"Scatter, Senbonzakura."
The blade rose, and black cherry blossoms fell.
An endless rain of black petals filled the air, as if death itself had descended, drowning the prisoner known as Sebanos in an instant.
Shhh—
Rosen withdrew Senbonzakura and returned the blade to its sheath.
Check-in complete.
Another day of effortlessly slaughtering a sixth-floor prisoner in a single breath.
Clang—
The crisp sound of the blade sliding home echoed through the dark Infinite Hell. By then, the prisoner named Sebanos had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only fragments of flesh and bone, soaked in a pool of thick, sticky blood.
It was clear at a glance.
The rain of armed cherry blossoms had directly shredded him into countless pieces. He hadn't even had time to scream—no, he hadn't even had time to register pain—before he was turned from a once-mighty monster into mere dismembered remains.
After dispatching Sebanos with a single strike, Rosen casually glanced at the prisoners trapped in the surrounding cages. A faint look of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
It was as if he were asking, without words, 'So this is all? This is the so-called level of monsters erased from the annals of history?'
Facing this silent provocation, the response was utter deathly silence.
The prisoners of Infinite Hell seemed to have collectively lost their voices. Not a single one dared speak, as if completely terrified by Rosen's ten straight days of daily executions.
Seeing this.
Rosen said nothing further. After sheathing his Zanpakutō, he turned and left without a single unnecessary glance.
Since these prisoners couldn't offer him any satisfaction through battle, he might as well go enjoy Domino's daily prepared Sea King meals, each dish never repeating.
Yes.
Starting from the seventh day, it was unclear whether Rosen's Three Forms of Haki had transcended to a new realm, or whether the prisoners were simply too weak to keep up.
His morning visits to Infinite Hell brought him less and less improvement compared to the first week.
Especially today.
…
[Your comprehension is extraordinary. Through the battle with Sebanos and the Refining of the Haki Core, your Three Forms of Haki have been strengthened to a certain extent.]
[Armament Haki strength increased by 13%.]
[Observation Haki strength increased by 9%.]
[Conqueror's Haki strength increased by 5%.]
…
Looking at the notifications flashing across his mind, Rosen silently shook his head.
Other than Armament Haki, the gains in Observation and Conqueror's Haki had both fallen into the single digits.
The depreciation was beyond severe!
The improvement he now gained from Infinite Hell was even inferior to that of Domino's Sea King meals.
Rosen understood this perfectly.
It wasn't that his Refining in the Haki Core had regressed. Rather, the prisoners of Infinite Hell had fallen far behind his pace of evolution.
He didn't even need to activate Observation Haki. One sword stroke was enough to obliterate them instantly.
How can there be growth if they couldn't even withstand a single blow?
Was that really combat?
No.
This was simply an instant kill. It wasn't even worth calling a warm-up—it was more akin to striking empty air.
How could there be a breakthrough or any true improvement in that?
…
"Teacher Zephyr, did you notice?"
"Though it's still the same fruit ability, no matter which one it is, each has transformed dramatically compared to when he first entered Impel Down."
"Take Senbonzakura, for example. I remember the first time he showed it to me, he could only split off about a thousand blades. But now, those black cherry blossom blades number at least tens of thousands."
In an office inside the scorching Burning Hell.
Borsalino took a sip of tea and glanced lazily at Rosen, who was devouring his meal with relish, before turning his eyes back to Zephyr.
"And that weapon he calls the Shinsō, too."
"Back when he first used it, the extension and retraction speed was around five times the speed of sound. But now? Over ten times, easily."
"If he infuses it with Armament Haki, the speed and power become even more monstrous."
He muttered as if talking to himself.
"What are you trying to say, Borsalino?"
Zephyr raised his brows and fixed his gaze on Borsalino.
"Teacher Zephyr, I would never dare question your authority as the Navy's top instructor. But the truth is, your list is… how shall I put it… a little outdated."
"Three days."
"My junior hasn't used Conqueror's Haki even once in the past three days."
As he spoke, Borsalino casually raised three fingers.
Perhaps because they'd been living and eating together in Impel Down these days, and with Rosen bridging the gap, the constant bickering between Zephyr and Borsalino no longer escalated to them pulling out black arms and purple swords at every disagreement.
Instead, it had become more like an elderly couple's quarrel.
"..."
Zephyr opened his mouth as if to retort, but just as the words reached the tip of his tongue, he thought of Rosen's performance in Infinite Hell these past days.
In the end, he fell silent.
Even Borsalino could see that the prisoners of Infinite Hell could no longer keep pace with Rosen's rapid evolution. How could he, the Navy's top instructor, fail to see it?
Yet, facing Borsalino's subtle jabs, Zephyr still felt a surge of frustration and unwillingness.
He knew all too well: it wasn't because he lacked vision or skill as a teacher—it was simply that Rosen's comprehension was too monstrous.
No matter how highly he estimated Rosen, he would always underestimate his speed of growth.
In Zephyr's mind, even if Rosen's improvement was rapid, it would take at least two or three months to reach this level of strength.
The reality?
Ten days.
Rosen's combat power had already surpassed the level of elite headquarters vice Admirals, reaching that of a legitimate Shichibukai. And not a weak one like Gecko Moriah who got smacked down by Kaido, nor a Crocodile broken by Whitebeard.
No.
Rosen was on a completely different level.
This reality had caused Zephyr's carefully designed "fast-track Admiral candidate program" to be rendered obsolete overnight.
"If you're not blind or senile, you should see that my junior has already lost interest in Infinite Hell. If tomorrow's prisoners are still on this level, I predict he'll completely lose all motivation for these morning 'check-ins.'"
"Of course, this doesn't include Douglas Bullet. But it's too early to pit him against Bullet right now. Judging by his cautious and steady nature, he'll likely choose to leave Impel Down and apply for early graduation."
"After all, you know better than anyone how dreadful Impel's environment is. Rather than wasting time here, he might as well roam the Grand Line freely. With his comprehension, he could still become an Admiral in no time, and then return later to finish off Bullet."
At this point, Borsalino paused. No one knew what amusing thought had flashed through his mind, but a somewhat perverse smirk appeared on his face:
"I just don't know how you plan to explain this to Sengoku, Teacher Zephyr?"
"If I remember correctly, when you requested that Impel Down pass and the blanket amnesty from Sengoku, you guaranteed—swore on your 'Black Arm' reputation, no less—that when Rosen left Impel Down, he would have the strength of an Admiral candidate."
"Didn't you promise exactly that?"
Borsalino's half-smiling gaze bore into Zephyr.
In an instant.
Zephyr's expression changed visibly.
There's a saying: one must stand by one's words.
As the Navy's top instructor, he carried his own pride and honor.
Moreover, just as Borsalino said, in order to secure Sengoku's approval for Rosen's entry into Impel and the accompanying amnesty, he had pounded on the Marshal's office desk, vowing on the Black Arm's name that when Rosen emerged, he would absolutely have the strength of an Admiral candidate.
That was how Sengoku was finally persuaded.
If Sengoku, Garp, and the others learned that Rosen was leaving Impel early because the "fast-track Admiral candidate program" couldn't keep up with him—or worse, had even hindered his growth—how could Zephyr possibly hold his head up?
With that thought.
Zephyr pulled out the carefully prepared list from his pocket. His eyes swept over the remaining twenty names, one by one. Then, with decisive force, he crossed out fourteen names in a single stroke, finally circling the fifth name from the bottom.
At the same time.
A brand-new, accelerated Admiral training plan quietly formed in his mind.
The next day.
Although Rosen had clearly lost interest, he still arrived at Infinite Hell on time to "check in."
After all, even the smallest mosquito is still meat.
Sending one more prisoner to meet Roger would raise his Three Forms of Haki by nearly 10%. It didn't take years—only ten days or half a month—and the cumulative improvement was still substantial.
Just think of it as a light stroll after breakfast, even though he no longer needed to rely on the Rokugan Rebirth (Six-Organ Rebirth) to digest.
However,
When they arrived at Infinite Hell, Zephyr suddenly read out a prisoner's name that made Rosen pause in surprise.
"Catarina Devon."
...
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