Before the clouds of dust could fully settle, the cracks and craters scattered across the training ground remained a shocking sight.
A penetrating roar full of fury suddenly exploded from the direction of the Marineford administration building, echoing grandly across the entire harbor training ground.
"Garp!! Causing trouble at Headquarters again!!"
The voice resonated like a giant bell, carrying the accumulated authority of the Fleet Admiral and making the surrounding air tremble slightly.
The earth shattering collision on the training ground just now had been simply too terrifying. Kong, who was holding a follow up meeting in his office, was startled and immediately assumed a powerful enemy had invaded or that Marineford was under attack. He was even prepared to mobilize everyone for battle.
However, after a brief check, his blood pressure instantly spiked. There were no foreign enemies; the one responsible for creating such a massive disturbance was once again that perpetually restless Monkey D. Garp!
Accompanied by approaching footsteps, the Fleet Admiral's angry shouts grew increasingly clear, washing over the area with immense pressure.
Garp, who was still laughing heartily and feeling thoroughly satisfied on the field, froze instantly, his smile stiffening on his face. All his fighting spirit vanished in an instant, replaced by intense guilt. He whipped his head around, looking for Borsalino who had just sparred with him, and instinctively raised a hand to wave.
"Quick, run! The old man is coming! Slip away with me!"
Yet as the words left his mouth, there was nothing in front of him. The young girl who had been kneeling on one knee with exhausted breaths moments ago was already gone without a trace. On the vast, empty training ground, he was left standing alone in utter confusion.
Garp blinked blankly, subconsciously scratching his head in utter surprise.
"She sure runs fast... Devil Fruits do have their perks after all."
When it came to escaping, Borsalino, who possessed the Glint Glint Fruit, was an absolute expert among experts. The moment she heard the furious roar in the distance, Borsalino had instantly snapped to her senses. Was this a joke? Why would she get involved in the mess Garp made by infuriating the Fleet Admiral? She was not crazy.
She had no interest in staying behind to be scolded alongside this Marine hero. Taking advantage of the dust obscuring everyone's vision, she immediately activated her ability, relocating at light speed to make her escape and leaving the entire mess behind for the instigator, Garp.
As for joining Garp's unit, her current self was not suited for Garp's style anyway.
Borsalino did not witness the subsequent commotion at Marineford herself, but she heard that over the next few days, Garp, who usually hated meetings the most, slacked off year round, and avoided work whenever possible, actually attended the Fleet Admiral's office punctually for several consecutive days, dutifully attending meetings and giving debriefings without daring to slack off.
The entire high command of Marineford knew very well that this legendary Vice Admiral had likely been severely disciplined by the Fleet Admiral. Precisely because Garp was punished and kept well behaved, the atmosphere at Marineford was exceptionally quiet during those few days. Zephyr's mood was also remarkably pleasant, and even Admiral Sengoku, who was usually stern and unsmiling, often carried a faint smile on his face.
Such peaceful days did not last long.
An urgent piece of intelligence reached Marineford: on the open seas, Gol D. Roger's pirate crew had appeared once again, active in the waters of the New World. Upon receiving the news, Garp hurriedly led his warship out to sea, resuming his routine of chasing Roger, a complex and endless saga.
Marineford fully returned to peace.
Early the next morning, as the first light of dawn broke, morning mist enveloped the port of Marineford. The source of this chapter is g.com.
After a night of rest, the exhaustion from fighting Garp with all her strength yesterday still lingered in her body, her limbs still feeling dull and sore. Borsalino got up early, tidied her clothes, and headed to the port to assemble.
Today, she had shed her plain recruit outfit and donned a well fitted, standard Marine Ensign uniform. The pure white uniform was neat and crisp, with sharp lines that perfectly fitted her tall figure, making her posture look all the more upright and valiant. Her aloof and stunning appearance, paired with the military uniform, remained utterly breathtaking.
After yesterday's meeting concluded, Kong had personally issued an exceptional order. In light of Borsalino's top tier talent with the Logia Glint Glint Fruit and her illustrious military exploits in the North Blue, she was exempted from starting as a private and directly promoted by exception, granted the rank of Ensign at Marine Headquarters.
A medium sized Marine cruiser was docked at the port, the dedicated vessel for Zephyr's led patrol and pirate apprehension mission, as well as the venue where she would cultivate and train in the coming period.
Wearing an officer's cloak, Zephyr stood quietly at the bow, the sea breeze blowing at his hem. His expression was calm and gentle as his gaze turned toward Borsalino walking over.
"You are here."
"Teacher," Borsalino stepped forward with steady strides and bowed respectfully.
"For the coming period, you will sail with me on patrol, completing missions to clear pirates from the sea while cultivating your Haki," Zephyr spoke calmly.
With those words, the warship slowly set sail, cutting through the morning mist as it left Marineford's port and headed toward the chaotic waters of the Grand Line.
The sea surface was calm and serene. The deck was empty and quiet; all the soldiers had retreated to the cabins, leaving the entire space to the master and apprentice.
Zephyr took out a pair of specially made Seastone handcuffs from his side, dull and dark throughout. He raised his hand and held them out, speaking seriously, "Put them on."
Without a moment's hesitation, Borsalino took them and cuffed them directly onto her wrists. The cold, hard sensation instantly covered her skin, and a feeling of weakness spread through her limbs and entire body. The energy of the Glint Glint Fruit that had been flowing freely within her was firmly suppressed. Her ability could not be mobilized.
In an instant, she had to rely solely on her physical body and sword techniques.
Zephyr stood in the sea breeze with his hands behind his back, looking at the young girl before him. He had seen far too many young people who were arrogant and conceited because of their Devil Fruit talent. Most Logia users, from the day their abilities awakened, grew accustomed to elementalizing to dodge all damage, leaving them full of flaws over time when facing top tier Haki masters. Many disciples feared the weakness brought on by Seastone and slacked off during training, forever hiding in the comfort zone of their Devil Fruits. Though their talent seemed to defy heaven, their upper limit was actually locked in place long ago.
Borsalino, however, was different. Even after having her ability sealed, her expression remained calm; she was willing to shed the boosts of her ability and settle her heart down to train.
Zephyr spoke slowly, delivering the core theory of Haki that he had honed over decades of traversing the seas.
"The first thing you must remember: Haki is never an appendage of an ability, but the foundational color of all powerhouses. A Devil Fruit is a shortcut, an added bonus, whereas Haki and your physical body are the true foundation. External power will eventually meet its match; there are countless examples on the sea of people falling due to Devil Fruit counters. Only the power you have built up yourself will never betray you."
He pointed toward the undulating sea surface, his tone becoming increasingly grave. He had seen countless disciples rise and fall, and countless pirate geniuses flash and fade. A Fruit determines the glory of your lower limit; Haki determines the height of your upper limit.
"People think Armament Haki is just hardening for defense and Observation Haki is just predicting to dodge; these are merely the most superficial applications." Zephyr's eyes narrowed sharply. "An ordinary person's Haki coats the surface of the body, but a powerhouse's Haki flows through their veins and takes root in their marrow. And Observation Haki allows your spirit to merge with heaven and earth, anticipating the split second between life and death amidst crisis." You are reading on novelping(.)com, the official source.
Speaking up to this point, Zephyr looked sideways slightly.
"When you lose all your reliance on light speed dodges, attacks, and defense, returning to the purest physical state, only then will your body instinctively crave strength and sense presence. At your weakest, most helpless moments, when you want to rely on external power the most, forcing yourself to summon the spirit latent within your body is the fastest method to awaken Haki. Top tier powerhouses are not forged in comfort zones. Only the pressure of life and death can force out the hidden ultimate power of the human body."
This was the way of Black Arm Zephyr that reigned supreme in the Marines.
Borsalino listened quietly, her previously vague understanding of Haki instantly becoming clear and thorough. She finally understood why Kizaru's performance in the original story seemed underwhelming later on, for it was precisely because he relied too heavily on his Fruit when young, missing the optimal window to polish his Haki.
Borsalino bowed formally with a serious expression, completely discarding all impetuosity in her heart and devoting herself heart and soul to training.
Over the next few days, wearing Seastone daily to seal the Glint Glint Fruit, she swung her sword a thousand times on the tossing deck and fought against Sea Kings. Her Armament Haki, which had previously been difficult to even grasp, finally manifested under such extreme pressure training. Thin black streams of energy began intermittently coating her palms and blade.
Her Observation Haki also advanced steadily, long surpassing the beginner level, allowing her to clearly sense the fluctuations of the sea breeze within hundreds of meters.
Watching from the side as the young girl made rapid progress, Zephyr nodded inwardly to himself. Borsalino's talent was indeed remarkable; if she kept cultivating like this, she would surely become another Admiral in the future. Given time, once her Haki reached mastery and her sword skills reached perfection, she would undoubtedly become a solid pillar of the Marines' future.
Borsalino's Haki training was now completely on the right track, progressing steadily. In addition, training in the Rokushiki was put on the agenda; Borsalino was particularly covetous of Life Return.
The peaceful training period did not last too long.
The warship sailed into a remote sea area shrouded in dense mist and swirling undercurrents. Far from the main shipping lanes, filled with deserted islands and dense reefs, the sea area had a depressing and eerie atmosphere, making it an ideal hiding spot for pirates.
The smoothly sailing warship was suddenly intercepted head on by a massive pirate ship. The tattered black pirate sail fluttered wildly in the cold sea breeze, its hull covered with scars from gunfire and old bloodstains, exuding a heavy aura of ferocity and age.
Standing on the deck was a burly, terrifying figure radiating immense pressure. It was an extraordinarily muscular middle aged man, nearly four meters tall and clad in heavy armor. His muscles bulged in knots, every line of his body packed with explosive power. A hideous scar ran all the way from his forehead down to his jawline. His messy short hair stood on end, his eyes glinting with fierce ferocity, and his entire body radiated an aura honed by countless battles.
Simply standing at the bow, he possessed the aura of a veteran powerhouse, far beyond what any ordinary pirate could match.
Zephyr's eyes narrowed slightly as he instantly recognized the opponent's identity, speaking in a low voice, "A remnant of the Rocks Pirates, Ochoku. A bounty of one billion Berries. Paramecia type, user of the Riki Riki no Mi."
The Rocks Pirates, who once ruled the seas and dominated a new era, had been destroyed for many years, and its surviving crew members were scattered across the oceans: Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, John, Ochoku... every single one of them was a veteran elite who had survived the God Valley Incident and fought in countless slaughters, possessing combat power far exceeding that of pirates of the same tier.
The Ochoku standing before them was a former member of Rocks who had been hiding in this remote sea area, lying low for years!