A Devil Fruit in My Belly, and I Know My Fate Is Mine, Not Heaven's

"Senior, you flatter me."

"I only happened to think of it by chance."

"It's all thanks to Teacher Zefa's excellent teaching."

Being lavishly praised by Borsalino right in front of Zefa made Rosen a little embarrassed.

"We're all monsters in the Marines, so why are you pretending to be humble with me?"

"Don't I know my own level?"

"If I really had the ability to teach an ordinary person into a monster like you, the Four Emperors of the New World would have been flattened by my students long ago."

Zefa did not dare accept the high hat Rosen had placed on him.

He knew perfectly well.

Even if they had replaced him with any Marine soldier from a New World branch who knew a little Haki, the results might not have been worse than those of him, the so-called number one Marine instructor.

In truth, as Rosen's teacher, he knew that the only thing he could do was guide him and provide some conveniences along Rosen's path of growth.

Just like now.

He had directly brought Rosen to Impel Down for training.

Every day, prisoners from Infinite Hell served as sparring partners.

Whether Rosen killed the prisoners or they escaped, it was not much of a problem. Sengoku had signed an Exemption Order.

Every day, he had Sea King meat mixed with rice.

After class ended in the morning, Domino would prepare the meals in advance.

Every day, a former Navy Admiral and current Admiral Candidate accompanied him.

He was both a bodyguard and someone who could offer guidance.

"Junior."

"Since you created Flying Crane Leg before eating, what were you pondering so deeply just now?"

"Have a drink first. This is the national treasure tea of the New World's Tea Country. Your senior's entire monthly salary went into this."

Borsalino poured Rosen a cup of tea, not forgetting to show off his tea leaves.

"What kind of tea costs several million Berries?"

Rosen was a little surprised.

Although Borsalino was currently still an Admiral Candidate, he already bore an admiral's title and was a designated future admiral. Even on a fixed salary alone, his income was far from low.

Leaving aside the various hidden benefits, he earned several million Berries every month.

"Things are valuable because they're rare!"

"It's only because your senior here has connections. When I was on a mission before, I saved the king of Tea Country."

"Otherwise, you might not be able to buy this tea even if you had money."

Borsalino took a sip.

"Tea Country became one of the World Government's affiliated nations by offering this tea as Celestial Gold."

"The very best batch, the one you're drinking now, is something even ordinary Celestial Dragons might not get to drink."

"After it's transported to Mary Geoise each year, most of it ends up in the hands of the Five Elders. Only a tiny portion circulates on the black market."

He explained.

Rosen understood.

Tea exclusively supplied to the Five Elders.

Put in terms of his previous world, it was tea exclusively supplied to the national leaders of the world's dominant nation.

How could it not be expensive?

Just as Borsalino had said, money alone might not be enough to buy it.

"It's actually nothing."

"I was just thinking about what I would have to do to kill Byrnndi World at his Peak Period if we were out in the open."

"In a sea battle, and while he was trying to escape."

After taking a sip of tea, Rosen resumed their earlier topic.

"With Flying Crane Leg, you can ensure that you can easily defeat Byrnndi World at his Peak Period in any environment."

"But defeating him and killing him are two different things."

"Especially in a sea battle."

Zefa set down his teacup and pondered briefly.

"Byrnndi World knows Geppo. On the stormy sea, if he disregards the strain on his body and maintains a hundredfold Geppo boost for a long time, even I in my Peak Period might not have been able to keep him."

"So, to do what you said, not only must you be fast, but your attacks must be even faster."

"Preferably with a sufficiently long striking range."

He had fought Byrnndi World many times in the past, so of course he knew how troublesome the World Destroyer was in a sea battle at his Peak Period.

He could increase a pirate ship's speed by a hundredfold at any time, and he could likewise increase his own Geppo speed by a hundredfold at any time.

Defeating him was easy. Killing him was difficult.

"Fast speed and long range?"

Rosen ran through everything he had learned and created so far in his mind.

Once the Three Colors of Haki were pushed to their limits, they could definitely achieve that.

Just like Shanks, who from the coast of Wano Country crossed a vast inland distance and directly used Conqueror's Haki to pressure Admiral Green Bull, leaving him unable to even maintain his elemental form.

But that was the ceiling of Conqueror's Haki. He had not reached that level yet.

Still Blood Armor? No.

Moving Blood Armor? No.

Qi Body Origin Flow and Six Warehouses Immortal Thief were methods for cultivating Haki and Physical Techniques, so they would not work either.

As for Zanpakuto.

Thousand Cherry Blossoms? Bankai would work, but Shikai would not.

Enzetsu? Much the same. Bankai would work, but Shikai would not.

Lastly, Sode no Shirayuki.

It was the same. Bankai posed no problem, but Shikai would not work.

It was not that their combat power was insufficient. Their ability types were different.

Just as the Tremor-Tremor Fruit could never have the speed of the Glint-Glint Fruit.

"I suggest that you put some effort into Swordsmanship."

"A Great Swordsman's Swordsmanship, paired with a Black Blade, can split the sea for several kilometers with a single slash."

"Add Conqueror's Haki Coating, and unless Byrnndi World starts out firing cannons from ten kilometers away at sea, there's basically no way he can escape."

Zefa considered it before offering the most reliable solution.

"That's too slow, Teacher Zefa."

"From knowing nothing about Swordsmanship to becoming a Great Swordsman, even Hawk Eyes Mihawk took more than a decade."

"Even with Junior's comprehension, it would take at least... hmm, a year to rapidly become a Great Swordsman, right?"

When Borsalino spoke of Rosen, he remembered that his junior's comprehension was simply absurd.

For a Swordsmanship genius like Dracule Mihawk, it would take more than ten years to become self-taught. But for Rosen, it seemed like it would not take too long.

From not knowing how to use a sword at all to becoming a Great Swordsman.

By his conservative estimate, about a year.

"Is becoming a Great Swordsman in a year still too long?"

Zefa said irritably.

If Dracule Mihawk heard that, he would probably have a mental breakdown.

"For others, a year is very short, but for Junior, a year is a long time."

"Besides, if something can be solved in one afternoon, why spend a year on it?"

"Junior, listen to me this time. Teacher Zefa's proposal isn't bad, but he's a remnant of the old era. His thinking is too outdated. He likes solving everything with Haki, Physical Techniques, and Swordsmanship."

Borsalino shook his head, his words revealing his disagreement with Zefa.

"With a Devil Fruit, it can be settled in one day."

"You happen to be an ability user too."

"With your heaven-defying comprehension, as long as you put even a little thought into your Paramecia Ability, the problem will be solved immediately."

Borsalino had learned Zefa's Haki and Physical Techniques, while also possessing Swordsmanship that Zefa lacked, as well as the Glint-Glint Fruit.

That was precisely why.

He viewed problems from a different angle than Zefa.

Compared with abilities such as Haki, Physical Techniques, and Swordsmanship, which took ten years or more to cultivate, Devil Fruits were undoubtedly far more convenient and could even change an ordinary person's fate.

As long as one knew how to develop and use them.

Then—

A Devil Fruit in your belly, and you know your fate is yours, not Heaven's.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with that saying.

"A Devil Fruit?"

Hearing this, Rosen's eyes flickered.

At first, what he had thought of was Zefa's proposal as well.

Rapidly becoming a Great Swordsman.

There was no other reason. It was both stylish and powerful, had no weaknesses, and could be combined with the Three Colors of Haki and even Devil Fruit abilities.

In the pirate world, a swordsman's prestige was not inferior to that of a Devil Fruit user in the slightest.

This was vividly displayed by Shanks and Hawk Eyes Mihawk.

However, Borsalino's words reminded Rosen of something else.

Devil Fruits were a power capable of creating miracles and even changing fate.

Even with his heaven-defying comprehension, he could not become a Great Swordsman in one day. But by developing a Devil Fruit, unlocking an ability that could kill Byrnndi World at his Peak Period in a sea battle within one day was absolutely no problem.

As long as he carried out targeted development and forged a Zanpakuto that met Zefa's earlier requirements of "fast speed and long striking range."

In short.

When in doubt, forge a Zanpakuto first.