Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 366 Fist and Bone! Domineering!
The original Flying Technique was immediately switched to Moonwalk.

The series of loud bangs immediately attracted the attention of the marines.

"It's Colonel Xia!"

"Colonel Xia is back!"

Amidst the chaos and joyful shouts, Li Xia, accompanied by Hei Tan, landed on Tina's large ship.

The originally spacious deck was now filled with people, so much so that Li Xia was somewhat puzzled by the lively atmosphere.

Before he could speak, the surrounding marines suddenly parted to make way for him.

A rough, unrestrained laugh echoed from the outside, moving inwards:
"Hahahaha, so you're the person Tina keeps talking about?"

A tall, muscular man, nearly 3 meters tall, wearing a dog-head hat, walked in.

Little Finger picked his nose in a completely unladylike manner, then took a closer look at Li Xia before laughing again:

"He's a great young man, no wonder little Tina was in such a hurry—"

Tina, who was following behind Garp, blushed instantly, so much so that it was impossible to tell whether her burgundy suit or her cheeks were redder.

His icy demeanor had vanished completely, and he said with a hint of panic:

“Tina didn’t, Tina was—she was worried about her colleagues—”

"Alright, stop making fun of Tina."

Standing at two meters tall, yet appearing somewhat petite next to Garp, Vice Admiral Tsuru surveyed the crowd and said calmly:
"Everyone else, go back to your posts. Don't you have any responsibilities?"

The chief strategist's intimidating power was unparalleled, even though his voice was not loud and his tone was not stern.

The marines who had gathered around suddenly shuddered and turned to run back to their posts.

In an instant, the deck became empty again.

(The image below shows Tina)

Tina, who was already aloof, breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear Tsuruka continue speaking:

"This is the first time I've seen Tina contact me so nervously."
It's all because of you, kid!
I happened to be with Garp, so I asked him to come over and see if he could save you, the future star of the Navy.

Tina froze for a moment, then the blush that had just faded returned instantly. She glanced at Li Xia with a somewhat flustered expression.

"Without Tina, it wouldn't be possible."

Li Xia nodded to Tina: "Thank you."

"Okay, let's not talk about this for now."

Lieutenant General Tsuru waved his hand:
“Let’s go somewhere else and tell us in detail. Although I approved Tina bringing her ‘prison troops’ out, I only know the general outline.”

The group entered the conference room on the deck. Garp plopped down in a chair, took off his dog-head hat, and revealed short white hair.

Then, out of nowhere, he pulled out a bag of rice crackers and started munching on them, looking like he was just watching a show.

"Actually, the cause of the matter is quite simple. CP came to me in Water Seven."

In the short time it took Li Xia to walk from the deck to the conference room, he had already organized his thoughts. He wanted to try to use this unexpected event as a turning point to bring his plans forward.

"They seem to have some kind of plan in Water Seven and are trying to force me to leave, but I haven't agreed."

Upon hearing this, Garp immediately smiled in agreement; as an old Marine, he completely looked down on CP.

They're just dogs raised by the Celestial Dragons, why should the Navy care about CP!

Have they been contacted about CP's plans?

Lieutenant General Tsuru asked thoughtfully, "Actually, she could have obtained CP's plan through her own channels."

But it takes time and is quite troublesome, so it's better to just ask here directly.

"I think it's very likely related to pirates."

Li Xia's way of narrating was to steer the conversation toward the CP (couple) plan, and she immediately and without hesitation said:
"Because they asked me, what should I do if I encounter pirates in Water 7?"

Li Xia didn't even need to answer. Whether it was Garp, Tsuru, or even Tina, they all knew there was only one answer: capture!

If it weren't for Li Xia's tireless efforts in capturing pirates and fighting criminals, which left an incredibly deep impression on both the Navy and CP,

Why would CP voluntarily provide him with information about pirates?

They never compromise with pirates and evil, yet never harm ordinary residents, and are as warm as a spring breeze.

This is the main reason why Garp and Tsuru rushed over immediately after receiving Tina's request.

The title of "the Navy's rising star" is not just a casual remark.

"So CP provided intelligence, mentioning that a large number of unidentified people were gathering in Water Seven for some reason."

Li Xia continued without blinking:

"I felt something was amiss, and since Water Seven is close to Marine Headquarters, I asked Tina to bring her fleet over."

It might have a surprising effect.

It is well-reasoned, logically sound, and highly credible.

"His sudden disappearance just now—"

"It must be a special Devil Fruit. Actually, I just called each ship in and asked them a few questions. If there were no problems, I would let them leave."

Pirates have a distinctive scent that's hard to miss.

Li Xia continued speaking without changing his expression.

Tina nodded in agreement: "Tina can attest that each fleet only took a minute or two to get in, and Xia even asked the shipwrights of Water Seven to help them repair the damaged ships."

Tsuru and Garp nodded slowly again, they approved of this way of doing things.

But the matter did not end there. Lieutenant General Tsuru picked up his teacup, took a sip, and stared directly at Li Xia with his seemingly cloudy eyes.

He asked gently, "So, why did you go to Water Seven?"

This is the chief strategist; her eyes seem to pierce through the thick fog and instantly lock onto the initial and most crucial question.

Why did Li Xia suddenly leave his post and head to Water City?

The excuse of vacation might work on the CP, but it won't work on Lieutenant General Tsuru.

Li Xia hesitated noticeably. He looked around with some difficulty and said in a low voice:
"Do you really want to tell me?"

"inconvenient?"

Lieutenant General He hadn't taken it seriously before, but as long as Li Xia was willing to give a plausible excuse, she would take over the whole matter.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku will definitely be involved in the movement of two lieutenant general units, and perhaps even the World Government will need to report it.

But Li Xia's behavior actually piqued her curiosity.

"No, not exactly—"

Li Xia blinked, looked at He, then at Garp, as if he had made up his mind, and said seriously:

"Then I'll say it. It's actually related to the Straw Hat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy."

"I previously captured Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, but they escaped during transport. I only decided to go check on them after receiving news that they had reappeared in Water 7."

Garp, who was enjoying his senbei while listening to the story, was stunned. He had actually gotten himself involved in the gossip.

"Luffy and Vice Admiral Garp—"

"Yes, Luffy is my good-for-nothing grandson." Garp readily admitted it. He had never thought of hiding it. This vice admiral, who was over seventy years old, carried the title of 'Marine Hero'.

In reality, he was just a grandfather.

"Although I've been teaching Luffy to be a Marine since he was little, well—sigh."

He put down his teacup and pinched the bridge of his nose.

She knew about her old comrade's family affairs; both her son and grandson were extraordinary, and her grandson had gone to sea.

The son was even more formidable; he simply raised a group to oppose the World Government and was also known as the number one criminal.

"Actually, I don't think the Straw Hat Pirates are pirates. If I had to say, they're more like an adventure team."

Li Xia said bluntly:
"Pirates typically engage in looting, murder, and other acts to amass wealth for themselves."

But the Straw Hat Pirates did not. They simply gathered together, enjoying the freedom of the sea and wanting to see the unknown world.

The so-called pirates were nothing more than people who were curious about the Onepice that the Pirate King Roger mentioned.

Perhaps, in Luffy's eyes, being a pirate equals freedom.

Karp remained silent, his large, rough hands crushing the rice crackers into fine powder; he knew his grandson was right.

Luffy isn't an evil person at all; it's all Shanks' fault!

That despicable red-haired man instilled in Luffy the idea that being a pirate equals freedom and that only a real man can go to sea.

Otherwise, he would definitely have seen Luffy wearing a navy coat!
Li Xia looked at the silent crowd and took a deep breath.

Now is the most crucial moment; all the previous preparations have been for this moment!
"Actually, I have no desire to capture the Straw Hat Pirates at all, because my ideal is to fight evil, not to shatter dreams."

Upon hearing this, Vice Admiral Tsuru, Garp, and even Tina were all jolted out of their reverie and looked at Li Xia with some surprise.

They didn't want to arrest him, yet they repeatedly did so.

Lieutenant General Tsuru glanced at Garp and asked the question on behalf of his old friend.

"Then you go after the Straw Hat Pirates—"

"For the contribution points, Lieutenant General Tsuru."

Li Xia said sincerely:
"I feel that my strength is not strong enough, and I am unable to deal with those pirates who have caused great harm."

Therefore, I want to improve my strength and accumulate contribution points so that Vice President Garp can train me.

But the contributions required are simply too many.

Li Xia unfolded the nautical chart, pointed to Jaya Island, and said:
"All the pirates in the surrounding area have been captured, except for the Straw Hat crew, whose bounty is the highest."

He wanted to learn from Garp, but didn't have enough contribution points, so he went to capture Garp's grandson to exchange for them.
If someone else had given this somewhat absurd reason, they would definitely have been criticized.

But it makes perfect sense and is perfectly normal when applied to Li Xia. This is a 'stereotype' that has been built up by thousands of criminals and hundreds of pirates!
"Hahahahahaha!"

Garp suddenly burst into loud laughter, even laughing until tears streamed down his face, and pointed at Li Xia, saying:

"You brat, you want to train with me, so you're desperately trying to grab my grandson, right?"
You're quite the character!
"I agree! From today onwards, you will train with me. You can owe me contribution points for now; we'll talk about it later when you've accumulated enough!"

[Executioner, a story character, 'Naval Hero', 'Legendary Marine', and currently the world's most powerful figure, Monkey D. Garp, agrees to allow you to undergo the highest level of naval training on 'credit'.]

【agree or not? 】

Needless to say?
agree!

Black Charcoal was stunned; in just two days, it had witnessed its boss's outrageous antics several times.

They extracted information about several groups of apostles from the CP organization and obtained a bunch of bloody keys.

Then, by a stroke of genius, they contacted Tina in advance and, using the pirate ship and benefits left behind by the apostle, joined forces with the nearby navy to launch a siege.

They also collected another two or three hundred thousand Hall Points.

to now
Black Charcoal was certain that this was not a well-thought-out plan by the boss, but rather a spur-of-the-moment idea after seeing Garp's ships.

To reiterate, the boss's plan may not be meticulous or ingenious, and the benefits may certainly not be maximized.

However, it is highly feasible, and every time it yields results.

This terrifying ability to adapt to changing circumstances is a quality not possessed by every apostle.

Just like the boss's every battle, every battle is accompanied by an excessive amount of on-the-spot reactions and improvisation.

In the recent incident with the Star God, facing the Star God's spatial blockade and gravity slingshot, Stone Spikes erupted from within his body.

It was a sure-fire death situation, but who could have imagined that the stroke of genius, the 'luck bonus', would be the final blow?

Although Kuroko didn't know how the boss had figured out that Garp would agree to train ahead of schedule.

But it knows that this is the best outcome at present. With no good entry point at the moment, it should focus on training and improving its strength and concentrate on the Marineford War three months later!

After returning to Jaya Island and making some simple arrangements, with Hani from the Revolutionary Army there, there shouldn't be any problems.

Most importantly, in the eyes of the marines, Li Xia went to headquarters to receive training from the 'legendary marine' Vice Admiral Garp.

This is a sign of an incredibly bright future; a promotion is just around the corner.

Colonel Wright-Shaw was a good commander who never mistreated his subordinates and always paid them their full and timely wages.

Under his command, both spiritual and material needs were met, and when the colonel was promoted to general, his own status naturally rose accordingly.

How could we possibly mistreat these old buddies then?
We're too busy having fun to possibly cause any trouble!
And so, Li Xia simply boarded Garp's dog-headed warship and followed the massive fleet to Marineford.

As for his plan to use a pseudonym, as a captain in the Navy Headquarters, he wasn't a trained marine; he could simply submit a report saying "there's an emergency at the base."

He can leave at any time. As for whether there's anything going on at the base, isn't that just a matter of his word?
A gentle sea breeze swept across the deck.

Seagulls circled around the sails, calling out, while the azure sea remained calm as a breeze.

The massive Gate of Justice was gradually receding into the distance, and Marineford, the naval headquarters, was right before us.

As the dog-headed warship approached, the long, drawn-out horn sounded from Marineford.

Lieutenant General Monkey D. Karp returns to Hong Kong!

Kap sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, calmly gazing at the sea, while Li Xia stood behind him.

“You’re different from that kid Koby. He has absolutely no foundation and needs to build up his body little by little.”

At this moment, Garp didn't seem like a legendary marine with a high status and power, but more like a kind and gentle old man.

"Although I haven't tested it yet, I can sense that your body is not weak and your foundation is solid."

So we'll start learning right away. Although you didn't say it, you probably want to learn my 'fist and bone' techniques, right?

Li Xia nodded. Among so many powerful techniques, only Garp's Armament Haki is unparalleled. Why not learn Fist Bone instead of Iron Body?

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Garp laughed again, his voice filled with a domineering and unique air of authority, as he spoke, word by word:

"What I have learned is right here."

But let me make this clear first: my training is nothing short of hell!

"If you're so capable, then take them all!"

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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

(End of this chapter)