"So scary~ Even with all four limbs broken and every rib shattered, he's still barely clinging to life?"
Some soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield nearby.
Not far away, Roldy and the others sat together. Borsalino(Kizaru) examined Ayi with a playful expression. The pirate was barely breathing—more air going out than coming in.
Despite his young age, Borsalino(Kizaru) already had that infuriatingly punchable demeanor.
"With strength like yours, you still feel the need to attend the Officer Training Camp? Honestly, some Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral s might not even match the three of you."
Roldy glanced at the trio beside him.
They were all familiar faces.
He had met Sakazuki shortly after joining the Marines. Dragon needed no introduction—they both lived in the residential district at Marine Headquarters. As for Borsalino, they had only crossed paths a few times, but that lazily irritating expression of his had left a deep impression.
"That's not quite fair, Roldy ," Dragon said.
At this time, Dragon was still a strikingly handsome young man. As he looked at the much younger Roldy , envy was clear in his tone.
"You grew up under Admiral Zephyr's direct guidance. Even my old man praises him as a master instructor. Sure, your talent is exceptional—but I'm certain that if you'd been left to figure things out on your own, you wouldn't have reached your current level."
Even someone like Dragon—a genuine Marine elite raised in Headquarters—couldn't help but envy Roldy 's resources.
It wasn't exaggerated.
Roldy had already inherited the martial foundations of both Zephyr and Vice Admiral Garp. In terms of knowledge and strategy, he had benefited from Vice Admiral Tsuru's teachings as well.
Compared to that—
Even these three so-called "monster rookies" fell slightly behind in terms of mentorship.
"Please. The three of you are Logia users," Roldy snorted. "Dragon, I won't say anything about those two—but don't think I don't know how you got your Devil Fruit."
Of everyone present, Dragon had the least right to envy him.
Though Dragon had earned his Vice Admiral rank at Headquarters through his own ability, there was no denying that he had been forged from childhood under Garp's brutal training.
Not to mention—
Garp had leveraged his immense military achievements to secure a Logia-type Devil Fruit for him: the Storm-Storm Fruit.
Roldy was certain that Dragon's current strength surpassed both Sakazuki and Borsalino.
Though not by a wide margin.
"Wait… if you wanted a Devil Fruit, wouldn't Admiral Zephyr have prepared one for you long ago?" Dragon asked in surprise.
Everyone at Headquarters knew how much Zephyr valued his most prized disciple. Their bond was practically that of father and son.
If Roldy had asked, Zephyr wouldn't have hesitated.
"Don't even mention it," Roldy muttered. "The old man says I'm on the path of a pure physical combatant. Ordinary Devil Fruits wouldn't benefit me—they'd just leave me with a fatal weakness."
"Only a handful of fruits would truly suit me. And those are nearly impossible to find."
He had indeed raised the idea of eating a Devil Fruit with Zephyr.
Zephyr had been reluctant. He preferred Roldy to become a pure Haki-based powerhouse. Still, he hadn't outright rejected the idea.
Instead, he had listed several fruits that would genuinely complement Roldy 's style.
Either:
A powerful Mythical Zoan
Or an exceptionally rare Paramecia
As for Logia—
Zephyr generally didn't recommend it.
There was only one exception.
The Goro Goro no Mi—the so-called strongest Logia.
Unfortunately, many of the fruits Zephyr mentioned had never even appeared in the Marine Devil Fruit encyclopedias.
Fleet Admiral Kong had suggested that Headquarters still possessed a few Ancient Zoan fruits in storage. Those would be solid options.
But not perfect.
As they chatted, the remaining cadets finished cleaning up the battlefield. They notified the nearest Marine branch.
The surviving civilians would receive treatment.
Any spoils of war, naturally, belonged to them.
Including—
The massive pirate ship docked at the harbor.
The four of them boarded the vessel.
Inside the dark cabin, dried blood stained the walls and floor. The sight caused veins to bulge across Sakazuki's forehead.
Women locked in cages stared blankly ahead, like lifeless corpses.
Light had finally arrived—
But too late.
The darkness had already consumed their hearts.
Their eyes no longer had the strength to face the light.
"What a sin…"
Dragon let out a long sigh.
"How long will this kind of evil continue to exist?"
He felt anger.
He felt sorrow.
He felt helpless.
He pitied the civilians—
Yet he knew he couldn't save everyone.
Dragon stepped forward and effortlessly snapped apart the bars that had imprisoned the women for countless days and nights.
He was the best among them at speaking with civilians. Naturally, Roldy and the others left the task of comforting the rescued women to him and headed off to search the rest of the ship.
The Captain's Cabin
Underneath the bed—
Six massive chests were hidden.
When opened, golden light spilled out in a dazzling flood. Inside were heaps upon heaps of gold and jewels.
Even Roldy couldn't help clicking his tongue.
Piracy really was a ridiculously profitable business.
Beside him, Borsalino casually examined the room's decor, remarking that the pirate captain at least had some taste.
Suddenly, he paused.
He lightly tapped on a painting hanging on the wall.
The sound was hollow.
After removing the painting, he reached into the wall and pulled out a small locked box.
"What's this?"
Roldy and Sakazuki leaned closer.
With a slight squeeze of two fingers, Borsalino crushed the lock as if it were paper.
The three of them crowded together—
And froze.
Inside the box lay a round fruit.
"This is… a Devil Fruit?"
Sakazuki raised an eyebrow.
The fruit wasn't large. It resembled something between an apple and a pomelo. Its surface was smooth, covered in mysterious swirling patterns. One end bulged larger than the other.
Even with his experience, Sakazuki couldn't identify it.
"Roldy ?"
He turned—
Only to see Roldy standing there with his mouth slightly open, eyes wide in disbelief.
He remembered clearly the conversation he once had with Zephyr when he expressed his desire to eat a Devil Fruit.
"For someone like you, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit would naturally be the best," Zephyr had said. "Some powerful Mythical Zoans can grant you an even stronger body—along with abilities beyond imagination."
"Then, Sensei, should I choose a powerful Zoan?"
"Not necessarily," Zephyr had replied. "Certain Paramecia can also suit you. For example—the Strength-Strength Fruit, which enhances raw power. Or fruits that increase speed…"
"Then how do I choose?"
"There's no rush. It depends on how you grow. But remember this—"
"There is one Paramecia that's an exception. If you ever encounter it, don't hesitate. It is the most suitable for you."
"What is it?"
"Paramecia-type… the More-More Fruit."
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