Chapter 279: Volume 2 – Chapter 181: A Serious Punch

"Focus!! Every punch you throw must carry the will to win and the spirit of justice!"

"Only with absolute confidence in victory can you bring all that scattered power of yours together!!"

Under the blazing sun...

In a derelict port piled high with military scrap, a shadowy figure stood beneath the scorching heat, panting heavily like a wild beast as he unleashed a flurry of blows at a towering warship over twenty meters tall.

Shirtless, his upper body was covered in scars. His face was rugged, sharp as a cliff, sweat dripping from his dark hair and jaw in thick drops.

His sharply defined muscles were tanned a deep bronze, radiating a wild and untamed energy.

With each strike, the coiled force in his body snapped like twisted rope, sending out shockwaves that made the hulking ship in front of him tremble violently.

Not far away, Garp sat comfortably under a makeshift parasol, wearing a floral shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. Reclined on a beach chair with a glass of juice in hand and a donut in the other, he occasionally barked out instructions.

"I said no Haki!"

"I'm not using Haki!!"

Daren snapped, clearly annoyed.

This old geezer was unbelievable. At first, he'd acted like they were going to train together. But just a few days in, he'd shown his true colors.

Out of nowhere, he dragged over a parasol and a beach chair, parked himself in it, and hadn't moved since.

"Bwahaha! I know you're not using Haki—I was just reminding you."

Garp laughed shamelessly, thick-skinned as ever.

Daren: ...

He clenched his teeth. Watching Garp lounging around so comfortably made him want to scream. His fists pounded faster, harder, with a sudden burst of fury.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He threw all his pent-up frustration into the already battered warship.

Chunks of wood and shards of metal flew in all directions. The force of his punches was so intense, it caused visible tremors in the ground beneath his feet.

This kid's a real monster...

Garp took a satisfied sip of his chilled juice, eyes half-closed as he watched Daren's lithe, explosive movements—his physique like that of a jungle predator—and couldn't help but feel impressed.

He'd already seen Daren's strength firsthand, and heard the rumors about his inhuman body. He thought he was prepared.

But after a few days of direct training, even Garp was stunned by just how freakish this kid's body was.

Swords, bullets, flames, electricity—none of it worked. His resilience rivaled, maybe even surpassed, solid steel. Not even cannon fire could hurt him.

Garp had even run a test just to be sure.

Officially, it was to test Daren's physical limits. In truth, Garp was just curious. So he tossed cannonballs at him. By hand.

The result?

Daren's uniform got shredded. Smoke rose from his body. The ground within ten meters sank a full meter from the impact.

But he stood there, completely unfazed—like it was nothing.

What did that mean?

As Garp watched Daren hammer away at the warship with wild intensity, two monstrous figures surfaced in his mind.

Kaidou and Big Mom.

"I didn't expect the Marines to produce a freak like this... Could this kid not be human at all, but some weird species?"

Garp rubbed his stubbled chin, eyeing Daren's back with curiosity as he muttered to himself.

"Should I have that bastard Borsalino check him out?"

The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly shook his head.

"Forget it, not important."

He took a bite of his doughnut and continued observing Daren's movements.

Yeah... he was starting to get the hang of it. His power was much more focused than before.

Gotta admit, the brat was putting in the work.

A satisfied grin tugged at Garp's lips.

What truly impressed him about Daren wasn't his over-the-top physical capabilities—but his willpower. Tougher than "Iron" itself.

Garp knew exactly how brutal the training regime he'd laid out was. No normal person could endure it.

But Daren's performance had gone well beyond expectations.

No matter how much sweat poured off him, no matter how exhausted he looked, he never once muttered a single word of complaint.

This young man was filled with a hunger to grow stronger—a drive that ordinary people couldn't begin to understand. Relentless. Resolute. Borderline obsessive.

"Maybe he really will pull it off..."

Garp's eyes glinted with amusement as he murmured with a smile.

Just then, a young Marine came running over, panting hard as he saluted sharply.

"Reporting, Vice Admiral Garp! Zephyr-san says it's time."

Garp rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you."

He set down his doughnut and juice and called out toward Daren.

"Hey! Daren, time's up. Head over to Zephyr."

Daren said nothing. Instead, his fists suddenly picked up speed again.

A storm of punches rained down, pounding the wrecked warship before him.

"Huh?"

Garp raised a brow, a flash of anticipation sparking in his eyes.

The next second—

Daren let out a powerful shout. His gaze sharpened, force rose from the soles of his feet, and every muscle in his body moved in sync.

His body operated like a precision machine, transmitting power through his spine straight to his arm.

Then—he struck.

Bang!!

A deep, muffled boom echoed out.

But unlike before, the warship didn't budge. Not even a tremble.

It remained motionless.

One second...

Two seconds...

Three seconds...

Amid Daren's ragged breathing, amid Garp's rising cheer, amid the stunned expression of the Marine soldier delivering the message...

The already shattered wreck of the warship suddenly erupted—blasting into fragments that scattered like a storm!

"Bwahahahaha!! That's what I'm talking about!"

Garp jumped to his feet, hands on his hips, beaming with pride as he roared with laughter.

"My teaching really is flawless! That punch's still got a long way to go, but the essence is finally showing!"

Daren glanced at Garp's smug grin and couldn't even bother to throw out a retort.

He walked over, tiredly throwing on his oversized Marine cloak. Then he turned to the wide-eyed Marine soldier still frozen in place.

"Let's go."

The soldier swallowed hard, finally tearing his eyes away from the debris-strewn ground and quickly followed.

They walked in silence for a bit before curiosity got the better of him. He leaned in slightly and asked in a low voice.

"Commodore Daren... what was that move called just now?"

Daren paused mid-step.

He looked up, took out a pack of cigarettes, pulled one out, lit it, and let it dangle from his lips.

A cool breeze swept by. Smoke curled gently around his face, giving him a mysterious air.

The Marine held his breath, silently waiting.

Looking at Daren standing there, all silent and stoic, he just knew the name of that move had to be something epic.

"This move..."

Daren exhaled a long puff of smoke and replied flatly,

"—It's called 'Serious Punch.'"

The Marine looked like he'd just been struck by lightning.

...???