Two days before Luffy wakes ups

“What in Roger’s sweaty ball sack hit me?” Garp swears as he opens his eyes and is unfamiliar with his surroundings, though he has seen hospitals before, his left hand going up to his throbbing in pain head.

“That would be your grandson sir. Or at least that is the impression I got when he was seen walking back into the city limits, with you on his shoulder like an oversized sack of potatoes. It has only been two days since that spectacle, and not only are there no plans to distribute any pictures of the sight, but all who are aware of your defeat are sworn to secrecy.” Captain Pike says with a smile on his aging face.

“I trained him too well it seems. When he does leave Dawn Island, the world won’t know what hit them.” Garp laughs, though this draws an almost scream of pain from still very injured body.

“It wasn’t all on you sir. But you are right about the world regarding him. I am so glad he isn’t a pirate, or has flimsy morals, otherwise me and four of my former officers would have been long dead.” Pike chuckles.

“So how bad is the damage he did this time? As you are the one here waiting by my bedside. Hell, now that I think about it, where is Luffy? He was already planning to crow about this to the heavens even two years ago, said it was inevitable.” Garp grumbles as he lays back down.

“Your grandson is still unconscious last I heard. The punishment he has had inflicted on his body from you is incredible, but even if it is him, I wouldn’t be surprised with him being up and about in less than a week as previous times would indicate. As for the damage dealt to you, you are going to be here for the next two weeks before you are well enough to travel, and even then, no training for another three weeks after that, according to the doctor anyway. Two concussions, each from separate hits of vastly different forces, the stronger of which gave you a skull fracture as well. Your left leg is going to be in a cast for the next six weeks, as whatever you did to pop the bones back in place, did more damage over time to the muscles and tendons. That is on top of the other injuries inflicted to your leg. Your left arm has stitches running the length of it to keep the skin closed while you heal. Seven ribs broken, thus why you are wrapped up tight, four on the left, three on the right. Seven of ten knuckles busted, with every finger broken and splinted, thus the reinforced gloves to prevent you from bending them. Second-degree burns over twenty-five percent of your body, though I have no idea what caused that.” Pike goes to continue, but Garp interrupts him.

“It was a grenade straight from hell with my name on it apparently and I didn’t sense it until the last moment.” Garp says as he tries to go through all the images in his head from the spar, but some flicker before he can grasp them.

Eyebrows almost disappearing into his hairline, Pike hides his face with his hand. “Get comfortable sir. As I said, you will be here a while.” Pike says, then moves off to being out of the room, leaving Garp to his own devices.

Garp, uses his observation Haki to confirm Pike’s words about his injuries that were stated, and to look for the other ones that he didn’t talk about, leaving him to just groan in so much pain it is not funny as the results come back. ‘He leaves here in just under three years, wonder if I can make money off of betting on his progress, or rather how much he’ll accomplish before even getting to the Grand Line. Either way, he will be somebody else’s headache.’ He then settles down to try and get some sleep through the constant pain he is in.

Two days after Luffy wakes up

‘I’m so glad Makino had stocked up on food in prep for our marathon. I’m also so glad that between her and Hellfire they had already somehow rigged a sound-dampening field via Hellfire’s power, otherwise half the city would have heard us.’ I think as I leave the house after a good night’s rest with my wife (in all but name) Makino curled up beside me. ‘I have to take it easy, as even with my healing assistance via the properties of my mana, I’m not going to be back to one hundred percent for at least another week, after which I can get back to the grind, for though I have succeeded in beating Garp, not only was it very close to a tie, but he is nowhere near the top of the world when it comes to power, thus I need to climb higher. But after that spar when I can only get better, I will only be able to improve so much. Three years, by then I will have squeezed everything I can out the training I can do being limited by my location of Dawn Island. The stories I have been told, the new wonders that I will see with my growing family, the hopeful additions of more crew/family. I want it all. While I will be needing a bigger ship eventually, I will have to start looking into the acquisition/purchase of one that is at least suitable for my current family of me, Makino, and the girls, with plenty of room to grow, up to maybe the mid-point of the Grand Line. Now that I think about it, while I won’t stop at just filling the spots needed for critical positions, the essential spots for the crew in my opinion are Captain (Me), Quartermaster (Makino), 1st Mate, Navigator, Cook, Doctor, Entertainer, and Carpenter. Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss while filling more support roles, will also be front line fighters until those of better skills are found (if they are), and if the area they are fighting in happens to be a forest, whatever God is up there had better give their opponents some much needed help, for they will need it.

I decide against visiting Garp, as I don’t want to give him any excuse to aggravate his still healing injuries right now. The learning of more seamanship skills can also wait until after Garp has left, lest he come up with some other asinine training exercise and considering some of the ones that I have come up with, that is definitely saying something.

With that I head back really quick to leave a note by Makino’s side, as I haven’t been fishing in a while, and so long as I don’t pull in a Sea King, it should be nice and relaxing with no real strain attached.

As I return with the crew I tagged along with eight hours later, I admit that my patience is nowhere near close to what I previously thought. While nothing even needed more than a twitch at my level of strength, sitting in one spot for an hour at a time, doing nothing was grating on my nerves. A directed blast of Conqueror’s Haki made things all worth it though. Yes, I have the third type of Haki, as Gramps finally told me a few years ago. But he had no knowledge of how to train it to be better, as him asking or inquiring about said knowledge would have many more questions asked in turn. What he does know is that the ability is incredibly rare, but more likely to show up if someone’s recent ancestor possessed it. In my case it is my father who also has Conqueror’s Haki. The additional tidbit that those who awaken it are not quite destined to rule, but more drawn to conflict than anything else, has me a bit relieved, as I’m done being anyone’s sole problem solver just because it was ‘foretold’. As for what made it all worth it, a group of crabs with bodies bigger than my head were put into a death-like state, making for easy scooping with the long-handled nets.

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The next week as Garp couldn’t stand being forced to recuperate any longer, he tried to leave the hospital facility on the Marine base, key word being tried. The girls, uninjured as they were, were the ones to corral him back to where he could be made more ‘cooperative’. Meaning that the doctors on hand pumped him full of enough drugs to knock-out someone four times his size.

Another week later though and despite Pike volunteering to visit Marine Headquarters in his place, Garp had to leave, though he admits that after he reports in, I might not see him for up to a year, as it all depends on how badly the Fleet Admiral chews him out for his ‘recklessness’.

Garp is pleased as I give him one of Thunderstep’s claws that have been turned into more of a variation of a rapier. The weapon as it is, is meant to be wielded with the outward curve pointed towards the user, with the further sharpened point meant to stab deep enough to pull off armor, if the target is wearing any that is, or start popping out ribs from the inside out. Thus, a potentially very gruesome weapon. The fact that Garp likes the blade so much, that he also asks for and receives a second claw to gift to his boss and friend, Sengoku, if only to lessen his punishment detail when received.

Marine Headquarters, Ten Days Later

“I thought that I made myself perfectly clear the last time you were here, almost FOUR MONTHS AGO?” Sengoku says, the vein in his forehead already popping and throbbing as Garp walks into his office all nonchalant, like nothing is wrong despite the many casts that still litter his form, mainly on his hands. “You weren’t even fully healed up from the last time you and your grandson went at it, so why put yourself through it yet again.” Sengoku continues, once again wondering why he hasn’t already retired yet with Garp being just one of his many ‘problem children’ that he has had to deal with since he succeeded Kong as Fleet Admiral, over twenty years ago.

“Well, your fears are realized at any rate. For this time, the little ‘Monster’ won. It was barely, but he pulled some things that I didn’t know he would be capable of. He also had to put my fears to rest that he had found and consumed a devil-fruit. He simply stepped off the dock and into the water, while in said form, that of a purer human/wolf hybrid than any devil fruit I’ve seen would grant, and then walked around on the sea floor while holding his breath for several minutes. I’m have seen devil-fruits that can do things as close to real ‘magic’ as it gets, yet he puts them all to shame with the tricks he keeps pulling out each time I visit. There is also the additional thing. “ Here Garp pauses as he raps on the door, allowing a person waiting on the other side to come in with a case. That person sets the case down on the table, then promptly exits the room. “Open it. A gift of a pain in my ass, one that almost killed me over fifty years ago when I was young and dumb and hopped up on my own supply.” Garp says as Sengoku opens the case.

“What is this Garp?” Sengoku asks as he opens the case, the claw fitted with a guard and handle for actual use.

“A claw from old Thunderstep. The brat encountered and killed the son of a bitch. The same one who gave me my first real beating, so badly they almost killed me over fifty years ago.” Garp says with a smile, pride at Luffy’s accomplishment coloring his voice.

Sengoku takes a closer look at the claw like sword, and focusing his Observation Haki upon it, can tell the strength that this blade has, equivalent to that of a Graded blade such as Shigure. Meaning that for being animal bone of a one hundred plus year old creature, and one that continued to grow stronger, not just resting on their accomplishments, it is quite the weapon. Wanting to test exactly what he is feeling, Sengoku draws the claw from the case, and with no real pressure at all, it sinks into and through the reinforced brick of his office. When he withdraws it, there is not a mark or otherwise a scratch on it. Testing the claw another way, he imbues Armament Haki into the claw, and the weapon displays less resistance to the process than a seasoned or otherwise heavily used blade would. Turning to Garp, “Bribes won’t help the boy’s case, no matter how nice it is. He is incredibly strong Garp. Few if any could say that they are at his equal at their current level, even those who are in their late twenties and in their prime to boot, or those who will age at a vastly diminished rate due to their devil-fruit's abilities. Fewer still could say to be his better, such as myself or Akainu, just as examples. His behavior and his choices will determine whether we let him be neutral or if he earns the World Government's blade to his neck. Over the next three years, I’m limiting you to just one more trip to see him Garp, so make it count when you do. The world is continuing to change, and we much be there to meet the opposition with our Justice.” Sengoku finishes and dismisses Garp.

Garp leaves, but definitely has some letters to send, and arrangements to make. Then he has to get healed back to full. With Luffy having surpassed him, even if just barely, it is far past time for him to peel off the rust that has accumulated. He needs to get better, if only to be able to bear witness to the storm that Luffy will herald in as he travels the world.

Dawn Island two days later

‘I’m still another few solid days from being back to one hundred percent, but it is time to get back to training. Gramps is old and while he still has plenty of power, I don’t think that I could’ve beaten him in his prime of say twenty-five years ago, there is no telling how much rust he has accumulated. Whatever the amount, I hope he got the wakeup call he needed. I’m angry at myself for what I have been doing, as I’ve made the mistake too many times of comparing my current life to my previous life. The average level of opponents while starting out once I leave Dawn Island shouldn’t be of any real trouble, it is when I get to the Grand Line that things will change. So many times, I strategized for when I faced gramps, yet most of my future opponents should be one and done once I learn the gimmick that they rely on (if needed), whether they are at my level or not. I truly hope to face the likes of Whitebeard in combat one day, if only just to shout to the heavens that I won’t be pushed under as I continue getting stronger. Enough wool-gathering, I need to take my elemental control to the next level and even further if possible. I just need to make sure that I don’t destroy too much of Dawn Island in the process. The timing and control even when away from my body should become instant. The grenade that I used against gramps is a prime example. It took me two minutes plus to make that construct, though I was distracted trying to not to get my face pounded in. Even with heavy distractions, I need to get the timing down to five seconds or less, so let’s get to it.’

I gather the girls and then I head out on a rowboat to the edge of the bay, the shoreline maybe a half-mile away. Time to get started. I have the girls use Geppo to hop around me and attack me. Their goal is to capsize the rowboat. My goal in turn has several steps to it. The first is probably going to be the hardest, creating a shell made of an element at random, but big enough and strong enough to withstand the girls attacks. The second step, creating a second layer of the same element inside the first. The third step, making the second layer a different element than the first layer. The fourth step will then be to add a third elemental layer to the existing setup. The fifth step is rotation of all layers in alternating directions. The sixth and final step for now is going on the offense with any of the layers. Rarely will my future fights be ‘fair’, so I need to step up the ability to multi-task more than I already have. If I can get this down pat before I leave, then I will just need to think of something else to keep pushing the ceiling up higher and higher, maybe creation of an elemental construct much more sophisticated than my grenade, like a Golem. I have the girls start, and not even five seconds later, I’m in the drink, spitting out a mouthful of salt-water.

For the next six hours I make little progress if that, as fifteen seconds is not a good sign for right now, especially with the first layer being highly unstable, and at no point can I start on the second layer, my control and focus is that lacking. I do feel a slight increase in my overall abilities, but so far it is very minor.