Chapter 454: Surprise
Zephyr also spoke up at this time, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, his tone helpless yet amused:
"That brat Roy is way too ruthless, isn't he? Training is training, but there's no need to aim completely for the face..."
As he spoke, he stared at Luffy and Ace's faces, which were swollen like pig heads, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
Even an iron-blooded instructor like him couldn't bear to look at their current state.
Although Kuina and Zoro also had several cuts and bruises on their bodies, they could at least maintain their dignity. Hearing Zephyr's words, the two exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths twitching simultaneously.
Zoro forcefully held back his laughter, but the corners of his mouth were twitching wildly;
Kuina pressed her lips tightly together, shifting her gaze slightly to the side, deeply afraid that if she laughed out loud, she would be "operated on" right there on the spot.
Luffy raised his hand with an expression of being wronged. His voice was nasal as he stammered, "Umm... Instructor Zephyr, it wasn't Big Brother Roy..."
Ace, standing next to him, also spread his hands helplessly, sighed, and chimed in, "Yeah..."
"Huh?"
Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp froze simultaneously.
Sengoku pushed up his glasses, his brow furrowing slightly, his tone turning serious: "Not Roy? Then who else in this place could beat you two up like this?"
Zephyr raised an eyebrow: "Could it be the Doctor's latest experimental subject?"
Garp was completely dumbfounded. The expression on his face went from surprise to a blank stare, then to disbelief, and finally morphed directly into pure shock:
"What? Not Roy? Then who else could it be?! Don't tell me you two fought each other and beat yourselves up!!!"
Seeing Garp angrily rolling up his sleeves and marching over, Luffy was just about to explain when suddenly, a familiar aura quietly drifted over from behind them.
A steady, smiling voice immediately followed: "Fleet Admiral, Instructor, Old Man—you're here."
The few old veterans turned their heads simultaneously, only to see Roy walking slowly toward them from the direction of the experimental zone.
As he passed by Luffy and Ace, he casually gave each of them a light pat on the shoulder.
"—Tap."
Pale golden energy instantly rippled through the air. A stream of light flowed over the two of their faces like water.
Almost in the very next second, Ace and Luffy's bruised and purple faces actually recovered to their original state at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Eh?!"
Luffy touched his face, his eyes perfectly round. "Whoa! It's really healed?! Even my teeth don't hurt anymore..."
Ace also touched his chin, laughing helplessly: "As expected, whenever Big Brother Roy makes a move, it's on a whole different level."
"Gramps!! The Doctor, he—!!!"
Before Luffy could even finish his sentence, he pounced in front of Garp with a face full of excitement. He grabbed his grandfather's arm tightly with both hands, like a kid about to show off a new toy, gesturing incoherently:
"The Doctor! He, he made something super awesome—that, that thing—!!!"
"Hey, hey, slow down, don't get your tongue tied in a knot!" Garp was shaken so hard he swayed from side to side.
Roy chuckled lightly, reaching out to pat Luffy on the head: "Luffy, a surprise—it's only interesting if they see it with their own eyes."
"Eh?"
Luffy froze for a moment, but then his eyes began to sparkle like lit-up stars, filled with a brilliance he could barely contain.
He nodded vigorously, his voice trembling with excitement: "Okay!! Then I'll hold it in!"
"Tsk... to think this brat has actually learned how to be sensible?" Garp scratched his head in surprise, his expression full of disbelief.
"Sensible, my foot." Sengoku put his hands on his hips and sighed, "He's just about to explode from holding it in."
"Hahahaha!" Zephyr couldn't help but laugh out loud too. "This look of his really does resemble you when you were young."
"Eh?!" Garp was taken aback, then chuckled: "Well, that just shows how strong my genes are!"
"Shut up!" Sengoku and Zephyr said in unison, crisp and decisive.
Roy walked at the very front. With a faint smile on his lips, he pushed open the heavy alloy doors of the Punk Hazard Research Institute.
"Alright, everyone—after you."
As the metal doors slowly opened, the familiar hum of machinery and the sound of energy pulses instantly spread throughout the entire corridor.
Pale blue energy lines flowed along the walls, and the air was filled with a unique scent of ionization. That was the signature atmosphere of Vegapunk's research institute—the intertwined scent of the future and madness.
Zephyr looked around at the rows of operating machinery, his gaze half-wary and half-curious:
"You bastard brat, what kind of contraption have you conspired with the Doctor to create this time?"
Sengoku stroked his chin as he walked, saying with a half-smile: "However, to be able to beat those two brothers into such a state... the combat power of this 'contraption' cannot be underestimated."
"Hahahaha—"
Garp was already grinning from ear to ear, slapping his thigh: "This old man really wants to see what kind of thing it is this time, to be able to discipline my two grandsons so thoroughly!!"
"Are you sure it's 'discipline' and not 'beat up'?" Sengoku shot him a glance.
"Hehe, same difference!" Garp scratched his head without a care.
As everyone followed Roy into the laboratory, the heavy metal doors slowly closed behind them. The world around them instantly became expansive and profound.
Their field of vision suddenly opened up—it was an astonishingly massive space.
The entire experimental hall featured a domed structure. Countless streams of energy light flashed across the metal dome, making it look like an inverted galaxy.
Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp looked up and around, immediately spotting that familiar figure in the high-platform control area—
Vegapunk.
He was fully concentrated, rapidly inputting data at the control console. Behind him stood his six uniquely styled satellites, busily monitoring the instruments alongside him.
Zephyr narrowed his eyes slightly, his brows furrowing: "Why do I have an ominous premonition..."
"Hahahaha—whatever it is, it sounds pretty interesting, doesn't it!" Garp, on the other hand, was laughing heartily, his face practically writing "This old man is ready" in his excitement.
"Let's go. The main attraction isn't up here—the Doctor is just providing technical support."
Saying this, Roy waved his hand lightly, and everyone was teleported to the center of the experimental field.
It was a massive, circular training area surrounded by hovering energy shields. The space was large enough to accommodate a duel between giant beasts.
Garp stood with his hands on his hips, his eyebrows raised high: "Hey, you brat, stop keeping us in suspense!"
"Spit it out, what new toy have you whipped up this time?"
Roy turned to face the three old men, a sly grin on his face: "I know you three have been itching for a fight for a long time..."
"So the Doctor and I—prepared a little surprise for you."
"A surprise?"
Sengoku raised an eyebrow, Zephyr crossed his arms over his chest, and Garp just grinned openly: "Sounds good to me!"
Roy merely smiled mysteriously without saying another word. With a flash, he took Ace and the other three with him, vanishing instantly.
The arena immediately fell completely silent.
A few seconds later—
"BOOM!!!"
The entire ground shook. Accompanied by violent energy fluctuations, the floor in the center of the training area began to separate.
Three massive elevating platforms slowly rose, accompanied by thick energy steam and the roar of machinery.
When the mist cleared—
Three colossal figures stood towering in the center of the arena.
Their figures were tall and massive, their muscle lines looking as if they had been cast from steel. Their auras were steady, yet so oppressive that the air itself hummed.
Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp shuddered almost simultaneously—
Because from those auras, they felt an extremely familiar power.
It was a type of Haki and presence that only those at the absolute pinnacle could exude.
"This... it can't be..." Sengoku murmured, his glasses reflecting a dazzling light.
Zephyr's pupils contracted violently, his expression turning uncharacteristically grave: "Is that—?!!"
"Hey, hey, hey~"
Garp's smile also froze in this moment. His fists slowly clenched tight, his battle intent erupting.
♧♧♧
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you