"Is this the end?"
"Frozen in ice... just like Vasco Shot."
"Even after taking on the full force of that purple Getsuga."
Catarina Devon stared blankly at Rosen standing before her, her heart sinking to the depths.
As a Mythical Zoan user, she possessed a body far superior to any other prisoner Rosen had faced in this hell. Even after being repeatedly struck by Engetsu's Getsuga Tensho, she could still stand again, her monstrous vitality unbroken.
Unlike Vasco Shot, whose body slowed and stiffened the moment half of it was frozen, whose combat power had plummeted drastically.
Now.
Though Catarina Devon's body was riddled with wounds, her strength remained intact — and yet, her thoughts were already drifting to how she might die.
This was the collapse of will. The fracture of spirit.
Like Gecko Moria, after being crushed by Kaido — even though he lived, the shadow of defeat twisted his soul, and he spiraled into despair and decline.
As Catarina stood frozen in thought — would Rosen next use Engetsu's Getsuga Tensho, or would he unleash Absolute Zero from Sode Shirayuki?
Rosen raised his eyes toward the sorceress-like Crescent Moon Hunter before him.
Then, without warning — under her wide-eyed, disbelieving gaze — he raised both blades.
Clang.
The Armament Haki that had wrapped tightly around the twin Zanpakutō dissolved quietly.
Rosen sheathed them.
And turned to walk past her, as if she no longer existed.
"…What?"
Catarina Devon's pupils contracted sharply, her face twisting in disbelief.
She could understand why Vasco Shot hadn't been shattered — the man was already frozen solid, organs sealed in ice. Whether Rosen crushed the ice or not, Vasco Shot was as good as dead.
But why—why retract both swords? Why… walk right past her?
From the very first day Rosen had arrived in Infinite Hell, no prisoner had ever survived his blade.
She was prepared. She was ready to die.
But instead…
"Don't ask unnecessary questions."
"You so-called Level 6 monsters... are just too disappointing."
"Before I came here, I had expectations. I thought that even if I could only fight once a day, I'd steadily grow stronger. But what have you given me in return?"
Rosen's voice was quiet — but cold. His back turned, he walked on.
"Thirteen days."
"Zephyr even moved your names up on the list. Even let you out early. And even when you teamed up, the best you could do was… this?"
"You didn't even force me to use my Conqueror's Haki Infusion."
"By tomorrow, it might be worse. I may not even need these two Zanpakutō anymore."
"You two are prisoners second only to Douglas Bullet and Redfield… and yet if I kill you here, I lose valuable training targets."
"That's all this is."
Rosen continued forward.
Past Devon, past her still-twitching fear, until he reached Zephyr.
And then he spoke — calm, composed — and made a training request that left Zephyr stunned… and left Borsalino and Shiryu wide-eyed with disbelief.
"Teacher Zephyr."
"There's no need to worry about the prisoner order anymore. No need to carefully consider who to let out early."
"Starting tomorrow, add one more prisoner each day."
"Today, I fought Heavy Drinker and the Crescent Moon Hunter. Tomorrow, keep them both — add one more. The day after that, keep three — add one. And so on."
"Until only those monsters with general-level strength remain."
A wave of shock swept across the entire Infinite Hell.
"Junior…"
"I always thought Teacher Zephyr was too harsh on students…"
"I never imagined you'd be harsher on yourself."
Borsalino was speechless.
No wonder Rosen and Zephyr had such chemistry. By contrast, even though Borsalino was from Zephyr's first class, their relationship was like flint and tinder.
What teacher wouldn't admire such a student?
A student who never stops demanding more of himself. Who's obsessed with improvement?
Who constantly reaches higher.
If he were Zephyr, he would be proud too.
"Senior, I just really want to improve."
Rosen smiled faintly, and shook his head.
Was he pushing himself too hard?
Maybe from Borsalino's eyes, yes.
But to Rosen, this was simply the pace he was always meant to walk.
"I've changed my plans three times today," Zephyr muttered. "And still I can't keep up with your pace."
"…So be it."
"This rough jade… it seems only you can carve it."
Zephyr exhaled, then looked straight at his student:
"From now on, no more plans from me. We'll follow your lead."
"One prisoner added each day… until the only ones left are the true monsters — those with power to match an Admiral."
Even as he said this, Zephyr's heart was twisted with complex emotion.
Pride.
—What teacher wouldn't feel pride watching their student surpass them?
Shame.
—What teacher wouldn't feel ashamed, knowing they could no longer guide them?
"I can't teach him anything anymore," Zephyr thought.
"Not only can I no longer guide his training… I can't even match him in Haki, swordsmanship, or physical combat."
A bitter smile crept across his face.
He didn't even know what to feel.
And yet—
Meanwhile, Rosen turned inward.
After his battle with Vasco Shot and Catarina Devon, he checked the silent voice in his mind.
…
[Your comprehension is extraordinary. Through the battles with Catarina Devon and Vasco Shot, combined with your Refining of Haki Core, your Three Forms of Haki has improved significantly.]
[Armament Haki: +85%]
[Observation Haki: +73%]
[Conqueror's Haki: +52%]
…
Rosen's lips curled slightly.
Finally,
The past few days had been grueling — and the growth was barely in the single digits.
But now, at last, the growth was back in the double digits.
Even if it wasn't the overwhelming progress he gained from his first clash with Brynndi World or the time he collided with the Conqueror's Haki with Douglas Bullet…
These gains were solid.
Reliable.
Back when he first arrived at the Naval Academy, his Haki was still rough and unformed.
But now, this 85% increase to Armament Haki was astonishing.
It proved one thing:
The battles were working.
And so, he made up his mind.
Starting tomorrow — add one prisoner per day.
But what surprised him most was not just this improvement—
It was that something even more shocking was yet to come.
...
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