"What?! You're telling me that brat Roldy obtained the Moa Moa no Mi? And he's already touched the threshold of Admiral-level power?!"
Having spent most of his life in the military, Fleet Admiral Kong prided himself on possessing an unshakable composure.
He believed his mind was calm enough to handle any situation with dignity.
But upon hearing this—
His surface-level elegance shattered like glass.
He shot to his feet and slammed both hands onto his desk. The priceless North Blue hardwood desk instantly collapsed under the force.
In his agitation, he even crushed the Den Den Mushi in his hand, abruptly cutting off a soldier who had been in the middle of reporting.
"Yeah," Zephyr replied, unable to hide a hint of pride in his voice. "Even I didn't expect the kid's luck to be that outrageous. One of the publicly acknowledged strongest Paramecia-type Devil Fruits—just like that, it fell into his hands."
What was he proud of?
Perhaps the fact that the disciple he trained had turned out stronger than the ones Kong had trained.
It sounded a little strange—but that was the essence of it.
"Damn it… that kid is absurd! A Devil Fruit that the entire world covets, and he just…"
Kong took a deep breath.
"…But this is good news."
As Fleet Admiral, Kong had access to far more intelligence than most.
From surface reports alone, more than twenty major pirate crews were actively searching for the Moa Moa no Mi.
Some idiot had spread the rumor that the "strongest Paramecia ability" was the Moa Moa no Mi. The result?
Even the Celestial Dragons living atop the Red Line had taken interest.
They had issued orders to the Marines to secure the fruit for their "amusement."
But now—
The fruit had an owner.
And that owner was Marine Headquarters' strongest rising star.
From the Marines' perspective—
This outcome was perfect.
The Moa Moa no Mi…
Even Kong himself, a pure physical combatant, had once coveted that ability.
If someone of his level could multiply his punching power tenfold—
He'd declare himself invincible on the spot.
"Zephyr. Entrusting that boy to you was the right decision."
"In the near future, Roldy—with the Moa Moa no Mi—will undoubtedly become another top-tier pillar of Marine Headquarters."
Kong's old face bloomed like a chrysanthemum.
Across from him, Zephyr merely clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Don't think I don't remember. Haven't you complained more than once that giving Roldy to Garp and me was the worst decision of your life?"
"When I worked under you back then, I don't recall you being this good at changing faces."
One had to admit—
Kong truly was Fleet Admiral.
An ordinary man might blush in embarrassment.
But Kong maintained a perfectly straight face.
"I've never said such a thing. You must have misheard."
"If I complained about anyone, it was that idiot Garp."
"You, on the other hand, are my most outstanding disciple. How could the other three possibly compare to you?"
The office door suddenly opened.
Sengoku stood there with his arms crossed, expression blank.
Tsuru held a packet of tea leaves in her hand—crushed into powder from how tightly she was gripping it.
Garp's face was red, veins bulging across his forehead, steam practically shooting from his nostrils like a boiling kettle.
Kong: …
Was there anything more awkward in this world than being overheard talking behind someone's back?
Yes.
Being overheard by three of them at once.
"Gahahaha! You're all here? Come, come, have a seat!"
The atmosphere in the office shifted.
Zephyr's smug expression didn't help.
Garp finally snapped.
He raised his hand as if to slam the table—only to realize there was no table left to slam.
"Oi, you old fossil! What do you mean by that?"
"I had a hand in training that brat Roldy too, didn't I?"
"So he's your 'most outstanding disciple,' but when it comes to me I'm the idiot?!"
The moment Garp spoke, the other two could no longer hold back.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, I suddenly remembered—I still have reports from Marine branches all over the world sitting in my office. I'll personally deliver those two tons of documents to you shortly."
Sengoku smiled faintly.
"And how careless of me," Tsuru added coolly. "I crushed the tea leaves I specially prepared for you—the ones you like best. Please, do make do with them. After all, I'm not outstanding enough to procure anything better."
Under such circumstances, even Kong felt his head beginning to throb.
The words had already been spoken. There was no room to retract them.
But he was Fleet Admiral.
And Fleet Admirals survived through one supreme technique:
The Art of Changing the Subject.
He immediately repeated the news about Roldy obtaining the Moa Moa no Mi.
As expected of the pillars of the Marines—
The moment they heard it, their previous irritation vanished.
Garp's eyes lit up instantly. He grabbed Zephyr by the collar.
"Is it really that outrageous? Has that brat really grown that strong?"
After receiving Zephyr's firm confirmation, Garp burst into loud laughter and bolted toward the residential district.
"An ability that multiplies things? If that power were applied to our Marine battleships' main cannons, a single ship could output the firepower of ten!"
Sengoku's face flushed red with excitement.
As Marine Headquarters' Chief of Staff, he instantly grasped the strategic implications of Roldy's ability.
Marine warships were already the most formidable vessels in the world.
Multiply that by ten—
Even the legendary Ancient Weapons might not surpass that level of destructive force.
An island erased with a single volley would no longer be a fantasy.
"And it's not limited to that," Tsuru added calmly. "According to the archives, the Mō Mō no Mi amplifies not only speed and strength, but also mass and various other properties."
"In the hands of even an ordinary person, such an ability would be terrifying."
Her tone remained composed.
But the tea leaves in her hand had nearly turned to powder.
The upper echelon of the Marines had already begun calculating how this fruit might alter the balance of power across the seas.
Meanwhile—
The protagonist of this grand discussion had been asleep in his bed a moment ago.
The next moment—
He found himself standing in the Marine Headquarters training ground.
"Ahhh… what a great nap."
Roldy blinked groggily.
He vaguely remembered dreaming about being carried in the jaws of a humanoid Tyrannosaurus, sprinting wildly across the land.
Still half-asleep, he instinctively reached to the side, searching for fruit from his bedside table.
His long arm fumbled around—
Cold air.
Open space.
He froze.
A vast and chilly training ground stretched before him.
…Was this still his house?
"Where the hell did I get teleported to? Is this even my home anymore?"
A large question mark rose above his head.
Then—
He saw Garp.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
"Gahahaha! You're awake, brat?"
"I heard you got the Moa Moa no Mi. Let this old man test it out!"
Garp grinned broadly, baring all his teeth.
Roldy: …I swear to God—
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789