This was a clash of fists.
A clash of Armament Haki against Armament Haki.
The instant their fists collided, an invisible shockwave exploded outward from the point of impact. A violent gust swept across the entire training ground, and the heavy boom echoed far beyond the base.
The two locked in a stalemate—
But Roldy's arm had already begun to bend.
Clearly, there was still a considerable gap between him and a powerhouse of Zephyr's caliber.
"You've improved a lot," Zephyr said, eyes gleaming with approval. "But you're still far from enough."
The strength Roldy displayed had already reached the level of an elite Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. Across the seas, that alone would qualify as formidable power.
That fragile boy had finally grown into a towering tree capable of holding up the sky.
"Old geezer, your punch feels weaker than last time!"
Roldy's mouth was as stubborn as ever. His face was red from strain—hardly matching his bravado.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Zephyr grinned.
The pressure in his fist surged again.
This time, Roldy couldn't hold on.
His arm was forced downward, the overwhelming force tilting his entire upper body sideways. Zephyr pressed the advantage—his other fist shot forward like lightning and landed squarely on Roldy's face.
The five-meter-tall body was blasted backward, crashing into the ground and carving a wide trench through solid stone.
"You damn old man!"
Pain sparked anger in Roldy's mind.
He slammed both palms against the ground and launched himself back up in an instant. The aura radiating from Zephyr—the aura of a true top-tier powerhouse—stimulated him instead of intimidating him.
It excited him.
"Take this!"
He roared, his right arm swelling as he poured power into it.
"Black Arm — Battering Ram!"
Pitch-black Armament Haki coated his forearm—so dense it reflected no light.
It looked nearly identical to Zephyr's.
"You may have learned my Armament," Zephyr replied calmly, "but you're still lacking."
"Black Arm — Crusher."
He countered without hesitation.
Though Roldy had been born with Armament Haki and was a prodigy in its use, his mastery had only just reached the peak of advanced application—what Wano would call Ryuo.
Zephyr, however—
Was beyond that.
The difference lay in sheer volume.
In density.
In thickness.
Their Haki reserves weren't even comparable.
Zephyr had already imagined how this would end: Roldy flying back again, face bruised and swollen.
That was how Roldy trained—by confronting the sea's strongest powers head-on, memorizing the gap, and growing through it.
But—
That was under normal circumstances.
Just as their fists were about to collide again—
Zephyr caught a flicker in Roldy's eyes.
Mischief.
Something was off.
Then Roldy shouted:
"Moa Moa — Tenfold Power!"
The aura around his fist changed instantly.
Zephyr's pupils shrank.
Too close.
Too late to react.
Their fists collided again—
But this time, the result was completely reversed.
Zephyr was the one sent flying.
Like a kite with its string cut, he spun wildly through the air, the overwhelming force twisting his body like a top.
For a brief moment, even he was stunned.
Then—
He stomped down on the air itself.
A sharp sonic boom cracked outward as he kicked off the sky, stabilizing himself midair.
Standing in the air, Zephyr stared at Roldy in disbelief.
"That power…"
"You brat—did you eat the Moa Moa no Mi?!"
His eyes bulged.
For a man of his stature and prestige, the exaggerated expression was almost comical—jaw dropping, eyes nearly popping out, tongue lolling like a wave.
"WHAT?!!"
No one understood better than Zephyr what that fruit meant for Roldy.
Multiplying speed.
Multiplying strength.
Those two effects alone were enough to propel him straight into the world's top tier.
There was no debate—
The Mō Mō no Mi was a god-tier Devil Fruit.
For Roldy, even ten Mythical Zoans combined wouldn't compare to this single fruit.
"Old man—it's not over yet!"
Roldy had only just eaten the fruit. His mastery was shallow.
Tenfold was currently his limit.
But even so—
He believed it was enough to stand tall before Zephyr.
Looking at Roldy, brimming with fighting spirit, Zephyr suddenly smiled.
It was the kind of smile a seasoned adult gives when watching a naïve child.
With the Moa Moa no Mi's amplification, Roldy indeed had the qualifications to make Zephyr take him seriously.
But—
"Brat, today I'm going to teach you a new lesson!"
Zephyr's aura changed.
If before he had been a calm lake—
Now he was a raging ocean.
Even with the Devil Fruit's power, Roldy had merely grown from a small boat into a warship.
Before the sea itself—
That meant nothing.
"Soru."
The word had barely left Zephyr's mouth—
And his fist was already there.
This was extreme speed.
So fast that Roldy couldn't react.
Even Observation Haki was useless.
A kick slammed into Roldy's back—
And then came a relentless barrage of blows, like a hurricane unleashed at point-blank range.
"Now that's just unfair! Moa Moa — Tenfold Speed!"
With his speed multiplied tenfold, Roldy barely managed to break away.
But before he could even exhale—
Zephyr's fist filled his vision.
A direct punch to the face.
"The power of a Devil Fruit is strong—strong enough to make you rejoice," Zephyr said coldly. "But on these seas, relying too heavily on your fruit will only harm you."
"The human body—its potential is far greater."
Haki.
Physical mastery.
Zephyr had only ever relied on these two things.
And with them, he had suppressed ninety-nine percent of the sea's strongest.
Ten minutes later—
Zephyr sat squarely on Roldy's back.
His breathing was slightly labored. The intense fight had triggered his asthma.
But in that short span of time, Roldy had been beaten into submission—his head covered in lumps, utterly incapable of continuing.
"Old man… didn't you say I've already touched the threshold of top-tier power on these seas?"
"I did," Zephyr replied calmly. "You've touched the threshold of Admiral-level strength."
"But don't tell me you think an ordinary Admiral would be enough to threaten me."
In his prime—
Zephyr was monstrously strong.
To put it simply—
The gap between Roldy and Zephyr right now was like the gap between Luffy's Gear Fourth: Snakeman and Kaido.
"You… just wait until the full moon…"
The Mink Tribe's Sulong form was perhaps Roldy's last attempt at bravado.
"Hahaha! I'll be waiting. But a little reminder—Garp will be back tomorrow."
"…What?"
The faint glimmer of hope in Roldy's world extinguished instantly.
Life had lost all meaning.
"Don't be discouraged," Zephyr added cheerfully. "You're already doing well. If you're still in a bad mood, think about how you'll train those adorable new recruits once the Officer Training Camp begins."
Roldy: (￣▽￣)
Strangely enough—
His mood improved immediately.
Meanwhile — Recruit Dormitories
Borsalino suddenly shivered violently.
An inexplicable sense of impending doom crept into his heart.
"How strange~ Why do I feel like disaster is approaching?"
He lowered his head in thought.
The bathroom door opened.
He looked up—
And his expression turned peculiar.
"Oh? Sakazuki, that's quite a shiver you've got there. Also… kindly wash your pants by hand this time."
Standing there, holding his suit trousers, wearing nothing but rose-patterned boxer briefs—
Sakazuki's face darkened.
Strange.
Why had he suddenly shivered twice this time…?
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