Pirates' Magic Odyssey: Unveiling Eight Skills At The Beginning - Chapter 5

One month later.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo~~”

The crow of a rooster broke the silence of the night.

The dawn was just breaking, and the leaves in the mountains still held glistening dewdrops.

The sound of footsteps grew closer, four children were running for their lives.

Behind them was a fierce lone wolf, with sharp fangs, and eyes gleaming green, closing in steadily.

Yang Ming was sweating profusely, feeling speechless.

Ever since a month ago, Garp returned from the Navy headquarters to the East Blue and warmly welcomed the four of them.

This training known as the “Death Race,” is a program designed to challenge Ace, Sabo, and Luffy.

Yang Ming has officially taken up residence in Dadan’s home, and because he left a strong impression on Garp by using Flash Step in front of him, he’s been included in this training project originally meant for Luffy and the others after his one-month recovery period.

Of course, Yang Ming chose to participate willingly.

He’s well aware that in this world, the Navy has a systematic training approach, and being a Navy hero, Garp has his unique training methods.

However, it seems like this method might be a bit over the top.

Is it all about adrenaline?

Yang Ming doesn’t need to look back to know that there’s a panting wolf behind him, along with those predatory eyes fixated on their prey.

During this death race, Garp prohibited them from using force to resist. They were forced to be chased by the fierce wolf, and if they stopped, they would face dire consequences.

Facing the threat of death could bring out the maximum potential from the body.

Yang Ming felt his adrenaline surging, and his entire body seemed ready to boil.

Over the past month, if it weren’t for the nutritious meals provided by Dadan’s family and the operation of Liukuxian Pirates, which maximally extracted the nutrients from the food. It replenishing Yang Ming’s depleted body, and even gradually improving his physical condition. He would likely have collapsed from exhaustion not long after starting the run.

The six meridians—large intestine, small intestine, stomach, triple burner, gallbladder, and bladder—constantly emitted accumulated “qi,” compensating for Yang Ming’s physical exertion and enabling him to endure in this deadly race.

Garp concealed himself in the forest, one hand holding a bag, the other nibbling on a doughnut.

Seeing Yang Ming lagging behind the team, showing no signs of prior training, yet managing to persist through this high-intensity training for the first time, driven solely by his willpower, Garp couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

“This kid, you can tell he’s a good Navy material!”

“Ace, Sabo, and Luffy have been led astray, always wanting to become pirates. This time, I won’t let this kid be influenced by those three smelly kids. He should come back with me and become an honorable Navy soldier!”

Wolves as creatures, were not suitable for long-distance chases. Once they exceeded five kilometers, their stamina couldn’t keep up. And when it reached ten kilometers, they would be unwilling to continue pursuing their prey.

Seeing the four prey right in front of its eyes, but unable to catch them, after running for ten kilometers, the fierce wolf didn’t want to continue chasing and turned to leave.

After the wolf had gone far enough, ensuring it wouldn’t come back for a sneak attack, Yang Ming and the others finally chose to stop.

After a long run, it was not advisable to sit down and rest.

So, Yang Ming leaned against a nearby tree trunk, breathing heavily.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!”

Sweat had already soaked through Yang Ming’s clothes, making him look as if he had just been pulled out of the sea.

Yang Ming had never undergone such intense training before. He felt a cramp in his leg muscles, so he had to endure the fatigue, doing stretching exercises in place to alleviate the discomfort.

After a while, Garp who knows where he came from, tossed the bag to the ground and grinned.

“You brats, eat something quickly. After you finish, there’s even tougher training waiting for you!”

Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were used to Garp’s sudden appearances, and they were all freaks in terms of stamina. Running ten kilometers without panting, it was like they had just finished warming up.

Yang Ming, dragging his exhausted body, approached.

The bag was filled with high-energy, and high-nutrient foods like cream buns, cheesecakes, and boxed milk to replenish the expended energy.

Fast hands get the goods, and slow hands get none.

Seeing Ace and the others devour the food like starved ghosts. Yang Ming didn’t want to be left behind, quickly grabbing a cheesecake and swallowing it in one bite.

At the same time, thanks to the operation of the eight miraculous skills of Six Sensei Thieves, the cheesecake in his stomach was rapidly digested, transforming into Qi that flowed through his limbs and meridians. This Qi was like an experienced masseur, gently kneading the cramping muscles in Yang Ming’s legs, gradually easing the soreness.

After finishing five olive-sized butter breads, ten adult palm-sized cheesecakes, and drinking 800 milliliters of pure milk in one gulp. Yang Ming finally felt his energy restored, with some surplus Qi remaining in his body.

After just eating, it wasn’t suitable for intense training.

Garp led the four of them back to the backyard of the Dadan family and began explaining combat techniques to them.

“Combat is about minimizing consumption and quickly subduing the enemy…”

“We must possess a comprehensive grasp of both our own capabilities and those of our adversaries…”

“Here are the most vulnerable parts of the human body…”

“There are several aspects to the punching technique…”

Just after Garp started speaking, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy began to yawn repeatedly, almost falling asleep on the spot.

Only Yang Ming took out paper and a pen, feeling like he was back in his previous life, carefully jotting down everything Garp was explaining.

Seeing Ace, Sabo, and Luffy’s lack of attention, Garp’s forehead showed signs of frustration.

Luckily, Yang Ming was diligently recording his thoughts and experiences, providing some semblance of satisfaction to Garp as if he had found a student who was truly engaged. This prevented an immediate outburst of anger.

The teacher loves to teach, and the student loves to learn.

Yang Ming absorbed Garp’s battle techniques, who had spent many years in the military. 

Although it was currently just theoretical knowledge, it opened a door for Yang Ming, revealing that combat was an art, not just a brute force endeavor.

“Um…”

Luffy’s method of hitting his master with a flurry of punches didn’t count.

After an hour of explanation, Garp estimated that the four of them had completed their rest, and he clapped his hands, saying:

“The lesson for today has come to an end, and now we move on to the practical segment.”

With that, Garp disappeared into the forest.

Not long after, along with several roars of anguish from the forest, Garp dragging a black bear in one hand. The black bear had a huge lump on its head and a face filled with grievances, clearly not understanding how it had managed to provoke this fierce god, Garp.

Garp tossed the black bear in front of Yang Ming and the others, saying:

“Next, you will each take turns to engage in one-on-one combat with this black bear. Remember, no firearms allowed, only your own body and combat skills!”

At this point, Garp looked specifically at Yang Ming.

Yang Ming smiled awkwardly and had to place the two burst guns he had confiscated from pirates earlier on the ground.

The animals in the world of One Piece seemed to have a sense of understanding, as the black bear appeared to comprehend Garp’s words, simmering with anger.

“Darn it! Got beaten up early in the morning and dragged out of my den. All of this just to serve as a sparring partner for these four human brats?”

The black bear climbed up from the ground, suddenly standing on its hind legs. Towering over three meters tall, resembling a black iron tower which putting considerable pressure on Yang Ming and the others.

Since Yang Ming was a new member, Garp intentionally arranged for him to go last. Giving him more time to observe how the other three dealt with the black bear.

Yang Ming was content with this arrangement, taking the opportunity to watch with great interest.

Under Garp’s set-up, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy took turns facing the bear.

Ace and Sabo fully utilized their advantages, avoiding direct clashes of strength with the bear. Instead, they constantly dodged, finding opportunities to strike at the bear’s knee joints.

Even though the bear had tough skin and thick flesh, it was still howling in pain from the continuous blows inflicted by Ace and Sabo, clearly feeling quite a bit of agony.

As for Luffy, it was all about attack through yelling and brute force, utterly devoid of any tactics.

The battle between Luffy and the bear had no value whatsoever, leaving Garp red-faced and shouting angrily from the side.

If it weren’t for Luffy having consumed a Devil Fruit, turning his body into rubber and reducing the pain from attacks. Using this kind of method in a fight would have likely caused countless deaths.

After Luffy finished his battle, it was finally Yang Ming’s turn to step forward.

Garp was already completely speechless about Luffy, channeling his frustration into eating doughnuts so his speech slurred as he asked:

“Yang Ming, are you ready for this mentally?”

Yang Ming nodded heavily, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes as he said:

“I sense a surge of youthful energy within me!”

Garp smirked, feeling that Yang Ming’s response was absolutely fantastic, perfectly matching his temperament.

Simultaneously, a notification from the system resonated within Yang Ming’s thoughts.

“Ding!”

“Congratulations, the host has quoted a classic line from Naruto. You have won a chance to draw a prize. Would you like to activate the draw roulette?”

Facing the black bear in the center of the backyard, Yang Ming, who had witnessed the three youngsters battle it out, was now at the peak of his anger. His eyes were bloodshot, and his whole body exuded a brutal aura, as if he wanted to kill the bear in front of him.

Sensing the palpable malice coming towards him, Yang Ming’s muscles tightened all over as he assumed a combat-ready stance.

Meanwhile, in his mind, Yang Ming whispered to himself:

“I hope I will get a suitable prize later!”

“Lottery!”