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On the shore of an uncharted island...
"Bwahaha! You brat, let me show you your grandfather's fishing skills! Even in the Marines, my fishing skills are known to be the best of the best, Bwahaha!"
**Garp** held an absurdly oversized fishing rod, laughing loudly as he looked at **Ace** beside him. Ace, however, was busy with his own giant rod—one that didn't quite fit his small frame—completely ignoring Garp.
Suddenly, Ace cast his line.
"Haha, that's not how you fish! You have to put the bait on first. If you fish like that—"
"SHHHAAA-T!"
A massive carp leaped out of the water the moment Ace yanked the rod back with explosive force.
"FLAP... FLAP!"
The fish, at least ten meters long, crashed onto the rocks, thrashing violently.
"What were you saying?" Ace asked, giving the stunned Garp a questioning look.
"Ahem! Ace, that cast was nothing but pure luck! Your grandfather still has much to teach you about the art of fishing..."
"SWOOOSH!"
Before Garp could finish his advice, another powerful sound rang out. Ace had hooked a Marlin even larger than the previous fish.
"...."
Garp's mouth hung wide open as he stared at the two giant fish flopping on the rocks.
"Hmm? Old man, what was that about your fishing skills?" Ace asked, feigning curiosity.
"What's so hard about catching ordinary fish like these? Look closely; I'll show you how your grandfather catches a **Sea King**!" Garp shouted, his face turning red with embarrassment, his eyes burning with focus as he stared at the sea.
Garp had chosen this island as Ace's training ground—not just because of the predators in the forest, but more importantly, because the surrounding waters were teeming with **Sea Kings**.
Over the past few years, Garp had watched Ace grow. Ordinary beasts no longer posed a threat to him, and the truly powerful "Special Species" were located in the **Grand Line**, where Garp couldn't take him just yet. Therefore, the Sea Kings in this area were the perfect test for Ace's abilities.
Although young Ace shouldn't be a match for a Sea King yet, the presence of the "Hero of the Marines" ensured his life wouldn't be in danger. But at this moment, Garp's pride had been stung by Ace's provocation; he thought of nothing but hauling in a Sea King to reclaim his dignity.
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"A Sea King?" Ace muttered, looking at the surface of the water.
"Exactly, a Sea King! These creatures are different from beasts or fish; they are the sovereigns of the ocean. Every single one possesses terrifying size and power!" Garp replied automatically, his eyes still glued to the water.
"Do you mean this thing?"
"SPLAAAAASH!"
Ace suddenly dove into the water. Tracking a massive shadow beneath the surface, he used both hands to pull a creature resembling a giant eel—hundreds of meters long—straight out of the water!
"Yes, yes, that's a Sea King!" Garp nodded approvingly before freezing in absolute shock.
"ROOOOAR!"
The Sea King let out a furious roar and lunged toward Ace, intending to swallow him whole.
"Wait! Ace!" Garp panicked, quickly rolling up his sleeves to jump in and save him. A Sea King of this level was not something Ace should be able to handle yet.
"WOOOM!"
Ace looked at the lunging Sea King, and his gaze suddenly turned icy. A purplish-black flash flickered in his pupils, then exploded outward!
"BOOOOOM!"
A terrifying aura swept over the massive body of the Sea King, causing its movement to stop instantly. Then...
"THUD!"
The monster's eyes rolled back, and its massive body collapsed into the water, floating helplessly on the surface.
**"C... Conqueror's Haki (Haoshoku)!"** Garp muttered in disbelief as he watched Ace drag the unconscious Sea King toward the shore.
Garp wasn't surprised that Ace possessed Haki; the boy had released it with even greater force the day he was born. What left Garp shell-shocked was that the Conqueror's Haki Ace just released was **precisely targeted** only at the Sea King!
Normally, when someone awakens Conqueror's Haki (including Garp and Roger), it bursts out randomly and unconsciously. It cannot be controlled to distinguish between friend and foe.
Yet Ace, at seven years old and without any formal training, had mastered the control of Conqueror's Haki! This was unheard of; not even he or Roger could have done that at such an age.
Garp sank into a state of total bewilderment.
Ace, meanwhile, didn't care what Garp was thinking. After dragging the Sea King onto the rocks, he stared at a patch of skin on the beast's belly. There, embedded in the flesh, was a strange fruit glowing as if it were made of flickering flames.
Ace recognized it at first glance...
The Flame-Flame Fruit (Mera Mera no Mi)!
> [You have reached a transcendent level of Perception! The 'Mera Mera no Mi' has been attracted to you due to your incredible Insight!]
These lines of text flashed across Ace's mind.
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