Chapter 22: The Combat Strength of the Generals and the Physical Strength of the Soldiers

Fleet Admiral's Office.

Black Arm Zephyr stood before Fleet Admiral Sengoku, his expression brimming with excitement. "Fleet Admiral, I have to report something extraordinary about Lucas," he announced. After explaining in detail, he sighed with emotion, "It seems that our Marine still has hope! Despite the rampant rise of piracy, we have a bright future ahead."

The current state of the world was grim. The death of Whitebeard had not curbed the ambitions of pirates but instead ignited their desire to claim the title of Pirate King. While Whitebeard was alive, his sheer strength and influence acted as a dam, holding back the tide of chaos. Now that he was gone, that dam had collapsed, and the Great Pirate Era, which had been brewing for over two decades, was now in full flood, overwhelming the Marine at every turn.

Zephyr, however, smiled confidently. "Lucas may still be young, but he is immensely gifted. He will reach his peak faster than anyone else. With Lucas, Issho, and Aramaki, we now have all three candidates for the next generation of admirals."

Sengoku raised an eyebrow. "Lucas's talent is truly that terrifying? You believe he's already qualified to be considered for the rank of admiral?"

Zephyr chuckled. "Not just me. Even Garp thinks so. We both believe that at this rate, Lucas will attain admiral-level combat strength in a year and a half at most."

Intrigued, Sengoku ordered his men to bring Lucas's records and called for someone to summon him.

Zephyr, however, shook his head with a smirk. "He won't have time to come here now. If you want to see for yourself, just look out the window."

Curious, Sengoku walked to the window and peered outside. In the distance, a massive crowd had gathered. At the center of the commotion, two figures clashed in a fierce battle.

Sengoku squinted. "That's Garp… but who is that fighting him? Wait—" His eyes widened in astonishment. "That's Lucas?!"

Zephyr nodded proudly. "That's right. Impressive, isn't he?"

On the Battlefield

Lucas and Garp were locked in combat, exchanging blows with staggering force. Fighting was, without a doubt, the fastest way to grow stronger, and Lucas was proving that with every clash.

Meanwhile, in a certain chat group, Whitebeard's voice rang out in frustration.

Whitebeard: "Why are you still messing around? You've tested your strength—now leave already! My sons are waiting for you to save them!"

Lucas: "Relax. I'm preparing. Even with the abilities you all have given me, granting me admiral-level combat power, it's still not enough."

Whitebeard: "What more do you need?"

The old man sounded wary. Was this brat just looking for more benefits without taking action?

Lucas: "Calm down. None of you have what I need."

Golden Lion Shiki: "Now I'm curious. What exactly do you need?"

Lucas: "Endurance. Stamina. Physical resilience. Right now, I may have the combat strength of an admiral, but I still have the stamina of a regular soldier. Do you understand? If I go all out, I can rival a Captain, but I'll burn out in under an hour."

Golden Lion Shiki: "That's a serious problem."

Lucas: "Exactly. Look at you, Shiki. You fought both Garp and Sengoku at Marineford for three days and three nights. And that was a two-on-one battle. If it had been one-on-one, it could've lasted ten days or more."

Whitebeard: "And what does that have to do with rescuing my son?"

Lucas: "Everything. To save your son, I need to defeat Blackbeard. Can I outlast him with my current stamina? Don't forget, you lost to Blackbeard because you ran out of stamina."

Golden Lion Shiki: "Wait, Whitebeard was killed by his own son because he ran out of stamina? Hahaha, that's big news."

Fire Fist Ace: "Dad, is that true?"

Whitebeard: "It is. I had already defeated Teach at that time. I was about to finish him off, but my old injuries flared up, and my body gave out. That's when Teach and his men managed to kill me."

Pirate King Roger: "Tsk, tsk, tsk! So close, yet so far. That must've been frustrating."

Whitebeard: "I don't dwell on past failures. What truly disappoints me is that I couldn't eliminate Teach when I had the chance. I left behind a threat to my sons, a villain they should never have had to deal with."

Lucas: "Exactly. Your death proves just how crucial stamina is. I don't want to meet the same fate against Blackbeard. And stamina isn't something any of you can give me."

Whitebeard: "No, I disagree. You don't need to outlast Teach. Just finish him in one go. With all the abilities we've given you, you should be able to take him down in an instant."

The old man's frustration was evident. He had nearly killed Blackbeard in minutes, so why would Lucas struggle against him?

Lucas: "Things have changed. Teach is no longer the man you once fought. Whitebeard, if you keep viewing him through the lens of the past, you're going to underestimate him. And that's a mistake I can't afford to make."

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