A simple experiment with allocating points allowed Alex to confirm that his cheat ability possessed the power to upgrade mastered skills through point allocation.
And death granted system points.
The only question was whether exploiting a loophole through suicide would work.
"Bogard, get this kid a Marine trainee uniform."
"From now on, he's one of my men!"
Garp's loud voice rang out.
Alex raised his head and looked at the man beside him—a silent figure wearing a beige suit and hat, someone just as taciturn as himself.
Bogard glanced at him, nodded to acknowledge the order, then turned and left.
At that moment, a tall figure slowly walked out from the warship's cabin, wearing a lazy expression, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses.
The moment he saw Garp, excitement visibly appeared on the man's face.
"I heard Headquarters is planning to recommend you for promotion to Admiral again!"
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
Garp grinned widely upon hearing this. "Hahahaha! An Admiral position? I'm not interested in that at all."
Kuzan exclaimed in surprise, "That's an Admiral position!"
"Serving as bodyguards for trash like the Celestial Dragons? I have zero interest in that."
"Being a Vice Admiral is far more free!"
Garp laughed loudly.
Then he pointed toward Alex, who stood silently nearby with almost no presence, and introduced him.
"This is Alex, a new guy I've recruited into the crew."
Kuzan froze for a moment before turning his gaze toward him. "Anyone favored by Vice Admiral Garp must be strong."
Alex looked up at the future one of the Three Admirals.
Then remained silent.
Kuzan awkwardly scratched his head. "Another quiet one like Bogard."
At that moment, Garp slapped his forehead as if suddenly remembering something.
"Almost forgot. You killed the Bokan family and even offended a Celestial Dragon. So what exactly can you do?"
"Becoming a Marine isn't easy. If you want to survive in battle, you need a certain level of strength!"
Alex pressed his lips together. "I never said I wanted to become a Marine."
Garp burst into laughter. "Of course you'll be a Marine! What, are you going to become a pirate instead?"
Alex curled his lips slightly but didn't argue further. For now, he truly had nowhere else to go.
"Bokan… sounds like a noble family name? And you offended a Celestial Dragon? This kid!?"
Kuzan was stunned.
Then admiration and excitement appeared in his eyes.
Kuzan, in his twenties, was at the most passionate and rebellious stage of his life, questioning everything about the world. Deep down, he admired anyone bold enough to raise a blade against nobles and directly confront the Celestial Dragons.
Because if placed in his own position, bound by identity and mindset, he wasn't sure he would have dared to do the same.
At this time, Garp continued questioning Alex to better understand the boy he had taken in.
"Do you know swordsmanship?"
Alex shook his head.
Garp didn't mind; he himself wasn't skilled with swords.
"What about hand-to-hand combat?"
Alex shook his head again.
Garp smiled faintly and continued.
"Marksmanship?"
Alex remained silent.
Garp froze, looking at him with a strange expression.
"Have you ever undergone any physical or strength training before?"
Alex shook his head once more.
Garp opened his mouth, while Kuzan's eyes widened.
"You've learned nothing? Then how did you kill the Bokan family and escape from a noble estate like that?" Kuzan asked loudly.
"They couldn't kill me, so I killed them," Alex replied seriously as he raised his head.
After a brief pause, he added,
"I bit them with my teeth, smashed them with stones, used knives I took from them."
"I always found an opportunity."
The words left both men speechless. They could almost imagine the madness he must have endured facing the brutal guards of a noble household to survive and escape.
Garp took a deep breath. Thinking about that bastard Karens trying every possible method earlier to execute this boy made him clench his fists again in anger.
"I'll train you!"
"But be prepared. My training methods might get you injured."
Alex nodded.
At this moment, he felt an indescribable craving for strength—perhaps born from suffering too much and dying too many times.
Bogard soon returned with a properly fitted Marine uniform. Alex silently changed into it and washed his face.
"Looking good!"
Kuzan gave a thumbs-up, admiration visible in his eyes.
Alex smiled slightly.
Garp, draped in his Justice coat with arms crossed, watched the black-haired youth now dressed in a Marine uniform and freshly cleaned. A smile appeared on his face as well.
"Kid, tell me your age."
"Seventeen," Alex replied.
"Same age as Kuzan. Maybe you two will become good friends."
"Bogard, you should talk more."
Garp laughed.
Bogard silently nodded.
"So aside from Conqueror's Haki, you don't know anything else, right?" Garp asked.
"You could say that," Alex nodded.
"That actually makes things simple. I'm quite good at painting on a blank canvas."
Garp grinned.
Then he tossed one end of a thick rope toward Alex.
Alex caught it instinctively, confusion appearing on his face.
"We're heading to the New World soon, and time is tight. So your training starts right now!"
Garp stepped forward until he stood directly in front of him.
"Hold onto the rope tightly—otherwise we'll leave you behind!"
With a loud laugh, Garp kicked Alex straight in the backside. The rope instantly went taut, and the black-haired youth shot outward like a meteor, plunging into the sea hundreds of meters away.
"Bogard, increase the ship's speed!"
"We don't have time to waste here!"
Garp shouted.
Bogard silently gestured to the nearby marines.
In an instant, the warship accelerated.
Meanwhile, Alex was facing a life-threatening crisis.
The sudden immersion in seawater nearly suffocated him. Garp had never even asked whether he knew how to swim.
"This is murder!"
"Not training!"
Only when surrounded by the endless ocean could one truly feel such bone-deep fear—and their own insignificance.
He glanced at the fifty points displayed on his panel. After hesitating, he chose not to allocate them. Increasing Conqueror's Haki would not help his current situation at all.
"Hang in there, Alex!"
"No one has ever passed Vice Admiral Garp's training so far!"
Kuzan's laughter echoed from afar.
"Is that encouragement? Sounds more like discouragement…"
Alex's heart sank.
As the warship accelerated, he was dragged rapidly across the sea's surface. Waves struck him like iron fists, battering his body while seawater flooded into him.
The pain was indescribable, as though death could arrive at any moment.
Then—
One hour and eight minutes after the training began.
Alex died.
The system points jumped to 51.
He drowned.
But during this brush between life and death, he learned how to swim.
Sure enough, human potential awakened under mortal danger.
At the same time, Alex felt every muscle in his body becoming more coordinated and stronger.
He gritted his teeth fiercely and tightened his grip on the rope.
What cannot kill me will ultimately make me stronger.
Let the storm come even harder.
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