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Chapter 120is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
"Aw, man! Baishui isn't going to live with us?"
Naturally, the ones most disappointed by Baishui not staying at their place were Luffy and Sabo. If he stayed with them, they could have easily dragged him along on all their daily "adventures."
"Alright, that settles it! Come on, Baishui, let's go. Time to start your training!" Garp suddenly stood up and headed for the door, his broad back somehow giving off a slightly desolate vibe.
Baishui immediately followed suit. Luffy and Sabo trailed right behind them; there was no way they were going to miss out on a spectacle like this.
"Come on! Attack me with everything you've got! Let's see just how much you've improved over these past two years," Garp said. The old Marine stood on the sandy shore, gesturing Baishui closer with a wave of his hand from a hundred meters away.
Whoosh!
Without a second of hesitation, Baishui used Soru, vanishing from his spot in a blur. He reappeared instantly in front of Garp, his right leg glowing as he whipped a vicious kick straight toward the Vice Admiral's neck.
Bam!
Yet, Garp simply raised a hand and casually blocked the strike.
Baishui could feel the sheer, overbearing physical power radiating from Garp's body—it was as deep and unfathomable as an abyss. And this was just him blocking effortlessly.
"Genkotsu!"
Garp roared, his fist tearing through the air as it hurtled toward Baishui's chest. The sheer air pressure from the punch was overwhelmingly violent, making the young man's face pale as he frantically retreated.
"Rankyaku!"
Garp kicked upward, launching an azure air blade. Even though it was roughly the same size as the ones Baishui had fired before, its speed, raw power, and lethality were in an entirely different league.
"Where're you looking, brat?!"
Garp's booming voice suddenly echoed from behind him. Baishui gasped in shock, only just realizing the old man had bypassed him entirely.
"Genkotsu!"
The hair on the back of Baishui's neck stood on end, a terrifying chill running down his spine as if he'd been plunged into an icy cavern.
Crack!
The sickening sound of splintering bone rang out. The moment the blow landed, it felt like being slammed by a speeding sea train. The concussive force was hyper-concentrated on a single point, causing Baishui to spew a massive mouthful of blood. He was sent hurtling backward, crashing violently into a rock wall. The agonizing pain radiating down his back made it impossible to even stand.
"Rankyaku!"
Garp was merciless. He kicked out another razor-sharp air blade, sending it flying straight toward Baishui, who was still embedded in the cliffside. It was as if the old man wasn't even treating him like a living human being.
"Light Particle Barrier!"
Dodging was out of the question. Gritting his teeth, Baishui summoned his defensive shield to protect himself.
Boom!
The destructive power of this Rankyaku was beyond anything Baishui had anticipated. It didn't feel like an air blade striking his shield; it felt like a mountain crashing into him.
Helpless against the overwhelming momentum, he let out a muffled groan as a fresh trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
Screech!
The Rankyaku ground violently against his luminous barrier, throwing off brilliant sparks and emitting an ear-piercing screech.
Crack!
Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass echoed from the shield. Baishui's eyes widened in horror. Overwhelmed by the pressure, the barrier splintered into fragments. His pupils dilated, and he reflexively threw his arms up to protect his head.
A monumental force washed over him, driving him even deeper into the crushed stone of the cliffside. He simply couldn't withstand the kinetic energy transferred from the air blade. The bones in his arms groaned and clicked, on the verge of snapping entirely.
"Haaah!"
Baishui let out a guttural roar. Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from his back. Over a dozen glowing tentacles materialized, bracing against the rock behind him and pushing him forward. Slowly but surely, he began to pry himself free from the suppression of Garp's attack.
Whoosh!
Garp reappeared right in front of him. Catching Baishui completely off guard, the old man delivered a ruthless roundhouse kick, sweeping him off his feet and sending him flying, violently coughing up another spray of blood. He skidded across the ground and crashed deep into the forest, leaving a long, rubble-filled trench in his wake.
"Cough, cough!"
Baishui pushed himself up from the dirt, clutching his aching chest and panting heavily. In just a few brief exchanges, he had experienced firsthand the astronomical gap in strength between him and Garp
.
"So cool!"
Amateurs watch for fun, while experts watch for technique. Luffy and Sabo couldn't understand the high-level tactics, so they were just enjoying the spectacle. Even so, the sheer scale of the battle left them thoroughly mind-blown. This was what it meant to be strong. Their own little sparring matches in the woods were nothing more than playing house.
"You sure don't hold back, old man! That hurt like hell!" Baishui groaned, wincing as he clambered out of the debris, nursing his battered ribs.
"Bwahaha! If I didn't do that, how else would I force out your true potential?" Garp replied, digging a finger into his nose and looking at him with mild disdain.
"Yeah, alright. You win." Baishui was speechless. Garp was thick-skinned beyond belief; trying to reason with him was basically impossible.
"So, can you start teaching me Rokushiki now?" Baishui asked, unable to hide the eager anticipation lighting up his face.
"Fine, fine. You got zero patience, you know that, brat?" Garp waved a hand dismissively, sighing with exaggerated helplessness. "First up is Tekkai. The core principle is accelerating your blood flow to drastically increase muscle contraction, forming an impenetrable defense. By pumping pure power into a fiercely trained body, your muscles take on the hardness of solid iron. Even gunfire won't leave a scratch."
He paused, letting it sink in. "The only drawback is that you can't move while using Tekkai. Though, with enough intense training, even that limitation can be overcome! Because of that, anyone trying to learn Tekkai needs insane physical conditioning. Though, knowing you, brat, your baseline strength ain't an issue!" Garp shot Baishui a knowing look.
"Next is Kami-e. It involves masterful, minute control over your body's muscles to achieve a fluid, almost paper-like state. You read the subtle shifts in the air currents created by your opponent's movements. Then, the instant they strike, you manipulate your body to flow right around the attack!"
"Alright, enough talking. Let's just get to the training!" Baishui didn't have the patience to sit through a lecture; he wanted Garp to show him the real deal.
"Bwahaha! Figured you wouldn't want to listen to an old man ramble. Fine then! Let's make your muscles memorize it. You'll remember it much better that way!" Garp was a man of action anyway. He was thrilled that Baishui wanted to skip the theory, considering he himself wasn't exactly great with words.
"Watch closely, now. Pay attention, and don't miss the core technique!" Garp warned.
Suddenly, his massive frame tensed. An overwhelmingly dense, suffocating aura exploded outward from his body.
"Come on! Give me your best shot!" Garp beckoned, challenging Baishui to strike him.
"Light Particle Cannon!"
Baishui raised his hand, instantly firing off a blinding blast of energy. But to his shock, Garp didn't even attempt to dodge. The old man took the beam head-on, letting the kinetic force push him backward slightly. Yet, aside from a suddenly charred shirt, the Vice Admiral didn't have a single scratch on his skin.
"See that? The absolute essence of Tekkai is unyielding solidity. That's why it heavily tests your physical endurance. But before you can withstand the massive strain of super-accelerated blood flow, you've gotta fortify your heart!"
"So, how do you reinforce your heart to take the pressure? Proper breathing techniques are critical!" Garp instructed. "Here, follow my lead. This specific breathing method is used internally by the Marines for mastering Tekkai!"
Dropping into a wide horse stance, Garp spread his arms as far apart as possible. He began inhaling air like a monstrous whale swallowing the ocean, drawing in a single, continuous breath for over thirty seconds.
Thump... Thump... Thump...
A deep, rhythmic booming sound, like distant thunder, suddenly echoed from inside Garp's chest. Baishui stared in awe, but Garp simply maintained his casual expression and barked
"Stop getting distracted!"
Immediately after, the old man smacked him upside the head.
"I'll remember that, old man!" Baishui hissed, rubbing his aching scalp with a scowl. Despite his grumbling, he mirrored Garp's stance and took a deep breath.
"Once your lungs are full, carefully guide that built-up air pressure toward your heart. Let it flow through your veins, constantly expanding and releasing. Do this day in and day out for years, and your heart will grow strong enough to handle it!" Garp explained, exhaling a long, heavy breath.
"Wait," Baishui raised a hand, looking skeptical. "Wouldn't it be way faster to just dive deep underwater and let the ocean pressure do the work?"
"Bwahaha! Sure, plenty of folks have tried that! But you're a Devil Fruit user! You can't exactly go for a swim, can you?" Garp burst out laughing. His eyes seemed to mock the boy: You're still too green, brat!
"But... couldn't you just use something to separate the seawater from my body? The hydrostatic pressure of the ocean would be way more effective than this breathing stuff!" Baishui countered.
Garp froze completely. "Huh... yeah, why didn't I think of that?" He smacked his forehead, a look of profound realization washing over his face. "Brat, you really are a genius!" Garp roared with laughter, slapping Baishui on the shoulder so hard it nearly dislocated his joint.
"Uh... are you an idiot? How do you not think of something that simple?" Baishui rolled his eyes, utterly speechless at the Marine Hero's sheer denseness.
"Alright, it's decided! You'll train using the ocean method! It'll skyrocket your efficiency. Hell, I'm confident I can make you master both of these Rokushiki techniques in under a month!" Garp punched his right fist into his left palm, officially cementing Baishui's new, terrifying training regimen.
Why do I suddenly feel like I made a terrible mistake? A heavy sense of impending doom washed over Baishui, making his flesh crawl.
Before he knew it, Garp produced a bizarre, oval-shaped leather diving suit from nowhere. He tossed it to Baishui, ordered him to put it on, and then—without an ounce of hesitation—kicked him off the cliff and into the sea. Attached to the bottom of the leather suit was a massive iron weight, violently dragging Baishui's body down into the crushing depths. If he needed to be pulled back up, he just had to tug on the suit; with Garp's razor-sharp Observation Haki, the old man would know exactly when to reel him in.
As he plummeted into the abyss, Baishui felt the overwhelming, multidirectional pressure of the deep sea squeezing him. The leather suit vacuum-sealed against his skin, crushing him tighter and tighter. The immense weight of the ocean bore down on his frame, making every agonizing breath a struggle.
Deep underwater, deprived of sufficient oxygen, the human heart is forced to pump with explosive, unnatural force just to circulate blood and keep the body's vital organs functioning. The ocean floor wasn't just training his heart rate and blood flow; it was an all-encompassing crucible for his muscular durability and physical coordination.
Baishui's lungs felt like they were engulfed in flames. The suffocation was unbearable, his chest caving inward as the water pressure continuously compressed his ribcage. As the pressure mounted, the veins on his forehead bulged dangerously, his face twisting in absolute agony.
Finally, just as he felt his body was about to give out completely, his rapid descent ground to a halt.