Even with the snow falling, every morning the trainees gathered at dawn, fists flying, never missing a day.
Among them, the one progressing the fastest in raw power was, naturally, Lucci.
In terms of age, Jabra and Funkfreed the lion-man were the oldest. They had joined earlier too. But when it came to actual strength, Lucci was unquestionably the top dog.
Of course, in terms of swordsmanship?
Ryuuzaki was number one.
After nearly six months of training, Ryuuzaki had learned ten sword styles from Bark:
Mushin-ryū
Kagegami-ryū
Isshin-ryū
Nibyō-ryū
Matsumoto-ryū
Senhashira-ryū
Hajun-ryū
Shin'in-ryū
Jōshin-ryū
Kuroha-ryū
He didn't master them. He just unlocked their corresponding talents.
And sure enough, his talent list grew:
Mushin-ryū (4)
Kagegami-ryū (6)
Isshin-ryū (7)
Nibyō-ryū (5)
Matsumoto-ryū (2)
Senhashira-ryū (10)
Hajun-ryū (9)
Shin'in-ryū (7)
Jōshin-ryū (8)
Kuroha-ryū (5)
Total Talent Points: 170
His overall physical and technical abilities had grown significantly:
Base Strength: LV27
Base Endurance: LV34
Basic Swordsmanship: LV56
One-Sword Style: LV55
Yujin-Ryū: LV33
Most of his time went into sword training.
Still, he didn't slack on body conditioning or strength work.
All this, in just half a year.
While others like Kaku had begun learning the Rokushiki, Ryuuzaki hadn't touched them yet.
But one day, after the morning training, he was summoned to Bark's office.
"Mr. Bark, you called for me?"
"I did." Bark tapped the desk and looked up. "You don't know the Rokushiki yet, right?"
"No, sir."
"Good. Headquarters just issued a new mission. I thought it over and decided you're the best person for the job."
"A mission?" Ryuuzaki's curiosity sparked.
"East Blue. The Goa Kingdom. Foosha Village."
Hearing the name, Ryuuzaki's heart skipped a beat.
But on the surface, he remained calm and listened.
"That village is the hometown of Vice Admiral Garp, the Hero of the Navy. I want you to go undercover there and investigate someone."
"...You mean investigate Garp?"
"Idiot. You're not strong enough to spy on Garp."
Ryuuzaki scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Not Garp. A child, supposedly raised by Garp in Foosha Village."
"Supposedly?"
"Exactly. That's why we're sending you, to confirm."
"Confirm what? That it's Garp's illegitimate kid?"
Bark gave him a sharp side-eye. This kid's too nosy for his own good.
"No. It's either Garp's biological grandson… or the son of Gol D. Roger."
So that's it.
"I want you to confirm whether or not the child is Roger's son."
Bark's tone grew serious.
"You're to observe only. Do not get noticed by Garp, or the Navy."
That was part of why Bark chose Ryuuzaki.
He didn't know the Rokushiki. His body language didn't resemble Navy training.
He fought with swords, not fists or kicks.
As long as he didn't draw his blade, no one would suspect he'd received formal training.
And he was young, sharp, good at hiding his strength, and most importantly…
He looked normal.
Kaku had a ridiculous nose.
Lucci was too stoic.
Kalifa was too fragile.
Bruno… way too ugly.
The older candidates? Let's not even start on their faces.
All things considered, Ryuuzaki was the ideal spy.
Then Bark placed something on the desk, a strange-looking fruit.
"Fruit? In the middle of winter?"
"That's a Devil Fruit."
"A Devil Fruit?"
"Exactly. It gives you a unique power. Though you'll lose the ability to swim, the benefit outweighs the cost."
"What power will I get?"
"Try it and see. You'll like it."
Bark grinned.
"This is the Doa Doa no Mi, the Door-Door Fruit. It's not particularly strong in direct combat, but for gathering intel, it's perfect."
The Door-Door Fruit?!
Ryuuzaki's heart exploded with excitement.
This was supposed to be Bruno's fruit, but somehow, it had landed in his lap!
With the Talent Reset System, I can maximize its potential. I might even be able to open doors to space or time!
Suppressing his joy, he picked up the fruit and took a bite.
Blegh!
"God, that's disgusting."
They weren't kidding about Devil Fruits tasting like crap. It was like eating actual garbage.
Still, he forced it down.
Bark nodded in approval, then handed him a Den Den Mushi for communication and gave a few additional instructions.
Ryuuzaki changed into dirty, ragged clothes.
He bid farewell to the training base and boarded a ship.
"That guy… went on an undercover mission?" Kalifa murmured, watching the ship fade on the horizon.
"Someday, we'll all have to."
And just like that, Ryuuzaki officially began his career… as a spy.
The ship took him to the East Blue, and left him there.
He'd have to reach Goa Kingdom's Foosha Village on his own.
Fortunately, the Door-Door Fruit made things easier.
Even better? After eating it, he unlocked a new talent:
Devil Fruit Mastery (24)
That brought his total talent points to 194.
He dumped all of them into the new talent.
Soon, he figured out how to create:
Doorways in buildings
Rotating doors
Air-doors
And from air-door manipulation, he developed:
Tunnel Door
Stairwell Door
Elevator Door
Blink Door (Instant Travel)
Using the fruit's ability, Ryuuzaki easily snuck aboard a merchant ship.
Hiding behind a crate in the cargo hold, he waited quietly for departure.
For now, training was off the table.
But developing his Devil Fruit powers?
That he could still do.
There was no set method for awakening a Devil Fruit's potential. It came down to personal insight, imagination, and feel.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter