Just as Roldy's fist was about to smash into Borsalino's head—
For reasons unknown, Borsalino happened to turn around at the worst possible moment.
If the scene were slowed down a hundredfold—
You'd see Roldy's fist, coated in solid Armament Haki, making direct contact with Borsalino's nose.
His fairly sharp nose collapsed instantly.
Then his cheek followed.
It was as if his entire face compressed inward toward the center from the impact. The force rippled through his skull, snapping his head backward. Several teeth flew from his mouth as the sheer momentum launched his entire body into the distance.
"Borsalino!"
Sakazuki's expression changed drastically.
He couldn't believe what he'd just witnessed.
The two had known each other for years. He knew Borsalino's strength well. Without exaggeration, Borsalino was absolutely on par with him—and in some areas, even superior.
A monster whose combat ability rivaled a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral—
Sent flying with one punch?
"Ryusei Kazan!"
Sakazuki knew he could no longer hold back.
Without hesitation, he unleashed the strongest attack he could currently muster.
From his neck down, both arms transformed into magma. Thick black smoke billowed into the air as he hurled punch after punch skyward.
The same move he had used to annihilate the pirates earlier—
Magma fists rained down like meteors, blanketing nearly everything within sight.
Roldy tilted his head up, watching the descending magma with interest. The excessive heat caused his fur to emit a faint scorched scent.
His mind raced with excitement.
"Magma's destructive power really is unmatched…"
"But it's too slow."
Speed wasn't Roldy's forte.
But with the amplification of the Moa Moa no Mi, even his current rudimentary mastery allowed for a tenfold increase—
An absurd leap.
No wonder Zephyr had said that the Mō Mō no Mi was the perfect fruit for him. No equal.
At his current level, with this fruit, he could probably already exchange a few moves with true top-tier fighters.
It was hard to imagine—
What kind of scene it would be if someone like Vice Admiral Garp, a supreme master of physical combat, possessed the Moa Moa no Mi.
In the end—
Sakazuki fell.
He experienced exactly what Borsalino had.
The two close comrades were embedded into the earth in identical poses.
Both were significantly older than Roldy. Being defeated by a kid like him inevitably left a bitter taste.
"Hey… Sakazuki. You got sent flying too, huh…"
"…Yeah. That brat's a monster."
They lay there, staring blankly at the sky.
Two brothers in misery.
"Just as expected of the Moa Moa no Mi! This power is incredible! When we get back, I'm going to pin that old geezer Garp to the ground and beat him senseless!"
The superhuman strength thrilled Roldy so much that he completely forgot the unspeakable taste of the Devil Fruit earlier.
Cough—!
Dragon nearly choked upon hearing that.
Roldy noticed and turned toward him.
Seeing Dragon's resentful gaze, Roldy's usually not-so-brilliant brain began turning with great effort.
Then—
His eyes lit up.
"Right! Dragon, didn't you say you've always wanted to beat your old man once? When we get back, want to team up?"
The invitation was sincere.
Dragon's face darkened.
Who invites someone to beat up their own father?
Was this guy mentally unwell?
…Though admittedly, it was tempting.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, brat! With your current strength, you're still far from defeating my old man!"
"Oh yeah? I'd argue that! What if I slip a large dose of laxatives into Garp's teacup before sparring? I refuse to believe he could fight at full strength after that!"
Roldy spoke with utter confidence.
Heaven knew how many beatings he had endured over the years just to learn Garp's fist techniques.
"Wouldn't work."
"How do you know?"
Dragon fell silent.
After a moment, he spoke quietly:
"…Because I tried."
"He drank fifteen He drank fifteen barrels of industrial-strength laxatives."
"He farted four times."
"Then punched me three times."
"I was unconscious for six days."
The onlooking cadets' jaws dropped.
Most of them were from the Four Blues—still relatively innocent, untouched by the "great dye vat" that was Marine Headquarters.
"Wait a second—did I hear that right? Dragon slipped laxatives to Vice Admiral Garp?"
"Fatherly love and filial piety—my foot!"
"Is this even Marine behavior anymore?!"
Dragon seemed to recall certain traumatic memories. His once bright and handsome face suddenly carried the weight of hardship.
Roldy didn't quite know what to say.
He raised a hand dramatically, as if about to offer profound comfort—but in the end, he merely patted Dragon on the shoulder and sighed.
Then he walked off.
With one hand each, he yanked Borsalino and Sakazuki out of the crater they were embedded in and slung them over his shoulders.
"Life isn't just about today's beating. There's also tomorrow's scolding and work. Look on the bright side—if we hang in there a few more decades, we'll finally be dead."
Roldy's brand of comfort was… uniquely personal.
"Wow. Thank you so much for that," Dragon said through gritted teeth.
Thus concluded the first "team-building exercise" of the rookie class.
Throughout the battle, the main contributors had been those four monsters. The others had merely handled ordinary pirates.
After reporting the mission's completion to Admiral Zephyr, Roldy led the captured pirates to the place they truly belonged.
The Great Prison Under the Sea — Impel Down.
The prison that held the most vicious criminals on the seas.
The strongest fortress in the world.
Every inmate inside was irredeemably evil. For most who entered, the best possible outcome was to work until death.
Of course, a handful of prisoners might one day earn clemency and reform.
But that number?
About as rare as the hair on your high school math teacher's head.
Roldy hummed cheerfully as he walked, holding a thick rope in hand.
Behind him, pirates were tied together one after another like candied hawthorn skewers, dragged along into the prison.
The Marine rookies followed behind, gazing curiously at the grim and foreboding stronghold.
"Oh? Rear Admiral Roldy. Looks like you've completed another mission. Truly admirable."
The one who received him was Impel Down's Vice Warden—an elderly man who appeared kind and polite.
But his position was anything but minor.
Even Roldy showed proper respect.
"Vice Warden Dias. These are members of the Blade Pirates. Judging by their crimes, these scum should be assigned to Level 3. I'll leave the rest to you."
After a brief exchange, Roldy waved goodbye.
The Vice Warden ordered the pirates escorted to their designated level.
Yet Roldy did not leave Impel Down.
Instead—
He headed toward Level 2: Wild Beast Hell.
"Strange. What is Rear Admiral Roldy doing down there?"
"No idea. Maybe Admiral Zephyr assigned him another task?"
Some soldiers whispered among themselves.
Dragon merely smiled helplessly.
As Vice Admiral Garp's son, his status at Headquarters was high. He had known Roldy for many years.
Naturally—
He was aware of certain things.
"That brat… I wonder how many of those human traffickers are still left."
Roldy didn't hold grudges.
At least, that's how he had introduced himself to Dragon on the very first day they met.
"Gahahaha! You filthy bastards—I'm back! Let's see… which lucky soul gets picked today?"
Inside several prison cells—
Over a dozen criminals lay in miserable, barely human states.
If one looked closely—
They were faces from seven years ago.
The very same human traffickers who had once captured Roldy.
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