Pirate: I'm an admiral now, what's wrong with taking a little extra money?

If I get beaten up for just five more days... no, four more days! I can finally buy the Domineering one outright!

Lieutenant General Garp, you are such a good person!

Chapter 39 The so-called strong are those who use their salary to create happiness!

"Bam—!"

On the turbulent sea, a figure skipped across the waves like a stone, bouncing seven or eight times before finally crashing into a protruding reef.

"The two hundred and seventy-third time..."

Bogart stood by the ship's railing, expressionlessly drawing a line in his notebook. He pushed up his sunglasses and said with a hint of pity, "He has about six broken bones. Based on the recovery data from the first three days, it should take him about four minutes to get up."

In the center of the deck, Garp, shirtless and radiating intense heat, watched as the dark Armament Haki receded from his terrifying fists like a receding tide. He picked his nose, looking annoyed. "Hey, Bogart, did you go too far? This kid's been in the sea for three minutes now, and he hasn't made a sound?"

"Lieutenant General, Devil Fruit user, will lose strength if he falls into the sea."

"Ah! I forgot!" Garp slapped his forehead. "Go get them! If they drown, I'll have to find another sandbag... no, I mean, a successor, that's too much trouble!"

However, just as the medic was preparing to jump into the water, a sudden gust of wind swept through the shattered ruins of the reef.

"Cough cough... Vice Admiral Garp... Huff... Huff..."

Kane was soaking wet, and half of his face was swollen like a steamed bun, but he still managed to shakily ride the air currents back to the deck.

He bared his teeth, still spewing out, "Is that all the strength you've got... not even enough to tickle me! Is this the level of a naval hero? I bet even the bandits in the East Blue have a stronger punch than you!"

The entire room fell silent.

All the marines looked at Kane as if he were a monster.

It's been four whole days.

This madman repeats the cycle of "getting beaten, getting up, mocking, and getting beaten again" every day.

What is this person's mouth made of? Seastone?

Even if all the bones in his body are broken, he'll still be stubborn!

In contrast, there was a blue light screen flickering wildly on Kane's retina.

[Ding! Continued humiliation and provocation of the Vice Admiral!]

[Disciplinary Decision: Extreme disrespect for superiors!]

[Settlement Reward: 1000 Disciplinary Points!]

[Current disciplinary points balance: 185,200!]

"It'll be soon...it'll be soon!"

Kane screamed inwardly, his adrenaline surging.

Less than 15,000 points away!

To save those 100,000 points, Kane has been risking his life to fleece people these past few days.

He tried to awaken Haki for free through Garp's "hardcore teaching," but unfortunately, he probably put all his talent points into talking. Apart from becoming more physically resilient, he didn't feel any Haki at all.

"Since I failed to get it for free, I guess I'll just have to grind it out! Old Man Cap, give me some more coins!"

Kane took a deep breath, about to spout a couple more nasty remarks, when a chilling coldness enveloped his entire body.

The veins on Garp's forehead bulged, and a ferocious smile appeared on his usually carefree face.

"You brat..."

Garp cracked his knuckles, making a series of popping sounds. "Your mouth is harder than your bones, huh? Fine, fine..."

"It seems I was too gentle with you, which gave you the wrong impression."

boom--!!!

A dark red aura suddenly erupted from Garp. The sheer force of the aura alone made the surrounding air thicken.

Garp pulled his right arm back, and jet-black Armament Haki instantly covered his entire arm. This time, the color of the Haki was so deep that it seemed to devour light, and there were even faint dark red lightning bolts jumping on his fist.

This time, he was a little more serious.

Without another word, Garp vanished into thin air.

Kane's pupils contracted sharply.

As the fist rapidly enlarged in his vision, Kane felt a real sense of death. His body's instincts screamed: I can't defend against it! I absolutely can't defend against it! I'm going to die!

"Damn it, I failed to get the wool..."

This old man is really intent on killing!

The little black figure in my mind finally released the money pouch and screamed, "Recharge! Recharge now! We're about to die, who are we going to burn money for?!"

"System! Exchange for Armament Haki! Immediately! Right now!"

[Ding! 100,000 disciplinary points consumed.]

Armament Haki (Basic) has been distributed.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

Almost the instant the system notification sounded, a dormant heat within Kane seemed to be forcibly awakened.

His body, which had previously been completely clueless about domineering auras, seemed to have suddenly been infused with the muscle memory honed through countless trials. That mysterious and profound feeling—it was the power of will transformed into armor!

"Get your ass up...!"

Kane crossed his arms above his head, channeling all his willpower and the newborn power into his arms.

Om-!

In an instant, his arms were covered in a layer of jet-black metallic sheen. Although the color was much lighter than Garp's, and although the coverage was somewhat uneven, it was the real deal—Armament Haki!

next second.

when--!!!

Garp's iron fist slammed into Kane's arms, producing a crisp metallic clang.

A substantial shockwave exploded outwards in a ring shape centered on the two individuals.

The deck planks cracked instantly, and the sailors watching were blown about like bowling balls. Even the mast creaked under the strain.

"puff--!"

Kane was sent flying again, smashing through three layers of railings and creating two water walls a hundred meters high on the sea surface. He slid for a full five hundred meters before finally coming to a stop.

But this time he didn't sink like a dead dog. Instead, he spread his blue wings and hovered steadily in mid-air.

He looked down at his arms, which still gleamed with a faint metallic sheen and were trembling slightly.

It blocked...it blocked it?

Although his arm bones were probably cracked all over, and although he was in excruciating pain, he actually took Garp's punch!

"Is this... the power of spending money?"

Kane's eyes welled up with tears.

It's not because of the pain, but because of the heartache.

One hundred thousand! Vanished into thin air in that very second!

"My money...my points..."

My heart aches so much I can't breathe.

But he still suppressed his heartache, flew back to the deck, struck a punchable pose, and shoved his dark arms in front of Garp.

"Lieutenant General, is this what you call domineering? It doesn't seem that difficult. I can learn it with a little practice."

The deck was deathly silent.

Bogart lowered his hat brim to conceal the shock in his eyes. Four days? He awakened Armament Haki after only four days of being beaten? Such talent was unheard of.

Is there really such a masochistic constitution in this world, where the more you are beaten, the stronger you become?

Garp remained in his punching stance, stunned for two seconds.

He then withdrew his fist, put his fingers back into his nostrils, and wore that carefree smile.

"Hahaha! Not bad, brat! Although your mouth is foul as hell, the fact that you were able to awaken your talent under the pressure of my iron fist shows that it is indeed top-notch!"

Karp patted Kane on the shoulder, nearly breaking Kane's newly set bone again.

"Although the color is a bit pale and the hardness is about the same as a biscuit, it's still a beginner's level!"

Garp's old face was full of pride, as if it were all thanks to his excellent teaching.

Kane's lips twitched; his heart was bleeding.

What the hell are cookies?! Those were bought with 100,000 points!

but……

Finally, in this new world overrun by monsters, they have their first trump card for survival.

"Alright, stop grinning like an idiot." Garp released his grip, pulled a dusty rice cracker from his pocket, and popped it into his mouth. "Now that you've mastered Armament Haki, your defense is passable for now. Go lie in the infirmary for half a day."

Kane was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Karp's next words made his heart stop.

"Special training in Observation Haki will begin this afternoon. Prepare your blindfolds; now that you have Armament Haki, I won't need to hold back when I throw a punch."

Garp grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint.

"Lieutenant General, are you a devil?"

“No,” Garp laughed heartily, “I am a naval hero!”

The sea breeze blows.

Kane stood on the deck, looking at the remaining balance of [85,200] on his retina, and then at Garp's fist, which was full of "love".

He suddenly realized that the speed at which he could make money could never keep up with the intensity of the beatings he was getting.

"System, I have a question..."

Kane silently asked himself, "Can Observation Haki... be discounted?"