The roar of the cannonball was not a warning; it was an announcement.
Luffy, still slightly bruised but newly confident in his 15/100 END stat, was back in the bandit hideout. Dadan was running in circles, bellowing threats and crying simultaneously. Ace and Sabo watched the chaos from the doorway, having already hidden their pirate loot.
"He's here! He's actually here! The Vice Admiral!" Dadan shrieked.
Luffy's heart hammered, but his Earth consciousness seized control, forcing a wave of internal calm. Garp is a threat, but he's also the greatest training montage generator in history. Time to harvest.
The door burst inward, splintering the frame. Standing in the entrance was the towering figure of Monkey D. Garp, grinning broadly, with a massive cannonball resting casually on his shoulder.
"Dadan! You've gotten older!" Garp roared. "Where is my grandson, the pride of the Marines?!"
Before Luffy could be spotted, Sabo stepped forward, displaying the perfect diplomacy of his noble upbringing.
"Excuse me, sir," Sabo said politely, bowing low. "Are you Luffy's grandfather? I am Sabo, his friend."
Garp paused, tilting his head. He peered at the polite, neatly dressed boy. "A polite one! Good posture, good manners! Now, you look like Marine material! Dadan, is this your new apprentice?"
Dadan choked on her own hysteria. "No! He's—he's just here!"
Ace, never one for manners, stepped up and gave Garp a stony glare. Garp ignored him, still focused on Sabo.
"Excellent! Sabo, you look ready for a challenge! We'll start your training first—"
A chuckle escaped Luffy, a genuine, childish sound of amusement that instantly drew Garp's attention. Garp's eyes finally landed on the rubber boy, who still wore the straw hat.
Garp's smile vanished. His face contorted in disappointment, and he pointed a massive finger at Luffy.
"That idiotic hat! And you ate the Devil Fruit?!" Garp thundered, dropping the cannonball which shook the entire building. "You've gone rubber! And you scarred yourself? What happened to the path of justice?!"
Luffy straightened his spine, pushing the fear down. This was the moment. The System needed a clear narrative trigger.
He pulled the brim of the straw hat down, channeling the unshakeable defiance of the future Pirate King.
"I'm not going to be a Marine, Gramps!" Luffy shouted, his small voice echoing in the sudden silence. "I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the System chimed violently.
[STAT MILESTONE ACHIEVED]
WILL (Haki Potential):12/100 → 13/100
AC Earned:1.0 AC.
Current Total: 2 AC
Garp's reaction was instantaneous.
"BAKA!"
A massive, meaty fist connected directly with Luffy's skull. It was the Fist of Love, non-Haki enforced but still devastating. Luffy was launched through the doorway and into a distant pile of refuse.
[SYSTEM ALERT: HOST SUSTAINING EXTREME, NON-LETHAL DAMAGE]
END (Stamina & Resilience):Extreme Stress Applied. Endurance Test Commenced.
LIFEF (Health Pool):15/100 → 13/100 (Immediate recovery initiated.)
Luffy hauled himself out of the trash, his entire body screaming. The pain was immense, but the System's immediate response—the confirmation that this was non-lethal and a stimulus for his END—allowed him to laugh through the tears.
Garp stormed outside, seizing Luffy by the scruff of his neck. "I see your resolve, you little brat! This settles it! If you want to be a rubber pirate, I'm going to train you until you're the strongest rubber idiot that ever lived!"
Garp looked at Dadan, his eyes serious. "I'll be back frequently. Every few months, I'll take him to the mountains, or drop him in the jungle. I'll make sure his body is strong enough to handle his stupidity!"
This was the start of the hellish training arc. Luffy braced himself.
Garp didn't wait. He delivered three rapid-fire, thunderous Fists of Love to the boy's head.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ENDURANCE GAINS]
END (Stamina & Resilience):15/100 → 16/100 (+1 AC)
END (Stamina & Resilience):16/100 → 17/100 (+1 AC)
END (Stamina & Resilience):17/100 → 18/100 (+1 AC)
AC Earned: 3 AC.
Current Total: 5 AC.
Luffy lay on the ground, his body aching, his head ringing like a dozen ship bells, but a wild grin stretched across his face. In ten seconds, he had gained three stat points and was sitting on 5 AC. The Passive Observation Haki Primer (75 AC) suddenly seemed inevitable.
Let the training begin, Gramps. I'm ready to pay the price.
Garp's furious gaze then snapped to the other two boys.
"And you two! Associating with a pirate! You deserve the same!"
Without hesitation, Garp delivered two rapid, precise strikes—one for Ace, one for Sabo—sending them sprawling across the rough ground, clutching their heads and groaning.
"I'm coming back frequently, you rascals! Every few months! Prepare to be molded into Marines, all three of you!" Garp bellowed, ready to continue the lesson.
That was the only warning the trio needed. Luffy, despite his rubberized head still ringing, saw the next punch coming and scrambled to his feet.
"Run! He's trying to kill us!" Luffy shrieked, a mix of genuine fear and calculated compliance.
Ace and Sabo needed no convincing. In a flash, all three boys were sprinting into the dense undergrowth of the jungle, leaving Garp's delighted, booming laughter echoing behind them.
Luffy pumped his arms, his feet pounding the earth, propelled by his enhanced END. The System, still calculating the recent barrage of attacks, was displaying his current AC total.
5 AC.
Seriously, System? Luffy thought internally, the voice calm and calculating despite his rubber body being flung over logs. That was a Vice Admiral, an actual Hero of the Marines, putting his full power[Cap] into those punches. And I only get 1.0 AC per point? Maybe we need a multiplier for 'Near-Death Experiences Caused by an S-Tier Character.' Just a friendly suggestion.
The System did not respond, but the LUCK stat flickered briefly, as if acknowledging the humor.
Luffy grinned, tasting blood and the dusty forest air. He was alive, he was strong, and he was five coins closer to the Haki Primer. The secret grind was officially underway!
GARP COMES AND SO WITH HIM COMES CHAOS , THE START OF THE EARLY GRIND BEGINS , AND MAYBE A FEW UPGRADES ALONG THE WAY...