To be honest, Sean wasn't in the best state at the moment.
Even though his Spirit Power stat had reached over 3,200, that last attack had instantly drained 1,800 points. In other words, for the current Sean, that was a one-shot technique. While the power was immense, he couldn't unleash it repeatedly like a Master Swordsman or even a Great Swordsman.
As the saying goes, the essence of a Shinigami's combat is Reiatsu!
Whether it was the Zanpakutō or the arts of Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō, everything was built upon the foundation of Spiritual Pressure. Therefore, he could never slack off on his Spirit Power cultivation.
Even during the next few months, when he would focus exclusively on the way of the sword, he vowed to set aside at least two days a week to train his Reiatsu. His goal was to reach 10,000 points as soon as possible—the threshold for what the system called an ordinary Captain-level.
Additionally, he needed to put more work into his Reiatsu slashes.
On one hand, he needed to reduce Spirit Power consumption through more delicate Reiatsu control without sacrificing power. On the other, he needed to create several lower-power slashes that could be used in standard combat. Otherwise, if every attack was a high-output move, even Captain-level Spirit Power wouldn't last long.
Ideally, he wanted to reach a level like Hawkeye's, where every basic strike was effectively a flying slash.
Sean had quickly mapped out his future training plan. However, in the next instant, he felt a sudden surge of killing intent from behind, locking onto him.
'Damn it, I forgot about Gion!'
He had to get out of here quickly, or heaven knows what she would do to him—especially after he had shifted so much blame onto her.
"Vice Admiral Gion! Thank you for the swordsmanship guidance today. I've had a lot of realizations, so I'll head back to enter seclusion now!"
"No need. I have a specialized meditation room for swordsmanship. Come with me."
Just as he tried to make his escape, Gion blurred into motion, appearing instantly in front of Sean and placing her hand on his shoulder. To an outsider, it looked like a gentle touch.
In reality... Sean was grimacing in pain.
A moment later, he was dragged away. Or rather, "escorted."
'''
Marine Headquarters, Officer's Villa District.
Inside Gion's private villa.
"Tell me. What was the deal with that slash earlier?"
Sitting on the sofa, Gion looked at Sean, who stood before her. The scene felt exactly like a superior interrogating a subordinate.
"This... isn't this what you taught me? Concentrate the Sword Energy into a single point and then explode it instantaneously during the swing!"
"Sean, have you forgotten who I am?"
"Your identity? You're a Vice Admiral—no, an Admiral Candidate. I know!"
"Is that what I'm talking about?"
Sean let out a small sigh. "Alright, Vice Admiral Gion, you are the only Great Swordsman in the Marine."
"Correct. I am a Great Swordsman. Although I achieved this title not long ago, it means my understanding of the way of the sword is deeper than that of Fleet Admiral Sengoku or Chief Instructor Zephyr."
"Therefore, you might be able to fool them, but you cannot fool me."
"That slash earlier wasn't Sword Energy at all, was it? It was your Devil Fruit ability, wasn't it?"
'What?'
Sean had thought she'd uncovered his deepest secret. But this was it? He suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Gion continued, "Do you think I would look down on you for not releasing a flying slash through pure swordsmanship?"
"I'm not that rigid. Strength is strength, regardless of which system it comes from. Even if it's a combination of a Devil Fruit and swordsmanship, to release a slash of that magnitude is already quite impressive!"
'Good grief. I didn't even have to explain, and she's already filled in the blanks herself!'
"Alright, I admit I was wrong. I did use an external force to produce that slash."
"See? Wouldn't it have been easier to just say that? It's not like you did something bad; there was no need to hide it."
'You're right. You're absolutely right. I'm actually speechless...'
"However, that is still an external force. If you want to become a Great Swordsman, you still need to learn how to project Sword Energy externally."
"Therefore, starting today, you will live here. I will put you through a three-month special training regimen to ensure you master the projection of Sword Energy!"
...
'Gion, where is your consistency?'
One moment she says using a Devil Fruit for flying slashes isn't shameful, and the next she's telling him he 'must' master Sword Energy projection? He didn't even have Sword Energy in his body to begin with!
And more importantly, living here for three months?
'Are you just lusting after my body and using this as an excuse to force me into cohabitation?'
'Sigh. Truly, when a boy travels to another world alone, he must learn how to protect himself!'
Despite the frantic complaints in his head, Sean's body was honest. A few minutes later, he arrived at Gion's villa carrying two large bags of belongings from the training camp dorms. To maximize efficiency, he had used Shunpo the entire way.
When he stepped into the villa with his bags, Gion was stunned.
'That fast?'
'Did I just invite a wolf into my home?'
'''
The New World.
Marine G1 Branch.
'Purupurupuru...'
"This is Tokikake!"
"Vice Admiral Tokikake, this is Eric from Headquarters!"
"Oh, Eric. What is it?"
Eric was a Marine Commander at Headquarters and one of Tokikake's frequent lackeys.
"Vice Admiral Tokikake... your base has been raided!"
"Raided? What do you mean?" Tokikake looked completely bewildered. How could his base be raided?
"You're at the G1 Branch, so you might not be aware of recent events at Headquarters. Recently, Vice Admiral Gion has been getting very close to a new recruit from the training camp."
"In fact... that recruit has already moved his luggage into Vice Admiral Gion's villa. The two of them are officially cohabiting!"
...
"Say that again. Who is cohabiting with whom?"
Tokikake thought he had misheard. This was simply too absurd.
"Vice Admiral Gion and the recruit named Sean Campbell. They are living together now."
"Are you sure you didn't get this wrong?"
"Vice Admiral Tokikake, why won't you believe me? Many people at Headquarters saw it. The news of their cohabitation is already being discussed even by the low-ranking marines..."
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Tokikake was on the verge of a breakdown. He was out here fighting on the front lines of the New World, only for his home base to be stolen right from under him!
'No, I have to get back to Headquarters. Now! I can't wait another second!'
Hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Tokikake rushed straight toward Akainu's office.
'''
Marine Headquarters.
The Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Tsuru, perhaps you should have a word with Gion. The optics aren't great; even the low-ranking marines are gossiping about her and Sean," Sengoku remarked.
Tsuru shook her head. "That girl is headstrong; it wouldn't do any good. Besides, they haven't actually done anything. Gion is simply guiding Sean in his swordsmanship."
'Purupurupuru...'
Just as Sengoku was about to respond, the Den Den Mushi on his desk suddenly rang.
"Sengoku speaking!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Akainu."
"Akainu, is there a problem at the G1 Branch?"
"No, everything at G1 is fine. However, Tokikake came to see me just now. He claimed he's experiencing some health issues and wants to return to Headquarters to recuperate for a while. I'm reporting this to you."
Upon hearing this, Sengoku's expression darkened.
'Health issues, my foot...'
He had likely heard the rumors circulating at Headquarters and simply couldn't sit still.
"Absolutely not. Deny Tokikake's request and tell him to stay put at the G1 Branch!"
"That... might be too late. I hadn't even given my consent, but as soon as he finished speaking, he left. Tokikake's warship has already departed from G1!"
"..."
"Then contact him via Den Den Mushi! Tell him to get his ass back to G1!"
"Actually... I realized something was off a moment ago. I tried to reach him to clarify the situation, but his Den Den Mushi is unreachable. It's not just him—his adjutant and several of his subordinates are all off the grid."
"Forget it. You don't need to worry about the rest; I'll handle it!"
"Very well, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. That is all."
Sengoku hung up the Den Den Mushi, nursing a massive headache.