Orochimaru could easily terrify Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke with his murderous intent, even though they were already at Chunin-level strength. So, for Arakawa Zenkichi to intimidate these three brats who had never even seen the wider world was no challenge at all.

Under the oppressive weight of Zenkichi's killing intent, the bodies of Luffy, Ace, and Sabo stiffened. No matter how hard they tried to move, their limbs refused to obey.

"What a terrifying presence…"

"It's over… we're going to die here."

"Are we… going to have to surrender?"

These thoughts raced through their minds, though none of them could even manage to look at each other.

After a brief moment, the overwhelming bloodlust around Zenkichi suddenly vanished. He grinned at the three children and spoke calmly.

"Well? I'll give you another chance to decide."

"Become my sons, and I'll make you men of terrifying strength."

"I'll protect you, make you the freest people on the seas."

"Whether you want to become marines or pirates, I'll back you up."

"Anyone who tries to stop you — I'll crush them."

"And thanks to me, the entire world will remember your names."

One enticing offer after another poured from Zenkichi's mouth.

Luffy and the others stared in silence, each lost in thought.

"I wanna be a pirate. I'm gonna be the Pirate King." Luffy finally blurted, picking his nose as he eyed Zenkichi skeptically. "But my gramps won't ever let me. Can you really help me with that?"

"Yeah," Ace chimed in, folding his arms. "Saying you'll let us do what we want, make us famous, and protect us — sounds too good to be true."

Sabo tightened his grip on his iron pipe, nodding in agreement.

Zenkichi chuckled. "Not convinced? Then watch this."

He pointed a finger at a distant hill, and in an instant, a brilliant golden laser shot from his fingertip, slamming into the hillside. The explosion lit up the sky as fire and shockwaves surged outward.

"That's…!"

"No way…"

"It can't be…"

Luffy, Ace, and Sabo stared at the explosion, feeling the waves of hot air brush past them.

"Is that… the legendary…"

"Light Wave!"

"Unbelievable!"

Their wide eyes sparkled with awe.

Zenkichi sighed inwardly. He hadn't expected something so simple to impress these brats this much.

"Yeah, that's the legendary Light Wave." He grinned. "So, what do you say? Want a godfather who can shoot light beams?"

Luffy broke into a huge grin. "Alright! I'm in! From today, I'm your son!"

Ace and Sabo, while more reserved, exchanged glances before giving small nods of agreement.

Zenkichi raised a brow. "I didn't hear you two properly. Say it out loud."

After a long hesitation, Sabo spoke up. "Godfather… can you teach us how to get stronger?"

He'd always thought the three of them were pretty tough for their age, but after witnessing that display of power, he realized just how far behind they truly were.

Seeing the two lower their heads, Zenkichi nodded in satisfaction.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he straightened up and said seriously, "Let's get one thing clear. I'm your godfather, not your relative. I've got nothing to do with the rest of your family."

This wasn't because Zenkichi disliked kids — it was because Garp was a shameless old man who, in Zenkichi's view, had a bad habit of meddling. The fact that Garp was raising the Pirate King's son as his own grandson felt a little too convenient to Zenkichi.

No way was he giving Garp a chance to leech off him.

With a destiny-fated protagonist and two pivotal characters now calling him godfather, Zenkichi felt the progression of his Whitebeard template unlocking once again. Though, to be honest, it didn't bring much tangible improvement yet.

Unless he unlocked the complete Whitebeard, he wasn't getting excited.

"Good." Zenkichi smiled. "From now on, I'll train you personally."

---

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

Luffy now stood on the surface of a river, beaming with excitement. He'd successfully fused his physical and mental energy into chakra and could finally tread water.

"Godfather, doesn't it feel like these abilities aren't helping us get stronger?" Sabo asked as he hopped along tree branches nearby.

Zenkichi lay comfortably in a hammock strung between two trees. Without opening his eyes, he replied lazily, "This is just your chakra control training."

"Once you master chakra, I'll teach you combat techniques. Right now, you're building your foundation. Without that, you'll collapse at the first hurdle."

Luffy grinned, scratching his head. "Well, I think walking on water's super useful already. At least now I don't have to be afraid of drowning."

Zenkichi chuckled. "That's right. For Devil Fruit users like you, being able to tread water's a lifesaver."

"Climbing trees and walking on water teaches you how to control chakra through your feet, letting you move smoothly across difficult terrain. It might not be flashy, but it boosts your survival skills. That's part of strength too."

The boys nodded in agreement, their eyes shining with determination.

---

Thank you all for the constant motivation, it really means a lot, and we've come such a long way together. 💙

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