One Piece: Starting with the execution of Pirate King Roger

A sharp, piercing crash suddenly rang out!

Gion's languid expression froze instantly!

She felt an extremely terrifying recoil force rushing back along the blade of the bamboo knife, as if she had struck not a bamboo knife, but a mountain!

That force was so domineering that Gion felt a violent tremor in her hand and her wrist went numb. She was even forced back several steps by the recoil!

The training ground fell into a deathly silence.

"Damn!" Ryan's heart skipped a beat. "They've overdone it!"

Gion had just regained her balance when she looked up at Rein in shock, about to speak.

Ryan reacted ten times faster than her.

"Ouch—!!!"

A blood-curdling scream pierced the night sky.

The bamboo knife in Renn's hand clattered to the ground, and he fell to the ground with a thud, clutching his wrist and rolling around on the ground.

"It's broken! It's broken! Brigadier General! My wrist! Ahhh, it's going to break!!"

Gion: "..."

She stood there, looking at the man on the ground, who was clutching his wrist and howling, with a complicated expression. Then she slowly looked down at her own right hand, which was barely able to hold the knife.

'Was that just now... a coincidence? Or...?'

Gion put away his bamboo sword, walked over, and gently kicked the "pretending to be dead" Rein on the ground with his toe.

"Get up. Stop pretending."

Gion put away her bamboo sword, walked over, and gently kicked the "pretending to be dead" Renn on the ground with the toe of her exquisite military boots.

With a cry of "Ouch!", Renn grimaced as he got up from the ground, rubbing his "cramped" wrist with his left hand.

A pleasant aroma, a blend of fresh scent and faint sweat, suddenly wafted towards me.

Taking advantage of Rein's momentary lapse in attention, Gion reached out and grabbed the wrist that Rein was "rubbing".

Rennes: Σ(?Д?|||)

She examined Ryan's wrist carefully—the skin was smooth, the bones were well-proportioned, there wasn't even a trace of redness or swelling, let alone any signs of "cramps".

She slowly raised her eyes, her stunning face very close to Ryan's, a half-smile playing on her lips.

"……cramp?"

"Yes...yes, Brigadier General." Rein looked at Gion somewhat embarrassedly. "It's probably because...training was too tiring today."

Gion stared at him for a full three seconds, then suddenly chuckled and released his hand.

"Ah... Today's instruction is over."

She turned and walked out, stopping at the door without looking back, and simply said:

"I want to eat tempura tomorrow night."

Chapter 40 Six Months Later

Six months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Night had fallen, at the private training ground in the back hills of Marineford.

The moonlight poured down like mercury, illuminating the two figures colliding at high speed on the open ground.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The crisp metallic clanging sounds were more frequent than ever before.

Gion's "Konpira" sword always seemed to be subtly pointing at Renn's weaknesses.

"clang--!!"

Another heavy blow struck, and Raine "barely" managed to block Gion's blade with the back of his own knife. He was jolted back seven or eight steps before he could regain his balance, his arm holding the knife trembling slightly.

"Damn it..." Ryan cursed inwardly, "Is this woman a cat? She teases me like this every day... Has she discovered something?!"

"stop."

Gion slowly sheathed her sword and stood still. She was still dressed in her usual casual, relaxed attire, but at this moment, her phoenix eyes, which were always moist, held a hint of barely perceptible irritation.

For the past six months, she has tried countless methods, but she has never been able to elicit the same reaction from Ryan that night.

The man in front of me was like a sponge... no, he was like a slippery lump of mud!

For every point you advance, he retreats in a "disgraceful" manner.

He's always on the verge of collapse, making it impossible to see his true nature.

“Your Six Styles have reached the top level of the elite class,” Gion began to summarize the evening, her calm tone concealing her inner turmoil. “Under my ‘guidance,’ your swordsmanship has also barely developed its own style.”

"Damn style..." she thought to herself.

She paused, a hint of amusement in her voice, "There's not much I can teach you right now; what you lack is practical experience."

“Yes! I will work even harder!” Ryan responded loudly, as if he had been greatly encouraged.

"It was so tiring acting..."

Ryan yawned silently to himself.

During these six months, Ryan was under considerable pressure in order to fulfill her role as a "teacher".

"Fine, I'll let it go for the sake of being able to eat delicious food legitimately."

Renn's gaze swept over Gion's curves, which appeared even more alluring under the moonlight.

"And with such a beautiful teacher practicing with me every day, it's not too bad."

"Alright, that concludes today's instruction." Gion stretched, her stunning curves barely concealed beneath her silk robe. "Tomorrow night... I'd like a more lavish meal."

Yes! I promise it will taste delicious!

……

Late at night, in dormitory 307.

Smoker lay sprawled on the lower bunk, snoring loudly.

Ryan sat cross-legged on the upper bunk, meditating with his eyes closed.

He has been living a comfortable and low-key life lately.

Aside from occasionally playing the role of "an ordinary recruit who is hardworking but not particularly talented" in front of Gion who comes to visit him, he perfectly implemented the "no fighting, just pass" principle in all the open tests in the camp.

He's like an inconspicuous background figure in the training camp, quietly enjoying the core resources of headquarters for free.

In the past six months or so, besides Smoker and Hinata, he has also gotten along well with another person, namely "Big Golden Retriever" Rosinante.

Although they weren't in the same dormitory, Rosinandi and Ryan, both students in the elite class, still had quite a bit of interaction. His kindness and often clumsy actions made Ryan think he was a very interesting guy.

"...Snoring—Boom!!"

Smoker's snoring suddenly rose a notch.

Raine's meditation was interrupted; he opened his eyes, his brow furrowed slightly.

He casually tore off a small piece of paper from the table next to him and crumpled it into a small ball between his fingers.

"Om-"

A barely perceptible wisp of dark armor color instantly covered the small crumpled paper.

Raine didn't even look at it, and flicked his finger.

"call out!"

The crumpled paper sliced ​​through the air with a soft whistling sound, accurately striking Smoker's open mouth on the opposite bed.

"Well--?!"

Smoker's snoring stopped abruptly, and he jerked as if he had been choked. He then rolled over and mumbled a few unhappy words in his sleep. The world... was finally quiet.

Ryan then lay down contentedly and closed his eyes.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

At Marineford's largest training ground, all the new recruits were present.

The atmosphere was somber and solemn.

Zefa stood on the high platform, with a group of generals behind him.

"Eight months!"

Zefana's powerful voice echoed throughout the entire square.

"Eight months ago, you were a bunch of trash! Useless! Scoundrels!"

“And today,” he said, his gaze sweeping over everyone, “you all standing here, at least… look a little like the navy!”

"Over the past six months, you have all undergone systematic training!"

Zephyr surveyed the ranks, a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction in his voice: "Some of you, who couldn't even master 'Shave,' are now proficient in the Six Powers! Some of you have even touched the threshold of 'Haki,' gaining the right to stand on the high seas!"

“But more importantly!” Zephyr clenched his fist, his voice rising, “I saw the change in your eyes! From initial confusion and weakness to current determination and fearlessness! This is the Navy’s most precious asset!”

"You are no longer brats, but real navy soldiers!"

Gion stood at the back, looking at the calm figure in the queue, a proud smile curving her lips.

“But!” Zephyr changed the subject, “the real test is only just beginning!”

"Your basic training is now over! Your final test—"

Zefa suddenly pointed to the row of imposing warships docked in the harbor:

"It will be a three-month on-board training program!!"

"You will truly set foot on the sea! To face those vicious pirates head-on! To witness the true nature of 'justice' and 'evil'!"

"This is your first lesson as true naval officers!!"

Chapter 41 I Choose Lieutenant General Sakazuki

Zefa raised his hand, silencing the recruits' commotion.

"Quiet!"

"Next, I will announce the training fleets available for selection! Each of you has one opportunity to choose! Of course, I will also make adjustments based on your characteristics!"

Zefa picked up the list, and the entire square was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"The first one! A warship belonging to Vice Admiral John Jarndall!"

Zefa said in a deep voice, "Lieutenant General Jaendo is in charge of coastal patrols. He is mild-mannered and suitable for learning basic naval warfare and intelligence gathering. If you want to build a solid foundation but are afraid of death, you can choose him!"

A commotion broke out in the ranks, with many new recruits who considered themselves lacking in ability clearly tempted.

"The second one! Vice Admiral Momonga's warship!"

"Vice Admiral Momonga is in charge of patrolling the main route of the Grand Line and is highly skilled in swordsmanship. He should be given priority consideration for any new recruits whose main combat ability is swordsmanship!"

In the ranks, several new recruits, including Raine, who carried swords, were noticeably stared at by those around them. Gion also watched Raine with great interest, wondering what his choice would be.

"The third one! Lieutenant General Huoshaoshan's warship!"

"Lieutenant General Fire Mountain has been stationed in the Marineford area for many years. He has a steady style and mature tactics. He is suitable for those who want to learn fleet command and positional warfare."

"The fourth one! Vice Admiral Stroberry's warship!"

"Vice Admiral Stroberry is in charge of patrolling the latter half of the Grand Line. He excels in assault combat, making him a good fit for those who want to quickly improve their combat skills!"

Upon hearing this, Hina's eyes lit up instantly.

"The fifth one! Vice Admiral Kuzan's warship!"

"Vice Admiral Kuzan is in charge of patrolling the entrance to the New World. He believes in burning justice. Don't be fooled by his lazy appearance. His strength is unfathomable, and he is also passionate about fighting pirates."

"at last--"