Navy Headquarters, Marineford.
"You've been improving rapidly, kid!" Vice Admiral Dalmatian of the Navy Headquarters said with a smile.
As a user of the Inu-Inu Fruit, Dalmatian had mastered the Rokushiki techniques and wielded them with remarkable skill.
"Haha, Vice Admiral, don't let your guard down. Just yesterday, Vice Admiral Mole nearly got knocked over!" Jack replied, breathing heavily.
Since returning to the headquarters, Jack had made it his mission to challenge the elite vice admirals daily, regardless of victory or defeat. Though he lost more often than he won, each battle pushed his limits, sharpening his abilities at an astonishing rate.
"Hmph, I'm not like him!" Dalmatian scoffed. "Soru—Shigan!"
In an instant, his figure vanished, reappearing right beside Jack, launching a precise strike.
"I've been waiting for this! Hehe~~" Jack let out a strange chuckle, choosing to take Dalmatian's Shigan head-on. At the same time, he swung a powerful punch aimed straight at his opponent's abdomen, prepared to trade injury for injury.
Boom!
Blood trickled from Jack's shoulder, but as he watched Dalmatian get blasted backward, he smirked. "I'm not the weakling with poor endurance anymore!"
"Brat, this is just a spar! Did you really have to go all out?" Dalmatian muttered, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth as he stepped out of the rubble.
Jack glanced at the system notification displaying his experience gain and grinned. "Didn't Vice Admiral Mole warn you? My recovery ability has improved significantly."
"Life Return?" Dalmatian asked, frowning.
Jack shook his head with a knowing smile. "No, just a little boost from an adventure I had at sea. Let's just say my physique isn't what it used to be."
"Tch, whatever. I lost today, but don't think you'll be so lucky next time!" Dalmatian huffed. He had been defeated without activating his Devil Fruit powers, but he wasn't too discouraged—after all, Jack hadn't unleashed his signature chakra and haki combined power either.
"Senpai, you're incredible! Even a vice admiral couldn't stand against you!" The two short recruits dashed up to Jack the moment the battle ended, their faces brimming with excitement as they handed him a fresh set of clothes, showering him with praise.
Jack chuckled as he took the clothes from Coby. "You two are too focused on watching the fight when you should be building up your endurance. Your current stamina is nowhere near enough—you probably can't even comprehend half of what just happened. So, train harder, kids!"
These two were none other than Jack's junior disciples—Coby and Helmeppo—the ones Garp had brought back from the East Blue.
Naturally, Garp himself had no time to personally train them, so he had unceremoniously dumped the responsibility onto Jack. This task, which should have originally fallen to Bogard, his adjutant, had now landed squarely on Jack's shoulders. Fortunately, both Coby and Helmeppo had already undergone some foundational training and were determined to grow stronger. That's why Jack allowed them to watch these battles up close so they could experience real combat firsthand.
Back in his office, Jack took a long swig of sake before turning to his stunning adjutant. "Lena, has anything major happened recently?"
"Would you consider it a major event if Admiral Aokiji left headquarters without permission?" Lena replied, her expression unchanging.
Jack merely shrugged. "Is that all? Not my problem." He leaned back lazily before grinning. "If you're bored, why don't you go spar with Gion? No need to stay cooped up here all day. Or better yet, go help the old man toughen up his two new disciples!"
Lena hesitated briefly, but since Jack had little to do these days aside from challenging vice admirals, she eventually nodded. "I'll go find Gion-san then," she said, clearly uninterested in tormenting the newcomers.
Once Lena left, Jack pulled up the system interface and glanced at the diamond balance: 53,299 diamonds. He hesitated for a moment.
I've already mastered the Soru and Geppo to a very high level, so my speed is sufficient for now. My stamina has also been reinforced thanks to the Dragon Bead. The only thing left to improve is my chakra and Haki…
Despite his progress, his chakra training was still in its early stages. His chakra reserves were still only high-chunin. And he did not know any jutsus. Only tree-walking and water walking.
However, leveling up Chakra training skill to Level 2 required 15,000 proficiency points, which was discouraging. Even now, his proficiency was barely halfway there. He glanced at the eight remaining skill points in his possession and hesitated again.
"Forget it. You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb. Let's go all in!" Gritting his teeth, Jack poured seven out of his eight skill points into the Chakra training skill, successfully triggering an upgrade.
"Congratulations, host! You have achieved a breakthrough in the Chakra training Skill. Keep up the good work!"
The emotionless, synthesized voice of the system echoed in his mind.
Jack sighed. "System, you're as heartless as ever."
His chakra reserves now stood at mid-jonin level, and even his chakra control improved. He should now be able to reinforce his punches with chakra for almost a day and use chakra and haki combined power for half a day before he get completely exhausted.
Even his recovery rate had increased significantly, because of his increase in chakra reserves.
Opening the skill panel, he noticed that chakra trainng had advanced to Level 3, but it still wasn't at its highest. Worse yet, the proficiency requirement for the next upgrade had skyrocketed to an insane 30,000 points.
After a brief moment of reflection, he resumed his training. His recent encounters with some of the world's most formidable figures had shifted his mindset.
Originally, Jack believed that absolute strength alone was enough—that if he were powerful enough, nothing could stand in his way. But after witnessing Whitebeard and his crew, then comparing that to Silvers Rayleigh, a legendary powerhouse who now walked the world alone, he came to a realization: True power wasn't just about individual strength—it was also about having trusted companions.
With this new understanding, Jack began reaching out to fellow marines who shared his ideals, valued justice, and had built strong bonds with him. These individuals wouldn't just be comrades—they would be his future foundation.
Old Man Garp must have understood Jack's thoughts long ago. That's why he had said he was already an old man and could no longer help him.
However, what most people didn't realize was that Jack had no intention of splitting the Navy. His goal wasn't rebellion—it was reformation. He wanted to reshape the Navy into a true force of justice, one that wasn't just a pawn of the World Government.
Right now, the Navy was shackled by politics. Controlled too tightly by the World Government, it had essentially become its watchdog—a force that enforced the will of the ruling elite rather than true justice.
And the reason? Money.
No matter how powerful the Navy seemed, its strength was funded by the World Government's coffers. Military spending was astronomical, and without government support, the Navy would crumble overnight. Forget recruiting new soldiers—even maintaining the current forces would be impossible.
"Looks like it's finally time to find Ivankov. In the end, I have to speak with Dragon about this." Jack snapped out of his training, glanced at the sky outside, and rose to his feet.
—
"Sigh… I knew you weren't here for anything good." Tokikake let out a resigned sigh as Jack approached him. "Whenever you come looking for me, it's either to test out some ridiculous new technique or to drag me into some major headache. Why not ask your sensei instead? Wouldn't it make more sense for Garp-san to take you to Impel Down?"
Jack grinned. "Relax. I'm not heading to Level Six. Too many monsters down there. I'm just going to the Fifth Level to find someone."
Tokikake narrowed his eyes. "Let me make this clear—don't do anything reckless, or—"
Before he could finish, Jack grabbed him and carried him away from headquarters.
—
"This is the entrance to the infamous underwater prison, Impel Down. Getting inside is a hassle, so I won't be going in with you," Chaton Tokikake said, standing at the prison's entrance with a stern expression. "Let me warn you one last time—don't cause any trouble. If you do, even Garp-san won't be able to bail you out. The prisoners here are the worst of the worst."
"Relax, I'm just here to ask someone a few questions. I'll be in and out," Jack assured him with a nod.
Just then, a voice echoed from within.
"Ahem! Welcome to my Impel Down!"
Stepping forward was a man wearing an Egyptian pharaoh's headdress, a Prajna mask, and a pair of black demonic wings protruding from his back. His arms spread wide in a dramatic gesture as he greeted them.
Jack and Tokikake exchanged a look of pure disbelief.
'...Is this guy for real?'
"Ah~ My apologies," the man coughed awkwardly. "That introduction may have accidentally revealed my great ambition... Anyway! I'm Hannibal, the deputy warden. Pleasure to meet you!" He grinned.
Tokikake gave a polite nod. "Vice Admiral Chaton Tokikake, Navy Headquarters. And this here is Commodore Jack. He needs access to LEVEL 5 for an official inquiry. We appreciate your cooperation."
Hannibal nodded in understanding. "That damn Warden Magellan is currently in his office on LEVEL 4. Deputy Warden Domino and I will escort you. But first—security check!"
"I'll pass. Just take him there," Tokikake said, shaking his head and gesturing toward Jack.
After undergoing a series of security checks, Jack finally arrived at LEVEL 5—The Freezing Hell.
"Alright, I'll go in alone. It's a bit dangerous in there, after all," Jack said, standing at the entrance. He smirked and added, "Besides, I've heard whispers about a devil's invitation lurking in this place."
"You know about that?" Hannibal and the floor's guards turned to him, visibly surprised.
"As a Commodore of the Navy, would it really be so strange for me to know?" Jack chuckled before stepping into the icy wasteland. Hannibal and the others hesitated for a moment but made no move to follow him.
"Deputy Warden… Is it really safe to let him go in alone?" one of the guards asked hesitantly.
"It's fine. If something happens, it's Magellan's problem. And then… Impel Down will finally be mine again—hahaha!" Hannibal suddenly burst into laughter before catching himself. "Oh no! I've exposed my ambition again!"
No one looked particularly surprised. Even the prisoners knew full well about their deputy warden's aspirations.
Once inside the Freezing Hell, Jack immediately activated his chakra to counter the biting cold. The icy winds and relentless snow were more brutal than he had imagined.
"If I remember correctly… near the entrance to a forest, Luffy and his crew encountered a pack of wolves. After suffering injuries, they were saved by the Revolutionary Army," Jack muttered to himself, scanning his surroundings as he pressed forward, searching for the location from his memory.
After battling his way through a third pack of snow wolves, Jack still hadn't found the hidden compartment of LEVEL 5—the Freezing Hell. He had searched multiple forests that looked identical, yet there was no sign of his target.
"Dammit, where is this Okama, Ivankov?" Although Jack wasn't in a hurry, staying in this frigid wasteland was far from comfortable.
Despite combing the area thoroughly, Ivankov's whereabouts remained a mystery, forcing Jack to rethink his approach.
"In the anime, it was only mentioned that the secret chamber was between the fifth and sixth floors… But it was never explained how to get in. How irresponsible!" Jack muttered, eyes narrowing as he spotted something unusual—a sewer entrance in the distance.
For a moment, he hesitated. Then, after barely three seconds of deliberation, he decided to investigate. The word sewer was hardly appealing, but if the hidden chamber was truly wedged between LEVEL 5 and LEVEL 6, then it made sense for it to be concealed underground.
The moment he stepped inside, his Observation Haki flared up.
"Who's there?" Jack called out, sensing a presence ahead.
However, Haki had never been his strong suit. Despite Garp's brutal training, he had only managed to develop his Armament Haki enough to coat his entire body. His Observation Haki, on the other hand, was practically rudimentary—something he himself admitted was more luck than skill.
A man with a clover-shaped hairstyle emerged from the shadows, a glass of red wine in hand. His appearance was striking—his body split into two distinct colors, making him instantly recognizable.
"Who are you?" he asked, his gaze sharp.
Jack let out a breath of relief. "Hah~ Finally found you. You're Inazuma, right? I'm here for Ivankov," he said, his voice steady.
--------------------------------
AN: Check out my P@treon For +30 extra chapters.
Thank You For your Support!!
www.p@treon.com/noviceauthor777