First Day

Kuma bent down, picked up the unlucky pirate from the ground as if he were grabbing a chicken, and tossed him into the paw-shaped bubble that had bounced out of Kizaru's body.

The pirate had already been clinging to his last breath. The moment he touched the bubble, he died completely without even being able to scream, his corpse swallowed whole by the darkness Gigue released.

The entire sequence was so smooth that everyone watching was left stunned.

After the bubble vanished, Kizaru flashed back to Gigue's side and praised him.

"This method is fantastic! I'll definitely have to catch more pirates and bring them to you in the future!"

Gigue put away his Bible and said with a smile,

"Hm? Catching pirates is hard work. You don't mind the trouble anymore?"

"You really do get me~ But with Kuma's ability, there's no harm in keeping a few extra pirates in reserve!"

The two exchanged smiles. Although Kizaru seemed rather unserious, he was not a petty person. A loss was a loss; he would not develop any resentment toward Gigue over it. If anything, their relationship had grown even better.

Moreover, after that battle, Gigue's performance had won over everyone present. He had also earned the acknowledgment of Kizaru and Akainu. Only now did they truly recognize Gigue.

At the Marine Academy, the two of them might have looked as though everyone else had isolated them, but from another perspective, had they not isolated everyone else as well?

When the gap between people was too great, it was difficult for them to get along.

After Gigue and the others returned to the group, Akainu immediately fixed Gigue with a blazing gaze and said excitedly,

"Gigue, what you did just now was incredible! This is how pirates should be dealt with! I'm definitely becoming your friend!"

Gigue froze for a moment. He had thought Akainu's fighting spirit had been stirred up, but after all that, it turned out to be because of this.

Still, considering Akainu's behavior in the manga, this was indeed very Akainu.

Naturally, Gigue would not let such a good chance to raise his favorability slip away. He immediately extended a hand to Akainu and said with a smile,

"What are you talking about? Haven't we already become friends?"

Akainu nodded forcefully. Without the slightest hesitation, he grasped Gigue's hand and replied in an exceedingly serious tone,

"You're right. We're friends!"

Kizaru suddenly raised a hand beside them and called out,

"Hey, hey, hey! What about me? Sakazuki, have you forgotten about me? We've known each other for so long, so how come I've never heard you say that to me? What exactly is our relationship?"

Good lord, that sounded oddly ambiguous. A drop of cold sweat slid down Gigue's forehead.

Looking at Akainu again, Gigue watched as a flush gradually spread across his face, wisps of steaming heat rising from it. Gigue immediately wanted to pull his hand back, because it was starting to feel a little hot.

Some of the more perceptive people around them had already backed away on their own, clearing an open space for Gigue, Akainu, and Kizaru.

Just as Gigue was about to use Kamui, Akainu finally returned to normal. He released Gigue's hand, adjusted his Marine cap, and forced out a sentence.

"Borsalino, you're my friend too."

"Now that's more like it!"

Kizaru's lips curled upward as he contentedly clasped his hands behind his head.

Zephyr watched the three of them, an approving smile appearing on his face.

Gigue and the other two would undoubtedly become the Navy's top fighting forces in the future. If they could remain united, he truly could not imagine what force on the seas would be capable of standing against the Navy of that time.

He immediately made a decision and said,

"The three newcomers all performed excellently. Gigue, I'll assign you and Kuma your dormitory first. You two will stay with Sakazuki and the others. They happen to have two open beds."

Akainu naturally had no objection to Zephyr's arrangement. Even Kizaru, who always liked to argue with Zephyr, nodded in agreement.

The two beds in their dorm had been empty for a long time. It could not be helped; no one was willing to live with those two monsters...

Ginny was a girl, so she was naturally assigned to the women's dormitory. Her cheerful and lively personality made her quite popular, and with Gigue and Kuma backing her, no one would be foolish enough to cause her trouble.

Once everything had been arranged, Zephyr saw that it was already getting late and thought they might as well stop here for today and begin formal training tomorrow.

He was indeed in a very good mood today, and he planned to head to a tavern that evening for a proper drink with Sengoku and Garp.

With that thought, he waved a hand and announced that everyone was dismissed. The trainees immediately erupted into cheers, yet even after quite a while, not a single person left the training grounds.

Most of the trainees gathered around Gigue, hoping to get to know him better. Compared with Kizaru and Akainu, Gigue looked much easier to approach.

There was no shortage of clever people present. Judging by Gigue's performance today, his future achievements would undoubtedly reach heights that others could only look up to.

They might all be trainees now, but this was the Navy. After graduation, people like Gigue, Kizaru, and Akainu would find it incredibly easy to earn military merit, and their ranks would soar like rockets.

Kizaru and Akainu had been difficult to approach before because their personalities were somewhat strange. But after Gigue arrived, the two of them actually seemed much more normal. With Gigue as a link between them, people could at least exchange a few words with them.

Thus, it was not only lively around Gigue. Some people also tried to strike up conversations with Kizaru and Akainu.

If they could latch onto these three now and become the follower of any one of them, life in the Navy would become far easier in the future.

Besides, the Navy was not a peaceful profession. Its mortality rate was extremely high. For all they knew, they might encounter a powerful Pirate Crew at sea one day and be finished.

Building a good relationship with Gigue and the others might, at the very least, save their lives at a critical moment. There were absolutely no downsides to it.

Kizaru kept one hand in his pocket, still looking as frivolous as ever. Whenever someone came to speak with him, he casually exchanged a few words with them.

Akainu, meanwhile, stood with his arms folded, looking like he wanted no strangers near him. Yet there really were some stubborn people who approached him. Gigue recognized two of them: the future Marine vice admirals Doberman and Onigumo.

Kuma had also performed brilliantly, but he gave people a somewhat quiet impression. Despite his large frame, he somehow lacked much of a presence, so the fewest people came to speak with him.

Besides, everyone could tell that Kuma followed Gigue's lead completely. Talking to him was not as useful as going directly to Gigue.

As the youngest and best-looking among them, Gigue had always been the most popular. He was also surrounded by the greatest number of female trainees.

Surrounded by so many chirping girls, even Gigue was starting to get a headache. All he could do was maintain an awkward yet polite smile.

Among the male trainees who came to speak with Gigue were Momonga and Kashou. Gigue deliberately spoke a little more with those two, and feeling his special attention, the two men actually felt rather delighted.

Just as Gigue and the others were trapped by the crowd and unable to move, Ginny finally squeezed through the throng. Without any hesitation, she threw herself into Gigue's arms and said in a sweet voice,

"Brother Gigue, I'm hungry! Let's go eat!"