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The warships left port one after another, departing in separate groups toward different destinations.
About half an hour later, the ship carrying Kyle finally moved out, heading straight for the Etwall Sea.
"I asked around. The northwest side of the Etwall Sea is practically empty, so we're one of the safer units this time," Satori said in his deep, booming voice, looking almost overly enthusiastic.
"Safe?" Kyle blinked.
"Yeah! Our mission is basically recon only. We're just supposed to monitor Golden Lion's crew from afar. Normally we shouldn't see combat at all," Satori said, happy to deliver good news.
As navy soldiers, especially ones conscripted for New World operations, the mortality rate was brutally high. Many who enlisted around the same time as him were already dead.
"I see…" Kyle murmured.
He wasn't afraid of dying. If anything, slipping between life and death only made him grow stronger, faster. Still, this assignment was unexpected. He'd originally assumed he'd be teamed up with Kuzan, Garp, and the others. Clearly, that wasn't the case.
The voyage itself was pretty relaxed. Aside from scheduled lookout shifts, the officers were left mostly to their own devices. Rear Admiral Jerry wasn't the strict type either. Tall, thin, and constantly looking like someone suffering from chronic exhaustion, he spent most of his time alone, smoking cigars and sighing as if weighed down by some private worry.
Kyle actually enjoyed the downtime with Satori. For a giant, Satori looked intimidating at first glance, but he was warm-hearted, friendly, and honestly pretty goofy. Kuzan had introduced them a few days earlier.
"I saw Kuzan and Sakazuki get on Garp's ship. Must be some kind of special mission," Satori added. "Borsalino seems to be staying behind at the base too."
That surprised Kyle. "A mission? What kind of mission would they get?"
"No idea. Must be dangerous though. Nothing like the easy patrol we've got," Satori said with a laugh.
Kyle nodded, not overthinking it, and went back to silent training.
Once someone had a superhuman-level physique, the Six Powers were quick to learn as long as they were willing to put in the effort and had some talent. By the third day on route to the Etwall Sea, he'd already mastered Finger Gun. On the fifth day, the ship reached its designated coordinates and began patrol. After Jerry reported in, headquarters told them to hold position and wait.
That afternoon, a new line appeared on Kyle's status panel:
Moonwalk LV1+.
This meant that aside from Paper Art, he'd learned all six techniques. But mastering the basics was only step one. Becoming truly proficient would take huge amounts of time and effort.
As far as he knew, the Six Powers were easy to pick up but extremely difficult to perfect or to evolve into personal techniques. Even those three "monsters" hadn't done that.
The sea stayed calm. Jerry occasionally lifted his telescope to scan the horizon, but found nothing. Not even a shadow of the Flying Pirates. Everyone was disappointed… yet relieved.
"Looks like this job really will be an easy one," Jerry sighed.
Kyle kept training. The ship was stocked with basic equipment, and following Bogard and Zephyr's lessons, he swung the dumbbells in his hands until gusts of wind whipped around him.
"Monsters are rare enough already!"
"A hardworking one like him is even rarer. Really admirable."
"Come on, Nezumi, you're in your forties already. You hit your limit ages ago. Of course you don't have to push that hard. Kyle's still young. He might even become an admiral someday!"
Laughter drifted over. Kyle grinned and kept lifting. He didn't talk much, but the older officers doted on him since he was still technically a kid. Colonel Nezumi especially liked chatting with him, sharing tips on surviving naval combat.
Up at the bow, Jerry listened to the chatter and glanced back at Kyle.
"A kid who's spoken of alongside Kuzan and those other two monsters… and he ended up under my command."
He'd heard all the rumors about Kyle back at G5.
"He's only picked up the basics of the Six Powers. Must be because his foundation's weak but his potential's huge. So they put him in a safer sector."
"A little special treatment from above, huh?"
"Not that it's surprising. He's still green," Jerry muttered to himself.
He also believed this area was safe. It was entirely possible they'd complete the assignment without ever even seeing the enemy.
"I heard headquarters is planning to grant a batch of Devil Fruits to the new generation to boost their strength."
"Will he get one too?"
Not that it concerned him. He was getting old, his ceiling already clear. Resources would naturally go to younger, more promising talents.
Meanwhile, in another sector—
"Sengoku! Why isn't Kyle on my ship?" Garp yelled into the Den Den Mushi. "That brat is perfectly capable of fighting the Golden Lion pirates or the Roger pirates head-on!"
His beloved disciple had been split from him for this mission, and he wasn't happy about it. The next generation traveling with him now consisted of Kuzan and Sakazuki.
"I have my reasons, Garp," Sengoku said. "You still haven't figured it out. Our mission this time isn't to fight Shiki. It's long-range observation."
"With two major pirate crews clashing, we need to prioritize the safety of naval bases and headquarters."
Garp wasn't having it. "What reason? All I know is that you lost my kid!"
"He's been in the navy for too short a time. His basics are weak. What he needs now is growth," Sengoku snapped back. "It's too dangerous sticking him with you. Can you guarantee you'll keep him safe?"
Sengoku was angry now too. Someone with Kyle's potential dying under Garp's reckless lead would be a massive loss.
Even prodigies needed time to grow. Meanwhile, Kuzan and Sakazuki already had the maturity and experience to handle heavier responsibilities.
"Of course I can keep him safe!" Garp barked back. He knew full well his disciple had an undying body. The kid could play a crucial role on the front lines.
"You idiot!" Sengoku roared.
"At least tell me where he is! Which sector is he assigned to?" Garp demanded.
"Northwest side. A13 sector," Sengoku growled.
The Etwall Sea was enormous, and the navy didn't hold much advantage in the New World. In this era, they were barely able to keep up with the pirate forces. Sengoku had divided the entire sea into countless small zones for quiet monitoring, waiting for an opportunity once the two pirate crews clashed.
It was a careful, calculated strategy.
But Garp, of course, was a walking variable.
"Hahaha! Got it," Garp said, bursting into laughter. He checked the map and quickly realized he wasn't far from Kyle at all.
The danger levels of their respective sectors, however, were completely opposite. By Sengoku's assessment, Garp's area was high-risk, while Kyle's was one of the safest.
"..."
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