Practical Combat Training

The South Blue, Castro Island.

The dilapidated fishing village writhed in the firelight, while thick smoke swallowed half the sky.

"Hahaha! Hand over everything valuable!"

Baro "Bone Crusher," captain of the Bone Crusher Pirates, had a bounty of 80 million Beli. He kicked over an old man kneeling and begging for mercy, then raised his bloodstained iron hook with a vicious grin, a savage gleam in his eyes.

"Old bastard! Keep that miserable look on your face and I'll dig out your granddaughter's eyeballs!"

Behind him, dozens of pirates laughed wildly. Some tugged at stolen fishing nets and grain, some dragged away women who cried and screamed, and even more simply set thatched cottages ablaze with torches, savoring the sight of the flames consuming the wooden beams.

"Please... stop... We're just fishermen. We don't have any money..." The old man clung to Baro's leg, his voice trembling.

"You're getting on my nerves!" Baro's gaze turned vicious as he raised his iron hook high, its edge flashing coldly!

"Swish—!"

A black shadow cut across the night sky, and the wind suddenly rose.

Baro swung his iron hook down hard, but hit nothing but air.

"Huh?"

Baro froze, his hand faltering for a moment.

The next second, a strong arm supported the old man. A black-haired youth stood there in a Marine uniform, his gaze icy.

"...Pirates really are disgusting creatures."

Baro's pupils contracted. "A... a Marine?!"

"Don't be afraid, sir," Roy said calmly. "Go somewhere safe."

Before he finished speaking, he vanished!

"Where'd he go?!"

"Up there!"

Amid the cries of alarm, Roy appeared in midair, holding two flintlock pistols he had swiped from the pirates, his black hair fluttering in the wind.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two shots rang out. The bullets pierced two pirates' heads with deadly precision, spraying blood in the firelight, a glaring, grisly sight.

"Bastard! Kill him!"

Baro roared, and his pirates charged, firing a rain of bullets at Roy.

But every bullet passed through his afterimage!

"Swish!"

Roy appeared behind a pirate wielding a blade, his finger twitching slightly.

"Shigan: Instant."

"Crack!"

The pirate's neck snapped instantly. His eyes went wide, and he still wore a terrified expression when he fell.

"Damn it! He's a Devil Fruit user!"

"Don't let him pick us off one by one!"

The pirates began retreating in panic, but Roy flickered like a ghost, and every teleportation was accompanied by a pirate falling.

"Rankyaku: Instant Flash!"

His legs traced smooth arcs through the air. The slashing wave refracted three times in succession, cutting straight through the weapons and bodies of ten pirates as sparks flew!

"H-how could this happen...?"

Cold sweat beaded on Baro's forehead, and the iron hook in his hand trembled. "What... what kind of monster is this...?"

Roy landed and looked at him with an icy gaze. "People like you don't even deserve a trial."

In the distance, Zephyr watched the battle with the trainees from the new training camp.

"You've got to be kidding..."

The recruits stared wide-eyed at the youth who seemed to have descended from the heavens like a divine warrior.

"He crushed an entire pirate crew... by himself?!"

"Those slashes and gunshots... he did all that while using Teleportation?!"

"It's almost... like he's dancing..."

Zephyr stood at the edge of the battlefield, his eyes gleaming behind his sunglasses.

"He's incorporated Tempest Kick and Shigan into the rhythm of his teleportation, and even created an 'Instant Flash' technique that refracts repeatedly..."

"That boy is already forging his own path."

Baro's face went deathly pale. At last, he could no longer hold back and roared, "Don't underestimate me!!!"

His body was covered in blood, but his arms suddenly became coated in a faint layer of Armament Haki. His roar seemed powerful enough to shatter heaven and earth.

"I'm Baro 'Bone Crusher'!!"

Expressionless, Roy slowly raised his right hand and drew his five fingers together.

"Bone Crusher?"

He clenched his fist and took a punching stance. The air began to warp, and he threw a punch. Its force appeared before Baro in an instant!

"Instant: Air Cannon!"

"Boom—!!!"

With a tremendous crash, the force of the punch became an invisible blast of air that instantly shattered Baro's iron hook. The shock wave struck him square in the face, smashing his massive body into the ground and blasting out a crater ten meters across!

When the dust cleared, Baro's eyes had lost focus, and teeth from one side of his mouth lay scattered across the bottom of the crater. His whole body was a mangled slab of flesh, as though crushed by a giant hammer. He was clearly dead beyond any doubt.

The entire village fell silent, leaving only the howling of the wind.

Baro's corpse was still embedded in the crater. Blood slowly seeped through the cracked ground, carrying a strong, rusty smell.

Zephyr stood on a half-destroyed roof, his gaze blazing behind his sunglasses as he watched the black-haired youth walk slowly back. His heart was filled with pride.

Roy shook out his wrist, Armament Haki still wrapped around it, and walked slowly toward the coast, his gaze calm.

"Mission complete."

Before the words had faded, a burst of excited shouting rang out—

"Senior Roy! Can you teach me that move you just used?!"

"That was so cool! How did you use Rankyaku while teleporting over and over?!"

"Senior! Can I have your autograph?!"

The recruits swarmed him, their eyes shining with admiration.

A few of the bolder recruits had even pulled out pens and notebooks, looking every bit like rabid fans.

Roy had intended to keep a straight face, but they had crowded so tightly around him that a vein throbbed at his temple. "...Don't push."

"Senior Roy! How did you combine Shigan with teleportation?!"

"Aaaah, that punch was unbelievably cool!"

"Please, you have to teach us!"

The noise gave Roy a headache. He was just about to speak when he suddenly felt a large hand clap him on the shoulder.

"Quiet!"

At some point, Zephyr had walked up behind him. He folded his arms, his voice booming like a bell.

"Want to learn? Finish my basic training first!"

As soon as he spoke, the recruits deflated like punctured balloons. They drooped instantly, lowering their heads one after another. "Ugh... basic training..."

Roy finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Zephyr, his eyes full of gratitude.

Zephyr glanced at him and grinned. "Don't look at me like that. This is just the beginning."

"Yes, teacher."

The setting sun dyed the sea red, and its golden afterglow shimmered on the waves.

The warship slowly sailed away from the South Blue, and the salty, damp sea breeze swept across the deck.

Roy stood at the bow, his black hair tousled by the wind, gazing pensively in the direction of the South Blue fishing village as it receded into the distance.

"What are you thinking about?"

A deep voice sounded as Zephyr came to Roy's side carrying two cups of hot tea. He handed one to him.

Roy accepted it, lowered his head, and took a small sip. "That village just now... the people who survived might run into pirates again."

Zephyr fell silent for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly. He sighed. "The atrocities of pirates will never stop. All we can do is save as many people as we can."

Roy tightened his grip on the teacup. "Saving them isn't enough," he said firmly.

Zephyr raised an eyebrow and turned to him. "Oh?"

Roy lifted his head, a cold light flashing in his dark eyes. "Pirates need to be wiped out, every last one of them."

Zephyr was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing, though a flicker of satisfaction passed through his eyes. "Hahaha! That's right! That's the kind of ruthlessness you need!"

As his laughter faded, he took a deep breath and a sip of tea. His tone suddenly turned serious. "Roy, I've taught you just about everything I have to teach."

Roy looked up, slightly startled. "Teacher?"

Zephyr gazed at the distant horizon, his voice deep and forceful. "At your current level, there's nothing more for you to learn at the training camp. It's time to send you out to gain experience."

He turned to Roy, a smile spreading across his face. "Of course, with your current abilities, even if you run into someone you can't beat, you should have no trouble running away. Hahaha!"

Roy nodded gently, his gaze resolute. "Teacher, can I choose where I go?"

Zephyr raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Oh? Where do you want to go?"

Roy's eyes shone with fervor. "Somewhere with lots of pirates."

Zephyr burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I knew you'd say that!"

He rubbed the stubble on his chin, pretending to consider it seriously. "Hmm... in that case, go to the G-3 Branch first!"

"G-3?" Roy was slightly taken aback.

Zephyr narrowed his eyes. "That old bastard Garp is 'stationed' there, though he's probably slacking off and sleeping."

At that, his expression turned serious, and his tone carried a hint of instruction. "The G-3 Branch is at the junction between Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line, and the New World. Both the number and quality of pirates there are enough for you to gain experience. Besides, with Garp there, I can rest a little easier."

Roy nodded solemnly. "Understood."

Night deepened, and the sea breeze grew cool. The warship's lights cast flecks of gold across the water.

Zephyr pulled an exquisite pocket watch from his coat and placed it in Roy's hand. "Take it as a parting gift."

Roy took the watch and gently opened it. A miniature nautical chart was set inside, and its hand always pointed toward Marineford.

Zephyr grunted and said gruffly, "If you get lost, follow that back! Don't keep me waiting too long!"

Roy gripped the pocket watch tightly and bowed deeply. "Yes, sir!"

Zephyr turned his face away, his voice low. "You brat... don't embarrass me when you get to G-3!"

Roy smiled and noticed that the bases of Zephyr's ears had turned slightly red.

"Thank you, teacher."

Zephyr waved a hand, his back still straight. "Hmph, enough nonsense! Go pack your things! You leave first thing tomorrow morning!"

The sea breeze swept across the deck, lifting Roy's black hair.