[TIOP] Chapter : 136

Time blurred.

When Jack finally regained consciousness, he let out a shaky breath. “I’m… still alive?” He sat up groggily, scanning his surroundings. Memory returned in fragments—the magma chamber, the mysterious fruit, the searing energy.

His body felt different. He checked himself over. Physically, he looked the same—except for the fact that his clothes had been completely incinerated. Unsurprising, given the inferno he had just endured.

Then he turned his focus inward.

What he saw stunned him.

His normal chakra now coursed through his body like liquid fire—dense, powerful, and smooth. Even more astonishing, the chakra points themselves had widened and toughened significantly. They were no longer fragile vessels; they had become robust channels, forged by fire.

Jack probed deeper. To his amazement, he discovered that all the inner gates had been increased in size. Now, based on his guess, if he opens the first gate, he should be able to unleash power similar to the fourth gate previously.

Jack's entire sensory system had evolved. His sight sharpened, hearing deepened, and perception heightened far beyond ordinary human limits.

But that wasn’t the most incredible discovery.

He had broken through what was once thought unbreakable. His vitality, strength, agility, durability, and everything else have increased to a level never seen before.

To Jack, this meant only one thing—he had stepped into the realm of the 'Ultimate Giant' body, a legendary state spoken of in whispers, though no one truly understood what it meant. His body should now have more innate strength than Big Mom with her steel balloon physique, which allowed her to kill even adult giants.

Even Jack himself could only guess at its true significance.

But one thing was certain—he was no longer the same.

"Open the character interface."
Suppressing the excitement surging within him, Jack called out to the system. He vaguely remembered, just before passing out, that the system had entered an upgrade. He had no idea what state it was in now.

With a soft chime, the interface flickered to life.

His eyes widened.

All his stats had skyrocketed—each attribute roughly ten times stronger than before. His health alone now stood at an astonishing 40,000. To put that into perspective, even with the aid of the Dragon Beads, his health had previously capped at just 4,000.

"Wait... when did this happen?"
He scanned his equipment and spotted the Dragon Beads. Somehow, two more seals had been lifted.

Item: Dragon Beads
Enhances bodily regeneration. Sealed in 5 layers. (Grade: Red Equipment)

• First Layer: +200 vitality, +10% recovery speed. (Unlocked by wearing)

• Second Layer: +500 vitality, +11% recovery speed, +50 strength. (Unlocked by defeating Whitebeard)

• Third Layer: +1000 vitality, +12% recovery speed, +100 strength. (Unlocked after exposure to dragon’s blood)

• Fourth Layer: ???

• Fifth Layer: ???

"Two layers unsealed already? The third one makes sense—it involved dragon’s blood—but the second... Whitebeard?"
Jack frowned, falling into deep thought. Whitebeard wasn’t a dragon, but he was one of the Four Emperors, a titan among men. Perhaps the system viewed him as the human equivalent of a dragon—a “dragon in human form,” so to speak.

While the stat boosts themselves were no longer game-changing—he had grown far beyond needing just a thousand extra HP or a hundred strength points—the percentage-based recovery buff was invaluable. No matter how much stronger he became, this scaling effect would always remain relevant. That made the Dragon Beads a true artifact.

But how to unlock the final two layers?
Another dragon? Another Emperor?

His mind jumped to Kaido. Not only was he one of the Four Emperors, but also a user of the Dragon-Dragon Fruit. If anyone could unlock another seal, it would be him.

After completing his internal check, Jack retrieved a spare set of clothes from his storage space and quickly changed. He had prepared for emergencies—and this certainly counted.

But as he turned to leave...

“Bang!”
He smacked straight into the wall.

His strength had increased so drastically that even his casual movements had become dangerous. Clearly, he needed time to adapt. So, Jack stayed in the cave a while longer—to regain control over his enhanced physique.

"Phew... I should be able to crush that overgrown lizard with ease now."
It took a full day of physical training before he finally reacquired complete control. When he thought about the dragon outside, a confident grin curved on his lips.

Emerging from the vent once more, Jack noticed that the wind blades, which had once been a nuisance, no longer affected him in the slightest.

“My Lord!? My Lord has returned! Notify Captain Kalifa at once!”
A navy soldier guarding the entrance spotted him and shouted with excitement.

Jack raised a brow. “What’s going on?”

“Reporting, sir! You’ve been inside for over half a month. Everyone has been deeply worried!”

“Half a month?” Jack echoed, surprised. Time had passed far quicker than he’d realized.

“Any news during that time?” he asked.

The soldier shook his head. “Sir, communication’s been difficult out here on this nameless island. We haven’t received much intel.”

Soon, Kalifa arrived with a small team to escort Jack back to base.

“You’re finally out, sir,” she said, adjusting her glasses. A rare flicker of emotion showed on her usually composed face.

Jack chuckled. “Heh, Kalifa… Just a few days apart, and you’ve somehow become even more beautiful.”

Kalifa’s eyes narrowed. “Sir, that’s considered sexual harassment.”

Jack sighed. He had completely forgotten about her rigid personality. With a helpless smile, he replied, “Kalifa, that was a compliment, not harassment.”

"Life here is unbelievably dull. What was I thinking, volunteering to guard this place?"
Jack sighed as he surveyed the completed base on the desolate island. With nothing but rocks and wind around him, training seemed like the only option to pass the time.

Once the construction was done, he’d wanted to go explore a bit, maybe unwind. But the base’s defenses were still too fragile, and leaving now wasn’t an option. So, to kill time, Jack could only ride the dragon around the skies.

"Kalifa, do you think Fleet Admiral Aokiji would let me return to the G1 Branch if I asked?" he asked, stretching with a yawn.

Kalifa glanced at him with a serious expression. "Sir, this location is strategically significant. Our troops have seen great improvement from training in the cave. I don’t think we can afford to abandon it just yet."

"But it’s so boring!" Jack groaned, slumping into his chair.

Kalifa looked just as helpless. She only stopped by the office occasionally to handle paperwork. Most of her time, like the others, was spent training in the cave. Even Jabra and his team had moved in, dedicating themselves fully to training.

Just then, a knock echoed at the door.
"Come in!" Jack called, sitting up quickly.

"Senpai! Long time no see!"
Coby and Helmeppo entered the room, smiling brightly.

"Oh hey, Coby.., it’s you two!" Jack’s mood instantly lifted. But after a moment, he squinted at Helmeppo. Something wasn’t clicking.

Helmeppo's eye twitched. "Oi! Don’t act like you’ve forgotten my name—say it already!"

Coby ignored his partner’s tantrum and gave Jack a proper salute. "Sir, we’ve come to train in Observation Haki. Please guide us!"

During the war at Marineford, Coby had awakened his Observation Haki—likely triggered by Jack’s actions during the chaos. His potential had caught the attention of many. Helmeppo, on the other hand, hadn’t unlocked any form of Haki yet. But the moment he heard about this island’s mysterious training cave, he pestered Coby endlessly. Eventually, the two convinced Garp to let them come.

"No problem," Jack nodded. "I heard from the old man that you awakened Observation Haki? Then this place will suit your training perfectly. Kalifa, take them to the cave and have Jabra look after them."

Jack never once addressed Helmeppo by name—not out of spite, but because, truthfully, he couldn’t recall it. To avoid the awkwardness, he hurried to send them on their way.

Just as Kalifa was about to leave with them, Coby handed Jack a sealed envelope.
"Garp-sensei asked me to deliver this to you."

With that, the trio departed toward the training cave.

The cave had become a coveted asset within the Navy, attracting more and more promising recruits. Gone were the days when anyone could wander in at will. Access was now regulated through a military merit system.

Take Coby, for example—he hadn’t been in the Navy long, spending most of his time training under Garp’s supervision at headquarters. He lacked the field experience to accumulate merit points. So how could he earn practice time?

That’s where relationships came into play.

A senior officer like Jack or even Garp himself could exchange their own military merits for cave access and then gift that time to someone like Coby. This way, talented newcomers got the chance to improve, even if they hadn’t yet proven themselves through missions.

For those without connections, the Navy Headquarters offered merit-free practice time based on age and potential. It wasn’t a perfect system, but it gave everyone a fair chance. The training site had become wildly popular—so much so that even those unsure of their own abilities felt compelled to try. Not showing up would be seen as a sign of weakness or lack of ambition.

As for the letter Coby had just delivered—it contained the cave access Garp had traded in using his own hard-earned merits. With a lifetime of service under his belt, Garp had more than enough to keep Coby training here indefinitely.

And as long as Jack was around, there was no way he’d let his junior brother suffer.

Still, Garp wasn’t one to let Coby walk the easy path. Hence, the formal envelope.

Jack stared at the envelope in his hand, still processing the news Garp had sent. For a moment, he hesitated.

Originally, his plan was simple: find a chance to slip back to headquarters and persuade Aokiji to assign an elite vice admiral to take over his post here. The base had already stabilized, the soldiers were growing stronger, and frankly, he had accomplished what he came for. More importantly, he was bored out of his mind. Staying any longer felt like a waste.

But Garp’s letter changed everything.

First off, it reminded him of the widening rift between Aokiji and Akainu—something most ordinary soldiers might not have noticed, but every senior officer in the Navy was well aware of. Their ideological clash had reached the point of open hostility. Cooperation between them was a fantasy.

Then came the bigger news.

The World Recruitment initiative had unexpectedly unearthed a true powerhouse—now appointed as an elite vice admiral. His codename: Green Bull.