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[TIOP] Chapter : 7
🕑 Added 2025-02-02 20:51:35 +0000 UTC"Is this Vice Admiral Garp's ship?" Jack shouted, directing the two pirate slaves to steer his boat closer to the warship.
A rear admiral standing on the deck, distinguished by a fedora hat and a sword at his waist, peered down at him. "Who are you, boy?" he asked, his tone sharp but curious.
"I'm a friend of Ace. I came to say hello," Jack replied with a calm smile, though a glint of nervousness flickered in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the two pirate slaves onboard with him were pale with terror, fainting on the spot. To them, Garp wasn’t just a marine—he was a living legend, the hero who had once hunted the Pirate King himself.
“Come aboard!” the rear admiral called out as the warship crew lowered a rope ladder. Jack climbed aboard, marveling at how relaxed the sailors seemed. They had no qualms about letting a stranger approach. After all, this was Vice Admiral Garp’s ship. Who would be foolish enough to pick a fight here?
"Ahahaha! So, you're Ace's friend? Where's that rascal now?" A booming voice interrupted Jack’s thoughts. Turning, he saw a burly old man in a dog-head hat and a justice cloak emerging from the cabin.
Jack froze, his mouth going dry. 'So this is what it feels like to be in the presence of a top powerhouse,' he thought, swallowing hard. Even though he knew Garp’s personality was as unpredictable and carefree as Luffy’s, being face-to-face with such a legendary figure still made his heart race.
Jack hesitated, momentarily frozen by the overwhelming pressure emanating from Garp. The towering man radiated a force so intense that it felt as if the very air around him had thickened.
The swordsman in the fedora hat, standing silently beside Garp, tilted his hat downward as his sharp gaze swept over Jack. There was something peculiar in his expression, as if he'd sensed Jack's racing heartbeat.
Finally, Jack exhaled and found his voice. “I’m chasing him right now!” he said, forcing the words out.
“Huh?” Garp’s eyes narrowed, and his glare bore down on Jack with an intensity that made him feel as if the weight of the sea itself pressed against his chest.
Jack gritted his teeth, refusing to falter. “He’s a pirate now, and I’m a pirate hunter. It’s only natural for me to go after him!” he declared, his voice firm despite his trembling legs.
“A pirate, you say?” Garp’s tone darkened, and for a moment, the air crackled with his rising fury. “That brat dared to sneak off and become a pirate without even telling me!?”
Just as Jack thought he might crumble under the pressure, Garp’s aura shifted. His oppressive presence receded as quickly as it had appeared, leaving an almost lighthearted curiosity in its place. “If you’re hunting him, why come to me?”
Jack swallowed hard. “He mentioned you’re his grandfather,” he began, his tone tinged with embarrassment. “He said that’s why he avoids attacking the navy.”
For a moment, the weight of Jack’s words hung in the air. Then Garp’s expression softened, and a booming laugh erupted from him. “Ahahaha! That rascal! At least he still has a shred of conscience left!”
Relieved but still wary, Jack couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. Lying to both Ace and Garp was like dancing on a razor’s edge. If the truth ever surfaced, he doubted he’d escape unscathed.
"Vice Admiral, where are you headed next?" Jack began cautiously, organizing his thoughts. "I’m planning to head to Lougetown. I have a hunch that Ace will show up there. Once I catch him, I can hand him over to you. Would you have time to swing by Lougetown?"
Garp tilted his head slightly, a half-smile forming as he regarded Jack. “Ah~ I’m on vacation right now, so I’m not dealing with official business. But I’ll probably stop by Lougetown when I’m back on duty. If you happen to catch Ace before I get there, just hand him over when we meet!”
Jack exhaled in relief, emboldened to ask his next question. “In that case, would it be alright if I stayed on your ship for a few days?”
“Hm? Didn’t you say you were headed to Lougetown? My route is completely opposite of yours,” Garp said, stuffing a donut into his mouth.
“It’s fine! A few days won’t make much of a difference,” Jack replied, shaking his head.
Garp mulled it over briefly, then shrugged. “Alright, do whatever you want!”
Jack didn’t expect Garp to agree so easily. Elated, he turned to the crew and announced loudly,
“I’ll be relying on all of you for the next few days. I’m challenging every single one of you to a duel!”
"EEEEHHHHHH!!!!"
The sailors exchanged baffled looks, their reactions ranging from disbelief to amusement.
“What did he just say?”
“Is this kid for real?”
“Arrogant much? Or maybe he’s just completely nuts!”
Their murmurs didn’t faze Jack. In fact, the growing tension only fueled his excitement for the days ahead.
The marines stared at Jack in disbelief, their voices rising in a chaotic chorus of murmurs and exclamations.
Garp glanced at Jack, his brows furrowed in mild surprise. He couldn’t quite grasp Jack’s motives. Was this all just an effort to hone his strength? If so, why challenge ordinary marines? And knowing the connection between himself and Ace, why approach so brazenly? The whole situation seemed puzzling. Still, Garp didn’t concern himself too much. His overwhelming strength left him unconcerned about any potential threat.
Half a day later, Jack had bested every sailor on the ship and begun challenging the officers.
By the end of the following day, only one person on Garp’s ship remained undefeated: the swordsman in the fedora hat. Everyone else had fallen to Jack. Though his victories didn’t yield significant experience for him, they were still a worthwhile exercise in growth.
“Hah… so this is the Navy’s Six Styles? It’s incredible!” Jack muttered breathlessly after yet another failed attempt to defeat the Fedora hat swordsman. Finally, he abandoned the idea of overcoming the stoic officer.
“At your age, I wasn’t as skilled as you,” the swordsman said coolly, his tone as sharp as his blade.
Jack managed a weak smile, sprawled out on the deck. “Haha, was that supposed to be a compliment?”
The swordsman didn’t respond, simply turning on his heel and walking away, his silhouette as composed as ever.
“Tch, what a cold guy,” Jack muttered, rolling over onto his back. Exhaustion overcame him, and he fell asleep right there on the deck, lulled by the gentle sway of the ship.
The intense battles that day caused all of Jack's attributes to increase significantly. As expected, combat proved to be the fastest way to enhance his capabilities.
“Vice Admiral,” the swordsman, whom Jack had privately nicknamed "the cold guy," reported to Garp about Jack's performance with a calm yet somber tone.
“Oh? So, this kid has some real talent, huh?” Garp responded with a hearty laugh, his eyes gleaming with interest.
“He has immense potential. With proper training, his future achievements could easily surpass mine,” the swordsman admitted, a hint of regret in his voice.
His own progress had been limited by natural talent. Despite training under Garp himself, he had hit a ceiling he could not surpass.
“Well, when we’re on our way back, we’ll stop by Lougetown. Whether fate lets us cross paths with him again is up to the winds,” Garp said with a grin, leaving the matter with casual finality. It seemed, however, that he hadn’t genuinely planned on visiting Lougetown during his return trip.
The following morning, Jack and Garp stood face-to-face on the deck.
“Vice Admiral, I know there’s a huge gap between us, but I still want to give it a try!” Jack declared, his voice steady despite the nervous energy coursing through him.
“Ahaha! Youth is a wonderful thing,” Garp bellowed with laughter. “Since you’re so eager, this old man will oblige! Get ready to feel my fist of love!”
With that, Garp shrugged off his cloak and moved toward Jack with an imposing yet playful demeanor, signaling the start of their match.
'I can’t dodge it!' Jack thought in alarm as Garp’s fist barreled toward him like an unstoppable force. His body refused to respond, frozen in place, leaving him unable to dodge the impending strike.
“Move!” Desperately, Jack tried to circulate his inner energy, but the power that usually flowed freely now felt sluggish, as if trapped in quicksand.
In the final moment, Jack abandoned all attempts to evade and instead raised his fists, channeling every ounce of energy he could muster to block the attack.
Bang!
“Hmm, interesting,” Garp murmured, his voice calm yet intrigued as he watched Jack’s body fly through the air and crash into the sea with a resounding splash.
“Sir, what was that just now?” the cold swordsman asked, his stoic demeanor cracking to reveal genuine astonishment.
“It’s similar to something I’ve seen before, but I can’t say for sure,” Garp replied thoughtfully, a small smile playing on his lips. “Better to fish him out first. If it’s what I think it is, his first awakening will be a challenge for him to handle.”
Without needing an order, the navy crew sprang into action, hauling Jack out of the water. Despite only spending a day with him, the sailors had come to admire this fearless young man who dared to challenge the entire crew.
“Cough! Garp-san, aren’t you being a bit too heavy-handed?" Jack spluttered, coughing out seawater as he glared at Garp with indignation.
“Ahaha, is that so? I don’t think I hit you that hard. Besides, you’re not seriously hurt, are you?” Garp said, feigning innocence with an exaggerated laugh.
“Hmph!” Jack turned his head away with a pout, clearly displeased.
“Boy, do you know about Haki?” Garp asked, sitting down beside Jack with a spark of curiosity in his voice.
“You mean Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror’s Haki?” Jack replied with an air of confidence, as if he had been around the block.
“Ahaha, so you do know! Have you awakened your Armament Haki yet?” Garp asked with a grin, his interest piqued.
Jack shook his head. “No, what I use isn’t Haki. It’s a skill passed down in my family. An inherited ability, not Haki.”
“Oh? An inherited ability, you say? Fascinating.” Garp’s expression shifted to one of intrigue, his casual demeanor giving way to a hint of seriousness. “What’s your full name?”
“Full name? My name is Jack. That’s it—just Jack,” he replied earnestly.
Garp studied Jack carefully, his gaze lingering. He suspected that Jack wasn’t being entirely forthright, perhaps withholding his full name out of fear it might reveal too much. But Garp chose not to press further, at least not yet.
After his discussion with Garp, Jack returned to his small boat. The two pirates, who had become his reluctant companions, were still waiting for him, too frightened to even consider escaping.
Ten days later, Jack finally arrived in Lougetown. During that time, he hadn’t encountered a single bounty criminal. While he had come across several groups of pirates, none of them carried a bounty. It was no surprise the East Blue was considered the weakest of the seas—it was rare to find anyone with a bounty exceeding 10 million berries in these waters.
“Sir, as per our agreement, may we leave now?” One of the pirate slaves asked, their tone filled with hope.
Throughout the journey, they had witnessed Jack’s ruthless efficiency in dealing with anyone who dared to cross him—even petty criminals weren’t spared. His unyielding nature had left an indelible impression on them.
“One last mission,” Jack said, his tone sharp. “Get me the latest bounty posters. After that, you’re free to go. But if you dare to run off without fulfilling this, you know the consequences.” He cast a piercing glance at the pair, making his intentions crystal clear.
“We wouldn’t dare, sir! But, well…” one of the pirates stammered, hesitating slightly before continuing. “Although bounty posters are issued freely by the Navy, the tavern owners usually get their hands on the latest ones first. They’ll likely charge for them. Otherwise, we’d have to visit a naval outpost to get them directly,” he explained, looking both nervous and embarrassed.
Jack paused to consider, then waved dismissively. “Fine, you’re free to go. But remember, don’t cause trouble again. You won’t be so lucky next time.”
After the two pirates hurriedly departed, Jack made his way to Lougetown and visited the naval base to collect the latest bounty posters. Though he was curious about whether Smoker had taken command of the naval base, he refrained from asking, noticing the impatient expressions of the naval staff.
“Well then, time to stir up some trouble! And Ace…” Jack smirked, holding the bounty posters tightly. “You’re the ultimate prize—I won’t let you slip through my fingers!”
Meanwhile, Ace, fast asleep on his ship, shivered suddenly. Half-conscious, he muttered to himself, “What’s with the cold wind? Am I heading into another storm?”
As it turned out, after parting ways with Jack, Ace had initially planned to head straight for the Grand Line. However, he encountered a fierce storm along the way and was forced into a series of unexpected adventures. These trials not only delayed him but also helped him grow stronger than ever.
