Chapter 33: News of the Op-Op Fruit
Marine Headquarters - Elite Training Ground
The morning sun beat down on the training field, sending up waves of heat from the sand.
"BAM!"
A 9-year-old Ace, his feet planted deep in the sand, crossed his arms to block. His skin, hardened with the black sheen of Armament Haki, was still sent skidding back several meters by a clean, straight punch from Roy, digging two deep trenches in the ground.
"Kaff...!"
Ace gritted his teeth, shaking his numb arms, his eyes blazing. "Damn it! Again!"
The recruits on the sidelines sucked in a cold breath.
"That kid is only 9... Is he even human?"
"He's taking hits from the 'Monster' Rear Admiral! Even if Roy isn't using his Devil Fruit..."
"I heard Ace is Vice Admiral Garp's grandson..."
Zephyr stood with his arms crossed, his gaze sharp. He glanced at the clipboard in his hand. Continuous Rokushiki combinations for 17 minutes... a stat even Smoker couldn't match at his age.
As expected of... his son...
He crushed the dangerous thought. No. He's a Marine now.
In the center of the ring, Roy's breathing was steady.
"You've improved," he said, a small smile on his face, "but you're not there yet!"
"Don't get cocky!"
Ace stomped his foot, sending sand flying. "Soru!"
His figure vanished, reappearing behind Roy, his Haki-coated fist aimed straight at Roy's back!
"CLANG!"
The punch connected with a sound like metal striking metal, sending a numbing shock up Ace's arm.
"What?!"
As Ace stared in disbelief, Roy casually chopped him on the top of the head.
"Ow-ow-ow!" Ace grabbed his head, a puff of white steam rising from the new lump.
Roy calmly retracted his hand, as if he'd just brushed dust off his shoulder.
The recruits' eyes were wide.
"Rear Admiral Roy didn't even bother to dodge?!"
"That's terrifying... that was a Haki-infused attack!"
Ace looked up, a huge lump on his head, but he was grinning. "Don't think you've won!"
He slammed his hands on the ground, flipping backward and unleashing a flurry of kicks. "Rankyaku: Combo!"
FWOOSH-FWOOSH-FWOOSH!
Dozens of vacuum-blades shot across the field like a storm.
Roy raised an eyebrow, finally looking a little serious. He didn't warp. He simply swayed, weaving between every single blade without a single thread of his uniform being touched.
"Creative..."
Before the last blade passed, Roy was suddenly in front of Ace, his finger gently tapping him on the forehead.
"But you're full of openings, brat."
"Gah!"
Ace fell backward into the sand, pounding the ground. "No fair! You're only ten years older than me!"
Roy laughed and pulled him to his feet. "By the time you're my age, you might actually be able to hit me."
Those words lit a fire in Ace's eyes. "Just you wait! I'm gonna beat you 'til you beg for mercy!"
A sharp crack came from the sidelines.
They both turned. Zephyr had crushed the corner of his clipboard, his gaze dark. "Roy! Who gave you permission to raise the difficulty of his training?!"
Roy immediately snapped to attention. "My apologies, Instructor!"
Ace just ran over, bouncing. "Gramps Zephyr! I want to learn Geppo (Moonwalk) tomorrow!"
"I told you, on the training field, you call me 'Instructor'!" Zephyr roared, but a small smile was hidden on his face.
He looked at Roy, and the two shared a look. This kid... he might really surpass his father.
Just then—
"BOOM!"
The training ground gate was smashed open.
Luffy, covered in bandages and dragging a half-dead crocodile by the neck, burst in, grinning. "ACE—! I beat the cafeteria's pet crocodile! We're feasting tonight!"
Nami ran in right after him, furious. "You idiot! That was one of the Science Division's experiments!"
Zephyr's roar echoed across Marineford. "GARP! GET THIS MONKEY UNDER CONTROL!!!"
The elite training ground dissolved into chaos.
Several months passed peacefully. Marine Headquarters, Training Ground.
Ace sat cross-legged, his arms coated in black Haki, veins bulging as he tried to control the power.
Roy was crouched in front of him, one finger resting on Ace's fist. "Remember, Haki isn't brute force. It's an extension of your will. Like breathing. Feel it flow, in rhythm, covering every muscle..."
Sweat beaded on Ace's forehead. His fists were trembling.
"I... I think I'm starting to get it!" he burst out, his eyes flying open as the Haki flickered.
Roy smiled. "Good. Keep practicing—"
His smile vanished. His head snapped toward the entrance of the training ground.
Gion (Momousagi) was walking quickly down the hall, her expression unusually tense.
Roy frowned. His figure vanished.
FWOOSH!
He reappeared directly in her path.
"Gion? What's wrong?"
Gion, startled, quickly composed herself. "Roy? Intelligence just intercepted a trade for the Op-Op Fruit. Fleet Admiral Sengoku has already dispatched a unit, but... the situation is complicated."
"The Op-Op Fruit?!"
Roy's pupils shrank, his face instantly hardening. He didn't ask another question. He just warped.
Intelligence Division - Classified Archives
FWOOSH!
Roy appeared in the file room, the air twisting.
Vice Admiral Tsuru was at her desk, sorting through the latest reports. She didn't even look up. "Roy? How did you—"
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, the intel on the Op-Op Fruit. I need to see it. Now."
His voice was urgent, all his usual calm gone.
Tsuru paused, but she trusted him. She immediately tapped in a code, and a secure file drawer popped open. She pulled a file and slid it into the projector.
The screen lit up.
TARGET: OP-OP FRUIT
CURRENT HOLDER: DIEZ BARRELS (Former Marine, now Pirate)
BROKER: DONQUIXOTE FAMILY
MARINE CONTACT: [CLASSIFIED]
Tsuru frowned. "Sengoku has already sent someone to retrieve the fruit. What's the problem?"
Roy's voice was deathly low. "Doflamingo... isn't the type to let something like this go."
Tsuru froze. She knew what the Op-Op Fruit's ultimate ability was... and she knew Doflamingo's ambition...
The air in the room went cold.
Tsuru looked up, her gaze sharp. "Roy. Go to the trade location. Immediately. I'll report to Sengoku directly."
"Yes, ma'am!"
FWOOSH!
Roy was gone, leaving only a few fluttering papers and Tsuru's heavy sigh.
The wind cut like a knife as Roy warped through the sky at near-light speed, each jump leaving a blue scar in the air.
"The trade is in the North Blue..."
He stared at the horizon, his mind flashing to the face of a clumsy, kind man with a warm smile.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku..."
"Roy," he remembered Sengoku telling him, "You have the entire Navy behind you!"
"You've done so much for us... for Ace... he thought, his fists clenching.
"This time... it's my turn to repay you."
His gaze sharpened like a hawk's.
"Rosinante... you have to hold on."
His figure blurred, vanishing as he raced toward the North Blue.
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