The thunderous salutes and roars from the North Blue Fleet seemed to linger in the air above the training ship, refusing to fade.
On the deck, an eerie silence fell.
Whether it was the fearless Luffy, the unruly Ace, or the self-proclaimed superior Vinsmoke brothers, they all stood frozen in place as if under a spell.
The expressions on their faces were as vivid as a silent pantomime.
The visual impact and emotional shock from the scene they had just witnessed were far more intense than any hellish training.
It was the embodiment of power, the ultimate manifestation of prestige.
"Gulp."
Luffy swallowed hard, watching the figure at the ship's bow revered by all, when a strange thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Maybe becoming the Marine King wouldn't be so bad either.
As soon as the thought emerged, Luffy shook his head vigorously, trying to cast it away.
No, no! I'm going to be the man who becomes the Pirate King!!
Luffy reaffirmed this to himself in his heart.
Meanwhile, the expressions on the faces of the Vinsmoke brothers were even more complex.
The eldest son Ichiji and the second son Niji had their arrogance completely washed away, replaced by a deep, soul-stirring reverence.
They had believed Germa's technological prowess allowed them to look down on everything, but in the face of the world-shaking power possessed by this Fleet Admiral, that technological strength seemed like a mere joke.
They finally understood why their father Judge had so decisively chosen to submit back then.
It wasn't surrender, but the wisest choice when faced with an insurmountable chasm.
The eldest daughter Reiju's reaction was more restrained.
She quietly gazed at Orion's back, her light pink eyes flickering with an unusual light, as something began to quietly sprout and take root in her heart.
As the only "family member" on board, Hancock was already completely lovestruck.
She cupped her burning cheeks with both hands, gazing at Orion from afar while her mind began fantasizing about an unprecedentedly grand wedding of the century.
The entire Marine force would offer blessings to their Fleet Admiral, and the whole world would witness her happiness.
Amid this silence filled with various thoughts, a figure broke the quiet.
Zoro walked up behind Orion, his expression unprecedentedly serious, and historically called out.
"Fleet Admiral."
Orion turned to face the green-haired man standing before him, his smile warm and gentle.
"I heard from Instructor Morgan that you are also a master swordsman?" Zoro tightened his grip on his sword hilt, flames burning in his eyes.
Orion smiled and nodded, "You could say that."
Receiving this confirmation, Zoro took a deep breath and mustered his courage.
"Then between you and Mihawk, whose swordsmanship is stronger?"
The moment this question was asked, everyone on the training ship except Morgan and Hancock pricked up their ears.
Hawk-Eye Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman, was the peak all swordsmen looked up to, while Orion was the Marine Fleet Admiral with the greatest prestige and authority currently.
Between these two, who was stronger?
"Is that even a question!"
Before Orion could answer, Morgan cut in from the side.
He puffed out his chest, his face filled with shared pride.
"There's no denying Mihawk's swordsmanship is strong, but before the Fleet Admiral, he's nothing!"
Hearing this, a trace of doubt appeared in Zoro's eyes.
He acknowledged Orion's strength, but in the way of the sword, a tiny difference could lead to a huge error.
The title of World's Greatest wasn't earned through empty words.
"Fleet Admiral, I challenge you!" Zoro's tone was unwavering.
Orion blinked, "Challenge..... me?"
"When you can unleash a slash like this, then we can talk about challenging me."
As these words fell, Orion slowly drew the long sword at his waist.
He didn't assume any stance, merely casually swung his blade toward the sea ahead, cutting through the air.
There was no earth-shattering roar, nor any dazzling visual effects.
Only an extremely brilliant sword light, as if tearing through space itself, stretched across the horizon.
The next instant.
The sea was forcibly split apart.
A terrifying black trench, stretching thousands of meters long and bottomlessly deep, viciously appeared on the ocean's surface.
The turbulent seawater was pushed aside by an invisible force, unable to close for a long time, as if the sea had been scarred with a horrifying wound that would never heal.
Everyone on the training ship was completely speechless at this moment.
Luffy's mouth hung open in an 'O' shape, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
He pointed at the oceanic abyss, unable to form a complete sentence.
The shock on Ace's face was beyond measure.
Before this world-destroying slash, forget the sea—even a mountain would likely be cleanly cut in half.
The others stood frozen in place as if turned to stone.
As for Zoro, the challenger, his entire body stiffened, the hand holding his sword trembling slightly.
It wasn't fear, but despair.
He finally understood what an immense, unbridgeable chasm lay between him and the true peak.
"You still have a chance to surpass Hawk-Eye."
Orion sheathed his sword, his calm voice reaching Zoro's ears.
"But surpassing me? Absolutely impossible."
With that, he ignored the terrified kids and turned back toward the cabin.
Zoro stood in place for a long, long time.
Finally, he silently turned around and wordlessly walked toward the training area at the stern.
From that day on, his training became more intense than ever before.
...
The training ship continued its voyage and eventually sailed into a port of a member nation in the North Sea.
However, before the ship could fully dock, everyone on deck was horrified by the scene before them.
The sea surface of the harbor was densely covered with floating corpses—at a rough count, no fewer than a hundred.
Most bizarrely, every single corpse was missing its head.
Even more chilling was that despite the hundreds of corpses floating in the water, the sea remained crystal clear, without a trace of blood.
"What... what happened here?" Usopp's face turned deathly pale as he trembled behind Franky.
"Judging by their attire, they're all notorious pirates from the North Blue," Morgan analyzed.
"They probably knew the royal family of this country was relocating to the Holy Land and tried to loot the royal capital, only to be intercepted."
As soon as Morgan finished speaking, a series of bubbles suddenly emerged from the calm water of the harbor.
Then, a yellow submarine surfaced ghost-like from beneath the waves.
On the submarine's deck stood a lean young man wearing a spotted hat and holding a long sword.
He lifted his head, his gaze passing over the headless corpses to fix directly on Orion aboard the training ship.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear.
"Trafalgar Law, captain of the Heart Pirates, offers my loyalty to Fleet Admiral Orion-sama."
"These pirate corpses are my greeting gift."
He paused before stating his condition.
"I have only one request—please take me to meet Donquixote Doflamingo."
Orion looked at the familiar figure on the submarine, somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected to encounter Law here, and certainly not for him to offer his allegiance voluntarily.
"Quite bold," Orion narrowed his eyes slightly, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"You dare to negotiate terms with me."
"However, considering you've cleared out so much sea trash, I'll give you a chance."
Orion's tone shifted.
"Though, if you go to meet Doflamingo now, you'll meet a terrible end. Because you're no match for him. Most importantly, he's currently one of my most capable subordinates."
"Of course, I can mediate the grudge between you two."
Orion's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"Opportunities like this are rare—I hope you seize it. Because encountering me on these seas is the greatest fortune of your life."
Law's pupils constricted sharply.
"You know about the grudge between me and Doflamingo?"
"Of course," Orion chuckled. "There aren't many secrets in this world that are hidden from me."
"Your grudge with Doflamingo began when you sought him out with bombs strapped to your body. If not for that, what followed wouldn't have happened."
"And Corazon wouldn't have died saving you!"
Boom!
Law's mind went completely blank as he stared at Orion in shock.
He was certain this was his first time meeting the legendary Fleet Admiral.
Under normal circumstances, there was no way Orion could have known about his relationship with Corazon.
Looking at Law's ghost-faced expression, Orion continued.
"The times have changed, Law."
"If you let go of your obsessions and pledge loyalty to me, I'll give you a chance for rebirth, allowing you to become a shining star in this new era."