After two more days, everyone's training had finally settled into a routine. In such a short time, the intense endurance training had significantly boosted everyone's baseline strength. Those with the weakest foundations, like Koby and Helmeppo, had improved the most.
Moria, meanwhile... looked like a completely different person.
His towering six-meter frame, once bloated and overweight, had become lean and muscular. Instead of looking sluggish, he now radiated a sharp, intimidating presence.
It was as though a peerless sword buried underground had finally been unearthed, its rust stripped away to reveal a gleaming blade. Standing there, he naturally stood out from the crowd with a confident smile on his face. Compared to before, he looked like a whole new man.
Kojin nodded to himself. 'Losing weight really is the best cosmetic surgery.'
The happiest people by far were Perona, Hogback, and the rest of Moria's odd little group.
"Everyone, listen up," Kojin said, clapping his hands. "Starting this afternoon... your endurance training is over."
He paused, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth. Looking at the eager expressions around him, Kojin could easily guess what everyone was thinking. The past two days had delivered obvious results, making them all stronger. As a result, they no longer thought this special training was all that terrible.
"So... we're moving on to one-on-one combat training," Kojin continued. "The strong become stronger because they constantly challenge those stronger than themselves. They draw their weapons against opponents they cannot yet defeat. Only under overwhelming pressure can you break through your limits and reach a higher level. Some people choose to train by fighting powerful beasts on deserted islands."
He snorted. "That's laughable. Animals aren't humans. They can't give you the desperation... or the life-and-death pressure... that comes from facing another person."
His smile turned cold. "So. Fukurou, you'll measure everyone's Doriki. When that's finished..."
He looked toward Lucci. "Rob Lucci, arrange everyone's sparring matches according to their Doriki. The strongest fights the weakest. The second strongest fights the second weakest. And so on. During the fights, no one is allowed to hold back. No mercy. Every single one of you... fight with the intention of killing your opponent."
He paused again. "There is only one restriction: Devil Fruit users are forbidden from using their Devil Fruit abilities. That's the only rule."
The entire group was stunned.
"What?! The strongest against the weakest?" Koby protested with a trembling voice. "Senior Brother Kojin... isn't that just murder? That's way too cruel!"
No one agreed with him. After the initial shock, everyone quietly accepted the arrangement and lined up for Fukurou's Doriki measurements.
'Bang!'
A muffled impact echoed as Lucci calmly withdrew his fist.
Fukurou's eyes widened. "Lucci... your Doriki... has reached '7,500'!"
The announcement shocked everyone present. Pure physical strength at a Doriki of 7,500 was unbelievable.
"If I remember correctly..." Kaku's eyes lit up. "Lucci used to have a Doriki of around 4,000. In the short time we've been at Marine Headquarters, he's increased by 3,500!"
Kalifa adjusted her glasses. "What surprises me even more... is that Fukurou can even measure numbers this high now."
The former CP9 members exchanged excited looks. If Lucci had improved this much, then all of them must have grown significantly stronger as well.
The testing continued.
"Kaku. Doriki: '5,000.'" Kaku clenched his fists in excitement; his Doriki had nearly doubled.
"Jabra. '4,800.'"
"Blueno. '2,200.'"
"Kumadori. '2,100.'"
"Kalifa. '1,800.'"
Every member of CP9 had improved dramatically. In just this short time at Marine Headquarters, their growth exceeded everything they had achieved over the previous decade. It proved one thing: Kojin's training methods worked. Relentless combat, endless endurance training, constantly pushing themselves to the brink of death, their current strength had been bought with sweat and blood.
"Daz Bones. Doriki: '5,800.'"
The number caused another wave of surprise. Lucci turned to look at the vice class leader. "The quiet ones... are always troublesome."
One after another, Fukurou finished measuring everyone.
"Moria. Doriki: '4,500.'"
"Koby. '550.'"
"Helmeppo. '560.'"
The two were nearly identical, having both only just crossed the threshold of superhuman strength. It also meant they ranked near the bottom of the class. Even Perona, despite looking like a little girl, had a Doriki of '600'.
When Rob Lucci finally walked over and stopped in front of Koby, Koby's face immediately stiffened.
"It looks like..." Lucci said calmly, "...you're the person I'll be trying my hardest to kill next."
Those cold words made Koby shudder from head to toe. 'Y-You've got to be kidding me...'
Koby stared at Lucci in disbelief. He was supposed to fight a monster with a Doriki of 7,500, while his own score had only just reached the last two digits of Lucci's.
'I'm dead.' Koby completely panicked. At that moment, he became absolutely certain of one thing: his senior brother really was trying to kill him.
Meanwhile, Helmeppo found another cold, murderous figure standing in front of him.
"You're Helmeppo, right?" Daz Bones looked at him expressionlessly. "I'll be following Sensei's orders... and killing you as efficiently as possible."
Helmeppo's eyes bulged. "V-Vice Class Leader... what... what did you do before becoming a Marine?"
"Hitman," Daz Bones answered simply.
"...Huh?!" Helmeppo's mind went blank. 'A hitman became a Marine?!'
Watching the two of them panic, Kojin folded his arms and smiled in satisfaction.
Just then, Smoker walked over with a cigar clamped between his teeth. The moment he noticed Kojin looking at him, he quietly took the cigar out, pinched it dead with his fingers, and tossed it into a nearby trash bin.
"Sir. Fleet Admiral Sengoku has asked me to bring you to the senior officers' meeting."
Kojin nodded. After two days, the training camp was already running smoothly. He also knew Headquarters had been buried in meetings lately, preparing for the coming war. The fact that Sengoku hadn't summoned him immediately after his return was already quite considerate. Smoker, Rosinante, Crocodile, and the other newly appointed Vice Admirals hadn't been so lucky, they had been required to attend every single meeting.
"Let's go." After taking one last glance at the trainees, Kojin turned and left, with Smoker following close behind.
A short while later, Kojin entered the conference room. Unlike the round table used for the Seven Warlords' meetings, the Marine Headquarters' strategy meetings were held around a long conference table. At one end of the room hung a plaque bearing the words: 'Justice Reigns Over the World.' It was the very plaque Sengoku had once displayed in his office when he was still an Admiral.
As Kojin entered, nearly every Vice Admiral looked up, their gazes filled with respect. Kojin nodded casually, walked to the seat closest to the plaque, pulled out the chair at the head of the table, and sat down. His posture was composed, but his expression remained completely relaxed.
Crocodile, Rosinante, Kuina, and several others were already there, quietly studying the documents before them with serious expressions. Across from Kojin sat Admiral Kizaru. Borsalino gave him a slight nod in greeting, his usual teasing smile nowhere to be found.
About three minutes later, Sengoku entered with a solemn expression. Behind him strolled Aokiji, looking as lazy as ever. Kuzan walked over beside Kojin, pulled out a chair, and dropped into it. He found a comfortable position, propped both feet up on the table, and stretched lazily.
"You guys decide everything. I'm sleepy." He pulled down his sleep mask and promptly started snoring.
Kojin looked at his old friend, shook his head, but said nothing.
"Now that everyone's here... we'll begin," Sengoku's voice rang through the room. He didn't care much about the three Admirals' relaxed demeanor; after all, getting all three of them into the same meeting was already a rare event. More often than not, none of them showed up.
"We've finalized the officers who will be stationed throughout Marineford Plaza,"
Sengoku stated. "We also have a preliminary list of the Vice Admirals responsible for patrols outside Marineford. The officers guarding the Gates of Justice must be both capable and vigilant. Turning Marineford into a battlefield against the Whitebeard Pirates is an enormous gamble. Before the war is over, no one can predict what price we'll ultimately pay. But before it begins, we can still reduce those losses through detailed planning, war games, and strategic deployment."
He paused, his expression sharpening.
"Next... we need to keep a close eye on the pirates who recently gathered at the Sabaody Archipelago. They've been labeled the newest generation of Supernovas. If any of them cause major trouble, I'm afraid our Admirals will have to deal with them personally. After all, they're already being called the 'Worst Generation'. Their strength and their ability to cause chaos must not be underestimated."
The atmosphere in the conference room grew noticeably heavier, and the Vice Admirals all became visibly more serious. Kojin, however, remained expressionless.
"And finally..." Sengoku continued, before suddenly slamming both palms onto the table.
'Bang!'
His expression turned even graver. "News from the New World. We've recently received intelligence that Whitebeard may be meeting with... the Red Hair Pirates. A meeting between two Emperors is something the Marines cannot ignore. The implications are enormous. If they form an alliance..."
His deep voice echoed throughout the room. Every Vice Admiral wore a solemn expression, feeling the full weight of the situation.
Only Kojin, who had remained calm throughout the entire meeting, slowly curled the corners of his mouth into a grin.
'Now this... is getting interesting.'
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.p*treon.com/darkshadow6395