Kaguya walked over, gently patted Hina's pretty face, and said with a smile, "Little girl, that's not how you do a sneak attack."
Hina was tightly bound by the vines, hanging from the tree like a wrapped dumpling.
However, the binding method seemed somewhat unusual. The vines looped under her arms, wrapping around her barely developed chest, making it appear even fuller. They then coiled around her waist, crossing at her abdomen before threading between her legs, sinking in tightly, accentuating her slender thighs.
That's right—this was the infamous tortoise shell binding.
Hina's face turned crimson with shame as she bit her lip and shouted, "Let me go! Let me go!"
"Weren't you the one who loved binding others?" Kaguya chuckled, pinching her cheek. "How does it feel to be on the receiving end?"
"You were the one who said any method was allowed!" Hina protested indignantly.
"Hmm, I suppose I did say that," Kaguya scratched her head before flashing a mischievous grin. "But I never said I wouldn't punish you."
Everyone was stunned. This is beyond shameless!
Still, compared to the others, Hina had it relatively easy. The navy soldiers, without exception, had been tied up like twisted ropes, dangling upside down from the trees. They looked less like prisoners and more like eerie scarecrows hanging in a rural village.
Sengoku, who had been secretly observing from a distance, sighed and rubbed his forehead. "How is this training? This is complete nonsense! I was too careless. How could I have trusted that unreliable girl?"
"I have a different perspective," Aokiji chuckled beside him. "Training doesn't always have to be conventional to forge excellent navy soldiers. Fleet Admiral, don't you think our previous methods were too rigid?"
"Don't forget," Sengoku huffed, turning to him, "it was this so-called 'rigid' training that produced elites like you."
"Yes, yes," Aokiji shrugged helplessly.
"By the way, why are you back so soon?" Sengoku turned serious, asking, "Has there been any movement from the Red-Haired Pirates?"
"Not exactly," Aokiji scratched his head. "Shanks has been in the East Blue for a while. Not sure what he's up to—just recruiting some crew members, and he also visited a small village called Foosha Village."
"Foosha Village?" Sengoku's eyes narrowed.
"Nothing much, just an ordinary little village in the East Blue," Aokiji said, rubbing his chin. "But what's strange is that they stayed there for over half a year."
Sengoku fell into deep thought before giving an order. "Send a reconnaissance team to keep a close watch on Foosha Village. If anything unusual happens, report immediately."
"Understood."
Meanwhile, back at the training grounds—
"Alright, since you all fought so earnestly," Kaguya closed the book in her hands, extended a finger, and snapped it with a smirk. "I'll let you off the hook this time."
As soon as she spoke, the vines binding the navy soldiers unraveled. One by one, they plummeted to the ground like dumplings dropping into a pot. They lay sprawled out, unable to get up. After being bound for hours, their bodies were completely numb—they looked half-dead.
"Oh, by the way," Kaguya paused mid-step, turning back with a warm smile. "I heard there isn't much food left in the kitchen. If you don't want to go hungry, you'd better hurry. Maybe there's still something left."
The half-dead navy soldiers instantly sprang to life, scrambling to their feet despite their numb limbs. Like a swarm of grasshoppers, they hopped and stumbled toward the cafeteria.
Are you kidding?!
They hadn't had a proper meal in days! If they missed this one, they might actually starve to death—and there was still more training tomorrow. At this rate, they were being pushed to their absolute limits.
"Hurry! If we're too slow, there'll be nothing left!"
"So tired… so hungry… I think I'm gonna die…"
"This is hell… pure hell!"
"Help!"
"The instructor is too cruel!"
"Hey, keep it down! Do you want to die?!"
At first, the exhausted navy soldiers had the strength to complain, but now, they didn't even have the energy to whine. They had never been this drained before—this wasn't just hell; even hell wouldn't be this brutal.
"Hey, Hina, don't you think the instructor is going too far?" Shaun, one of the navy soldiers, grumbled as he ran. "Not only is the training this harsh, but we're also not even allowed to eat. Zephyr-sensei was way better! He may have been strict, but at least he let us fill our stomachs."
However, Hina, who was running ahead, remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together as she clenched her fists.
"Hina?" Shaun hesitated before sighing. "It must be rough for you. It's our fault—you stood up for us, but who knew the instructor would be this ruthless."
"The instructor is so cool!"
"Yeah, the instructor is totally unforgivable!"
Shaun's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, what did you just say?"
"I said—" Hina's eyes sparkled with admiration, her face filled with awe. "The instructor is absolutely amazing!"
"Huh?!"
"One day, I'll become a powerful woman like the instructor!" Hina declared, clenching her fists with determination.
Shaun was utterly dumbfounded.
Wait… director, something's wrong with this script!
After enduring a week of intense physical training, they finally moved on from basic training to actual combat techniques. The navy soldiers thought this meant the training might get a little easier.
But reality proved them painfully wrong. Instead of easing up, the hellish training intensified even further.
The training assessment evolved from simply restraining the instructor to direct combat against her. The rule was simple—use any means necessary, no matter how many people teamed up, as long as they could land a single hit on Kaguya, they would pass. If they failed? Same as before—no food. Plus, extra training as punishment.
Kaguya smirked coldly. You little brats think you can slack off? Dream on!
As expected, they were utterly crushed by Kaguya. Every day, they ended up battered, bruised, and miserable, their faces swollen beyond recognition.
The situation even caught Sengoku's attention. He personally came to investigate, but before he could say much, Kaguya immediately shut him down.
"I'm the instructor. Either we do things my way, or I'm out."
Seeing Kaguya ready to walk away, Sengoku turned on his heel and left without another word.
Are you kidding?!
If she quit now, the Devil Fruit he promised her would have been for nothing!
The moment Fleet Admiral Sengoku left, the trainees' hopeful expressions collapsed into utter despair, as if mourning their own demise.
Kaguya turned around, gazing at the trembling recruits who looked like helpless little lambs. Her lips curled into a cruel smile.
Oh? So you tried to tattle on me, huh?
Let's see if I don't train you to death!
With a bright and charming smile, Kaguya's presence alone sent chills down their spines.
After enduring a month of hellish, brutal training, the navy recruits were pushed to their absolute limits, left exhausted and broken.
However, the results were undeniable. Sengoku was astonished to find that after a month of training, the recruits' physical strength had improved significantly, and their combat abilities had undergone a complete transformation.
Hina, in particular, had made remarkable progress. Originally at the level of a major, she had not only developed new abilities with her Devil Fruit but also vastly improved her skills in both martial arts and swordsmanship. She was now approaching the level of a colonel—perhaps even a rear admiral.
And she was still a minor. Achieving such strength at her age was almost unheard of in the navy. Even Aokiji and Akainu had only been at a similar level when they were her age.
As for the other navy soldiers, while they were still just foot soldiers compared to the big names, they had made considerable progress. Many had been promoted to sergeants, and their morale and discipline had significantly improved.
After being drilled so ruthlessly for so long, even a pig would have seen some improvement.
With the month-long training finally over, the recruits let out a collective sigh of relief, grateful that their suffering had ended. They had seriously thought they might not survive.
However, upon realizing how much they had improved, they began to appreciate Kaguya's harsh methods. A sense of gratitude filled their hearts, and surprisingly, there was even a faint trace of reluctance to see her leave.
"What's this? You're going to miss me?" Kaguya turned around, flashing a bright smile. "Well then, since I've got nothing better to do, let's keep going."
"Wha—?!"
One clueless recruit was about to blurt out something, but the others panicked, quickly covering his mouth. A few nervously chuckled, "No, no! We're very grateful for your guidance, Instructor! But you must be so busy—we wouldn't want to take up any more of your time. Right, everyone?"
"Yes!" the navy recruits chorused with forced smiles.
Are you kidding?!
A single month of training had already peeled off a layer of their skin. If this continued any longer, who knew what horrors awaited them?
"Is that so?" Kaguya sounded disappointed. "And here I was, just starting to have fun. Listening to your miserable cries was truly music to my ears."
Wait… so all this time, you were just playing with us?!
Everyone's foreheads broke out in cold sweat. That fleeting moment of gratitude? Gone. Completely erased.
And don't say terrifying things with such an innocent smile!
Of course, Kaguya was only joking. She had merely done it for the Devil Fruits Sengoku had promised her. There was no way she would waste her time staying here forever.
That said, whether she had secretly enjoyed making them experience the same torment she had once endured during her own training… well, that was something only she knew.
One thing was certain—this training had left such a deep impression that years later, these recruits would still vividly remember the fear of being at the mercy of a silver-haired demon.
...
Meanwhile, the navy reconnaissance team that had been monitoring Kaido finally returned, bringing shocking news.
Kaido's pirate crew had been secretly purchasing a massive number of Devil Fruits. His goal? To assemble an army composed entirely of Devil Fruit users. So far, he had already recruited nearly a hundred such individuals, and his forces were growing stronger by the day.
This sudden revelation made the navy's top brass uneasy. Sengoku immediately called for a high-level meeting, summoning all officers ranked rear admiral and above to discuss a strategy.
Kaido's immense strength was well known—he was already strong enough to rival Whitebeard. If he successfully built an army of Devil Fruit users, and considering that the Red-Haired Pirates were also making suspicious moves, the pressure on the navy would be immense.
However, this came at the worst possible time. The number of pirates on the Grand Line was increasing, their power growing rapidly. With the looming threat of the Golden Lion still lurking in the shadows, the navy's forces were stretched dangerously thin. If they launched a campaign against Kaido now, their resources might be too limited to sustain it.
While the navy debated its next move, Kaguya had already set sail with a battleship.
During the meeting, the moment she heard about Kaido having a stockpile of Devil Fruits, her ears perked up.
Isn't this the perfect opportunity?!
Just when Kaguya was racking her brain over how to get more Devil Fruits, Kaido, that generous soul, practically delivered them to her doorstep.
Since Kaido had shown such sincerity, wouldn't it be rude not to accept his gift?
Using her authority as a World Government Inspector, Kaguya had already accessed classified intelligence from Cipher Pol and the navy's espionage network, pinpointing Kaido's general whereabouts.
Kaido's influence spanned multiple islands in the latter half of the Grand Line—the New World. His forces were scattered across various territories, though the exact location of his main base remained unclear. Kaguya's primary goal for this mission? Seizing the Devil Fruits he had stockpiled.
Initially, Kaguya planned to set sail alone. However, she quickly realized one glaring issue—she had no idea where she was going. The vast, open sea lacked road signs, and if she overshot her destination, she'd end up who-knows-where.
With no better option, she begrudgingly brought along a crew of navy grunts for navigation.
But before her fleet had even traveled far, the lookout came rushing over in a panic. "Inspector! We've spotted a suspicious ship ahead—it appears to be engaged in battle!"
"A battle?" Kaguya sat up from her lounge chair and walked to the deck. When she gazed into the distance, she froze.
Isn't that Zephyr's training ship? The one he took his students on?
What are they doing here?
Aboard the Training Ship
"All of you—DIE!"
A furious roar erupted as a massive polearm came crashing down with earth-shattering force.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed across the ship as Zephyr was sent flying like he had been hit by a freight train. His body smashed into the ship's walls, punching a gaping hole through them.
A sharp pain shot through his chest. He tasted blood.
And then, he coughed it out—bright red, staining the deck.
"Zephyr-sensei!"
His students' horrified cries rang out.
So strong…
Zephyr, blood dripping from his mouth, lifted his head and looked at the colossal figure looming nearby. His heart sank.
The attacker was an unusually proportioned man—his upper body was absurdly large, round like a boulder, while his lower half was almost comically small. His legs, thin as twigs, were barely thicker than his arms. But most striking of all were the two thick, white mustaches curled at the ends—eerily reminiscent of Whitebeard's.
But underestimating him would be a fatal mistake. This man was incredibly strong. Even Zephyr, a former admiral, was no match for him.
"Damn it! He hurt Teacher—get him!"
Fury ignited in the students' eyes as they charged at the enemy in a reckless wave of vengeance.
"Stop!" Zephyr's eyes widened in alarm, his voice raw with desperation. "He's too strong—you can't win!"
But it was already too late.
The mustached man lunged forward in a blur, raising his massive blade high above his head—
And then he brought it crashing down.
Blood sprayed across the deck.
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