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"Sorry, this is all my fault," Ace muttered, slumping down in defeat.
Garp glanced at Jack with a look of appreciation, then nodded. "Is there a way to save Ace?"
"That depends entirely on how capable Whitebeard is," Jack replied confidently.
Garp paused for a moment before he suddenly understood Jack's implication. Shaking his head, he stood up and walked away without another word.
After chatting with Ace for a while, Jack finally stepped out of the cell.
"Finished?" Garp asked as he spotted him.
Jack simply nodded before boarding the Dog-Head Warship ahead of him.
As the ship sailed, Garp stood beside Jack, gazing at the vast ocean. "There are fewer and fewer people from my era," he murmured. "I wonder when my time will come."
Jack chuckled. "Sensei, who would dare come after you? Didn't Rocks himself fall at your hands back then?"
But Garp didn't smile. He just kept his eyes fixed on the distant horizon, lost in thought.
Upon returning to headquarters, Jack resumed his training. Sengoku, for his part, seemed either unaware or indifferent to the fact that Jack had accompanied Garp to see Ace. However, there was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere at Marineford—an unspoken tension, a growing sense that war was inevitable.
Just as Jack finally mastered the Rokushiki and also the Rokuogan in his quest to increase his strength and agility, news about Luffy surfaced once again.
Gekko Moriah, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had been defeated by none other than Luffy. The news sent Sengoku into a rage, and once again, he took it out on Garp. But, as expected, Garp didn't seem the least bit concerned.
"Kuma, you were not feeling sorry for them just because they're injured, are you?" Sengoku questioned, his sharp gaze fixed on Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Seven Warlords, who stood before him. "Otherwise, why haven't you returned with the heads of the Straw Hat Pirates?"
"Don't worry. Luffy isn't the type to go around bragging just because he defeated Moria," Garp said with a pout, a hint of pride in his voice.
"They're following the Log Pose and heading toward Navy Headquarters now, aren't they?" Kuma responded calmly.
Garp, seemingly oblivious to the serious discussion, suddenly reached into his bag. "Oh, right! I brought some new tea. Sengoku, get out your biscuits!"
"Dammit, Garp! Shut up!" Sengoku roared, nearly losing his temper.
"In that case, we'll deal with them when they reach the Sabaody Archipelago," Sengoku muttered, shooting Garp an exasperated glare before shifting the conversation. "By the way, what has Jack been up to lately?"
"That kid?" Garp scratched his chin. "He's been training hard. He's gotten much stronger and even mastered the Rokuogan. But I haven't tested it out myself."
"His strength has been growing at an alarming rate," Sengoku noted.
"Yeah, regular vice admirals don't stand a chance against him anymore," Garp admitted.
"What about Gion and Tokikake? Have they fought him yet?" Sengoku asked, a trace of anticipation in his voice.
Garp shook his head. "No idea. That kid doesn't need me to train him anymore."
Sengoku nodded thoughtfully. His plan was to promote Gion and Tokikake to admiral positions together. However, Jack's rapid growth was throwing off his calculations. If he kept improving at this rate, he might reach admiral-level strength before Gion and the others even got the chance.
What about Jack at this moment? He had just finished challenging all the vice admirals still stationed at Marineford, earning a significant amount of experience. Although he didn't receive any diamonds, he leveled up twice, gaining ten free attribute points and two skill points.
After allocating all the attribute points to strength and agility, Jack felt a noticeable increase in his vitality. Recently, he had started experimenting with something he had long neglected—an ability beyond what the system provided.
Unlike the system's energy stats, his chakra functioned independently, and he realized he could train it himself, feeding it back into his attribute table. This led him to wonder—could he use his chakra to break through his eight gates, just like in Might Guy?
He had wanted to attempt this for a while but refrained out of fear of harming himself. However, with the Dragon bead significantly enhancing his recovery abilities, he now had the confidence to experiment.
If he succeeded, his power would undoubtedly take a massive leap forward.
Late at night, when the world had fallen into silence, Jack sat alone in his training room, preparing to attempt something unprecedented—unlocking the eight gates.
He had no guidance, no mentor to teach him, and no certainty that such a feat was even possible. His knowledge of it came solely from television in his past life. But now, with the system, he believed it should be possible to achieve what he had once seen on screen.
Unlocking the eight gates was no longer a choice—it was a necessity. However, he couldn't afford to be reckless. Without a master's guidance, a single mistake could have severe consequences.
Taking a deep breath, Jack steadied his mind and began circulating his chakra, following the established path and accumulating it in his brain. Though this was part of his usual training, he now paid close attention, focusing on every sensation. He soon realized that each time his chakra passed through certain points, a small amount would dissipate. After an agonizing 2 hours…
"Congratulations to the host for unlocking the first of the eight gates, the Gate of Opening, ahead of schedule! This removes the user's mental inhibitions."
Hearing the system's notification, Jack finally allowed himself to relax. His exhaustion took over, and he collapsed into a deep sleep right there in the training room.
At dawn, his internal body clock roused him from slumber.
The first thing he did upon waking was check his body. He distinctly remembered unlocking the first gate the night before. Although the process had been grueling, the results seemed promising.
Curious, he accessed the system interface, recalling that it had mentioned activating the eight gates in advance.
Sure enough, upon opening the system panel, he noticed a newly added "Eight Gates" icon. Unable to contain his excitement, he clicked on it and was greeted by a transparent diagram of the human body. All the points, varying in size, were marked across the figure—some appearing as dull gray, others completely black. However, near the brain, one point stood out, glowing faintly—it was the point that helps in opening the first gate.
Jack examined the display carefully and saw the following details:
"Gate of Opening: Unlocked. Chakra +100.
After leaving the training room, Jack took a refreshing shower before heading out.
It was the usual time for morning drills at Navy Headquarters, and as always, Jack led the soldiers in practicing Krav Maga. Over time, this martial art had significantly improved the combat effectiveness of the marines. Krav Maga alone was more than enough to handle ordinary pirate underlings without the need for advanced techniques.
After the training session, Jack made his way to a secluded rooftop. As the first light of dawn illuminated the sky, he sat down cross-legged and began refining his chakra.
"This is different…" As soon as he closed his eyes and started channeling his chakra, he immediately noticed the effects of opening the first gate. His chakra flowed more smoothly, significantly enhancing both his practice speed and efficiency. The realization filled him with excitement—if unlocking a single gate brought such noticeable benefits, he could only imagine how powerful he would become once more were activated.
Meanwhile, in the Fleet Admiral's Office, Sengoku glanced up from his desk and asked curiously, "What has that brat Jack been up to lately?"
Garp, munching on a rice cracker, replied casually, "That kid's been training a lot lately. His strength has improved quite a bit."
"Oh? And he hasn't made any moves regarding Ace's situation?" Sengoku probed.
Garp's usual grin faltered for just a moment before he shrugged. "Who knows?"
Sengoku studied him for a moment but said nothing more. Just then, the office door suddenly burst open. A breathless messenger rushed in, his face flushed with urgency.
"Report, Fleet Admiral! Rear Admiral Jack and Vice Admiral Tokikake just had a duel on the training grounds!"
"Huh? What happened?" Sengoku asked, his expression darkening.
The messenger shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. It started as a sparring match, but at some point, it escalated into a real fight. You should come see for yourself—they've practically demolished the training ground!"
"What? Jack's strength shouldn't be on par with Tokikake's, right?" Garp frowned in disbelief.
"Let's go. We'll know once we see it for ourselves," Sengoku said, rising from his chair and striding toward the door.
As they arrived at the training grounds, the scene before them was utter chaos. The once-flat terrain was now rugged and cratered, a testament to the sheer force of the battle. From deep within the training ground, powerful shockwaves erupted, sending smoke and debris into the air, obscuring the final moments of the fight.
"Look! Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp are here!"
"What's going on today? There are so many high-ranking officers here!"
Murmurs spread among the gathered navy soldiers as they watched the confrontation unfold.
Turning to Momousagi Gion, who stood nearby observing the fight, Sengoku asked, "Gion, what's happening here?"
Gion shook her head and replied, "Nothing too serious, Sengoku-san. It started as a routine spar, but I don't think either of them expected Jack to improve this much. With so many people watching, neither wanted to lose, so they went all out. Jack probably wanted to test his limits—and this is the result."
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