Chapter 116: The Lesson of Love [Please Support]

It was early in the morning.

Time: 7:00 AM. Location: The mountain forest behind Windmill Village.

At some point, a clearing had been carved out here, with wooden stakes driven into the ground. From within the clearing, the sounds of stern reprimands and sharp, rhythmic smacks echoed repeatedly.

Two figures were perched atop the stakes in a posture that looked like they were hunched over a chamber pot. They were none other than Ace and Luffy.

Wielding a ruler-like instrument, Tang Shen paced around them, barking, "Hold that position and don't move! You are so weak, yet so playful. As your elder, it is my duty to train you properly! The old man is truly too lazy; it’s a disgrace to the family."

Luffy and Ace did not dare to move or even make a sound. Their faces were flushed, their bodies drenched in sweat, yet they gritted their teeth to endure. Their skin bore several clear, distinct marks—marks that would perfectly align if one were to compare them to the ruler in Tang Shen's hand.

They had been ruthlessly dragged from their beds at 6:00 AM.

Little did they know, Tang Shen had been performing his daily training since 4:30 AM. Even though his own training had reached a point of diminishing returns, he maintained the habit. After finishing his workout and taking a bath, he had hauled the two boys out of bed, which he considered a generous amount of rest.

As their "uncle," Tang Shen felt obligated to improve his two nephews. More importantly, he wanted to see if he could change the course of things through this process.

Unlike the tenderness he showed his apprentice Kuina, Tang Shen was merciless with Luffy and Ace. The ruler in his hand had been forged by the village blacksmith just yesterday—and yes, it was made of solid iron.

The physical constitution of people in this world was extraordinary. Since he hadn't yet awakened Armament Haki, and both Luffy and Ace were like little cockroaches, ordinary rattan or wooden rulers were completely ineffective. Iron was the only logical choice.

Whenever something was off, he would correct them and simultaneously strike them with the iron ruler without hesitation.

He called it "educating the younger generation."

"Spare the rod, spoil the child," and "Strict discipline produces talent." These were the quintessence of the five thousand years of Chinese culture, a fine tradition that Tang Shen had brought over without the slightest reservation.

Truth be told, Tang Shen found he understood the satisfaction of those old-time teachers and tutors; it was quite gratifying to land those strikes. Not only did it make a satisfying *thwack-thwack-thwack* sound, but it also served as an excellent exercise for their reflexes. Simply marvelous!

Ace had initially looked down on this so-called "stake training." There was no movement, no sparring with wild beasts, and it was completely different from the training Garp had put them through as children. He had wondered, what was the point of just standing still?

Now, he was suffering.

He had never felt so exhausted; it felt as if his legs no longer belonged to him. At the start, when they first climbed onto the stakes, they couldn't even stand still in the posture Tang Shen demanded.

They kept falling to the ground, and Tang Shen wouldn't even let them adjust their landing—if they were going to fall, they had to hit the ground hard. If they failed to comply, the ruler was waiting. If they were to take off their shirts, they would see they were covered in ruler-shaped welts.

As they slowly acclimated to the posture, they realized the true horror of it; their stamina drained away rapidly. Their legs were shaking uncontrollably, and sweat poured off them as if it were free. They had no mental energy to think of anything else; they kept every nerve taut, terrified that the slightest movement would send them tumbling off the stakes.

"A youth who does not strive will only lament in old age! If you don't work hard now, how do you expect to become the Pirate King? You're dreaming! Do you honestly think the pirates out there won't cut you down in a heartbeat?" Tang Shen said with a deadpan expression.

At the mention of "Pirate King," Luffy and Ace immediately perked up. For both of them, it was a belief—or perhaps an obsession. They might let other words go in one ear and out the other, but those three words were enough to stir their spirits.

He was squeezing out their potential.

Tang Shen had to admit, the potential within Luffy and Ace was immense. Although their techniques were chaotic and lacked structure, Tang Shen recognized that Garp’s hellish training—an educational model that had likely left deep shadows in their hearts—had indeed elevated their potential to limitless heights.

However, only someone like Garp could carry out that kind of upbringing.

Tang Shen speculated that Garp likely cultivated their astonishing potential from a young age so that when they reached a certain age, he could bring them into the Navy for standardized training. Starting from the bottom and engaging in real combat would lead to rapid, explosive growth. Simultaneously, as their strength increased, so too would their loyalty to the Navy, eventually molding them into men like himself.

This was Garp’s well-intentioned, albeit harsh, design. Of course, Luffy and Ace could never perceive that; they only felt the shadow and infinite terror of Garp.

This educational philosophy differed from Tang Shen’s. His own approach was that children should be cultivated from the very beginning. In his past life, such a method wouldn't have been viable.

But this was a different world, where the potential and physical constitutions were terrifyingly powerful, making this style of education both feasible and effective.

With his hands behind his back, he slowly walked from between the two boys toward the front.

Suddenly, Tang Shen stopped dead in his tracks. At the same moment, the ruler in his hand vanished into the air with a strange movement, disappearing from the sight of Luffy and Ace.

A moment later, it reappeared.

*Thwack!*

It had landed hard on Luffy's forehead.

"Ah!"

A short, incredulous shriek rang out.

Luffy, whose legs were already weak, fell straight off the wooden stake. *Thump!* He landed on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, with a fresh red ruler mark branded onto his forehead.

The "Master-Level Draw-and-Strike"—the ability to attack from any position—had been integrated into the use of the ruler, rendering it unstoppable. Its speed surpassed the limits of ordinary human vision. It could be said that when facing Luffy and Ace, Tang Shen’s ruler was truly ghostly and unpredictable.

Luffy sat on the ground, grimacing as he clutched his forehead, his eyes filled with disbelief. He couldn't fathom how Tang Shen knew he was making faces at the back of his head.

Did he have eyes in the back of his head?

"Get up and continue your stance!" Tang Shen said, his expression unchanged.

Looking at Tang Shen’s calm, indifferent eyes, Luffy shuddered. Without another word, he stretched out his rubbery arm, grabbed the wooden stake, and used its elasticity to pull himself back up.

He didn't dare face Tang Shen’s "loving education" again. Over the course of the morning, he had learned that the calmer Tang Shen looked, the more likely he was to strike at any second.

To suffer less, he had to be obedient.

But Luffy was a troublesome kid; even after being taught a lesson, he often couldn't resist courting disaster. His spirit of mischief was unstoppable.

That was why he was hit far more often than Ace, and he had developed a hide as thick as leather. Yet, every time he courted disaster and got beaten, he still had to obediently fall back into line.

Perhaps he was just practicing his external martial arts!

That must be it, right?

Ace, meanwhile, stood silently. Even though his shirt and trousers were soaked through with sweat, he remained perfectly still. The more he saw Tang Shen strike with such casual ease, the more terrified he became.