"You brat! You ate over sixty baskets of buns this morning! And a measly one ton is already making you bare your teeth? Are you useless or what?!"
On the vast training grounds, Roldy began his second day of training.
Strangely enough, although running one hundred laps yesterday had nearly killed him, after devouring a huge meal and resting for a night, his body had completely recovered. Not only that, but today's training didn't leave him feeling drained—instead, he felt like a bull, bursting with endless strength.
After another hundred laps, he was drenched in sweat, but noticeably faster than the day before.
The improvement in his physique filled him with delight. He had even naïvely imagined that future training sessions might become easier.
Reality quickly proved he had been thinking far too simply…
At this very moment, Roldy was in a horse stance, carrying a massive one-ton boulder on his shoulders. His legs trembled like sieves, while Zephyr sat casually atop the stone, legs crossed, puffing on a cigar. Feeling the shaking beneath him, he sneered disdainfully.
"Old geezer…"
Roldy gritted his teeth.
Every student, at some point in their studies, has complained about a teacher's overwhelming workload. Roldy was no exception.
His complaints, however, were blunt and unfiltered. Having never been tempered by society, he didn't know how to hide his thoughts—whatever he felt, he said outright.
Yet when Zephyr heard the change in how he was addressed, he didn't get angry. On the contrary, he felt the distance between them shrink a little. "Zephyr-sensei" sounded respectful, sure—but somehow "old geezer" felt more genuine.
As the sun climbed high into the sky, sweat pooled at Roldy's feet.
He carefully lowered the massive boulder from his shoulders, moving with exaggerated caution.
He had no choice. Zephyr had told him that the paving stones of the Marine Headquarters training ground were expensive—and any damage would have to be paid for.
That old geezer!
At this point, Roldy felt as though not a shred of strength remained in his body. He leaned against the boulder, gasping for breath.
It was lunchtime. His stomach was completely empty—but his physical exhaustion left him unwilling to move even a finger.
Just then, a rich aroma drifted into his nose.
"Yo! Kid, working hard, huh?"
A man wearing a dark blue shirt and white trousers sat down beside him. A prominent scar marked his face. In his hand was a slab of meat nearly as large as the boulder behind Roldy. The roasted meat glistened with sauce and still steamed in the air, irresistibly fragrant.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
Roldy recognized Zephyr's old friend immediately. He greeted him politely—though his eyes never left the meat in Garp's hand.
"Want some?"
Garp grinned and extended the meat toward him.
Roldy swallowed hard and reached out.
But just as his fingers were about to touch it, Garp instantly pulled it back.
"Ah, I was just being polite. You actually took me seriously?"
Garp looked at him in mock surprise.
Roldy: …
"So… you just came here to tease me?"
Zephyr, who trained like a demon.
Garp, who behaved like a mischievous child.
Sengoku, who valued his goat more than his own life.
And Tsuru, sharp-minded and unfathomably shrewd…
What kind of bizarre group of Marine higher-ups was this?
Roldy had been at Marine Headquarters for some time now. After observing this so-called "generation of hope" among the Marines' top brass, he had come to one conclusion:
Fantastic. At this rate, the Marines are doomed.
"Wahahaha! Look at that resentful glare of yours! Relax, relax—this was meant for you in the first place! That old geezer Zephyr told me your appetite's outrageous. I happened to hunt down a Sea King this morning. You're in for a treat today, kid!"
Sea Kings were colossal creatures that roamed the ocean depths. For most ships, encountering one meant total destruction. But for true powerhouses, Sea Kings were among the finest delicacies the sea had to offer. Their meat was far superior to ordinary livestock—richer, more nutritious, and packed with energy.
After what had happened yesterday, Garp had grown curious about Roldy. And so, this scene came to be.
Watching Roldy devour the roasted meat like a starving ghost reborn, the grin never left Garp's face.
On these seas, strong fighters always had monstrous appetites. In a way, it was a mark of potential. Eating more meant the body demanded more energy—which in turn meant faster growth.
And judging from today alone, at least in terms of appetite, this kid clearly had the qualifications of a powerhouse.
After all, when Garp was Roldy's age, there was no way he could have eaten that much.
"Whew! I'm full!"
In just a few minutes, the enormous slab of meat vanished completely. Roldy lay flat on the ground, his belly swollen high, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Garp watched him casually—
Then, his pupils suddenly contracted.
With each breath Roldy took, his distended stomach visibly shrank. The muscles that had been flushed red from a morning of brutal training were gradually returning to their normal color.
This was—
An innate form of Life Return?!
Garp was stunned.
As a top-tier hand-to-hand combatant, he and Zephyr had long been studying methods to refine and systematize physical training for Marine recruits. The framework of what would later become the Six Powers (Rokushiki) had already begun taking shape and was slowly being introduced.
And the ultimate secret of the Six Powers—
was Life Return.
Yet Roldy had never trained in Rokushiki.
Which made this… absurd.
"Kid, aren't you afraid you'll burst eating that much? How about a nice, refreshing bout of exercise after your meal?"
Garp said it with a broad grin.
Roldy lifted his head—only to see Garp cracking his knuckles eagerly.
A terrible premonition rose in his heart.
Gulp.
He swallowed with difficulty.
"You mean…?"
"That's right! How about I spar with you myself?"
After Garp said that, the two fell into an eerie silence.
A moment later, Roldy's teeth began grinding audibly.
"Old geezer! I knew it—you're just like that old geezer Zephyr!"
And so—
Training had only begun for two days.
And Roldy had already been beaten up twice.
What a bright and promising future indeed.
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