On the training grounds of the North Blue Marine Branch, the blazing sun hung high in the sky, casting scorching rays onto the flat bluestone ground, making the entire field dazzlingly bright.
Dressed in a standard white Marine training uniform, Borsalino stood quietly in the center of the training grounds. Her long black hair was simply tied behind her head, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks, softening her cold and sharp appearance slightly.
She tightly gripped a standard solid wood training sword, steadily raised her arm, lightly flicked her wrist, and suddenly swung it.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound of breaking air exploded as the airflow was violently torn apart by the blade's edge, sending a fierce gust of wind dispersing in all directions. The trajectory of the wooden sword's swing was clean and crisp.
The Marines practicing around the training grounds turned their heads one after another, their gazes all landing on the stunning, upright figure in the center of the field. The rhythm of their own busy training quieted and slowed down by a fraction.
Borsalino's expression remained indifferent, her movements never stopping, but her mind was churning with thoughts.
She never denied Garp's overbearing Iron Fist; pure physical strength cultivated to the limit was enough to traverse the seas. But in her eyes as a veteran One Piece fan, mere hand to hand combat ultimately lacked a bit of style. Just look at Dark King Rayleigh and Hawkeye Mihawk, every single one of them came with their own background music.
In the original work, Borsalino relied too heavily on the top tier talent of the Glint Glint Fruit, putting all focus on fruit development while neglecting to polish her Haki. Although seemingly infinitely glorious, her late stage battle record was actually lackluster. Slacking off on the battlefield year round, she became a master of minimal effort.
She decided to cultivate all three: Devil Fruit, Haki, and swordsmanship, to fully round out her weaknesses. Only in this way could she gain a firm foothold in the treacherous seas, contend with those monsters, and peacefully lie low.
At the stands on the edge of the training grounds, Lieutenant Commander Wayne stood with his hands behind his back. His eyes were tightly locked onto the young girl in the field, filled with approval and amazement as he nodded silently.
He himself was an experienced swordsman who had deeply cultivated the Way of the Sword for many years, and with a single glance, he saw through Borsalino's swordsmanship foundation. Her foundation was solid, her exertion of force was exquisite, and her comprehension of swordsmanship far surpassed that of ordinary swordsmen. She was already infinitely close to the level of a master swordsman, just one step away.
After spending just two short days together, Wayne grew increasingly astonished.
This Logia user, known as the Fiend of the North Blue, not only had a heaven defying fruit talent, but her physical body and comprehension of swordsmanship were also far beyond ordinary people, making her practically a genius gifted to the Marines by heaven.
He raised his eyes to look at the distant sea.
It had been two days since Borsalino enlisted, and counting the time, the escort warship dispatched from Headquarters should be arriving at the North Blue port soon.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the sound of hurried footsteps rushed over. A Marine on guard duty quickly ran up to him, bowed, and saluted.
"Reporting, Lieutenant Commander! The Headquarters warship has arrived at the port and is about to dock!"
"Finally here." A sharp light flashed in Wayne's eyes, and he immediately collected his thoughts and straightened his collar.
At the North Blue Branch port, the waves gently lapped against the embankment. A large warship, solemnly painted and bearing the Marine "Justice" logo, was securely docked at the pier, its massive hull exuding a majestic aura.
Soon, the gangway slowly lowered, and Marine soldiers dressed in Headquarters uniforms walked down in an orderly fashion, their neat formations forming a sharp contrast with the local branch Marines.
Stepping down at the head of the group was a young, upright figure with black hair neatly combed back and a resolute, cold face. It was none other than Headquarters Lieutenant Commander Monkey D. Dragon.
Dragon raised his eyes, calmly sweeping his gaze over the North Blue Branch crowd waiting respectfully in neat lines in front of the pier, and nodded with a smile.
He had actively applied to Headquarters to secure this North Blue escort mission.
For one, running around to execute missions year round under such high intensity had long left him physically and mentally exhausted. Especially his recent experiences in Mary Geoise, where the nobles lived in luxury and debauchery, and the Celestial Dragons treated human lives like grass, constantly shattered his understanding, making him increasingly doubt whether the already decayed and stagnant Marines were truly the home for protecting justice and saving the people.
He desperately needed some free time to settle his thoughts and find his future direction.
Secondly, he was also full of curiosity. What was this mysterious newcomer who had suddenly emerged from the North Blue, an extremely rare Logia user, actually like? After all, years ago, the one who debuted with the title of "Headquarters' Strongest Newcomer" was none other than himself. He really wanted to witness with his own eyes whether this newly risen genius was truly as the rumors described.
Quickly scanning the crowd, Dragon's gaze finally locked onto the young girl at the very front of the line, his pupils shrinking slightly in an almost imperceptible daze. Her formidable combat power and notorious nickname formed a massive contrast with the stunning face and lazy, indifferent temperament before him.
However, this surprise was fleeting. Dragon quickly composed his thoughts and returned to his usual calm and indifferent demeanor.
At the same time, Borsalino was also quietly sizing up the young Lieutenant Commander before her, waves of emotion rising in her heart. She never expected that Headquarters would actually send Monkey D. Dragon to escort her.
This man before her was by no means as simple as he appeared on the surface. This was the man who would shake the world's power structure in the future, the leader of the Revolutionary Army who would overturn the ruling foundation of the World Government, and a legendary figure branded by the World Government as the "Most Heinous Criminal."
But at this moment, Dragon was still young, and his face did not yet have that iconic slipper print tattoo of the future. In addition, Borsalino could clearly capture the faint air of decadence and confusion lingering around him.
She understood perfectly. No doubt the secrets of the God Valley Incident and what he witnessed in Mary Geoise had completely shattered Dragon's former beliefs. Currently, he was in a critical period of ideological transformation, having witnessed the decayed darkness of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. With his inner justice collapsed, he was groping in the dark, brewing the prototype of the Revolutionary Army.
After her brief thoughts flew by, Borsalino quickly pulled herself together. Thinking aimlessly about it wouldn't help anyway. Her current goal was clear: establish a steady foothold in the Marines, polish her strength, cultivate Haki, refine her swordsmanship, and step by step reach the position of Admiral, earning a high salary while peacefully lying low, and witness the subsequent Pirate King storyline in an immersive first person perspective.
For some reason, seeing the sudden sparkle of light in the young girl's eyes and the faint, inexplicable excitement rising within her, Dragon felt a hint of inexplicable confusion, completely unable to read her mind.
He took a step forward, his tone calm and steady, and spoke politely: "Miss Borsalino, I am Headquarters Lieutenant Commander Monkey D. Dragon. I have been ordered to escort you to report to Marine Headquarters."
"Understood, Lieutenant Commander Dragon. Nice to meet you," Borsalino replied indifferently.
The next steps in the process were even simpler. The Marine branch quickly completed the supply replenishment and handover work, everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.
It was worth mentioning that before boarding for departure, Lieutenant Commander Wayne stepped forward quickly and solemnly handed over a well kept katana, his expression sincere: "Borsalino, this sword was an accidental acquisition of mine a few days ago. It is Qingyue, one of the fifty Ryo Wazamono. I present it to you today, hoping it will be of help to you."
Wayne knew that Borsalino would sooner or later be promoted to an officer rank, at which point she would need to build her own team, so he was trying to build a familiar relationship. Planting a seed of connection held nothing but benefits and no harm for him.
Borsalino raised her eyebrows slightly, reached out to take the long sword, her fingertips touching the slightly cool scabbard, and nodded slightly: "Thank you, Lieutenant Commander Wayne."
Accompanied by a loud siren, the warship slowly sailed away from the North Blue port, parting the blue sea, heading at full speed toward the Grand Line and Marine Headquarters.
The waves surged.
Borsalino stood alone on the warship's deck, raising her hand to draw Qingyue from her waist. The light blue blade was crystal clear and translucent, like condensed moonlight, pure and sharp, the blade's edge gleaming with a cold light, fully displaying the quality of a Ryo Wazamono.
Her fingertips lightly brushed across the blade as she pondered in her heart. With the power of the Glint Glint Fruit, she could completely condense a light blade to replicate the original Kizaru's Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. But an ability was ultimately just an ability; swordsmanship cultivation ultimately required a real sword to hone and polish.
As a veteran One Piece fan, who hadn't harbored the dream of forging their own exclusive Black Blade?
Night fell, and the bright moonlight washed over the deck. The sea shimmered, and the evening breeze was slightly cool.
Having finished her swordsmanship practice, Borsalino felt a bit of fatigue in her body and mind, and was about to turn back to the cabin to rest. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of an upright figure standing quietly by the railing at the front of the deck.
It was Dragon. Holding the ship's railing with one hand, he looked up at the pitch black, boundless sea.
Neither of them was someone skilled at small talk. Borsalino found socializing troublesome and was too lazy to waste her energy. Dragon, on the other hand, was weighed down by heavy thoughts and had no heart for idle chatter.
Borsalino paused for a moment, sighing softly in her heart, but ultimately dismissed the thought of returning to her cabin to rest, and slowly walked toward Dragon.
Her soft footsteps broke the silence of the deck. Hearing the sound, Dragon turned his head, his gaze landing on the approaching girl.
At this moment, Borsalino had already changed out of her training uniform, wearing a clean, neat white outfit that closely fit her figure. The bright moonlight poured down, landing on her long black hair and stunning face, casting a soft halo that made her look cold yet breathtaking. That relaxed aura about her became even more prominent in the night.
Thanks to the thick-headedness inherited from Garp, Dragon did not have the slightest stray thought, simply stepping aside silently to make room for her to look at the sea.
"Just finished training?" Dragon spoke first, breaking the silence in a polite and gentle tone.
"Yeah, practiced with the sword for a bit," Borsalino nodded casually, her tone indifferent.
After those words, the two fell back into a silent, awkward quiet, with only the howling of the sea breeze and the surging of the waves echoing in their ears.
After the silence lasted for a moment, Dragon suddenly initiated the conversation as if possessed. Even he himself didn't know why he suddenly wanted to confide his thoughts to this girl he had only recently met. Perhaps the confusion and oppression accumulated over the days were too heavy, or perhaps the girl before him had an indifferent, transparent, and relaxed temperament that inexplicably inspired trust and made her a good listener.
He raised his eyes to look at the boundless, dark sea, his voice low and raspy, carrying a trace of confusion and inquiry: "Miss Borsalino, how do you view this sea's slave trade, the Heavenly Tribute system, and the national systems that currently maintain the world?"
This question was heavy and sensitive. An ordinary Marine would likely not question the right and wrong of the World Government.
The originally drowsy Borsalino instantly perked up upon hearing this.
If you're talking about this, I'm not sleepy at all!
As a flower who grew up in a free and equal society in her past life, nurtured under the influence of communism, she truly had an obligation to deliver a thoroughly satisfying ideological baptism to him and give him a theoretical shock!
Borsalino raised her eyes slightly, looked at the confused young man before her, and slowly opened her chatterbox.
The night breeze blew gently.
That night, no third person knew what kind of cognitively subversive ideas the girl's softly spoken words contained. Only in the night, Dragon's originally silent and confused eyes lit up bit by bit, the decadence and gloom in his eyes dissipating layer by layer, replaced by an increasingly firm, burning, and bright spark.
Furthermore, years later, when the Revolutionary Army rose and swept across the seas, all Revolutionary Army soldiers would affectionately call each other "Comrade."
The next morning, the sky broke into dawn.
In her cabin bedroom, Borsalino sat up from the bed with a messy head of long black hair, her eyes bleary with sleep and her face full of exhaustion. Faint dark circles hung under her eyes, and her entire body exuded weariness.
They had talked too passionately last night, and before she knew it, they had spoken straight until dawn. After returning, she hadn't had any time to rest properly, leaving her completely exhausted.
She raised her hand to rub her temples, her heart full of regret. Talk about meddling in things that weren't her business! She had agreed to casually lie low, but in the end, she couldn't hold back and directly brainwashed the future leader of the Revolutionary Army with ideological theories for an entire night. It was purely looking for trouble and ruining her health by staying up late.
"I'm absolutely never running my mouth again..." she muttered softly.
Just then, a gentle knock came from outside the door. Borsalino tidied her messy long hair and got up to open the door.
Standing outside the door was actually Dragon.
This young Lieutenant Commander also had dark circles under his eyes, looking as though he hadn't slept a wink all night, yet there wasn't a trace of fatigue in his eyes; instead, he was glowing with energy. His entire being was completely refreshed, sweeping away his past decadence and confusion. He looked as overjoyed and full of drive as an old man who had just had a son.
The all-night conversation had completely dispelled the fog in his heart, allowing him to fully break free from his recent mental exhaustion and ideological confusion. The oppression accumulated in his heart had completely vanished, leaving his entire body filled with an indomitable drive.
"Good morning, Miss Borsalino."
Dragon flashed a bright smile like never before, like a sunny boy, so dazzling that Borsalino could barely open her eyes.
"An uninhabited desert island has been spotted in the sea ahead. The ship needs to replenish its fresh water nearby, so we will make a brief stop to rest and reorganize."
Having said that, he looked intently at the young girl before him, a hint of expectation and solemnity in his eyes, his tone sincere: "During our break, would you care to have a spar with me?"
In his heart, he already viewed Borsalino as a partner with matching ideas and a shared path, and was eager to find out the true combat power of this future "comrade," filled with ultimate curiosity and expectation toward the strength of this legendary North Blue newcomer.
Looking at Dragon, who had suddenly become sunny, hot blooded, and full of drive, Borsalino's delicate brow furrowed slightly, a hint of helplessness rising in her heart.
She did indeed want to find an opponent of decent strength to test her current true combat power. But seeing him looking this full of drive and so eager to try, the fatigue from her sleepless night instantly flooded her mind.
After a brief silence, her lazy, weary voice softly rang out, carrying her iconic catchphrase:
"How troublesome..."