"The so-called art of physical combat is the practice of tempering the human body to its absolute limits—so that one may unleash power beyond those limits!"
When it came to hand-to-hand combat, Zephyr was undoubtedly a true master. Countless people would have begged for his guidance. Roldy, his head covered in bumps, listened with utmost seriousness.
"Roldy, your body is far stronger than that of ordinary people. Your starting point is already ahead of many others—but that's still not enough! This sea is filled with all kinds of strange and powerful abilities. But without a doubt, if you want to become a top-tier powerhouse, you cannot neglect physical training!"
Zephyr was right. Roldy's body was indeed a rare, uncut gem. With proper refinement, it would shine with unparalleled brilliance.
"Zephyr-sensei, what about Devil Fruit users? If someone possesses a powerful Devil Fruit ability—like that Marine Rear Admiral Sakazuki—his magma's destructive power alone should be more than enough, right?"
In Roldy's eyes, Sakazuki's ability was overwhelmingly powerful! Who could possibly withstand the heat of magma? For someone like that, wouldn't focusing entirely on their Devil Fruit be the correct path?
"Wrong. Completely wrong!"
Zephyr was strict when teaching. He picked up the baton in his hand and knocked it against Roldy's already swollen head again.
"Kid, remember this: Devil Fruits are indeed powerful, but no true powerhouse is shaped solely by a Devil Fruit. If you want to walk the path of the strong, relying on a Devil Fruit alone is not enough! Devil Fruits do not create the strongest warriors. On the contrary, it is the strongest warriors who allow their Devil Fruits to shine!"
Roldy nodded, half understanding.
"And besides, I wouldn't really recommend that you eat a Devil Fruit."
To most people, Devil Fruits were treasures of the sea—but in Zephyr's eyes, they were hardly worth mentioning.
"Though powerful, Devil Fruits come with a weakness that cannot be ignored. Once you eat the cursed fruit and gain the power of the devil, the sea—our gentle mother—will reject you. You will lose the ability to swim, and seawater will become deadly to you."
To sail the seas yet lose the ability to swim…
Roldy instantly felt much less eager about obtaining a Devil Fruit.
Honestly, he had been thinking about finding a way to get one someday, just to experience what it felt like to have superhuman powers.
Noticing Roldy's disappointment, Zephyr smiled faintly.
"However, it's undeniable that some Devil Fruits grant extraordinary boosts in strength. Certain abilities are almost heaven-defying. Take the Float-Float Fruit of the Golden Lion, Shiki. It allows him to fly freely, appearing and disappearing without a trace. That's one of the reasons Marine Headquarters has been unable to capture him for so long."
Under Zephyr's instruction, Roldy quickly began forming a basic understanding of the world's seas.
"Zephyr-sensei, then how do I become stronger?"
Hearing about the earth-shattering power of great figures from Zephyr's stories, Roldy felt his heart itch with excitement. He was only eight years old—how could he not have fantasized about becoming a mighty powerhouse, standing tall and imposing?
Seeing the longing in Roldy's eyes, Zephyr suddenly revealed a mischievous grin. His gaze locked onto Roldy with ill intent, until the boy felt a chill run down his spine.
"Well, at your age, you can't handle overly intense training yet. We'll start with the basics. First, a period of foundational physical conditioning."
As he spoke, Zephyr began rummaging through his coat. Roldy nodded firmly. His aunt had always taught him to take things one step at a time and stay steady. He remembered that clearly.
But… what was Zephyr-sensei doing?
"Alright then—start by running one hundred laps around Marine Headquarters as a warm-up."
Zephyr spoke as casually as if he were commenting on the weather.
In his hand was a pistol—already loaded.
"W–What?! One hundred laps?!"
Roldy stared in disbelief.
One hundred laps? Me?!
How could a mouth at 98.6 degrees say something colder than absolute zero?
Marine Headquarters was an enormous complex. Just one full lap took quite a while—let alone a hundred in one go. He might not even finish before nightfall! And this… was only the "warm-up" in Zephyr's words.
"Zephyr-sensei, I—"
Bang!
A bullet struck the ground right beside Roldy's right foot. The small crater it left behind made it very clear—the pistol in Zephyr's hand was loaded.
"Kid, this is the first and last time I'll remind you. Starting today, you'll undergo my recruit training. That means from today onward, you're part of the Marines. The first rule of being a soldier is obedience to orders. I don't want to hear any questioning. Now—right turn! Move out!"
Roldy had never seen Zephyr wear such a stern expression. Wisely, he shut his mouth, swung his long, sturdy legs forward, and began running with his head down.
"Faster! Pick up the pace!"
"You brat, have I been starving you or what? Why are you running like a snail? Even the goat Sengoku keeps runs faster than you!"
As the only recruit currently under training, Roldy was "fortunate" enough to receive Zephyr's full personal supervision. He had thought such an enormous workload would take ages to complete—but with Zephyr constantly urging him on, he practically sprinted through the first lap.
Of course, in the world of pirates and Marines, people's physical capabilities were monstrously strong (with the notable exception of that future great swordswoman who tragically died falling down a flight of stairs). And Roldy, clearly favored by fate, was no ordinary child.
After more than a dozen laps, his breathing was only slightly heavier, and a thin layer of sweat had formed on his forehead.
But what followed became pure agony.
His stamina drained rapidly. His legs grew heavier with every step. Zephyr, however, showed no mercy. The moment Roldy slowed even slightly, a solid kick would land squarely on his backside. All the while, Zephyr continued to provoke him with sharp words.
Roldy shot him an annoyed glare more than once—but driven by his desire to grow stronger, he gritted his teeth and endured.
He ran… and ran…
Until the sun was nearly setting.
Aside from a single thirty-minute break for lunch, the entire day had been nothing short of a nightmare.
And yet, he had underestimated things…
"Finally… finally finished!"
Roldy collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. Zephyr carried over a bucket of salted water. Roldy lifted it and gulped it down in great swallows.
Watching the steady gulping, Zephyr's lips curled into a smile.
Roldy's stamina had far exceeded his expectations.
In truth, Zephyr had originally set Roldy's target at fifty laps—already fifty times the standard recruit requirement. But what the boy displayed today genuinely impressed him. It wasn't just his powerful physique. Zephyr could tell that by the seventieth lap, Roldy had already reached his physical limit. The remaining thirty laps were completed purely through willpower.
For a teacher, there was hardly a better kind of student.
"Ten minutes' rest! Then we begin today's training!"
"Huh?!"
Watching Zephyr walk away as if nothing were wrong, Roldy's face twisted as though he had just swallowed a bitter melon.
So the warm-up… really was just the warm-up…
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