Sakazuki's Approval

"Rochi."

Sakazuki spoke in a low, powerful voice. "Do you know why I summoned you?"

"This subordinate does not know why the commander summoned him."

Rochi replied expressionlessly, his gaze as calm as a pool of stagnant water.

Sakazuki took a box of premium cigars from the drawer, tossed one to Rochi, then lit one for himself and took a deep drag.

"I read your battle report. You did an excellent job. Under me, I don't need obedient sheep. I only need fangs capable of tearing pirates to pieces!"

"On this sea, only absolute strength and iron-blooded suppression can bring true order!"

At this point, Sakazuki leaned forward slightly, his massive frame radiating an overwhelming pressure.

"Once we return to headquarters, you'll be a lieutenant. Follow me well, and within a few years, I'll make you the executioner pirates fear most on these seas!"

Faced with Red Dog's obvious attempt to recruit and value him, the corner of Rochi's mouth curled up ever so slightly.

He did not care in the slightest about Red Dog's "Absolute Justice," nor did he care about being an executioner.

What he valued was simply the endless opportunities to encounter stronger pirates and earn more living experience points by following Red Dog!

"Rest assured, Commander."

Rochi bowed slightly, a trace of morbid fervor flashing through his eyes. "As long as there are pirates to kill, I'll go anywhere."

"Hahaha! Good! Go get some rest!" Sakazuki laughed heartily.

Rochi turned and walked out of the office, gently closing the door behind him.

Standing in the corridor, Rochi glanced at his system status panel.

[Current Level: Level 23 (Lieutenant Level)]

[Experience Points: 10/230]

Looking at the staggering requirement of 230 experience points to level up, Rochi frowned deeply.

"As my level rises, the experience gained from killing ordinary pirates has decayed to an outrageous degree... If I rely only on hunting down small-time pirates across the sea, who knows how long it'll take to level up."

"I need to master Armament Haki and advanced Observation Haki techniques as soon as possible! Only by raising my Haki can I kill the true powerhouses worth tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, and trigger an experience explosion!"

Rochi silently clenched his fists, a hint of anxiety and desire flashing through his eyes.

Where could he learn the most systematic, highest-level Haki and Six Powers the fastest?

A few days later.

The warship slowly docked at the Marineford military harbor.

News that Rochi had been exceptionally promoted to lieutenant at headquarters spread like a bomb through the upper circles of Marine Headquarters!

Fifteen years old!

A private who had just transferred up from a Four Seas branch had been promoted straight to lieutenant in less than a week!

Marine Headquarters, Office of the Fleet Admiral.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is the promotion report submitted by Admiral Sakazuki."

A major placed a thick red-lettered document on Sengoku's massive desk.

Sengoku rubbed his aching temples. Opening the report and reading the detailed record of Rochi's achievements, he could not help but let out a long sigh.

"Fifteen years old... He killed a pirate with a twenty-five-million bounty barehanded and slaughtered more than two hundred men... That Sakazuki brat picked up an incredible little demon."

"Unfortunately, following Sakazuki, that child's killing intent is too heavy. I'm afraid he won't stay on the right path..."

Just as Sengoku muttered under his breath, the office door was shoved open with a loud bang.

An old veteran vice admiral strode in briskly. He wore a general's cloak, looked advanced in years, yet his eyes flashed like lightning.

This man was Vice Admiral Karon, the veteran physical-combat vice admiral currently responsible for the daily training of Marine Headquarters' Elite Training Camp!

After Zephyr's retirement, he had become the training camp's highest-ranking person in charge.

Vice Admiral Karon had a fiery, unyielding personality and immense seniority within Marine Headquarters. Even Sengoku had to show him some respect.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"

Vice Admiral Karon slapped the desk, making the teacups rattle. "I heard some brat from East Blue killed a pirate worth over twenty million barehanded at fifteen years old? And Sakazuki directly promoted him to lieutenant?!"

Sengoku pointed at the battle report on the desk. "See for yourself. The report is right there."

Vice Admiral Karon snatched up the report, his old eyes quickly scanning the words on the page.

The more he read, the more ragged his breathing became, while brilliant light burst from his eyes!

"Excellent material! Absolutely exceptional material!"

Vice Admiral Karon could not help shouting.

"Without relying on any Devil Fruit, he depends purely on physical power and combat instinct! That kind of physical talent was practically tailor-made to learn our Navy's Six Powers and Haki!"

"What does that crude brute Sakazuki, who only knows how to bombard people with magma, know about physical combat instruction? Leaving such an unpolished jade in his hands is a complete waste!"

Sengoku raised his brows. "Karon, what are you planning? Sakazuki values this boy greatly."

"Values him, my ass!"

Vice Admiral Karon blew out his beard and glared. "A peerless genius like this must enter our Elite Training Camp and receive the most systematic, proper top-tier special training! I'll personally go demand him right now!"

Having said that, the old vice admiral gave Sengoku no chance to stop him and hurriedly turned to leave.

At that moment, in the headquarters' lieutenant officers' dormitory.

Rochi was shirtless, doing fingertip push-ups in his room.

"Nine thousand nine hundred eighty-eight... Nine thousand nine hundred eighty-nine... Ten thousand!"

As Rochi lightly sprang to his feet, the muscles all over his body writhed like dragons and serpents. Sweat ran down the long lines of his body, splashing into droplets across the floor.

"Too slow." Rochi looked at his tightly clenched fists and frowned slightly.

Although the system rewarded abilities whenever he crossed a major realm—for example, Basic Observation Haki and the One-Tomoe Sharingan—if he relied entirely on system level-up rewards to cultivate and improve his Haki, the cycle would simply be far too long.

At his current stage, his experience gains had already hit a bottleneck. If he stubbornly depended on system rewards alone, raising his Haki to a level capable of contending with the monsters of the New World would remain a distant dream.

Just as Rochi considered how to break through—

Bang bang bang!

Someone knocked on the door.

Rochi casually grabbed a shirt and draped it over himself before walking over and opening the door.

Standing outside was Vice Admiral Karon, broad and sturdy, his presence as steady and imposing as a mountain.

"You're Lieutenant Rochi?"

Vice Admiral Karon's hawk-like eyes swept over Rochi from head to toe. With his decades of experience, he saw at a glance the terrifying explosive power, like a volcano, slumbering within the young man before him!

"I am. May I ask who you are, sir?" Rochi raised a brow slightly.

"I'm Karon! A vice admiral of Marine Headquarters and the highest-ranking person in charge of this Elite Training Camp!"