"Yeah, you're right, Blue Eagle. Catching pirates is our duty as Marines. Sorry Village Chief, I came late!"
Rosinante offered a quick apology just as Commander Mandral arrived with a unit of Marines in tow. The troops moved efficiently, surrounding the area to handle the aftermath. Corpses of the defeated pirates were sorted, those with bounties were set aside for return to Headquarters where their reward amounts would be converted into military merit.
Marines didn't earn bounty money themselves, but capturing pirates contributed to their official service record. Accumulating enough merit could lead to promotions, along with power, prestige, and influence.
"Ah, it's Commander Mandral! I never got the chance to thank you properly for what you did during the Little Bird Pirates incident!"
The elderly village chief smiled warmly upon seeing Mandral. The commander returned the smile and said, "Glad to see you're well, Chief—and just so you know, I've been promoted to Lieutenant Commander since then!"
"You've been promoted? That's wonderful news! Marines like you who truly work for the people, deserve to move up!"
The old chief's joy was sincere, but Mandral looked down at the villagers' corpses and sighed. "What's the use of climbing the ranks if I still can't protect the lives under my watch?"
"All right, all right, let's not dwell on that." the chief said, waving the sadness away. "Why don't you all come back to the village as our guests? We haven't properly hosted you brave souls from afar."
His smile returned as he extended the offer. Rosinante waved his hand politely. "Thank you, Chief, but we really should—"
"Come on, Blue Eagle." Mandral grinned. "No matter how urgent your mission is, you can't turn down a kind villager's hospitality. And besides, Mushroom Village's roasted mushrooms are honestly amazing. We should at least try them!"
Rosinante looked at the villagers' hopeful faces, then nodded. "All right. But... what about them?"
He glanced down at the bodies of the fallen pirates.
"Don't worry, Marine-san," the chief said, his expression now calm. "We'll take care of everything."
In the end, Rosinante couldn't turn down the combined invitation of the village chief and Mandral. He joined the others for a generous mushroom feast in Mushroom Village. Before they departed, the chief even handed him a large sack full of the village's specialty mushrooms. Rosinante, unable to refuse the warm gesture, accepted the gift with gratitude.
Once they had bid farewell to the village, Rosinante and his fellow trainees returned to the warship. Wild Boar, who had sustained serious injuries, was sent to bedrest immediately. Meanwhile, Rosinante retired to his own quarters to reflect on his battle against Boss Dars.
Boss Dars had proven to be a formidable opponent—shrewd, powerful, and balanced in many aspects. Their swordfight, in particular, had greatly pushed Rosinante's limits. As a result, his swordsmanship had taken a clear step forward. In fact, he had vaguely touched upon the realm of "Cutting Steel"—the mark of a true swordsman. The gains were substantial.
He had also successfully tested a newly developed application of his Devil Fruit, what he now called the "Domain of Death," a technique that had wiped out the regular members of the Quick Slash Pirates in an instant.
The Domain of Death was based on the Silent-Silent Fruit's unique ability to erase the transmission of vibrational energy. The technique was surprisingly straightforward: first, Rosinante would use his Soundproof Dome to trap enemies within range. Then, he would apply the fruit's power directly to their hearts.
Everyone knows the heart is essential for life. If it stops, death follows. So how do you stop a heart from beating?
Rosinante couldn't stop the heart from producing its own vibrations, his fruit didn't cancel internal sources. But once the heart finished contracting and tried to send vibrational energy outward to pump blood through the body, that's where his power took effect. By erasing that energy mid-transmission, blood flow ceased—instantly.
Effectively, this rendered the heart useless. Without circulation, the body was deprived of oxygen. It was no different from having one's heart pierced. Death was immediate.
That was how he had taken out the Quick Slash Pirates' foot soldiers in a single move. However, the technique was far less effective against stronger enemies. The bodies of powerful individuals in this world were monstrously reinforced. A brief lapse in blood flow wouldn't faze them, some could even fight for extended periods in such a state.
Just look at the war at Marineford, Whitebeard had half his head blown off by Sakazuki and still kept fighting for half a day. A momentary disruption of circulation meant nothing by comparison.
So against powerful foes, this move served only as interference—not a finishing blow.
But that was still good enough.
Even the Admirals—Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan, used area-of-effect techniques primarily to wipe out weaker opponents. Rosinante's Domain of Death had similar utility. If that was standard for the Admirals, then what more could anyone ask?
His third and perhaps most satisfying gain, however, was the sword he had claimed after the fight—Blood Rend, one of the 50 Skillful Grade Blades.
This was a high-quality sword—1.3 meters in length, its blade gleamed blood-red in the sun.
Don't underestimate it just because it's "only" one of the 50 Skillful Grade Blades. These are part of the world's top-tier named blades. In total, only 83 blades are classified as named swords: 50 Skillful Grade, 21 Great Grade, and 12 Supreme Grade. They're scattered across the world, and not at all easy to come by.
Well, unless you're Zoro. That lucky guy walked into a weapon shop in Loguetown and walked out with Yubashiri and the Kitetsu III for free.
Rosinante was genuinely satisfied with Blood Rend. It might not be a Great or Supreme Grade blade, but compared to the standard-issue Marine saber, it was leagues apart in both sharpness and durability. With this blade in hand, his combat ability would rise to a new level.
"What a fine blade... I can't afford to waste its potential."
Rosinante stood up and opened the cabin door, stepping out onto the deck. He had won one fight, sure—but there was no room for complacency in this world. Too many monsters roamed these seas. If he didn't keep training, the next one to die might be him.
Ten thousand sword swings. Five thousand push-ups. Five thousand sit-ups. Ten thousand barbell presses. Five kilometers of Moonwalk shuttle runs…
That was his training load for the afternoon. No room for slacking, not in this world. Compared to the monsters out there, he still had a long way to go. The only way to bridge that gap… was effort.
"Ha—ha—ha—"
His breathing echoed as he trained, drawing the attention of those inside the cabin. They peeked out, only to see Rosinante facing the open sea, slicing the air with tireless determination—his crimson sword flashing with every swing.
"Blue Eagle's insane... He's already so strong and still trains like that?"
"Right? Next to him, even the hardest-working guy feels lazy!"
"Hey, have you ever seen the Marine Academy at 3 a.m.? I bet Blue Eagle has. I've gotten up to pee a few times and caught him training every time."
"Same here! I swear, I think Blue Eagle's going to be an Admiral one day, don't you?"
"Admiral? Heck, I think he's got what it takes to be Fleet Admiral!"
(End of Chapter)
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