Gion the Instructor

"Now, begin practicing!"

Shuzo's command snapped Rayne out of his thoughts. The training hall instantly filled with all manner of strange dull thuds and muffled groans of pain.

The recruits began repeatedly pounding their own bodies with their fists, trying to find the feeling that would harden their muscles.

The gap in talent became vividly apparent at that moment.

Most of them merely beat themselves until they were grimacing, covered in bruises, with no progress whatsoever.

Pure martial artists like T Bone, however, relied on astonishing perseverance and unparalleled control over their bodies. In just half an hour, with a low roar, he successfully hardened his forearm and sharply deflected a wooden stick an instructor had used to test him, drawing a wave of astonished exclamations.

Smoker, backed by the powerful physique granted by his Logia Devil Fruit, quickly grasped the trick as well. Though still clumsy, he could already harden portions of his muscles for brief periods.

Hina displayed the precise control unique to women. Rather than pursuing broad defensive coverage, she quickly learned how to independently and rapidly harden her calves or forearms, appearing both clever and efficient.

Though Rosinante remained clumsy, he worked harder than anyone else.

Rather than simply pounding himself like the others, he repeatedly tried to mobilize the strength of his entire body. The result was either muscle cramps from using too much force, agonized rolling on the floor, or turning red from holding his breath after losing his rhythm.

Yet his unyielding, almost obsessive determination made quite a few recruits who had originally mocked him look at him differently.

As for Rayne, he perfectly played the part of a moderately talented but diligent trainee.

Only when the lesson was nearly over did he finally manage to harden himself for an instant!

At lunchtime after training, Rayne keenly noticed a strange phenomenon in the cafeteria.

The amount of leftover food was at least three times higher than before.

The recruits all stared miserably at the protein feed on their trays. Many took only a few reluctant bites before leaving with their trays almost untouched.

Clearly, after tasting Rayne's "heavenly cuisine" on the deserted island, their tastes had become far more discerning. They found this cafeteria food, which could hardly be called cooking at all, even more unbearable.

"It seems the saying that going from luxury to frugality is difficult really is a universal truth."

Expressionlessly, Rayne poured his own portion of feed into his stomach without the slightest ripple of emotion.

That afternoon, at the Swordsmanship training ground.

The moment the Swordsmanship instructor appeared at the entrance, the entire training ground erupted.

An exceptionally beautiful woman dressed in a neat black Kendo uniform slowly walked in.

Her fitted clothes perfectly outlined her nearly flawless figure. Her sleek black hair was casually tied into a high ponytail, gently swaying rhythmically behind her with every step.

Her fair, lovely face wore light makeup, adding a touch of charm. Yet what made hearts tremble most were her slightly languid eyes—when her gaze swept across the field, every recruit who met her eyes instinctively held his breath, his heart pounding wildly.

Her appearance instantly captured the hearts of every male recruit present.

"My god! Such a beautiful instructor?!"

"I think I'm in love..."

Instructor Shuzo stepped forward and loudly introduced her. "Starting today, this is your specially appointed Swordsmanship instructor—Headquarters Commodore Gion!"

Gion!

Standing at the back of the formation, Rayne's heart skipped a beat the instant he heard that name.

"Gion... no way?" The dying pirates' conversation about the "female Marine who used a sword" instantly flashed through his mind.

"What the hell? I just cleaned up that mess, and now the person herself has come after me to be my instructor?"

He immediately adjusted his expression, making himself look no different from the male recruits around him with their lovestruck faces.

Gion slowly walked to the front of the formation, gave a brief introduction, and then began explaining the most basic sword-holding stance.

"Kendo begins with your feet. Your lower body is the foundation of your strength!"

She personally demonstrated a standard middle guard stance, gripping her sword with both hands and pointing its tip straight ahead. Her entire presence instantly became like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath.

"Now, all of you, maintain this stance! Feel your feet taking root in the earth like tree roots! Your swords are extensions of your arms!"

All the recruits immediately copied her movements and assumed their sword-holding stances.

Half an hour later, Gion began inspecting the formation.

As she walked, she casually used the sheath of her beloved sword, Kompira, to tap each recruit's blade, which had begun trembling slightly from being held with force for so long.

"Keep your sword hand steady! Don't tense up needlessly!"

"Lower your center of gravity! Are your lower bodies as soft as noodles?!"

Every tap made the recruits' blades ring out with a crisp clang. As their bodies swayed, all sorts of flaws in their stances were exposed.

Before long, she arrived before Rayne at the back of the formation.

Like everyone else, Rayne lowered his head. His face carried just the right amount of nervousness and admiration, while his arms trembled faintly beyond his control, perfectly concealing himself among the crowd.

Just as before, Gion's sheath casually and lightly touched Rayne's trembling blade.

At the instant of contact—

Clang.

Rayne controlled the muscles in his wrist, making his saber sway slightly upon being struck, exactly as a "talented recruit" should.

Neither too much nor too little—absolutely perfect.

Yet Gion's steps paused, so slightly that almost no one noticed.

She withdrew her sheath, her gaze lingering on Rayne's face for a moment longer.

"Hm?" A faint ripple stirred in Gion's heart, though it had nothing to do with Swordsmanship. "This recruit... is rather handsome."

Rayne immediately sensed that sharp, blade-like gaze lingering on him for too long.

"I'm screwed!" A storm raged in his heart. "Did she find out?! Where did I slip up? My sword stance? Did she see through my disguise of 101 Doriki? Or... has she already connected me to what happened on that deserted island?! This woman's sixth sense is terrifyingly sharp!"

But his expression did not change in the slightest. He still wore that "admiring" yet "nervous" look, perfectly playing the role of an ordinary recruit.

Gion withdrew her gaze without any change in expression and continued walking forward, as though nothing had happened.