Dusk settled.
A sea of bodies, almost a thousand strong, sprawled across the small plaza in front of the Fourth Sea Dormitory, a dark, tangled mess. Even the tough students from the Headquarters and the G-Branch, seasoned fighters themselves, were shocked by the scene and hurried over to see what all the commotion was.
The brawl had raged for two solid hours. Aside from that show-off Roya, the students from the different sea regions held deep grudges against each other and took every chance they could to land a cheap shot.
As darkness crept in, the fighting finally died down. Only a handful of people were left standing; the rest were scattered on the ground, moaning in pain.
"Tch!"
Roya yanked at his collar, roughly rubbing his aching neck. He scanned the area, but didn't see anyone else who looked like they could put up a decent fight. The strongest of the bunch only had a power level of around 300 Dao Force.
I'll keep working these guys over tomorrow!
"Let's head back!"
Roya turned and headed towards the East Blue dormitory building. The officers who were in his way quickly scrambled to get out of his path, and the East Blue officers jumped to their feet, eager to follow behind Roya.
They walked with their heads held high, strutting like roosters that had just won a big fight. Even Isca, usually a bit reserved, couldn't help but smile brightly, though her missing front tooth took away from the effect a little.
---
8:00 PM.
The dormitory door burst open with a loud crash, courtesy of Doll.
Doll completely ignored the group of bare-chested men. Her eyes locked onto Roya, who had just stepped out of the shower at the back of the room.
"Roya, come to my room!"
"Okay!"
Surrounded by the envious stares of the others, Roya left the dormitory.
"The Instructor sure is buddy-buddy with Black Hair Bro."
"It's 'cause we're useless."
"The other day, I woke up in the middle of the night needing to take a leak. When I got up to go to the bathroom, I saw the Instructor guiding Black Hair Bro on the training field."
"So jealous!"
Instructor Doll was beautiful, had a voice as sweet as honey, and her strength was off the charts. Getting personal guidance from her was a dream come true for most of the guys.
Isca sat on her bunk, watching Roya go, a mix of envy and determination swirling within her. Her Dao Force was still below 200.
When they first met, Roya's strength was about the same as hers. Only a year had gone by, and the gap between them had widened into a huge chasm, and it was only going to get bigger.
After I go back this time, I'll apply to work in Logue Town!
The girl secretly made up her mind.
----
Inside the Instructor's room.
Doll stood by the refrigerator, holding two elegant stemmed glasses. She asked cheerfully, "What would you like to drink? I've got vodka, whiskey..."
"Sherry."
"Well, aren't you fancy."
Doll pulled out a bottle of Sherry, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "This wine has a rich, sweet flavor, but it's made in small batches, so you don't see it around much."
"I've had it before."
Roya shrugged with a grin.
He wasn't particularly interested in fancy wines, but Fullbody was a connoisseur and often managed to get his hands on some high-end stuff, Sherry included. It tasted pretty good.
Rumor had it that it was quite popular among the Marine Executives.
"Clink!"
In the soft, dim light, the two glasses lightly touched, creating a rather romantic atmosphere.
They quietly savored the moment for a few seconds.
Doll got straight to the point, asking confidently, "Your Dao Force is at 400 now, right?"
"It is."
Roya nodded.
He'd reached 402 Dao Force three days ago.
He hadn't tested it since then, but he'd been fighting people in the inner island forest, trying to weave the Six Styles techniques into his fighting style.
After a few days of sparring, his Dao Force should have gone up a bit. With another half-month of training, he'd be ready to start using the real Six Styles.
"That's great!"
Doll gazed at Roya, liking him more and more.
She hadn't had high expectations for him at first, but the kid kept surprising her, making her feel proud. It was hard not to be happy.
Maybe she could raise her goals a little.
"There are less than two months left. Do you think you can crack the top ten?"
"Top ten?"
Roya's eyes twinkled mischievously.
Wasn't the top ten a bit… easy?
The top hundred on the testing device's list were all above 400 Dao Force. Improving his own score by a small amount would probably bump him up several spots.
The top ten students right now probably had Dao Force values starting around 450. While he was improving quickly, the others were also working hard to get stronger.
But he could feel that he was in a period of explosive growth. His body was as strong as it was going to get, at least for now, and was just as tough as the other students. Systematically learning the Six Styles was unlocking his hidden potential at an incredible rate!
Roya swirled the Sherry in his glass, a confident curve forming on his lips. "Instructor Doll, are there any perks to getting into the top ten?"
"Perks?"
Doll rolled her eyes, a hint of annoyance in her expression.
This brat was pushing his luck.
But there actually were perks!
Every Vice Admiral instructor knew that the Fourth Sea students were only there to fill the ranks, and the East Blue students were the dregs of the barrel.
The real stars of the Training Camp were the young Marines from Marine Headquarters and the G-Branches. And the instructors who guided them were their respective Base Chiefs.
Like the G-1 Branch, which was led by Vice Admiral Onigumo.
For centuries, the Marines had always valued nurturing young talent. As soon as they found a promising genius, they would bring them to Headquarters for specialized training.
The current three Admirals had all come up that way.
Someone like Roya, who slipped through the cracks, was a rare find, maybe once a decade, because he didn't show any exceptional talent early on. He was more of a late bloomer.
Doll only realized Roya's incredible learning ability after she started teaching him the Six Styles. Even she wasn't as quick to pick it up when she was his age.
So, if Roya, a kid from East Blue, could break into the top ten, it would be a huge accomplishment.
Besides boosting Roya's reputation in the Marines, it would also show Headquarters that she was a capable instructor, which would help her get promoted.
Right now, the Marines' 14th G-Branch large fortress was being built, but they hadn't decided who would be the Base Chief yet, and countless Vice Admirals at Headquarters were vying for the position.
She wanted to be the Base Chief of G-14!
Doll pursed her lips, looking thoughtful.
"What do you want?"
"Well..."
Roya pondered.
There weren't many things he really wanted.
He didn't need a lot of money.
He didn't gamble, didn't chase women, didn't splurge on fancy things, and didn't plan on getting married or buying a house. The Branch provided everything he needed to live, and even when he went out to have fun, it didn't cost much.
Enough was enough.
The higher his position, the better. Preferably so high that no one could tell him what to do. But Vice Admiral Doll couldn't give him that.
In terms of strength, Doll was helping him train, and she was doing a great job. The rest was up to him.
Besides money, power, and strength...
The only thing left to pursue was se.. se.. something lewd.
He wasn't interested in just anyone. When he was with Isca, he didn't feel anything special, but when he was around Doll, he always felt a certain… itch.
Roya's smile widened, his eyes boldly studying Doll.
"Hehehe~~~~"
"Don't look at me like that!"
Doll's face flushed, and she glared at Roya, annoyed that he was always thinking such dirty thoughts.
This brat was flirting with her non-stop!
Forget it, she wasn't going to let it bother her.
Doll quickly took a sip of wine, hiding her embarrassment, and said seriously, "Roya, if you actually get into the top ten, I can request a Devil Fruit for you!"
The Marines invested heavily in nurturing talent, especially young Marines. If Roya did exceptionally well, and with her backing, getting a Devil Fruit wouldn't be a problem.
"Devil Fruit!"
Roya's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stopped flirting, his brow furrowing slightly.
After a moment, Roya shook his head.
"I don't need it."
"Ah!"
Doll was surprised that Roya had refused, and quickly said, "Roya, do you even know how valuable a Devil Fruit is?"
"I know!"
Of course, Roya knew.
That's why he couldn't just eat any random, ordinary fruit and gain the weakness of being afraid of water for no good reason.
He wanted Devil Fruit powers too, but only the really strong ones - Logia-types and Mythical Zoan-types. There were too many unknown Paramecia-types, so he wasn't interested in those.
He knew the higher-ups wouldn't give him anything that good. Getting an ordinary Zoan-type would be like winning the lottery.
Roya would rather pass.
After all, the higher-ups would be giving it to him as an assignment, not as a gift. He wouldn't be able to give it away, and keeping it would just be a burden.
With the power of "The World" on his side, reaching the rank of Vice Admiral was only a matter of time, and he was confident in that.
If he was going to eat a Devil Fruit, he was going to eat the best!
Roya stared intently at Doll.
"What if I can become number one?"
"Number one?"
Instructor Doll looked at the starry-eyed Roya, and burst out laughing, tears welling up in her eyes. She helplessly wiped the corners of her eyes.
This kid was really motivated to satisfy his desires. Unfortunately, the number one spot in this Training Camp was already taken by someone else!
Doll licked her lips.
"Roya, if you can become number one, you can have whatever you want!"
*
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[T/N:
Latest Chapter translated on Patreon - Chapter 216
Final Total Power Stone Collection : 132 PS
Goal : Reach +50 Total PS = +2 Bonus Chapters next day! 🚀
Here are the novels I'm currently translating:
-> Naruto Paradise: An Evil Uchiha's Rise
-> One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!
-> Young Master, Please Become Hokage!
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]