"Do you… like the sea too?"
Yoriichi Tsugikuni turned toward the voice and saw a tall man standing beside him.
The newcomer stood close to three meters tall and wore a pair of round, dark sunglasses.
A blue, round-brimmed cap sat atop his head, embroidered with a snow-white seagull at the center. Draped over his shoulders was a long, black cloak, bearing the same white seagull insignia on the chest.
Although his outfit was clearly marked with Navy symbols, it was unlike the suits and justice-emblazoned coats of generals like Garp or Zephyr, nor did it resemble the sailor uniforms worn by regular Marines.
The man gave off a sharp and solemn aura—his appearance on the warship felt oddly out of place, much like Yoriichi himself, who wore a loose-fitting kimono.
"Aokiji."
The moment Yoriichi saw him, he recognized the man and murmured inwardly.
Aokiji tilted his head slightly but, seeing that Yoriichi didn't respond, said nothing more. Resting both hands on the railing, he gazed out at the sea and spoke calmly, almost to himself:
"I go by the codename Aokiji."
"I'm a colonel with Marine Headquarters."
Yoriichi furrowed his brow in surprise. Aokiji, a colonel, aboard Garp's ship? That didn't make sense. At that rank, he should be commanding his own vessel, not following orders on someone else's.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yoriichi Tsugikuni… uh, a civilian," Yoriichi replied.
Strictly speaking, he wasn't even in the Navy yet.
"Haha, I know," Aokiji chuckled.
"Vice Admiral Garp asked me to come along."
"He asked me to train you during this voyage."
He didn't hide the reason, speaking with a casual smile.
Yoriichi blinked at him in mild disbelief.
He had assumed Garp intended to train him personally—but apparently, the old man had just dumped the responsibility on Aokiji. Well, at least Aokiji seemed easygoing. If the man had been more difficult, Garp might've just tossed him at some random lieutenant.
Still, Yoriichi had no real objections. If it had been someone else, he might've protested. But Aokiji? That was different.
In the future, Aokiji would undoubtedly become one of the Navy's top powerhouses. Even if he was "just" a colonel now, he was more than qualified to guide someone like Yoriichi at this stage.
That said, Yoriichi remained curious. Why would someone like Aokiji—already a colonel—be tagging along with Garp?
"Colonel Aokiji, may I ask… why are you on Vice Admiral Garp's ship?"
"I've studied the Navy's hierarchy a bit. At your level, you should be leading missions yourself, right?"
Aokiji didn't seem surprised by the question. He smiled faintly and replied, "I've received notice that I'll be promoted to Rear Admiral this year. 'The family' assigned me to train, and Vice Admiral Garp is my instructor."
"The family"—that was Aokiji's way of referring to Marine Headquarters.
He had previously rotated through a special operations unit within the Navy, and in that division, they always referred to HQ as "the family." The habit had stuck with him ever since.
In that unit, officers never used real names. They addressed each other only by codenames. His codename was "Aokiji"—literally "blue pheasant." Funny enough, the unit had a whole flock of animal-themed aliases: dogs, monkeys, and other names that sounded more comical than intimidating.
Talking about his promotion, Aokiji couldn't hide his grin. He was still young and understandably valued titles. And to learn directly under Garp? That was an opportunity few colonels could even dream of.
Yoriichi felt thoroughly Versailles-ed—a little stunned by the sheer privilege.
Aokiji was just in his early twenties, still a greenhorn in many respects, yet he was already a Headquarters colonel and about to make Rear Admiral.
For comparison, Smoker was 34 and still only the colonel of Loguetown. Sure, he made it to Vice Admiral in just two years, but that was because he piggybacked off the Straw Hat Pirates' feats.
Without that boost, it might've taken him until 40 to reach Vice Admiral.
But Aokiji? Barely in his twenties and already climbing faster than anyone in Navy history.
Yoriichi stood in silence, the beauty of the sea suddenly losing its allure.
"Colonel Aokiji," he said at last, "are you free right now?"
"Since Vice Admiral Garp asked you to guide me, I think we shouldn't waste any time."
He placed his left hand on his sword, eyes shining with anticipation.
Suddenly, every second felt precious. Scenic views could wait—what mattered now was growing stronger, fast.
He had a hunch that once Garp returned to headquarters, his opportunities for real combat would vanish.
"Oh? In such a hurry?" Aokiji asked, amused.
"Well, if you're that motivated, we might as well start now."
"Garp wants me to teach you the Navy's Six Styles… though to be honest, I haven't exactly mastered them myself."
"But since he asked, I'll give it my best."
"Do you know about the Six Styles?"
He looked sidelong at Yoriichi, almost casually.
"No idea."
Yoriichi shook his head, replying bluntly.
Aokiji nodded and said, "I figured. Explaining the theory probably wouldn't help much."
"Let's just fight. The most direct way to understand the Six Styles… is to experience them."
He strolled toward the center of the deck. Garp's dog-headed warship was massive, and with the other Marines occupied at their stations, the deck was wide open.
"Alright," Yoriichi answered without hesitation, drawing his long blade from his waist.
He was genuinely curious about the Navy's Six Styles. He had some vague idea of their mechanics, but theory was one thing—trying to recreate them from scratch was pure fantasy. It would be like reinventing them entirely.
To learn them properly, he needed a real teacher.
And Aokiji fit the role perfectly.
"Here I come, Colonel Aokiji. Get ready."
He gave a polite warning, raising his blade in both hands and standing at the ready.
But Aokiji waved him off, completely relaxed. "Nah, don't worry. Come on."
It wasn't that Aokiji underestimated him—it's just that Yoriichi looked so young. Plus, Aokiji had the power of a Logia fruit. Ordinary attacks couldn't hurt him, so he didn't take the warning seriously.
Yoriichi gave a slight nod, then without delay, pushed off the deck with both feet and shot forward like a streak of light.
His speed made Aokiji's eyes widen—and in the blink of an eye, the blade was already at his chest.
Breath of the Sun Seventh Form: Beneficent Radiance
Yoriichi lunged, sword tip aimed precisely at Aokiji's chest.
Aokiji hadn't expected such speed—not from a teenager. Instinctively, he activated his Devil Fruit power. His chest turned to ice, and the blade pierced forward, but met no resistance of flesh.
In the next instant, Aokiji leapt back—only to vanish from Yoriichi's sight entirely.
"That was the Navy's Six Style: Shave,"
Aokiji's voice rang out from behind Yoriichi. Just as he was about to "explain" the technique—
A blade came slicing toward his side.
"You reacted?! You even counterattacked?!"
Aokiji stared in disbelief. He hadn't imagined Yoriichi would respond so quickly—let alone strike back before he finished speaking. The blade was already at his waist!
Though Yoriichi didn't know the Six Styles and was slower than Aokiji, his combat intuition was razor-sharp. He'd predicted the movement.
Clang!
The blade struck Aokiji's waist, producing a crisp, ringing sound. His torso had turned to solid ice, and the strike bounced off.
The ice was harder than steel.
"Even Iron Body couldn't fully block that kid's strike…"
"My Six Styles really do need work."
Aokiji looked down at the ice on his waist and sighed. He was just about to explain "Iron Body" when—
He realized Yoriichi was already gone.
"…?!"
Aokiji's eyes narrowed sharply. He spun around—
And behind him, Yoriichi's voice came floating in:
"Shave, huh? Doesn't seem that hard."
"Nice technique."
***
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 250 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!