Several minutes earlier, outside the high wall.
Garp and Aokiji lounged leisurely in folding chairs, munching on rice crackers as they chatted happily.
What a relaxing time. The instructors, meanwhile, all wore dark expressions. Though they resented these two top-tier powerhouses, they did not dare voice it.
In the end, they could only grumble unhappily to themselves, "Damn it, if you don't make that little ensign come out lying down, I'll make all of you spend the rest of your lives lying down..."
Naturally, the "all of you" referred to the recruits in the training camp.
"Hm?"
"What's going on over there?"
"..."
Several sharp-eyed instructors stared at the black smoke rising from the forest, freezing for a moment before their expressions drastically changed. "Is there a fire?"
Yukimura, the only rear admiral, widened his eyes. "How could that be? How could those brats possibly start a fire in the woods?"
"That little bastard." An angry voice rang out. Everyone turned to see Vice Admiral Garp glaring darkly at the area where flames soared into the sky. "What are you standing around for? Go put out the fire!"
"Huh?"
Everyone blanked for a moment before snapping out of it. They hurriedly prepared to order the gates opened, but Yukimura proved steadier in the end and roared, "There's no time! Colonel Shu, use the power of your Rust-Rust Fruit to destroy this iron gate!"
A man wearing a tall hat and a mask over his face nodded. He walked straight up to the massive iron gate and pressed both hands against it.
Then something astonishing happened. The incomparably sturdy gate turned a dull yellow within seconds, corroded away, and finally crumbled into a pile of ash.
Everyone knew of Colonel Shu's powers, so they were not particularly shocked. The instant the