In the blink of an eye, six months passed.
Late at night, in the private training ground behind Marineford.
Moonlight spilled down like mercury, illuminating two figures clashing at high speed in the open space.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sharp metal impacts rang out, faster and denser than ever before.
Gion's blade, Kinpira, hovered constantly near Rain's openings—sometimes there, sometimes just out of reach.
CLANG—!!
Another heavy blow landed. Rain "barely" caught the strike on the spine of his sword, but the impact sent him staggering seven or eight steps back before he managed to steady himself. His sword arm trembled visibly.
Damn it… Rain cursed silently. Is this woman part cat or something? Batting me around every night… Has she figured something out?
"Stop."
Gion sheathed her sword with a smooth motion. She was still dressed in her usual casual clothes, but her perpetually hazy fox eyes now held a faint, hard-to-read frustration.
In these six months, she'd tried countless ways to force out that reaction from him again—the one from that night.
But Rain was like a sponge… no, more like slippery mud.
When she pressed forward, he'd "clumsily" retreat just enough.
Always on the verge of "breaking," always just short of showing anything real.
"Your Rokushiki is at the front of the Elite Class," Gion began her nightly summary, voice calm and hiding her inner turmoil. "Under my… 'guidance,' your swordsmanship has at least developed some kind of personal style."
Some damned style, she grumbled internally.
She paused, then added with a faintly amused tone, "I don't have much left to teach you. What you lack now is real combat experience."
"Yes! I'll work twice as hard!" Rain answered loudly, as if deeply inspired.
Acting is exhausting… he yawned inwardly.
For six months he'd played the "diligent mortal student" for her sake. The pressure was no joke.
Still, at least I get to eat well, and with a legitimate excuse.
His eyes drifted briefly over Gion's moonlit silhouette, the curves showing faintly beneath the silk.
And having a beautiful teacher spar with me every night… not exactly a bad deal.
"All right, that's enough for tonight," Gion said, stretching. The motion made the lines of her body shift under the robe. "Tomorrow night… I want something more elaborate."
"Yes, ma'am! I'll make it delicious!"
…
Late at night, Room 307.
Smoker was already sprawled on his bed, snoring loud enough to shake the frame.
Rain sat cross-legged on his bunk with his eyes closed, meditating.
For the last six months, he'd been extremely low-key.
Aside from his "effortful mortal" act in front of Gion, he'd kept his performance in all public tests carefully average.
Take last month's live combat assessment, for example—a simulated hostage rescue operation.
He'd been perfectly mediocre, yet still earned Zephyr's approval.
Zephyr's evaluation had been: "Solid fundamentals, standard tactics, but lacks initiative and offensive drive."
Exactly the result Rain wanted.
He was a perfect background extra—never standing out, never falling behind.
His [Sin Points], however, had barely moved during this peaceful half-year, and that made him a bit uneasy.
Aside from Smoker and Hina, he'd also grown close to one more person: the "big golden retriever," Rosinante.
Though they weren't in the same dorm, being in the same Elite Class meant they crossed paths often. Rosinante's kindness and frequent clumsy moments made him a strangely charming presence to Rain.
"…Hrrr—ROOAR!!"
Smoker's snoring suddenly jumped an octave.
Rain's meditation was broken. He opened his eyes, frowning slightly.
He tore off a scrap of paper from the nearby desk, rolled it into a tiny ball between his fingers.
Buzz—
A faint, nearly invisible layer of Armament Haki coated the little ball.
Without even looking, Rain flicked it.
Whoosh!
The paper pellet sliced through the air with a soft whistle and landed precisely inside Smoker's open mouth.
"Gh—?!"
The snoring cut off instantly. Smoker jerked like something had choked him, rolled over, muttered a few dissatisfied words in his sleep, and then—
Silence.
Only then did Rain lie down, close his eyes, and drift off.
…
The next morning.
On Marineford's largest parade ground, every recruit was assembled.
The mood was solemn, heavy with tension.
Zephyr stood on the platform, officers lined up behind him.
"Eight months!"
His voice boomed across the entire square.
"Eight months ago, you were all trash! Useless brats!"
"But today—" his gaze swept over them, "you stand here, and at least… you look a little like Marines!"
"These months, you've gone through systematic training!"
There was a hint of pride in his tone that only a few could catch. "Some of you couldn't even manage Soru at the start. Now you can use all six Rokushiki techniques. Some of you have even brushed against the threshold of Haki—you now have the qualifications to stand on the seas!"
"But more importantly—" he clenched his fist and raised his voice, "I see the change in your eyes! From confusion and weakness… to resolve and fearlessness! That is the Marines' greatest treasure!"
"You're no longer a bunch of snot-nosed kids—you are real Marine soldiers!"
Gion stood at the back, her lips curling into a proud smile as her eyes passed over a certain calm figure in the formation.
"But!" Zephyr's tone turned sharp. "The real test starts now!"
"Your training here is over. Your final exam—"
He pointed at the rows of solemn warships anchored at the harbor:
"—will be a three-month internship at sea!"
"You'll step onto the open ocean for real! You'll face ruthless pirates head-on! You'll see true 'justice' and 'evil' with your own eyes!"
"This is your first real lesson as Marines!!"
Blood surged in every recruit's veins.
Rain stood in formation, head slightly lowered so no one could see the cold, excited smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Pirates…"
"I'm coming."
~~~
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