Chapter 24: Forged in Seastone
"I didn't expect it to come in handy so soon!" Garp chortled, rummaging in his pockets. "Aha!"
He pulled out two ominous-looking black "bracelets."
Ian's eyes widened. "!!!"
Seastone handcuffs!
One day later.
Offshore Scrapyard.
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
...
Ian stood before the warship, his body drenched in sweat, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he relentlessly drove his fists into the armored hull. On his wrists, he wore the "Seastone Bracelets" Garp had specially requisitioned from the Science Corps.
The seastone itself originated from Wano Country, and despite the Science Corps' best efforts, they had been unable to fully replicate its unique properties, particularly the purification process. Unlike the standard seastone cuffs used on prisoners, the bracelets Ian wore were crafted from a lower-purity ore. They suppressed his Devil Fruit abilities, sapping his strength, but not to the point of complete incapacitation.
The sensation was agonizing—like being immersed in a hot spring for an hour and then thrust into a scorching desert. A profound weakness permeated his entire body, coupled with relentless mental fatigue. After a full day of brutal adjustment, Ian was finally able to produce impacts on the warship that were almost on par with Garp and Kuzan's initial demonstrations. But reaching his true peak power was currently impossible. No Devil Fruit user could remain entirely unaffected by seastone.
This training was designed to ensure Ian retained a baseline of combat effectiveness even if he ever found himself restrained by seastone in the field. During a brief rest, Ian experimented with Haki. He found he could still use it, but it drained his already depleted stamina at an alarming rate.
There was a critical difference between seastone and seawater. In simple terms, seastone was like high-purity, hyper-concentrated seawater. Seawater wouldn't nullify a Fruit's power; it would just drain the user's strength, making them too weak to activate their abilities. It was the difference between falling in the ocean and drowning. Seastone, however, was far more terrifying—it could actively suppress the Devil Fruit power itself as long as contact was maintained.
"Water... Mr. Garp, I need water... I'm so thirsty..." Ian wiped the sweat from his brow, his voice weak.
"There's still a long way to go! Keep at it!" Garp had fully transformed into a demon drill instructor, his voice a stern roar. "Do you want to go to sea? Do you want your own command? If you do, get up and continue!"
A few more days passed.
Fifth Training Ground, Marine Headquarters.
The sun beat down mercilessly.
"Speed up! That's only two hundred and twenty-two laps! Don't slow down, Ian! Keep up with me! Can't you outrun an old man?!" Garp ran with light, effortless steps, the picture of youthful vigor.
Ian, trailing behind, felt like his legs were filled with lead. His footsteps were heavy, his rhythm increasingly chaotic. He was the one who looked like the old man.
"Are you a devil, old man?!" Ian gasped. "The purity of this seastone... huff... it's obviously higher this time!"
He struggled to find another burst of speed, barely managing to close the gap. But he refused to give up. He wouldn't fall before the old man did!
Over ten days later.
BOOM!
THUD!
...
"Not bad," Garp grunted, observing critically. "Even with a medium-purity seastone bracelet, you can still use your Haki to this extent. But kid, the fastest way to improve your Haki isn't by dishing out attacks... it's by taking them! AHAHAHA! I'm fighting back now! Prepare to die!"
A villainous gleam flashed in Garp's eyes as he laughed like a classic storybook antagonist.
"Damn old man, are you serious?!" Ian shouted back, his own stubbornness flaring. "Come on then! Who's afraid of who? I'm not that easy to knock down!"
Unconsciously, a full month of this special training passed.
One month later, early morning. Marine Headquarters.
After meeting up with Garp, Ian was the one who initiated. "Mr. Garp, what's our training for today? The seastone you brought back a few days ago is already the high-purity grade used for prisoners! What new tricks do you have? Feel free to bring them out!"
So accustomed to Garp's endless, brutal routines, Ian found himself almost looking forward to what new form of torture the old hero had devised. The entire month had been lived under the oppressive shadow of seastone, but the changes in his body and willpower were profound and tangible, and that excitement outweighed the pain.
However, Garp's demeanor was uncharacteristically gentle. "Stinky brat, there's no training today." He placed a hand on Ian's shoulder. "Come on, I'll take you to see that old fool Sengoku. Today... is the day you form your own unit!"
Ian: "!!!"
"Really? Does that mean... I can finally go to sea on missions?"
His teacher was truly a man of grand gestures, springing such momentous news on him so suddenly. The surprise was overwhelming.
"That's right! Your progress has been... alarmingly fast." A flicker of something like pride crossed Garp's face. "Remember the close-combat principles I taught you, and the fundamentals of the 'Fist of Justice'! Your improvement from here on out depends on you alone!"
He patted Ian's shoulder, a rare, unguarded look of reluctance in his eyes. For the past month, aside from eating and sleeping, Garp had been Ian's constant shadow, witnessing the forging of this new Headquarters star blow by blow. Today, he would personally deliver him to Sengoku to receive his own Marines. It carried the weight of a passing of the torch, the old era making way for the new.
Ian took two deliberate steps back and bowed deeply from the waist. "Teacher Garp... thank you for your guidance these past days. I will keep your lessons in my heart and will never neglect my training. And if the day ever comes that you need help, Teacher... please, do not forget your apprentice."
Garp rubbed the bridge of his nose, unaccustomed to such formality. "Alright, alright, enough of that. It's not like I'm dying. Let's go find that old Sengoku and see what cadre they've scrounged up for you!"
…
On the way to the conference room.
End of Chapter