Chapter 39: Special Training

In the world of One Piece, pirates enjoyed boundless freedom, but they were constantly pursued by the Navy. Although the Navy required adherence to strict rules, it offered a relatively safer and more structured environment compared to the chaotic life of pirates.

Of course, more importantly, joining the Navy would grant access to their systematic and rigorous training programs.

Although Alex possessed the extraordinary ability to copy other people's bloodlines and skills, the abilities he copied were still limited by his own physical and mental capabilities.

Copying a genetic bloodline could grant him those powers, but the extent to which he could wield them depended entirely on his own training efforts.

For instance, when Alex copied Magneto's genetic abilities that day, he didn't instantly gain Magneto's immense power. That strength required gradual training to develop over time.

Copying skills was similarly constrained by the conditions necessary to use those skills effectively.

For example, if he had the opportunity to copy a fantastical power like the law of heaven and earth, would he be able to use it? This was simply impossible without the requisite strength!

Copying only meant acquiring the potential to use an ability, but without meeting the necessary conditions, he couldn't actually wield it.

But even with these limitations, this copying ability was incredibly powerful. Consider the Navy Six Powers, for example. If he could copy them, he would only need to train his body to meet the physical requirements for using the Navy Six Powers, and then he could execute them automatically.

He wouldn't have to painstakingly learn skills like others did, which was far more convenient than the traditional path.

To put it in the terms of online games, other people had to level up, allocate attribute points, and grind skill proficiency to grow stronger, but Alex only needed to level up and allocate points, without ever worrying about acquiring skills.

His mind processed these thoughts in an instant, and very soon, Alex reached a firm decision.

"I also want to become a righteous Marine, capable of fighting the strong and protecting the weak. I hope you can assist me," Alex declared after solidifying his resolve in his heart.

"Oh? Why do you believe I can help you with that?" Alex's words piqued Garp's interest, prompting him to ask with a curious glint in his eye.

"If you were not a member of the Navy, why would you say it's a pity if I don't join the Navy?" Alex countered with a sly question of his own.

"Hahaha, you're a clever boy, aren't you? Well, I'll be heading back to headquarters in a few days. You can come along with me then," Alex's sharp response elicited a booming laugh from Garp.

"Thank you very much for the opportunity," Alex said, his heart swelling with excitement at Garp's agreement to take him personally.

There were many formidable individuals in the One Piece world, and plenty of remarkable figures, but no matter how you looked at it, Garp was undeniably one of the few standing at the very pinnacle of power. Following him would undoubtedly accelerate Alex's growth tremendously!

"No! You're supposed to be my crew member, my partner! You can't become a Marine!" Luffy, standing nearby, though his face was already bruised and swollen from Garp's earlier blows, couldn't help but shout loudly in protest when he overheard Alex and Garp finalizing the matter in just a few words.

Bang!

Naturally, Garp responded to Luffy's outburst with yet another Iron Fist of Love, delivering a swift education.

For Garp, the dream of training his grandson to become the strongest Marine had been derailed by that red-haired scoundrel, Shanks. The feeling was akin to painstakingly raising a cherished daughter, only to have her swept away by some unworthy rogue, wasn't it?

After thoroughly disciplining Luffy, Garp and his group left the forest, with Garp carrying Luffy in one hand as if he were a lifeless dog, all the while Luffy faintly muttered that Alex was his partner.

After leaving Luffy to rest and recover in a nearby house, Garp seemed brimming with boundless energy. He pulled Alex outside and declared, "Although you're not officially a Marine yet, we can't afford to waste any time. During this period, I'm going to start training you. Come on, use every ounce of your strength, and let me see what abilities you possess first."

"Then I won't hold back," Alex nodded in agreement.

Facing someone like Garp, he had no intention of restraining himself. He also understood that with his current abilities, there was no chance of injuring Garp. Only by revealing his full strength accurately could Garp devise an effective training regimen tailored for him.

Huh!

However, before Alex could even make his move, Garp seemed to teleport in an instant, appearing directly in front of Alex, his fist hurtling toward Alex's face with terrifying speed.

"This old bastard! He actually struck first!" Alex couldn't help but curse inwardly, swiftly raising the White Dragon sword across his chest to defend, while shouting in his mind: Blocking skill!

Bang!

Garp's sudden, ferocious punch caught Alex completely off guard, leaving him no time to react, but he swiftly activated the Blocking skill, intercepting Garp's fist with astonishing speed.

The powerful punch collided with the White Dragon sword, yet Alex stood his ground, his body unwavering, not even trembling slightly under the immense force.

"Huh? You're quite impressive, kid, managing to block ten percent of my strength like that…" Observing that Alex had successfully countered his unexpected sneak attack, Garp's eyes gleamed with intrigue, and he spoke with a tone of genuine surprise.

On Alex's wrist, the crystal measuring device emitted a faint, shimmering beam that landed on Garp's towering figure. Immediately, the energy reading on the device flickered rapidly several times, and a staggering number materialized before Alex's eyes.

4260!

"Hiss, Garp truly worthy of his legendary status as a Navy hero . Over four thousand crystal points—this number suggests he's equivalent to a fourth-level Awakened, doesn't it?"

Gazing at the crystal points displayed for Garp, Alex couldn't suppress a sharp intake of breath in his heart. Ethan, the target of his long-held vendetta, was said to possess just over three hundred crystal points by comparison.

"My crystal points are at forty-eight. The Blocking skill can withstand an attack with an energy value less than ten times my crystal points. Garp's ten percent strength, which equates to over four hundred points, is just within the range I can resist…" Alex's mind raced with calculations, and he grasped the situation in an instant.

"Not bad at all, kid, you can block ten percent of my strength. You're a rare talent among the young ones. Next, I'll increase my power by another ten percent…" Garp declared, his eyes shining with admiration, and as he spoke, he raised his iron fist once more, ready to strike.

"Hey, hey, hold on, my strength is nowhere near yours…" Seeing that Garp intended to escalate his power, Alex hurriedly protested, his voice tinged with urgency.

However, Garp paid no heed to Alex's objections. He lunged forward and smashed his fist down directly, his attack devoid of any elaborate techniques or flourishes.

For Garp, when one's strength was sufficient to overwhelm all opposition, so-called skills became irrelevant, reduced to mere formalities.

To describe Garp's sheer power with a single adjective, he was akin to the One Punch Man of the One Piece world, unstoppable and devastating.

Just three minutes later…

Alex lay sprawled on the ground, battered and limp like a lifeless dog, his appearance scarcely better than Luffy's after Garp's earlier discipline.

However, at that very moment, Lily suddenly darted toward Garp with surprising ferocity. As a speed-type Awakened, Lily's velocity was breathtakingly swift, a blur of motion.

Bang!

However, Lily's charge was met with the unyielding force of Garp's fist, halting her in her tracks.

Rolling her eyes back, Lily collapsed, unconscious from the impact.

"Uh, hahaha, my apologies, I may have hit a bit too hard…" Seeing the ten-year-old girl knocked out cold by his punch, Garp scratched his head, chuckling with a touch of embarrassment.

Initially, he had assumed her speed indicated considerable strength, but he hadn't anticipated that her ability was purely in her swiftness.

"Lily!" Witnessing Lily crumpled on the ground, Alex scrambled over, his heart racing with concern.

After a quick examination, he let out a relieved sigh. It turned out she was merely unconscious, with no serious injuries. However, Alex felt a surge of warmth and gratitude once again.

Back in the apocalyptic forest, when they faced the invisible attacker, Lily had merely observed the fight, staying out of the fray. But now, seeing Alex pummeled by Garp, she had rushed forward to intervene on his behalf.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine after a short nap," Garp reassured, fully aware of the controlled force behind his fist.

While speaking, he turned his attention to Alex and continued, "I've got a good sense of your strength now."

"Your swordsmanship is exceptional, but your physical endurance is sorely lacking. I'll need to train you rigorously to build that up. As for your Devil Fruit ability, it complements your swordsmanship beautifully. If you can develop it to control ten thousand swords simultaneously, executing your techniques in unison, you'd be unstoppable against entire armies," Garp remarked, having gained insight into Alex's capabilities after just a few minutes of one-sided domination.

"Thank you for your guidance," Alex responded, nodding in agreement with Garp's assessment, recognizing the validity of his observations.

Although Garp wasn't a conventional teacher, at his elite level, devising an effective training plan for Alex was well within his capabilities.