Chapter 12: Sparring, A New Trump Card

The next day, as dawn broke and the gentle morning light caressed his face, the grand training field was already teeming with people—the start of a new day.

On the high platform, Zephyr looked down at the spirited new recruits, a thought stirring within him: perhaps when he retired, teaching these young cadets would not be so bad after all.

“Is everyone present?” he asked.

“Reporting in, Xuan Ye Tang has not arrived yet,” a lieutenant beside Zephyr replied, his expression impassive.

“Well, in that case, we won’t wait for him. Let’s begin our training. Today—”

“Reporting, Xuan Ye present!” A powerful voice cut through the air as a figure rushed forward at great speed.

“Very well, rejoin your squad,” Zephyr said, unfazed by the interruption. He had underestimated Xuan Ye; he had assumed the boy wouldn’t be able to get out of bed today. Yet, here Xuan Ye was, ready for another day of training. Pride and a twinge of concern mingled in Zephyr’s heart.

The others, however, looked at Xuan Ye with a mixture of curiosity and astonishment. He was in a sorry state—his face bruised and purple, his body marked by vivid contusions.

Everyone was puzzled. Had Akainu and Xuan Ye fought again last night? All eyes turned to Akainu.

Noticing the attention, Akainu’s face twitched; he snorted coldly, a glint of icy light flashing in his eyes.

“Hey, what happened to you last night? Why do you look so battered?” Kuzan, standing next to Xuan Ye, gave him a look as if assessing a pervert. “Don’t tell me you tried sneaking into someone’s room, got caught—”

“Shut up,” Xuan Ye shot back, his face dark. Only now did he realize Kuzan had such a devious side. Still, he offered an explanation: “I overdid my training last night, that’s all.”

“You lunatic…” Kuzan’s gaze shifted instantly from suspicion to pity.

So the days passed at the academy: physical training in the mornings, six styles practice in the afternoons. Occasionally, Zephyr would lecture on Haki. Every cadet’s day was filled to the brim. The only difference was that while others rested at night, Xuan Ye continued to train. Except for meals and four or five hours of sleep, all his time was spent sweating and striving.

The strangest thing of all was that, for an entire month, Xuan Ye showed up every morning covered in fresh bruises. Many suspected he harbored some masochistic tendency.

To get to the bottom of it, Kuzan pestered Xuan Ye for a week straight, but finally gave up under the weight of Xuan Ye’s withering glares.

And so, unconsciously, a month slipped by. Today, the academy was to welcome a new instructor. Originally, it was Garp’s turn, but he was away pursuing Roger’s pirate crew, so Sengoku took his place.

Zephyr, too, had left to eliminate other pirate bands.

During Sengoku’s lessons, Xuan Ye listened intently. Whenever he didn’t understand something, he would seek Sengoku out, even in the dead of night, to clarify his doubts. Sengoku soon became very familiar with him.

If asked who had left the deepest impression on him, Sengoku would answer without hesitation: Xuan Ye. His relentless drive and insatiable curiosity astonished Sengoku.

A month flew by in urgency for Xuan Ye. It should have been Garp’s turn to return, but with Garp nowhere to be found and Zephyr back, Zephyr resumed his post.

At night, in the same old place, two figures—one large, one small—clashed with explosive force.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dust flew, winds howled, and fists landed with bone-crunching impact as Xuan Ye fought at full tilt.

“Soru—” With a flicker, Xuan Ye vanished, reappearing behind Zephyr. His five fingers, rigid as blades, struck toward Zephyr with explosive force.

“Shigan—”

“Haha, your speed is improving, and your Shigan isn’t bad either. Seems you haven’t been slacking off. Armament—Straight Punch!” Without turning, Zephyr raised his right hand, shrouded in black, colliding head-on with Xuan Ye’s sharp strike.

“Shigan—Armament—Dark Night!” Xuan Ye’s eyes lit up. His fingers were enveloped by an invisible, thin layer of energy as he launched another powerful blow.

Bang—

Zephyr stood unmoved, while Xuan Ye was sent flying, skidding across the ground before coming to a halt in a long furrow.

“Again,” Zephyr said, his figure vanishing and leaving a crater behind as he appeared before Xuan Ye.

Xuan Ye’s pupils contracted. He twisted his body, narrowly dodging Zephyr’s attack, then used Soru to disappear, executing Geppo as he warily eyed Zephyr below.

A few minutes later, Xuan Ye collapsed onto the ground, gulping for air. Zephyr, by contrast, was only slightly winded—it was clear he hadn’t used even half his strength.

“I still can’t last more than five or six minutes against him. What a failure,” Xuan Ye muttered bitterly as he struggled to his feet.

“You’re already very strong. I’m truly surprised—after just a month away, you’ve mastered three styles and learned Haki. I’m proud of you,” Zephyr said, sitting down beside him, his pride in his disciple plain to see.

“Master, did you hear any news about the Golden Lion while you were away?” Xuan Ye’s face betrayed his anxiety. A month ago, he had asked Zephyr to look for the Golden Lion’s whereabouts, hoping for news of Xiaoxi.

After a moment’s thought, Zephyr replied apologetically, “I did encounter the Golden Lion, but only because he fought Roger’s crew in the Waters region. With the stormy sea and the chaos, I didn’t manage to catch him.”

“I see.” Disappointment flashed across Xuan Ye’s face, but he quickly pulled himself together. “That must have been the famous Battle of Waters. Soon after, Roger will become Pirate King. That means the story has only a few years left. I have to seize this time to strengthen myself, become a Vice Admiral or even Admiral—only then can I use Marine intelligence to find Xiaoxi.”

“In any case, thank you, Master.”

“There’s no need for such formality between us,” Zephyr said warmly. “In a few days, you’ll all be sent on a training mission. The Navy will also hold a friendship tournament. The top ten can graduate; the top five will be awarded the Senior Colonel badge, allowing you to go out and hunt pirates, earning merit. This is great news for you. If you want to find your sister quickly, strength and merit will be your own responsibility.”

“Thank you, Master. I won’t let you down,” Xuan Ye said resolutely.

“Good. Remember, aim for the top three in the tournament—ideally, first place. The top five all get prizes, but being first is always best.” Zephyr’s face reddened slightly as he said this, feeling it was a bit like favoritism, but for his beloved disciple, he was willing to go that far.

Hearing Zephyr’s words, Xuan Ye’s eyes sparkled. He clenched his teeth inwardly: “First place in the tournament will be mine.”

“All right, that’s enough for tonight. Take a few days to consolidate your strength. In five or six days, you’ll depart for Beast Island to begin your training.”

Watching Zephyr walk away, Xuan Ye sat quietly for a while, then headed to the seashore. Tonight, he wanted to truly relax.

Standing alone on the beach, gazing at the endless stars and ocean, listening to the gentle tide, Xuan Ye couldn’t help but think of that silly girl. He wondered if she was eating well or sleeping soundly.

“Ah… might as well go for a swim.” Closing his eyes, Xuan Ye extended his perception—his Observation Haki—and, finding no one within a hundred meters, waited a moment longer to be sure. Satisfied that he was alone, he plunged into the sea.

Immersed in the ocean, his thoughts drifted. He was not afraid of seawater—a fact he had discovered by chance not long ago.

That’s right, his Devil Fruit had no weakness to seawater. Unlike others with Devil Fruit powers, who lost all strength upon falling into the sea, Xuan Ye retained his abilities and felt no different from being on land. This had baffled him. At times, he wondered if he had eaten a counterfeit Devil Fruit.

The only explanation, perhaps, was that his fruit was unique. After all, he had consumed it in his previous life, not in this world. Unable to unravel the mystery, he simply buried the question in his heart.

Without the weakness to seawater, Xuan Ye could use the ocean’s pressure to train—a natural training ground. Most importantly, this was a secret trump card. He believed that, at a critical moment, this immunity to seawater could bring unexpected advantages.

For example, in a naval battle…

So, Xuan Ye decided to keep this ability hidden, telling no one, not even Zephyr. Unless absolutely necessary, he would always pretend to fear seawater and Seastone like other Devil Fruit users.

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