The moment the words left his mouth—
Nao's figure vanished from sight.
"…Huh?"
Onigumo's expression shifted.
A razor-sharp sense of danger prickled across his spine, and without hesitation—his combat instincts flaring—he twisted around and threw a heavy punch behind him.
Boom!
Two fists—one massive, the other more compact—clashed with a thunderous crack.
A split second later, Onigumo felt a crushing force surge through his arm. Unable to withstand the blow, he stumbled backward several paces, finally skidding to a stop while gasping for breath.
Nao, on the other hand, stood exactly where he landed—firm, calm, and completely steady.
Just one exchange—and the difference in power was already crystal clear.
"What kind of freak is this kid…?"
Onigumo's eyes narrowed in disbelief. For the first time, he stopped viewing Nao as a mere rookie and began treating him like a legitimate opponent—one on equal footing.
No more holding back.
"Armament Haki… Hardening!"
He growled low, channeling Armament Haki. In an instant, both fists darkened, taking on the glossy black sheen of hardened steel.
"He's finally using Armament Haki," murmured Momonga from the sidelines, as expected.
But then—his gaze shifted.
Nao's fists were also starting to emit a swirling black haze.
Though he hadn't yet achieved hardening, the density and control of the aura showed he had already grasped the fundamentals of Armament Haki quite well.
Considering Nao's superior strength, this fight—which had looked like a one-sided beatdown at first—was now anyone's game.
"Think Onigumo might actually lose here?" one of the lieutenant commanders asked quietly.
"Unlikely," Momonga replied after a brief pause. Then he smiled faintly. "But if he did… it might be good for him in the long run."
On the battlefield…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two fighters crashed together like meteors, each blow a thunderous collision of fists reinforced with Haki.
Each time their arms clashed, the shockwaves split the ground beneath their feet into spiderweb-like cracks.
"Too soft, too slow—too weak!"
Nao blocked a hammering punch from above with his right fist, then drove his Haki-imbued elbow into Onigumo's side.
"Your Armament Haki's decent—I'll give you that. But the intensity? It's not even close. You're nowhere near strong enough to match me!"
Onigumo growled, lips clenched around his cigarette.
He couldn't argue—his fists were being overwhelmed at every turn. He barely managed to block the elbow strike before launching a flurry of counterpunches toward Nao's chest.
"Fine… Go ahead and show off."
Again, their fists collided, and Onigumo stumbled back several steps. After catching his breath, he rushed in once more.
"Let's see how long you can keep this up, brat…"
He had to admit—Nao's punches hit like cannonballs, and even with hardening, he was being steadily overpowered.
But Nao hadn't landed a decisive blow yet. As long as Onigumo could hold out, wait for his opponent to tire, and strike back at the right moment, he could turn the tide.
"Still too green…"
Onigumo sneered internally. This match was his to win—it was just a matter of time.
Time passed.
The sun, once high above, had drifted past its zenith. Lunch came and went.
Yet not a single recruit left the training field. Everyone stood rooted in place, eyes fixed on the ongoing duel.
Nao and Onigumo had traded who-knew-how-many blows without pause—and the outcome was finally becoming clear.
Boom!
A deafening blast erupted as both figures shot away from each other like cannonballs, landing on opposite ends of the cracked battlefield.
On the left stood Nao. After a few calm steps back, he regained his footing with ease, his face still full of energy—no sign of fatigue in sight.
Onigumo… wasn't so lucky.
He was covered in bruises and cuts, gasping like a winded beast. His body sagged, hand clutched his ribs, and sweat streamed from his brow.
His eyes locked onto Nao, wide with disbelief.
"Impossible…"
A full-fledged officer of Marine HQ—one of the top graduates of his class—and he'd been outlasted? Outpunched? Outmatched in endurance?
What is this kid?!
"Still not done, senpai?" Nao's voice drifted lazily across the battlefield. "I've barely warmed up. You already look like you're about to pass out."
"…"
Onigumo's face twisted, pale one moment, flushed the next.
He grit his teeth, steadied himself, and was just about to launch one last desperate charge—
When a quiet but commanding voice rang out:
"That's enough. This match ends here."
Everyone—veterans and recruits alike—immediately turned toward the sound, startled.
"Zephyr-sensei!"
The man himself had arrived, his towering presence cutting through the tension like a blade. He nodded to the crowd before turning to Onigumo, sighing gently.
"Have you forgotten what I taught you? There's no shame in losing. What matters is having the courage to admit it—and learning from it. That's what makes someone truly strong."
"Your drive is commendable… but your temper is your greatest flaw. Like Sakazuki, your rigidity can be your downfall. Too much force will break even the strongest steel."
"...Zephyr-sensei…"
Onigumo looked at him, then back at Nao, struggling for a long moment before finally bowing his head.
"I understand, sensei."
He turned to the recruits, shoulders heavy.
"I was wrong. I insulted you all and misjudged your generation. I take back everything I said… and I apologize."
Then, turning to Nao—who had just walked over—he let out a tired sigh.
"You really are a monster, kid. Honestly… if you were part of the last graduating class, only someone like Sakazuki could've held you down."
"…"
Momonga twitched at that comment. He hadn't even been in that fight, and he was still getting dragged into comparisons?
Still… watching Nao, even he had to admit it:
If this black-haired rookie kept going at this pace, he'd easily reach the level of a Marine Vice Admiral—even without a Devil Fruit.
Nao Natsuya.
Momonga repeated the name silently, certain he'd never forget it after today.
"Thanks for the praise, senpai."
Nao grinned and offered a hand. "Once I graduate, maybe we'll fight side-by-side someday. If we get the chance, we can spar again—friendly this time."
Onigumo blinked, then let out a weak chuckle and shook the offered hand.
"Yeah. Sure. Looking forward to it."
(Not really.)
'Fight him again? You think I'm a masochist?!'
Meanwhile, the recruits exploded into cheers.
"Nao! Nao-kun! Nao!"
The chant echoed across the training ground like thunder, making Onigumo's eye twitch.
Zephyr just stood back, watching with a wide smile.
To him, moments like this—where a single rookie's strength rallied the entire generation—were precious.
The world had changed.
It had been three years since Gol D. Roger's execution. The Great Pirate Era was in full swing. Pirates ran rampant across the seas, causing destruction and chaos.
If the Marines were to stand against that tide, they'd need unity more than anything else.
And in a way… Onigumo had just done them all a huge favor.
"Alright, enough."
Zephyr finally clapped his hand on Nao's shoulder and turned to the crowd.
"It's already past 2:30 PM. Training resumed over an hour ago—and I see a whole lot of you standing around."
"You'll make up every second you wasted here. No dinner until then."
The recruits froze. The smiles died instantly.
"Wait, no—Zephyr-sensei!"
"We didn't even eat lunch!"
"Have mercy! We're starving!"
Zephyr just grinned, hands behind his back, and ignored their wailing.
"Let's go," he said to Momonga and the rest. "You've waited long enough. Come sit down—we'll talk in my office."
The officers quickly stood, straightening their uniforms and following after him.
Nao, meanwhile, headed back toward the training grounds.
Lunch? Whatever. With his stamina, he could go all day without food if needed. He'd just eat more later.
As for the others…
Eh. Everyone walks their own path.
—
Back in his solo corner, Nao glanced once toward the path Zephyr had left by, brow furrowed slightly.
He didn't know when the instructor had returned. Probably a while ago. But during that last look, Nao had sensed a trace of unease in Zephyr's eyes.
Something happened.
A high-level meeting, maybe. For Zephyr to be summoned despite his semi-retirement… something serious had gone down.
Still, none of that had anything to do with Nao—yet.
He shook the thoughts away and refocused.
Train now. Worry later.
As long as he grew stronger, his turn to stand in those meetings would come.
Late at night.
Under the quiet crescent moon, the training field was silent. In one far corner, a lone figure continued training.
Boom!
Nao's Haki-infused punch smashed through a thick steel wall. He nodded in satisfaction and withdrew his fist.
"I'm getting better at this."
With every strike, his grasp over Armament Haki deepened.
"Maybe one more day, two tops—and I'll be ready for Hardening."
That last battle with Onigumo had taught him the value of it firsthand.
Even though he'd won, the fight had dragged on mostly because Onigumo's hardening let him withstand more than expected.
Still… it could've gone differently.
If Onigumo had fought with swords and used his spider-like hair extensions, Nao would've had a tougher time.
I need to push my swordsmanship.
He glanced at the calendar in his mind.
Ten days left until the next evaluation…
If he could break through to the true realm of a swordmaster by then, he'd be ready.
And so, as the night wore on, Nao continued training. Strike after strike. Daydream after daydream.
Eventually, soaked in sweat, he collapsed onto a nearby bench to rest.
Then, a thought struck him—
"Wait—it's Monday."
That meant…
New week. New items.
"Please… better than last time."
He opened the system menu, eyes scanning the freshly updated shop list.
M1917 Smith & Wesson (Made in the USA): 50 points
Armament Haki Training Acceleration Card (60 days): 6000 points
PPAP Videotape (Marine Recruitment Edition): 100 points
Limb Regeneration (Talent Skill): 360,000 points
Dual Blade Secret Technique: Moon Eclipse (Special Sword Skill): 20,000 points
50,000-Point Discount Bundle: 60,000 points
Nao stared at the screen.
And slowly, a smile crept across his face.