OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#35+36: I'm a King, Dammit! G-3 Base and Marine Vice Admiral Garp! The Training Begins! A Duel with Garp and a Punch to the Limit

"Hey! How did you get Headquarters to personally assign me to this detail? Hina is very curious!"

On the deck of the warship, Hina looked at Jin, her expression a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.

Jin just smiled and looked her over.

Hina was always impeccably dressed. Her tall, 181cm frame was always clad in a perfectly tailored, form-fitting magenta business suit. That, combined with her Marine coat of justice, gave her an air of heroic competence.

But what really caught Jin's eye was her... broad sense of responsibility.

He shrugged. "I'm the king of a member nation. This is just a small perk of the job."

The CP0 agent's words had been a wake-up call.

Shit. I'm a king.

The Marines? They're supposed to be working for me.

He paid the Heavenly Tribute every year, a massive sum of money that funded these very people. When he needed to use them, he was going to use them.

"Hmph. And here Hina thought you were different from the other kings," Hina grumbled.

She had been about to go on a mission to crush a pirate crew, to earn some merit, and instead, she'd been assigned to escort Jin to his special training.

At this rate, how was she ever going to make admiral?

"If you want to be a Rear Admiral, that's easy,"

Jin said with a grin. "—In the future, there will be plenty of pirates for you to catch around Hannabal Island."

Hina froze, looking at him in surprise. "How did you know what I was thinking? Don't tell me..."

"If you want a promotion, with my backing, we can make it happen..." Jin said. "Rear Admiral? I can make you a Vice Admiral. But on these seas, a title without the strength to back it up is just a joke. Instead of chasing pirates all over the world, you should take some time to focus on your own training, to increase your own combat power. Or are you telling me you don't want to be trained by Vice Admiral Garp?"

"Of course I want to," Hina said, surprised. "But... it's not that easy."

Jin smiled. "With me, it is. Otherwise, why would I have asked for you?"

"Hey, I'm doing this for your own good. Don't be ungrateful."

'Did Jin make another deal with Headquarters?' Hina wondered, her expression complex. Is this what power is? All her hard work, and it's not worth as much as a single word from a king?

Jin reached out and gave her a light smack on the back of the head. "So, are you in or out? If not, I'll find someone else."

"Ow! That hurt!" Hina rubbed her head and glared at him.

"I didn't say I wasn't going," she muttered.

—————————

G-3 base, located at the midpoint of one of the seven routes, near the Calm Belt, was a massive fortress.

At the docks, a tall, broad-chested, muscular old man was holding a bag of donuts.

"You guys could have handled receiving this king on your own," he said, taking a large bite. "Did you really have to drag me into it? What a pain."

"Vice Admiral Garp, these are Fleet Admiral Sengoku's orders," the Rear Admiral beside him said, his face stern. He had no choice. With a commander like Garp, if he didn't maintain a serious demeanor, nothing would get done.

Yes, "Get done."

Garp might have been a "hero" of the Marines, and the commander of the base, but other than drinking tea, eating snacks, and occasionally visiting the East Blue, he didn't do much of anything.

In his own words, "I'm an old man. You guys are the future of the Marines. I'm just training you."

Of course, besides that, Garp cared deeply for his subordinates and was incredibly reliable when it mattered. He was a good boss.

And for this particular mission, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had specifically ordered that Garp personally handle the training. He couldn't afford to slack off.

"Sengoku, really," Garp grumbled. "He knows I hate dealing with nobles, and he still assigns this to me."

"I hear it was the king's request," Bogard said. "He dealt with that 'disgrace' of the Marines, Gasparde, during the 'Dead End Race.' The Marines owe him one."

"Oh?" Garp said. "He can beat Gasparde? Is he a Devil Fruit user?"

"We're not sure," the Rear Admiral replied. "The Fleet Admiral's intention is for you to gauge his strength, Vice Admiral."

"Right. I get it." Garp and Sengoku had been partners for years. He could tell that Sengoku was very interested in this king. "Looks like I'll have to show off a little."

Garp took another bite of his donut. In the distance, two warships appeared, passing through the gates of the fortress.

The first was a small warship, clearly from Headquarters.

The second...

Garp's eyes narrowed. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary large sloop. But something was off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but when he looked at it, he had the strange feeling that the ship was looking back at him.

As if it were alive.

But in the next instant, the feeling was gone.

"Strange," Garp muttered.

The warships docked.

Lieutenant Commander Hina disembarked first and reported to Garp and the others. Then, Jin descended the gangplank.

Young.

Radiant.

Clean-cut.

Handsome.

Their first impression of Jin was a good one. He had a warm smile on his face. After stepping onto the docks, he looked at the assembled officers and immediately spotted the towering figure of Garp.

Garp was an absurd 287cm tall, but in the world of One Piece, there were people even taller. He had a scar over his left eye, intelligent blue eyes, and a full head of short, gray-white hair.

"Hero of the Marines..." Jin said, walking up to him. "Vice Admiral Garp, I'm a great admirer of yours. I'm so glad to finally meet you."

An admirer??

So he wasn't here to cause trouble.

The officers of G-3 all breathed a sigh of relief. The wary, guarded looks they had been giving Jin softened. It wasn't that they had anything against him personally, but there were just too many ridiculous, over-the-top kings in the world.

"I've also brought a little something from my homeland," Jin said, gesturing for his crew to bring a chest forward. "Some delicious mushrooms. The mess hall can have a feast tonight."

The mushrooms had been farmed by Ai in the carrier. They were a promotional item, a little something for the Marines to try. Maybe he could even land a procurement order from G-3.

"Delicious mushrooms?" the Rear Admiral said, suspicious. Mushrooms were tricky. One wrong one, and you could end up in a coffin.

"The mushroom farmers in my homeland are having a tough time," Jin explained. "So I'm here to help them out. Don't worry, I'll be eating them too. They're completely non-toxic."

The officers were surprised. A king who helped his people sell their products? They'd never seen anything like it. Could he really be a wise ruler?

"Send them to the mess hall," Garp said. "If the men like them, we can place an order."

"Thank you, Vice Admiral Garp."

Garp looked him over. "So you want me to train you?"

"Yes," Jin replied. "And Lieutenant Commander Hina as well. And I was hoping that the crew I brought with me could also receive some formal Marine training."

<><><><><><><><>

As the saying goes, learn from the best.

The Marines were the largest and most powerful organization in the world of One Piece. Their systematic, formal, and comprehensive approach to building their forces was exactly the kind of experience Jin, with his ambitions of developing his own power, desperately needed.

To grow, he had to take the best of what they had to offer.

The crew Jin had brought with him were hand-picked from Asuka Island, Drum Island, and Hannabal Island. They either had great potential in terms of strength, or they were exceptionally intelligent.

Maya was among them.

With his stomach full of their mushrooms, Garp had agreed to their training. The Rear Admiral made the arrangements, assigning several commissioned officers to the task.

Hina's men were also incorporated into the training program.

Jin and Hina, on the other hand, were to be trained by Garp himself.

—————————

On the back hills of the island.

"Let's get one thing straight—" Garp said, his voice a low rumble. "—Once this training starts, I don't care if you're a king or a woman. I'm not holding back, even if you get hurt."

"No problem," Jin said.

"Hina can take it," Hina added.

Garp took off his coat of justice and clenched his iron fists. "Alright. Both of you, come at me. Use everything you've got."

"Eh?" Hina said, surprised.

"I need to see what you're made of before I can create a proper training plan for you."

"Oh."

Hina took a deep breath, her expression turning serious. She charged forward and unleashed a Tempest Kick.

"Six Powers?" Garp said. He raised his arm and shattered the attack with a single punch. Then, he followed through with an elbow strike, sending the off-balance Hina flying.

She tumbled to the ground, a mask of pain on her face.

"Ow... that hurts..." she hissed. She got back up and used her Devil Fruit, but she was still sent flying with another punch.

Garp's "Fist of Love" was a high-attack, low-defense move. All its stats were poured into damage. Not just anyone could withstand it.

"Six Powers, and you only know Tempest Kick?" Garp said, his voice laced with disappointment. "And your use of your Devil Fruit is average at best. After you were promoted, did you just get too busy catching pirates to train? That's not good enough. You have more potential than this."

Garp's eye for talent was sharp. His assessment: she was weak, and she wasn't putting in the work.

Hina lowered her head in shame. "Hina is ashamed."

Garp turned to Jin. "Your turn."

Jin stepped forward.

A black "Ki" began to radiate from his body, coiling around his arms like steel.

He took a step, and the force of his presence sent the pebbles on the ground skittering away.

Facing Garp, he was using his full power.

"Haki?" Garp's expression changed slightly. No wonder he'd been able to defeat the candy-man, Gasparde. This young man...

Bogard and Hina were both stunned.

Jin launched himself into the air, his body coiled like a drawn bowstring, his Haki-charged fist ready to fire. He struck forward with explosive force.

The punch created a sonic boom, a visible shockwave that rippled through the air, like a comet trailing a rainbow as it hurtled toward Garp.

If this was training, he had to go all out. That was the only way to find his weaknesses and achieve his goal.

Garp planted his feet, his body like a mountain. He threw a punch of his own, and it met Jin's in mid-air.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A sound like rolling thunder echoed through the hills. Garp's body, rooted to the ground, took the full force of Jin's punch.

The shockwave from the impact blasted outward in all directions.

Jin could feel the terrifying power contained within Garp's fist, a power that could shatter mountains.

This was the pinnacle of the Marines' power...

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Jin roared, unleashing all the energy within him, from his core to his shoulders to his arms.

From his Haki awakening to the carrier's upgrade, Jin had undergone two evolutions. His physical stats had been massively enhanced. His potential was even greater.

Normal training was no longer enough to push him to his limits. He needed to fight a true powerhouse.

"Hm?" Garp was surprised. Is this kid even human? How can a human body contain so much potential?

His power was like the waves of the sea, one after another, crashing against the rocks, each one stronger than the last.

A grin spread across Garp's face. Strong. Good...

He shifted his weight and threw a punch with his free hand, a sharp, vicious blow aimed at Jin.

Jin instinctively raised his other fist to block. But the moment he did, Garp's other fist, the one locked with his, suddenly surged with power.

By raising his other fist, Jin had to divert some of his strength. Garp had seized that momentary opening.

One fist to overpower, the other to crush.

BOOM!

Jin was sent flying dozens of meters, crashing through trees and rocks. He landed and plowed a long furrow in the ground.

Bogard and Hina were both dumbfounded.

Not because Jin had been sent flying.

But because he had managed to hold his own against Garp's punch for a full five seconds.

"Cough... cough..."

Through the dust, Jin staggered to his feet. His clothes were torn, and he was covered in scrapes, his insides churning. He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to vomit.

The Will to fight burned in his eyes.

—————————

"Hahaha!" Jin laughed. "AGAIN!!"

He pushed off the ground and shot toward Garp.

"Is he... okay?" Hina's beautiful eyes were wide with disbelief.

She'd been on the receiving end of Garp's punches. She knew how heavy they were. And the few punches she'd taken had been half-hearted.

But with Jin, it was different. Garp was clearly serious. Even if it wasn't a full-power punch, it was enough to shatter a warship.

And Jin had taken it? And he was getting back up like it was nothing?

Was his body that strong?

Hina was confused. She had fought Jin before. The gap between them hadn't been this large. Or... had he been holding back?

It hadn't occurred to her that Jin might have gotten stronger. But it had only been a short time since they had parted. It was unbelievable.

She didn't know that Jin could evolve along with the carrier, that his stats could increase.

As he was now, he might not have been on the level of a numerical monster like Kaido, Akainu, or Big Mom, but he wasn't far off.

But stats needed to be converted into combat power. A stat monster with no technique was still a novice in the face of a true master.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The dust swirled as the fierce battle turned the back hills into a wasteland. Jin was sent flying again and again.

But no matter how badly he was injured, he always got back up, as if he had an endless supply of stamina.

"This guy... no wonder Sengoku is so interested in him... He's even got my fists burning!"

A powerful Haki, like a suit of armor, enveloped Garp's body. His fists turned a dark, burning red.

"Galaxy Impact!!"

The flaming fist grew larger in Jin's vision, the friction from its incredible speed heating the air.

Jin's whole body was burning. Under Garp's pressure, his heart was pounding, and he was entering a peak state.

His hidden power was being activated, surging forth. A Haki even stronger than before, as wild as a flame, erupted from his body.

He was suddenly shrouded in a brilliant, searing light.

"Limit Breaker: Crushing Fist!!"

Jin charged to meet Garp's attack.

The two fists collided.

The sky seemed to darken.

The light from the impact was terrifying. A powerful shockwave ripped through the air, tearing up the earth, and the very island seemed to tremble.

The entire G-3 base was shaken. Countless Marine soldiers looked on in horror, seeing a mushroom cloud rising into the sky.

"What's happening?!"

"Are we under attack?! Who is Vice Admiral Garp fighting?!"

"Hey! Go check it out!"