Bang!
On the surging sea, a figure skipped across the waves like a skipping stone seven or eight times before violently smashing into a protruding reef.
"The 273rd time..."
Bogard stood by the ship's railing, expressionlessly drawing a line in a small notebook.
He adjusted his sunglasses, his tone carrying a hint of pity. "About six broken bones. Based on the recovery data from the past three days, it will take him about four minutes to get up."
In the center of the deck, Garp was shirtless, his body emitting scalding steam. The pitch-black Armament Haki was receding from his terrifying fists like a tide.
He picked his nose, looking annoyed. "Hey, Bogard, did I go too heavy? This kid's been soaking in the sea for three minutes already, still no movement?"
"Vice Admiral Garp, Devil Fruit users lose their strength when they fall into the sea."
"Ah! I forgot!" Garp slapped his forehead.
"Go fish him out quickly. If he drowns, I'll have to find another punching bag... No, finding a successor is very troublesome."
However, just as the medics were preparing to jump in, a sudden gust of wind swirled within the ruins of the shattered reef.
"Cough, cough... Vice Admiral Garp... huff... huff..."
Tatsuki was soaking wet, half of his face swollen, yet he still shakily rode the air currents back to the deck.
Baring his teeth, his mouth was still firing off insults. "Just this much strength... it's not even enough to tickle me. Is this the level of the Marine Hero? I've seen mountain bandits in the East Blue with heavier fists than yours."
The whole place went silent.
All the Marines looked at Tatsuki as if he were a monster.
It had been four whole days.
This lunatic repeated the cycle of "getting beaten, getting up, mocking, and getting beaten again" every single day.
What on earth was his mouth made of? Sea Stone?
Even if every bone in his body was broken, his mouth remained tough.
In contrast, a blue light screen flickered wildly on Tatsuki's retina.
[Ding! Continuously humiliating and provoking a Marine Vice Admiral!]
[Judgment: Extreme disrespect towards a superior!]
[Settlement reward: +1,000 Violation Points!]
[Violation Points: 185,200]
'Almost there.'
Tatsuki screamed inwardly, his adrenaline soaring.
Less than fifteen thousand points to go!
To save these hundred thousand points, Tatsuki had practically been risking his life every day these past few days.
He had tried to "freeload" the awakening of Haki through Garp's "hardcore teaching," but unfortunately, it seemed all his talent points had gone into his mouth. Aside from becoming more resistant to beatings, his body had no feeling for Haki at all.
'Since freeloading failed, I'll just have to grind it out. Old man Garp, drop some more coins for me.'
Tatsuki took a deep breath, and just as he was about to spout more nonsense, a bone-chilling cold enveloped his entire body.
Veins bulged on Garp's forehead, and on that usually carefree face, a sinister smile now appeared.
"You brat..."
Garp cracked his knuckles with a series of loud pops. "Your mouth is tougher than your bones, eh? Fine."
"It seems I've been too gentle with you, giving you the wrong impression."
Boom!
A dark red wave of air suddenly erupted with Garp as the center. The sheer pressure alone made the surrounding air feel thick.
Garp pulled back his right arm, and pitch-black Armament Haki instantly covered the entire limb. This time, the color of the Haki was so deep it seemed to swallow light, and there were even faint flickers of dark red lightning dancing on his knuckles.
This time, he was getting a bit serious.
Without another word, Garp's figure vanished into thin air.
Tatsuki's pupils constricted.
Looking at the fist rapidly enlarging in his field of vision, he felt a genuine aura of death. His body's instinct screamed: Can't block it, absolutely can't block it! I'll die!
'Damn it, the farming failed.'
The little black figure in his mind finally let go of the money bag and screamed, "Use the points now! If you're dead, who are you leaving the money for?!"
'System, exchange for Armament Haki!'
[Ding! Spent 100,000 Violation Points.]
[Armament Haki (Beginner) has been issued.]
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Almost the instant the system prompt sounded, a dormant heat within Tatsuki's body was forcibly awakened. His body, which previously knew nothing about Haki, was suddenly infused with tempered muscle memory. That mysterious feeling—the power of will turning into armor.
"Harden for me... damn it!!!"
Tatsuki crossed his arms in front of his head, pouring all his willpower along with that newborn power into his arms.
Buzz—
His arms were instantly coated in a pitch-black metallic luster. Although the color was much lighter than Garp's and the coverage was somewhat uneven, it was the real deal—Armament Haki!
The next second.
Clang!
Garp's iron fist smashed into Tatsuki's arms, producing a crisp sound like metal clashing against metal.
A physical shockwave exploded in a ring from the two of them.
The wooden planks on the deck instantly splintered, and the surrounding Marines watching were blown away like bowling pins, while even the mast let out an overburdened creak.
"Pfft—"
Tatsuki was sent flying again, crashing through three layers of railings and creating two hundred-meter-high walls of water on the sea, sliding for a full five hundred meters before finally stopping.
But this time, he didn't sink. Instead, green wings unfurled from his back, and he hovered steadily in mid-air.
He lowered his head, looking at his trembling arms which still held a faint metallic luster.
Blocked... I blocked it?
Although his arm bones were likely full of cracks and it hurt like hell, he had actually taken a punch from Garp.
'Is this... the power of pay-to-win?'
Tatsuki's eyes welled up.
Not from pain, but from heartache.
One hundred thousand! Gone in a single second!
'My money... my points..."
The heartache made it hard to breathe. Yet he still endured the heartache, flew back to the deck, struck a punchable pose, and shoved his pitch-black arms in front of Garp.
"Vice Admiral Garp, is this the Haki you were talking about? Doesn't seem that hard, I learned it with just a bit of casual practice."