"(Former) Sengoku: This is a great strategy! Not only does it train Luffy's newly learned Marine techniques, but it also pushes Sabo to his limits."
"(Former) Garp: I get the part about training Luffy, but how exactly does this 'stimulate' Sabo?"
"(Former) Sengoku: Sigh… I could explain it to you, but I doubt you'd understand."
"(Current) Sabo: Now that I think about it, everything was within Commissar Ron's plans. Hahaha."
---
Luffy took a deep breath, clenching his fists with excitement.
"This is a test from Big Brother Marine," he told himself, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
After all, he had just learned Marine Six Styles—or at least, two of them.
"If I can catch this guy, that means I can catch the wild boar! And if I can catch the wild boar, that means I can catch Whitebeard!"
"(Former) Whitebeard: ???"
"(Current) Whitebeard: ???"
Both versions of Whitebeard, across time and space, were left completely dumbfounded by this logic.
Luffy, however, was dead serious.
To him, the wild boar that had sent him flying off the mountain was the strongest opponent he had ever faced.
Could Whitebeard really be stronger than that wild boar?
Impossible.
---
"Come on, hurry up and run already!" Luffy urged. "How am I supposed to chase you if you don't start running?"
His voice was full of childlike impatience.
Sabo frowned, staring at the younger boy.
This kid was at least three years younger than him. Was this some kind of joke?
They seriously expected this brat to catch him?
"You better keep your word," Sabo said, pointing at Ron. "If I escape from this kid, you have to let me go. No telling my family where I am!"
Ron nodded casually, sipping from his thermos.
"Of course."
"And if he falls down and cries, don't expect me to help him up," Sabo added. "I'm not turning back just because he trips over his own feet."
Again, Ron nodded, the same unreadable smile on his face.
Sabo didn't like it.
This man was too mysterious, too calm.
Something felt off, but he couldn't tell exactly what.
Still, he needed to escape.
"Alright then! We have a deal!"
Ron took another sip of hot water.
"I've been a political commissar for years. I've never broken a promise."
Luffy, meanwhile, was growing more impatient.
"Come on already!"
"Ugh, you're so annoying!" Sabo snapped. "If you keep whining, I will punch you and make you cry!"
Luffy didn't seem to hear him.
"Just start running! I'll give you a 100-meter head start!"
Sabo snorted.
"Tch. A whole hundred meters? This kid really underestimates me."
Fine. If they were offering an advantage, he wasn't about to waste it.
---
With a sharp whoosh, Sabo took off at full speed.
Watching from the sidelines, Garp raised an eyebrow.
"This kid's got some serious speed," he commented. "Looks like he's got potential."
Ron smirked. "Want to take him under your wing?"
Garp immediately waved his hands.
"No way, no way! I'm terrible with kids. I'd mess him up for sure. Haha!"
"(Former) Sengoku: See? This is what self-awareness looks like! Garp knows he's bad at raising kids. But you? You have zero self-awareness. Just look at what you did to those poor boys!"
"(Former) Garp: Hey! At least I kept them alive!"
"(Former) Sengoku: That is your standard for success? Just 'not starving to death'? Pathetic."
---
Sabo continued sprinting, convinced he had outsmarted them.
But something was wrong.
He had the nagging feeling that this was too easy.
Could it be a trap?
Maybe the Marine was letting him go on purpose, following him secretly to find his hideout?
That must be it!
When he reached the 100-meter mark, he turned around to check.
Luffy was still standing there, picking his nose.
Sabo almost tripped.
What the hell?
Had he been overthinking it?
Shaking his head, he focused on the escape—until he noticed something alarming.
Luffy was gone.
What?
No, wait—Luffy wasn't gone.
He was moving.
Each time Sabo blinked, Luffy appeared several meters closer.
Fast.
Too fast.
"What the—?!"
Sabo barely had time to react before Luffy was suddenly beside him, running at the same pace.
"Haha! I caught up!" Luffy grinned, his teeth flashing.
Sabo's heart pounded.
What was that? Some kind of special ability?
No.
This was speed.
Real, terrifying speed.
---
But Sabo wasn't about to lose.
"If I can't outrun you…"
He reached for his pipe.
"Then I'll just knock you down instead!"
Without hesitation, he swung the pipe at Luffy's head.
BAM!
Luffy went down, rolling across the ground.
Sabo smirked.
"That should do it."
He turned to keep running—
—and nearly screamed when Luffy immediately appeared beside him again.
"What the—?!"
This kid was relentless!
Sabo gritted his teeth.
"Fine, then! I'll just keep knocking you down!"
He swung his pipe again.
But this time, Luffy dodged.
And then—
BOOM!
A punch slammed into Sabo's face.
Fist Cannon!
The impact sent him flying backward.
What the hell was that punch?!
Dazed, Sabo hit the ground, rolling to a stop.
He groaned, shaking his head.
Before he could react, Luffy was already standing over him.
"Yay! I caught you!" Luffy grinned, holding up two fingers in a victory sign.
---
Garp and Ron exchanged glances.
"Not bad," Garp admitted.
"Not bad at all," Ron agreed.
Sabo lay on the ground, completely stunned.
How…?
How did this brat catch him?
He was fast. Strong. Too strong for a kid his age.
But more than that…
He was relentless.
A real monster.
Luffy pouted.
"Hey! If you're Whitebeard, where's your beard?"
Sabo groaned.
"I'M NOT WHITEBEARD!!!"
---
"(Current) Whitebeard: *So this is why Luffy chased me all over the ocean?!"
"(Former) Marco: Unbelievable. He really compared Pops to a wild boar…"
"(Current) Whitebeard: *I swear, if I ever meet this Marine, I'm gonna—"
---
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