Chapter 5: Boot Camp
On the training grounds at dawn.
Hundreds of new Marine recruits were lined up in neat rows, but all of them were stealing glances at the front of the formation. That black-haired boy was doing one-armed, upside-down pushups, sweat glittering in the morning sun.
"Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-eight... nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine... Ten thousand!"
Roy snapped upright in a single motion and landed firmly on his feet, sending a spray of sweat flying.
A wave of hushed whispers went through the ranks:
"Hey... is that guy really in the same class as us?"
"I heard he sparred with Instructor Zephyr for ten minutes straight yesterday!"
"First the three Logia monsters, and now him... He's a new kind of monster..."
Suddenly, a cloud of white smoke coalesced in front of Roy.
A silver-haired boy with two cigars clamped in his mouth stared down at him, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Hey. 'Warp-kid.'"
Roy looked up, meeting the fierce eyes of the "Mad Dog" of the Marines, the future "White Hunter," and the king of taking a beating—Smoker!
Smoker tore off his training shirt, revealing a set of solid muscles. He arched an eyebrow. "You and me. Right now. You got the guts?"
The entire training ground went silent, the recruits holding their breath.
Hina jogged over, her pink hair flying in the breeze, her expression urgent. "Smoker! You can't just—"
"Sure."
Roy's simple answer stunned everyone.
He smiled, rolling his wrists, his eyes firm. "Good timing. I need to test the results of my training."
Zephyr's whistle blew at the perfect moment. "All recruits, fall back! We're moving the combat assessment up!"
"BAM!"
Smoker instantly turned into his Logia form. A tsunami of white smoke rolled toward Roy, swallowing a whole corner of the training field.
"You can't talk about justice if you can't even find me!"
Smoker's voice echoed from within the fog, laced with confidence and provocation.
But Roy just closed his eyes and took a deep breath—
His Observation Haki spread out like a ripple.
"To the left!"
FWOOSH! Roy vanished in a flash of light, reappearing at the side of the smoke cloud. His eyes were sharp, his fist instantly hardening with black Armament Haki as he smashed it into an empty patch of smoke.
"BAM!!"
The smoke cloud exploded. A white figure was blasted into view. Smoker stumbled back two steps, a pitch-black fist-print on his shoulder, his face a mask of pure disbelief. "How... How did you know where I was?!"
Roy shook his tingling fist, his gaze steady. "Logias aren't invincible, Smoker. Haki... that's the key to winning."
That one sentence hit the training ground like a thunderclap.
The recruits' eyes were wide.
"He... He actually hit Smoker?!"
"But he's a Logia user! He forced him out of his form!"
"Observation Haki? And that black fist... was that Armament Haki?!"
Smoker stared at Roy, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white.
"Haki..."
He muttered to himself, a flash of frustration in his eyes, but also... a spark of understanding.
At lunch.
Roy was sitting under a tree, wrapping fresh bandages around his swollen knuckles, his face tired.
A cloud of smoke gathered, and Smoker walked over, cigars in his mouth, his expression complicated.
"Hey. 'Warp-kid.'"
Roy looked up and smiled. "Round two?"
Smoker shook his head. He took a drag from his cigar and slowly exhaled. "That punch... it made me realize."
He took a deep breath, his eyes serious. "A Devil Fruit is strong, but if you rely on it too much, you'll eventually lose to someone truly strong."
"My Haki... it's nowhere near good enough."
Roy smiled, his gaze softening. "Smoker, you're a born Marine. You were just missing one thing: the guts to face your own weakness."
Smoker froze, then slowly clenched his fist and gave a grim smile. "Thanks. From now on, I won't just be relying on my fruit."
Just then, the sound of light footsteps approached.
Hina walked over, holding two glasses of cold juice. Her pink hair fluttered in the breeze. She smiled and held one out. "That was an amazing fight. Hina is very impressed."
Roy, who was wiping sweat off his face, paused. As he took the glass, he accidentally noticed the callouses on her long fingertips.
They weren't from normal training. They were the tell-tale marks from the strain of her Bind-Bind Fruit.
He took a sip of the cold juice and spoke sincerely, "Actually... Smoker's really strong."
He glanced over at the silver-haired boy, who had his back to them and was already doing extra training by himself.
"He just relies on his fruit too much and ignores his own physical foundation."
Hina followed his gaze, her expression complex, but it quickly shifted back to a playful tease as she looked at Roy. "Well then... does Hina have any 'weaknesses' you'd like to point out?"
Roy, who had just taken another drink, froze and nearly spit it all out.
"Cough—cough—cough! I... I wouldn't know anything about that..."
He coughed, scrambling backward, and BAM... his back hit something as solid as a brick wall.
"Hmm?"
A low, familiar, and bone-chilling hum vibrated behind his head.
Roy stiffly turned around.
Instructor Zephyr was standing right behind him, arms crossed, his sunglasses reflecting a "death glare." His tone was dripping with sarcasm. "Well, well... you seem to have a lot of extra energy, 'exchanging pointers' with your classmates, hmm, Roy?"
Roy's face went pale. "I-Instructor! I can explain! This was just... a simple conversation—"
"Oh? 'Exchanging'?" Zephyr slowly took off his sunglasses, then grabbed Roy by the collar like he was lifting a disobedient monkey.
"Since you're so good at 'exchanging,' you can exchange some extra Armament drills this afternoon."
"Two thousand hardening reps! If your form is bad... you start over!"
"INSTRUCTOR!! HAVE MERCY—!!"
Nearby, Hina covered her mouth, giggling, as the ice in her juice cup clinked.
4:00 AM.
Roy was deep in a rare moment of sleep when a bucket of ice water was dumped over his head, shocking him upright.
Zephyr's stern face looked terrifying in the dim light. "A real Marine is up at five! And ready to train by six!"
"Sir!" Roy shivered, scrambling out of bed.
Breakfast.
In the mess hall, Roy had just picked up his tray when Zephyr walked by from behind and slapped his chopsticks out of his hand, sending them flying.
"Eating is also training!"
Zephyr crossed his arms. "Use Armament Haki to hold your utensils! You break 'em, you don't eat!"
Roy's eyes bulged. "You've got to be kidding..."
History Class.
"History is important!"
Zephyr stood on the podium, one foot on the desk, holding a thick copy of 'A Complete History of the Marines.' "Don't you dare think your fists are your only weapon. Knowledge is a weapon, too!"
In the classroom, Roy was frantically taking notes, his eyelids drooping.
Zephyr's eye twitched. He yanked Roy out of his seat and hung him from the flagpole outside the window.
"Are you awake NOW?!"
Roy dangled in the air, the wind whipping his hair. "W-Wide awake, Instructor!!"
Nightly Extra Training.
On the training field, under a full moon, Roy's shadow was long and lonely.
Zephyr rolled up his sleeves, his muscles bulging like rock. "Haki is belief! If you can't take it, say so!"
Roy gritted his teeth, staring Zephyr down, trading blows again and again, the black sheen of Armament Haki flashing in the night.
"BAM! BAM! BAM!"
Every punch was like a hammer blow. Sweat and blood mixed, dripping to the ground.
From the infirmary window, the lit end of Smoker's cigar glowed... then was quietly snuffed out.
"...He's nuts."
He muttered, a hint of respect—and stubbornness—in his eyes.
On the day of the month-end assessment, the sun shone through the training ground flags, landing on the rows of assembled cadets.
Zephyr walked up to Roy and pinned the passing medal onto his blood-stained collar.
"You passed."
Roy looked up, his gaze firm and unyielding. "Thank you, Instructor Zephyr!"
The field was silent. All the other recruits stared at him, their eyes filled with awe and disbelief.
Suddenly, Smoker stepped out of the ranks, his face grim.
He unpinned the "Top Student" badge from his own chest and slapped it hard into Roy's palm. "Next time, I'll win."
Roy stared at the badge, then closed his fist around it, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "I'll be waiting."
Hina walked over, laughing softly, her eyes both gentle and mischievous. "Hina thinks you're both idiots."
She handed Roy a handkerchief. "Wipe your face, 'Top Student.'"
Roy's lips thinned, and he quietly accepted it.
In the distance, Zephyr watched the group of recruits surrounding Roy. His gaze was deep, his eyes hidden, as if holding countless memories and expectations.
His adjutant walked up to him. "Sir, should we report this to Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"
Zephyr smiled faintly and turned to leave, his shadow stretching long in the setting sun.
"Not yet."
"Let the fledgling fly a little longer."
The wind ruffled his purple hair, carrying with it a sense of warmth and an unbending will.