On a certain deserted island in the East Blue.
A sudden, thunderous roar erupted from the forest, sending flocks of birds scattering into the sky in a panic.
A terrifying beast, as massive as a small hill, was charging wildly through the underbrush, relentlessly pursuing several smaller animals.
Ever since Sean had left six months ago, Kuro had completely let himself go, living a life of absolute leisure. His days consisted of eating and sleeping, and sleeping and eating.
Now, this was what life was meant to be!
An hour later, having enjoyed a hearty feast, the beast was preparing to settle in for a comfortable afternoon nap.
However, just as he was drifting off...
Kuro suddenly sensed something. His expression shifted instantly, sporting a look of sheer terror that was almost human.
'Damn it, I think I feel that human's aura again.'
'Impossible. I have to stop scaring myself. That guy is gone! Yes, he left and he's not coming back!'
He desperately tried to soothe his soul—a soul that was incredibly powerful in every aspect, except for when it came to one specific person.
After a moment of internal struggle, he decided to head to the beach just to confirm that his instincts were playing tricks on him.
'''
At the same time, a Marine warship had docked at the shore.
Dozens of Marines disembarked from the ship.
"Is this our examination site?"
"It really is a deserted island. I wonder what's lurking in that forest... it feels more intimidating than a pirate crew!"
"Speaking of which, where is the target of the exam?"
"Are you stupid? Animals have keen senses. With Instructor Zephyr here, the beast wouldn't dare step foot out of the woods."
The surrounding recruits nodded in agreement.
Many beasts were born with powerful sensory abilities, some of which were nearly comparable to Observation Haki. And since Instructor Zephyr was a former Marine Admiral, his strength was unquestionable.
If they were the beast, and they sensed Zephyr's presence, they wouldn't dare show their face either. That was the consensus among the recruits.
In reality, they weren't wrong.
Kuro, who had been heading to the beach to check things out, had come to a dead halt, his entire body trembling.
Beyond sensing Sean, he felt another human presence—one that was far stronger than the Sean he remembered. Much stronger!
This triggered a visceral memory of the sheer terror of being dominated by Sean.
'I knew it... humans are too terrifying! Maybe I really should learn how to swim and escape to another island?'
Right then...
"Kuro! Get out here, right now!!"
The familiar voice rang out, sounding as if it were etched into the very depths of his soul.
'That guy... he really came back! What should I do? Maybe I should just go out and let him knock me unconscious so it hurts less when he starts carving meat off me?'
'''
On the beach.
"Sean, does shouting like that actually work?"
"Of course! Kuro is my little lackey!"
"I see," Zephyr nodded, turning his gaze back toward the forest.
A few minutes later, as heavy, thumping footsteps echoed from the trees, the recruits behind them grew tense.
'Holy crap, those footsteps... just how big and heavy is this beast? Is this really something we can beat?'
The recruits' hearts hammered against their ribs.
Soon, a beast the size of a small mountain emerged from the treeline. The students' hearts nearly leaped into their throats.
But in the next heartbeat, as Kuro's full form became visible, they were left bewildered.
Why were the beast's four legs shaking?
Why was there such intense fear in its eyes?
Why... there were too many whys.
Even Zephyr looked at Sean with a questioning gaze.
Sean shrugged and, in the simplest terms possible, explained to Zephyr where his food source had come from while he lived on the island.
Upon hearing this, Zephyr and all the recruits were stunned.
'Sean... he is a man far more evil and terrifying than any pirate!!'
Inevitably, everyone looked at Kuro with a flicker of genuine sympathy.
'Don't worry, even if we pass the exam, we won't eat you!!'
"Kuro, it's been six months! Did you miss me? Because I really missed you!"
Sean was genuinely happy to see Kuro again. He walked forward, though for some reason, his eyes kept drifting instinctively toward the beast's hind legs.
This terrified Kuro, who scrambled back several steps and stared at Sean with extreme vigilance.
"Kuro, you're making me sad." Sean sighed. "Anyway, let's get to business. See these guys?"
He pointed toward the group of recruits.
"In a moment, I'm going to send them into the forest to hunt you. Of course, you can hunt them back!"
"There's only one condition: no killing. As for a few missing arms or legs, that's fine."
"If you manage to knock out every single recruit, I won't carve any meat off you today. But on the other hand, if you're defeated... hehe..."
"Understand? If you do, nod your head!"
Immediately, Kuro began nodding frantically, like a chicken pecking at grain.
The onlookers were amazed. A beast of this size that could understand human speech was a rarity even in the world of pirates.
Seeing Kuro's reaction, the recruits relaxed significantly.
'A beast this cowardly? This exam is a piece of cake!'
Little did they know that Kuro was only cowardly when facing Sean.
In the next instant, Kuro glanced toward the recruits, and a sudden, viciously cruel aura erupted from him.
"Who was the one saying this beast is cowardly? Step forward. I promise I won't beat him to death!"
"I'll just chop him to pieces!!"
One of the recruits, the only one who had currently reached the rank of Lieutenant, was absolutely fuming.
Meanwhile, Sean continued giving Kuro his "instructions."
A minute later.
"Alright, go back now. The recruits will head out in ten minutes!"
Kuro nodded and turned back into the forest.
"Old man Zephyr, it's settled!"
"Are you sure that beast won't just kill or eat these recruits?"
"Relax. Kuro eats by swallowing things whole and digesting them slowly. If an accident happens, we can just slice open its stomach and pull them out in time!"
"If it came to that, would you actually be willing to cut it open?"
"Of course not! Kuro is worth way more than a few ordinary recruits. Actually... forget what I just said!"
The recruits, whose fear had just diminished thanks to Sean's words, were now frozen.
'What exactly did that last part mean?'
"What do you mean, 'act like I didn't say it'?"
"Are you saying that if someone gets swallowed whole, you wouldn't even bother cutting open that beast's belly to rescue them?"
"How many times is this now...?"
"You and Instructor Zephyr... can you two just act like human beings for once?!"
"Uh, about those words just now... would you mind pretending you didn't hear them?"
As Sean turned around, he found every single student staring at him and Zephyr. He instantly felt a wave of awkwardness. It certainly wouldn't look good if the students took his words to heart.
And so, wearing a smile, Sean tried to negotiate with the students, hoping they would simply forget everything he had just said.
This move was absolutely classic Garp!