Training Time

"Are you always this blunt?"

Leon only remembered that Smoker had joined the Marines after witnessing Roger's execution in Loguetown. He never expected to run into him here.

At this point in time, Smoker probably hadn't eaten the Smoke-Smoke Fruit yet.

He had no idea what Smoker had done wrong at headquarters to get a Logia-class Devil Fruit user sent to guard the gates of Loguetown...

Leon didn't speak, and Smoker wasn't one for chatter either.

The sudden sound of footsteps broke the silence between them.

A girl with pink hair, wearing a Marine uniform, walked out of the darkness—a rare sight, a female soldier in the Marines.

"Hina is surprised."

Hina looked at the two of them. Though she said that, her expression remained cold.

She pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lit one with practiced ease.

Right, a smoking spot, huh?

"Hey, Hina... could you spare me one..."

Hina stared at Leon, whose entire body was wrapped in bandages with only his eyes showing. Her expression didn't change. Without a word, she pulled out her cigarette pack and tossed it to him.

"Thanks!"

Leon took one out and tried to hand the pack back to Hina, but she refused.

Classy!

For that alone, if you ever need anything, just say the word—I'll be first in line!

Unlike Mr. Ding, Leon was a staunch traditionalist.

Seeing Leon toss away the cigar he'd given him, Smoker let out a cold snort.

But Leon couldn't be bothered with him. The familiar feeling of the smoke hitting his lungs gave him a sense of being in another life.

After savoring a moment of peace, Leon and Smoker were about to leave when Hina's voice rang out.

"Looks like you two really don't know what this place is."

"?"

A question mark appeared over Leon's head.

Hina pointed at the camp shrouded in darkness nearby.

"That's the Marines' dedicated female barracks. Any male Marine who tries to sneak in gets hung on the clothesline by Vice Admiral Tsuru..."

"I see. No wonder there are no patrols around here."

"That's not it." Hina shook her head. "We have a dedicated female patrol squad..."

A beam of light shone over.

"There are men!"

"Get them!!!"

A deep, husky female voice came closer and closer. Leon and Smoker exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.

We're dead...

Whoosh!

The two burst into incredible speed, vanishing into the darkness in an instant.

Standing in place, Hina watched their retreating, panicked figures and the corner of her mouth lifted into a faint smile.

"Hina is happy."

After a night of rest and Sengoku's Secret Treasure Medicine, Rosinante was back to his lively self on the training ground.

But his results were still lackluster, barely holding onto second-to-last place.

Dead last was Leon, sticking close behind him.

The Steely Instructor's furious voice rang out.

"Rosinante! Leon!"

"Did you two not eat breakfast?!"

"You two are the worst soldiers I've ever trained!!!"

"Add another hundred laps!!!"

Huff... puff...

Rosinante gasped for breath and said to Leon beside him, "Le... Leon..."

"You don't... have to... look out for me... like this..."

"I can..."

T Bone passed by the two of them.

"Keep it up, Leon, Rosinante!"

His pale zombie face showed no sign of fatigue; from his relaxed demeanor, he clearly still had energy to spare.

Encouraged, Rosinante mustered his strength and surged forward a few steps, but soon reverted to his old form.

Leon sighed helplessly.

The guy's already lapped us twice, what's the point of you sprinting...

Smoker had already finished the training in first place, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, eyeing Leon, who was dead last, with some confusion.

Leon didn't strike him as someone weak.

And Leon truly wasn't holding back; it was just that under intense exercise, the Silver Fiber Bandage wrapped around his body inevitably leaked, and the radiation emanating from within intensified.

While running, he also had to desperately suppress the nuclear radiation inside him, making him and Rosinante brothers in misery.

By the time the two of them finished the running drill, the others had already moved on to other exercises.

The Steely Instructor, standing by the sidelines, uttered two words with a dark expression.

"Extra training!!!"

Even so, Rosinante couldn't help but let out a quiet cheer.

After all, yesterday he'd needed Leon to drag him through the training, and today he'd completed it on his own—what a massive improvement!

Li An watched the exuberant Rosinante and found it hard to connect him with that grim-faced "Corazon" of the Donquixote Family.

He didn't know if his unexpected arrival would change Rosinante's fate.

But keep pushing, Rosinante!

In this world, only by possessing great power could one seize that elusive fate in their own hands.

Come afternoon, it was time for sparring practice.

As expected, Leon was paired with Rosinante. Both of them fought using pure physical techniques, making them evenly matched opponents.

Basically, it was Rosinante charging at Leon with a shout, then Leon dodging in a way that looked barely in time.

To avoid raising Rosinante's suspicion, Leon occasionally controlled his strength and threw a punch back at him.