may have contributed to it, deep down, he still upheld his own sense of justice. And that was exactly why Jack didn’t want to become his enemy. Marines like Aokiji, who truly believed in justice, were the ones Jack sought to bring to his side.
