Since nobody wanted the ordinary Marines watching their senior officers fight among themselves, the sparring match was moved to the rooftop of G-1 Base’s main building.
Commodore Doll and Major Nate stood facing each other beneath the open sky.
Powerful winds swept across the rooftop, making the coats of justice draped over their shoulders snap loudly behind them.
Doll lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
Standing tall and proud, she carried an air of heroic confidence mixed with an unmistakably rebellious edge.
She studied Nate across from her and slowly frowned.
‘Isn’t this kid a little too relaxed?’ Nate had his head tilted back in a yawn, shoulders drooping as if he’d barely managed to crawl out of bed.
“Go for it, Nate!” His good brother Binz leaned on his crutches and shouted enthusiastically.
“Show her what you’ve got!” A Commodore?
Was that supposed to be impressive?
Instructor Zephyr had personally said Nate possessed strength on the level of a Vice Admiral.
“Nate!” Ain raised her voice as well.
“Don’t lose!” Not that she actually believed Nate would.
“All right.” Zephyr spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“Don’t waste too much time, and don’t take this too far.
Begin.” Among the spectators, Rear Admiral Gavin lowered his voice.
“Who do you think will win?” “Doll isn’t weak.” Rear Admiral Marcus answered calmly.
“Yeah.
That kid is still too young.” One of the Commodores nodded in agreement.
“How about you, Borsalino?” Vice Admiral Simon turned toward his old classmate.
“What do you think?” “Hard to say.” Kizaru smiled lazily.
“But Instructor Zephyr isn’t exactly someone who likes making jokes.” The officers paused.
At the same moment, the fight began.
“Don’t worry, Junior.” Doll clasped her hands together and cracked her knuckles with a series of sharp pops.
“I won’t take up too much of your time.” “Oh?” Nate’s drooping eyelids lifted slightly in surprise.
‘What, are you about to throw some legendary fist that splits the wind?’ “Soru!” The tall woman vanished.
“Sound Soul Impact!” A Haki-coated fist appeared inches from Nate’s handsome face.
The punch was so fast that even the wind seemed unable to follow it, with the sound of her movement left far behind.
“Razor.” Doll’s vision blurred.
Her fist smashed straight through the young man in front of her.
No— There was no feeling of impact at all.
An afterimage!
Doll’s punch cut through empty air, throwing her slightly off balance.
She immediately looked over her shoulder in disbelief.
Nate was standing several meters behind her.
“This—” The officers watching the fight were collectively stunned.
“What an incredible Soru!” Marcus’s eyes widened.
Even he couldn’t match that speed.
Simon’s lips gradually curved into an excited smile.
“Looks like we really were frogs at the bottom of a well.” “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Doll twisted around and launched herself forward again.
“Rankyaku!” Her long right leg carved out a brilliant vacuum blade.
Nate simply raised his left arm and covered it with Armament Haki.
CLANG!
A tremendous impact rang out as violent gusts swept across the rooftop, sending both of their coats of justice billowing high behind them.
As for why coats merely draped over their shoulders never seemed to blow away— Well, if justice could be blown away that easily, could it still be called justice?
Doll gritted her teeth.
Her leg had smashed against Nate’s forearm, yet it felt as though she’d kicked some kind of impossible superalloy.
He hadn’t budged at all.
“Incredible!” Simon couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Armament Haki at that level…” He stared carefully at Nate.
“I’m only around the same level myself.” The two Rear Admirals and remaining Commodores were already speechless.
That Haki was far stronger than theirs.
And this was supposed to be someone who had just graduated?
Behind Zephyr, Binz immediately puffed out his chest with pride.
‘See that?’ ‘That’s my brother!’ “Sound Soul Explosion!” The instant Doll landed, she rushed forward again and closed the distance.
Both fists erupted into a storm of rapid punches.
‘Cool name.’ Nate watched the incoming barrage with half-lidded eyes.
‘But isn’t this basically just wildly flailing your fists?’ His body suddenly seemed to turn into soft clay.
It bent, twisted, and distorted continuously, every movement occurring at exactly the right moment to let Doll’s fists pass harmlessly by.
“Kami-e at this level…” Gavin swallowed.
“Don’t tell me he’s mastered Life Return too?” “That’s not even the most impressive part.” Simon shook his head.
“Look at his Observation Haki.” Every one of Doll’s attacks was being predicted perfectly.
“Their Observation Haki isn’t even on the same level.” Now he understood why Zephyr valued this boy so highly.
The Marines hadn’t produced such a dazzling newcomer in years.
Even Gion and Tokikake seemed somewhat inferior.
Perhaps only people like Sakazuki and Borsalino from their generation could truly be compared with him.
Doll’s furious barrage gradually slowed.
Snap.
Nate’s body returned to normal, and his left hand shot out to catch Doll’s fist.
Doll tried pulling away.
Her arm didn’t move.
‘He’s that much stronger than me physically too…’ The female Commodore finally let out a discouraged sigh.
“I lost.” Even Vice Admiral Simon might have difficulty defeating this young man.
“Oi.” Nate tilted his head while slowly raising his right fist.
“You don’t seriously think saying you surrender means this is over, do you?” “What?” Doll stared at him blankly.
Below the fighting area, Ain covered her eyes with one hand.
‘Here we go again.’ “A fist…” Nate drew his right arm back.
“…is supposed to be thrown like this.” He swung.
A heavy right hook.
Doll heard the wind roaring beside her ear, but before she could even turn her head, Nate’s pitch-black fist smashed directly into the side of her face.
“Pfft—!” The heroic-looking Commodore spun through the air like a balloon losing pressure before crashing heavily onto the rooftop some distance away.
Face first.
“Haa…” Nate released a long, satisfied breath.
“Much better.” The officers who had been praising him moments earlier suddenly froze.
“Ooh.” Only Kizaru slowly began clapping.
“What a beautiful right hook.” His lazy smile widened.
“Punching a girl directly in the face without the slightest hesitation…
Major Nate really is decisive.” Nate turned toward him with a completely serious expression.
“I believe in gender equality.” “Hahahaha!” Kizaru burst out laughing.
“What an interesting junior.” He glanced toward Zephyr.
“If Instructor Zephyr weren’t so unwilling to let you go, I’d almost want to bring you over to my side.” “Ahem.” Zephyr coughed awkwardly and interrupted him.
“The result is settled.” He looked toward the officers.
“You all recognize Nate’s strength now, right?” “It’s astonishing.” Simon deliberately avoided looking at Doll, who was still lying face-down in the distance.
“Forget being your adjutant.
Even if you wanted Major Nate to replace me as Deputy Commander right now, I wouldn’t object.” “Don’t say something stupid.” Zephyr shook his head.
“Nate doesn’t have any command experience.” “Besides, he doesn’t have time to waste on things like that.” Simon’s mouth twitched.
‘What do you mean waste?!’ ‘Does my time not count?’ Still, he understood now.
This Major Nate was clearly the true personal student Zephyr had chosen to inherit his teachings.
“Then let’s not waste any more time.” Zephyr’s expression turned serious.
“Have the troops assemble.” “Today, we’ll officially announce the establishment of the Marine Guerrilla Unit.” “Ahem, Instructor Zephyr.” Simon coughed.
“What about Doll?” Zephyr finally remembered that Doll was still lying on the ground.
“Ain, hurry and take your senior to the infirmary.” “Yes, sir!” …
A short while later.
The massive plaza of G-1 Base was filled with orderly ranks of soldiers.
Many Marines stationed at G-1 watched from farther away, while the assembled troops kept their eyes fixed on the officers standing atop the reviewing platform.
Nate stood behind Zephyr with unusually straight posture.
Instructor Zephyr had made it very clear that if Nate acted lazy during such a serious occasion, there would be consequences.
Zephyr sat in the center of the platform, with the senior officers of the Marine Guerrilla Unit arranged around him.
Everyone wore serious expressions.
Except Commodore Doll.
Her face was wrapped in bandages.
Ever since returning from the infirmary, she’d been staring at Nate as if she wanted to eat him alive.
‘Tch.’ ‘Boys really do need to learn how to protect themselves when they’re outside.’ ‘Another shameless woman lusting after Lord Nate’s body.’ While Nate’s thoughts wandered, Zephyr rose to his feet.
“Starting today, the balance of the New World is going to change!” His powerful voice spread across the entire plaza.
“For too long, pirates have pillaged wherever they pleased while the Marines could only respond after the damage was already done.” “That ends today.” “Because we’re here!” The soldiers below listened with growing excitement.
“We have only one objective—hunt down the most vicious pirates in the New World!” “We will take the initiative!” “We will destroy those criminals before they can bring disaster upon innocent people, and we will bring hope back to the people of these seas!” Zephyr raised his voice.
“I hereby declare the Marine Guerrilla Unit officially established!” The soldiers erupted with excitement beneath the platform.
Listening to Zephyr’s passionate speech, Nate merely smiled faintly.
‘Justice, huh…’ ‘Honestly, my Infinite Tsukuyomi sounds like it’d make ordinary people much happier.’ Regardless, the Marine Guerrilla Unit had now officially been formed.
Naturally, that didn’t mean they could immediately set sail.
The unit had been assembled too hastily, and there was still an enormous amount of preparation work left to complete.
Zephyr became extremely busy.
So he simply threw Nate aside and told him to focus on training, since all the techniques he needed had already been taught.
Binz and Ain trained alongside him.
Although they were technically supposed to help Zephyr with miscellaneous tasks, there wasn’t actually much work for them to handle yet.
While Nate practiced controlling his Haki, the other two sweated nearby while drilling the Six Powers.
…
At the same time, somewhere in the waters near the entrance to the New World, an utterly ordinary-looking ship sailed steadily through the waves.
Bodies lay scattered across its deck.
Luna stood alone at the bow with a newspaper in her hands.
“Hahahaha!
Weevil, that’s my boy!” Behind her, Buckingham loudly showered her son with praise.
“Seven hundred million Berries!
That’s your bounty!” “Hahahaha!” Weevil laughed foolishly.
“I’m amazing, right, Mom?” Then he suddenly remembered something.
“Oh!
We need to hurry over there and tell Dad!” “Of course, of course.” Buckingham smiled indulgently.
‘The one in the mental world isn’t the only one.’ ‘Your real father should already know about you too, Weevil.’ Elsewhere on deck, Solt and Anthony were chatting together.
“World actually got a one-billion-Berry bounty.” “Can’t really blame them.
Our lord kept controlling his body, so the Government probably assumes he was the mastermind.” “Speaking of World, where is that guy?” “Still in his personal world, I think.
He spends every day slaughtering all the people he hates.” “Hahahaha!
Doesn’t he get bored?” “Doesn’t matter whether he’s bored.
At least he’s acting somewhat normal now and can actually hold a conversation.” “Our lord truly is benevolent.” “Speaking of which…” Anthony rose and looked toward the figure standing at the bow.
“Lady Luna, what do we do next?” Without turning around, Luna answered calmly.
“First, find an island called Punk Hazard.” “Then…” “Wait.” “Wait?” … …