The Paramecia-type Moa Moa no Mi.
The Devil Fruit Zephyr had once declared to be the most suitable for him—
And now it was right in front of his eyes.
Roldy had long wanted to become a Devil Fruit user. That kind of power that defied common sense—how could that not be cool?
More importantly—
This fruit was part of the spoils obtained after defeating the Blade Pirates. And within the Marines, there was an unwritten rule: battle spoils could be partially allocated at the discretion of the commanding officer.
"Hmm~ Looks like young Roldy recognizes this fruit?"
Borsalino didn't hesitate. He casually handed the Devil Fruit over.
Roldy accepted it excitedly, his large hands instinctively turning it over and over. He took a deep breath—
And stuffed the entire fruit into his mouth.
Crunch. Crunch.
The chewing echoed through the cabin.
Sakazuki and Borsalino's expressions changed instantly.
They swallowed hard.
The way they looked at Roldy—
Was like they were staring at a monster.
What a ruthless guy.
Roldy was savoring the moment, eagerly anticipating the surge of newfound power.
But in the very next second—
His good mood was utterly annihilated by the flavor exploding inside his mouth.
How should one even describe it?
It was like soaking century-old expired cheese in fermented snail soup broth… coating it in breadcrumbs aged for generations… seasoning it with rancid slop and skunk spray… then leaving it under a forty-degree sun in a garbage dump for three days before serving it.
The complex and overwhelming taste shot straight to his skull.
Tears streamed down his face.
"Damn it! If you want great power, you've got to endure what ordinary people can't!"
Even as his stomach churned violently, Roldy forced himself not to spit out a single drop.
He could already feel something flowing through his limbs and veins—a strange new force taking root within him.
So caught up in the excitement, he failed to notice the peculiar expressions on Sakazuki and Borsalino's faces.
"How scary~ You can actually endure the taste of a Devil Fruit like that? You only need one bite to gain the ability, you know."
Borsalino spoke lazily.
Roldy froze.
Still in the middle of swallowing, he slowly turned his head toward Borsalino, whose face was filled with teasing amusement. Beside him, Sakazuki was visibly holding back laughter.
Two veins bulged on Roldy's forehead.
"You bastards!!! Why didn't you say that earlier?! Damn it!"
"But… you didn't ask," Borsalino replied innocently.
Looking at that face, Roldy felt his anger surge—but with nowhere to vent it, it would only cause internal damage if bottled up.
After a brief pause—
Roldy suddenly flashed an unusually bright and sincere smile.
"Forget it. I'm not a devil, after all. Let's put this behind us."
"But since this Deputy Chief Instructor just obtained a brand-new ability… how about the two of you help me test it out?"
He clenched his fist.
A sharp sonic boom burst from his palm.
His thick arm bulged with power. The corners of his mouth curled upward, revealing a grin full of teeth.
Such a "warm and friendly" smile—
One truly couldn't bring oneself to refuse.
Borsalino: …
Sakazuki: …
The smiles on both their faces stiffened.
In the Marines, friendly sparring between colleagues was perfectly normal. That wasn't the issue.
The problem was—
This brat had just referred to himself as the Deputy Chief Instructor.
Was he seriously planning to pull rank?
So if they refused today, he'd make things difficult for them in the training camp later?
"…Actually, I think this can be discussed," Borsalino said slowly, glancing sideways. "Sakazuki, what do you think?"
Borsalino forced a smile and nudged his friend with his elbow.
However—
"Couldn't ask for more!"
Flames seemed to ignite in Sakazuki's eyes.
Back then, he had once saved Roldy. Now, that same prodigy's fame far surpassed his own. Though Roldy was hailed as the Marines' greatest young genius, Sakazuki was anything but inferior.
Unlike Borsalino, Sakazuki was a pure battle fanatic.
His dazzling military record spoke for itself. Without exaggeration, even if Roldy's reputation was currently louder—
Sakazuki had slain at least ten times more pirates.
He had long wanted to measure himself against this so-called "strongest Marine rookie."
…
Moments later, a clearing had been opened up.
A large group of the first class of Officer Training Camp cadets sat neatly under the shade of distant trees. Someone had even somehow produced a watermelon.
The clash between the three "monsters" was something they had been eagerly waiting for.
"Huh? What are you all doing? Where are Roldy and the others?"
Dragon dusted off his pants and squeezed into the crowd without ceremony, grabbing a slice of watermelon and taking a huge bite.
"Over there!"
A soldier pointed.
Dragon looked up—
The three were already locked in combat.
Roldy made the first move.
He didn't use his Devil Fruit ability immediately. Instead, relying purely on his overwhelming physical strength, he closed the distance to Sakazuki in the blink of an eye.
The terrifying brute force granted by his Mink hybrid bloodline erupted fully in that instant.
His massive fist came crashing down like a warhammer from the heavens.
Sakazuki didn't retreat.
He raised his own fist, choosing to meet Roldy head-on in a contest of raw strength.
"So they're really fighting… Honestly, Roldy might not gain the upper hand. After all, Sakazuki is—"
Dragon's eyes widened.
The watermelon slipped from his hand unnoticed.
Before everyone's stunned gaze—
Roldy and Sakazuki's fists collided, both coated in thick Armament Haki.
It should have been an even exchange.
Instead—
The instant they clashed, Sakazuki's arm was forced downward.
The ground beneath his feet cracked from the overwhelming force.
Boom!
Though he narrowly predicted Roldy's next strike using Observation Haki and battle experience—barely dodging in time—
Roldy's punch still struck the ground.
The compressed shockwave blasted downward.
A crater over fifteen meters wide and one meter deep exploded into existence.
The exaggerated scene drew collective gasps.
"His strength is that ridiculous?" Dragon muttered.
But he didn't believe Roldy would win so easily.
After all—
There was still Borsalino.
As if on cue, golden light flashed behind Roldy.
A tall figure materialized instantly.
"So scary~ What terrifying strength. But, Roldy… have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
With the speed granted by the Glint-Glint Fruit, Borsalino's leg lashed out toward the back of Roldy's head.
It was the technique he had used to defeat countless opponents.
Elegant.
Decisive.
Almost impossible to evade.
Yet Roldy showed no trace of panic.
On the contrary—
The corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably.
"Your speed is indeed impressive. I can't match it…"
"But—what if my speed increased tenfold?"
The latter half of the sentence came—
From behind Borsalino.
"Moa Moa… Tenfold Speed."
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