That day, Garp brought Raifeng to the back mountain near Mt. Colubo—an area the locals called Devil Forest.
From that moment on, it was official.
Raifeng had successfully joined Koby and Helmeppo's "hell training," becoming yet another unfortunate soul destined to be tormented.
Koby was a sixteen-year-old boy with short pink hair and an almost babyish face. Above the outer corner of his right eye ran a vicious-looking scar.
That scar was proof of how brutal Garp's training really was—an injury taken during these past days that had left a mark that would never fade.
Which meant one thing:
This "hell training" wasn't a game.
People could genuinely die.
Helmeppo was about the same age as Koby. He had long, curly blond hair and stood a little taller than him.
Garp pointed at Raifeng.
"This is Raifeng—my grandson!"
"Starting today, he'll be training with you two."
Koby and Helmeppo stared at Raifeng in shock, faces full of disbelief.
This was the first time they'd ever heard that Vice Admiral Garp had another grandson besides Luffy—especially one this young.
"Hi. I'm Koby," Koby greeted him politely, a little shy.
"I'm Helmeppo," Helmeppo added, keeping it short.
Just like that, they met the seven-year-old Raifeng.
But once they learned Raifeng was only seven—and yet Garp planned to throw him into the same training they were doing—the two of them couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of pity.
What a miserable kid…
"Vice Admiral Garp… is this really okay?" Koby asked, clearly worried.
Garp waved his hand like it didn't matter.
"This wasn't my idea. This brat volunteered to join your training."
"But he's your grandson…" Koby hesitated.
"Enough. You're already a Marine—stop being so soft."
Garp turned to Raifeng and spoke seriously.
"Raifeng, I'm telling you now: if you can't take it, quit. There's no shame in that. At your age, it's normal if you can't keep up with them."
"Understood," Raifeng nodded.
"Good. Then training starts now!"
"Koby. Helmeppo. Take him into Devil Forest."
Garp's training was simple—almost disgustingly so.
To put it plainly:
He threw people into a forest full of vicious beasts… and whatever happened next wasn't his problem.
Live or die?
Garp wouldn't ask too many questions.
That was Garp's "hell training."
In a way, Garp wasn't the instructor at all.
The beasts inside the forest were.
Raifeng looked at the shadowy woods ahead. The forest stretched into darkness with no visible end, like a monster baring its fangs—waiting for people to jump into its belly.
Raifeng's expression held more longing than fear.
"Hell training…"
Nervous?
Scared?
Not a chance.
He hadn't forgotten.
He had a trump card.
A life-saving trump card.
Even without anyone protecting him, Raifeng wasn't panicking at all.
If anything—
He was excited.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and entered Devil Forest.
"Don't worry, Vice Admiral," Koby said quietly, determination rising in him. "Even if we have to risk our lives, we'll protect your grandson."
With that thought, Koby and Helmeppo followed him into the forest.
…
Watching the three disappear among the trees, Garp slowly withdrew his gaze, thoughts turning heavy.
"Dragon told me where that brat came from…"
"That means before he turned seven, he lived just like any normal kid."
"With no experience… can he really keep up with Koby and Helmeppo's pace?"
The questions wrapped around Garp's mind like chains.
So he made a decision.
In the next instant, Garp vanished from where he stood, slipping into the shadows to follow them from a distance.
Like an unseen observer, he monitored their progress—ready to prevent anything truly disastrous.
Sure, he always acted like he could just toss kids into beast nests and ignore the outcome…
…but this was Raifeng's first time.
Garp couldn't help being a little uneasy.
More than that—
He wanted to see it.
Could Raifeng actually handle this kind of training?
So every movement the three made was crystal clear to Garp.
And under his watch—
At first, Raifeng really couldn't keep up.
But then—
His improvement became visible to the naked eye.
In the beginning, he was a mess—awkward, battered, and clearly dragging the others down.
But shockingly…
That only lasted less than ten minutes.
Ten minutes later, Raifeng was already adapting, barely but firmly keeping pace with Koby and Helmeppo.
Garp's eyes widened.
And he hadn't even begun to be surprised.
Because the real change was only just starting.
Twenty minutes in—
Raifeng seemed half-at-home in the forest. His movements became smooth and practiced, like a hunter who'd lived in the woods for years.
His speed, reflexes—everything—rose at an alarming rate.
So skilled that even Garp started to feel like he was watching a seasoned hunter.
At that moment—
Garp was genuinely stunned.
"This adaptability…"
"That's ridiculous."
"It's only been twenty minutes, and he's already almost matching their rhythm?"
Garp's gaze sharpened as he watched more carefully.
About half an hour after entering the forest, Raifeng had already grown to the point where he could stand almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Koby and Helmeppo.
Even when beasts tried to surround and kill him, he dodged cleanly, staying safe.
Like it was…
"Instinct?" Garp murmured, eyes flashing.
Wrinkles creased his face as pride and approval rose without restraint.
"What an incredible talent. That's my grandson—my blood runs in him!"
In just half an hour—
Raifeng had undergone a transformation right in front of Garp's eyes.
From prey…
…to hunter.
Not only that, he'd already shown the physical ability and survival skills of a qualified forest hunter—everything in place, everything frighteningly natural.
It was far beyond what Garp expected.
He never imagined Raifeng could adapt this fast.
Half an hour.
And Raifeng was already comparable to Koby and Helmeppo.
"Half an hour of results… nearly equal to what those two earned in half a month?"
"That kind of adaptability is monstrous."
Koby and Helmeppo had been enduring this training for two weeks. That was why they moved through the forest with such practiced ease.
But Raifeng?
This was his first time.
And in just thirty minutes, he was already handling it with calm confidence.
A freak like this—Garp had never seen one in his life.
Back then…
Ace and Luffy—no matter how tough they were—couldn't do anything like what Raifeng had just shown.
And the most important part?
Raifeng was only—
Seven years old.
Seven… and already terrifyingly gifted.
Garp's chest stirred, emotions rising like waves.
"Dragon… you'd never guess."
"The son you brought back this time… my grandson…"
"Raifeng might really be an extraordinary genius."
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