Arc 2The Sakazuki Internship

Rayne concealed his strength while training with the recruits, then chose Sakazuki’s ship for his sea internship and secretly killed a pirate captain and his officers. The warship headed into the Misty Archipelago after a distress signal, where Rayne sensed an attack near the wreckage of the Seagull 3.

  • Rayne teamed up with Rosinante and Smoker during survival training on Gigantia, where he secretly killed pirates who had attacked the instructors and concealed the evidence.
  • Rayne’s cooking made his cave a trading station, and Gion later became his swordsmanship instructor after tasting his food.
  • Rayne improved his skills under Gion while keeping his strength hidden, then chose Sakazuki’s fleet for the three-month internship.
  • Sakazuki destroyed a pirate ship with civilians aboard, and Rayne urged Rosinante to become strong enough to challenge Sakazuki while keeping the civilians’ presence secret.
  • During an assault on the Blood Axe Pirates, Rayne saved Rosinante from a poisoned dagger and later killed Barton and his officers, then passed off their deaths as internal strife.
  • Sakazuki noticed inconsistencies in Rayne’s cover story but did not confront him, and later sent Rayne and Rosinante on a reconnaissance mission to investigate a distress signal.
  • Rayne and the Marines found the wreckage of the Seagull 3 covered in spider silk, and Rayne warned the group as fast-moving shapes approached through the fog.
Chapters 26–50 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 26Smoker, the One Left Behind

Zephyr sent the recruits to Gigantia for two weeks of supply-free wilderness survival training, requiring them to form teams before departure. Rayne teamed up with Rosinante and Smoker, and after they reached the island, Smoker looked to Rayne to lead their next move.

  • Zephyr announced that the recruits would undergo two weeks of wilderness survival training on Gigantia and warned that only survivors would be picked up.
  • Rosinante asked Rayne to be his teammate, and Rayne agreed; Smoker later admitted he had no team, and Rayne let him join theirs.
  • The recruits sailed for Gigantia, where Zephyr ordered them to jump from the ship and swim to shore with their backpacks.
  • Rayne helped Smoker cross the water while Rosinante accompanied them, and the three reached the island's beach.
  • After recovering from the swim, Smoker asked Rayne what they should do next.

Ch. 27I'm Just Good at Packing

Rayne found a hidden cave for the group’s two-week camp and used his seemingly tiny backpack to produce and store a full set of camping supplies, astonishing Smoker and Rosinante. After their first poorly cooked meal, Rayne prepared expertly seasoned porcupine steaks that left both men amazed, though he remained dissatisfied that the dish did not glow.

  • Rayne used Observation Haki to locate a dry cave behind a waterfall, and Smoker and Rosinante followed him there.
  • Rayne pulled camping gear from his small backpack and made it appear to swallow everything again, leaving Smoker stunned and Rosinante convinced he was a magician.
  • Rayne sent Smoker and Rosinante to gather dinner, but their charred, undercooked chicken and fish prompted him to go into the jungle.
  • Rayne returned with a giant porcupine and used his Swordsmanship to separate its meat and prepare seasoned steaks over the fire.
  • Smoker and Rosinante devoured the delicious steaks while Rayne complained that the heat and seasoning were imperfect and wondered why the food did not glow.

Ch. 28Let’s Make a Deal

Hina and her teammates followed the scent of Rayne’s roast meat to his cave and discovered his surprisingly comfortable setup. Rayne offered Hina food in exchange for a deal, but she misunderstood his intentions and began warning him not to trade meat for her affection.

  • Hina and her two teammates abandoned their charred seabird and followed the smell of roast meat through the jungle to a waterfall.
  • Hina’s group found Rayne, Smoker, and Rosinante eating in a dry cave behind the waterfall.
  • Hina asked Rayne how he had brought so many supplies to the island, and Rayne claimed he was simply good at packing.
  • After Hina’s teammates’ stomachs growled, Rayne offered them a rack of roast ribs and asked Hina to make a deal for it.
  • Hina stepped back and warned Rayne not to think he could win her over with a piece of meat, even if he was handsome.

Ch. 29No Work, No Food

Rayne persuaded Hina to capture pirates in exchange for food, claiming he wanted revenge for his family. The next morning, he made Smoker and Rosinante work for their meals while keeping his own strength hidden to avoid future duties.

  • Rayne told Hina that pirates had orphaned him and asked her to capture them alive in exchange for food.
  • The next morning, Rosinante and Smoker woke in Rayne's comfortable cave and ate his meat porridge.
  • Rayne ordered Smoker and Rosinante to hunt, gather, or capture pirates if they wanted more food.
  • Rayne decided to use the recruits as labor so he could conceal his strength and avoid being assigned future missions.
  • Rayne pulled a hardcover book larger than his pocket from his uniform, startling Smoker.

Ch. 30An Unexpected Variable

Rayne’s pirate-for-food trade reshaped the recruits’ survival training, until he sensed a dangerous presence on Gigantia. Gion learned that the Skull-Crushing Pirates might have landed on the island and rushed there, while Rayne went to investigate.

  • Hina’s squad traded two captured pirates for grilled meat, and word of Rayne’s cave spread among the hungry recruits.
  • Squads began competing over scarce pirates to exchange for food, turning Rayne’s cave into a bustling trading station.
  • On the twelfth day, Rayne sensed a powerful aura of killing intent from across the island and suspected a real threat had arrived.
  • Gion learned that the Skull-Crushing Pirates might have fled to Gigantia, where Marine survival training was underway, and ordered her ship there at full speed.
  • Rayne handed food distribution to Rosinante, slipped away into the jungle, and reached a cliff overlooking the pirates’ landing site.

Ch. 31One Slash

Rayne discovered that the pirates had seized a Marine warship and killed its instructors, then attacked them while they celebrated on the beach. He killed the pirates with a single sword slash, leaving their new leader to die in terror.

  • Rayne overheard the pirates explain that a powerful female Marine had killed their captain and that they had taken the Marine warship.
  • Rayne used Observation Haki to confirm that no one remained alive aboard the ship and deduced that the pirates had killed the instructors protecting the trainees.
  • Rayne assessed the pirates as manageable opponents and silently eliminated their three hidden sentries with Armament Haki-coated pebbles.
  • Rayne appeared behind the pirates at their bonfire and cut through the group with a single sword wave.
  • The surviving new leader recognized Rayne as even more terrifying than the female Marine before he died.

Ch. 32Gion's Surprise

Rayne killed the Skull-Crushing Pirates, hid his actions from the recruits, and left the battle scene untouched before returning to camp. The next morning, Gion discovered the slaughter and ordered her Marines to recover their fallen comrades and return without questioning the recruits.

  • Rayne collected the pirates’ rewards, buried the Marine flag, and left the bloody beach without altering the scene.
  • Rayne washed his hands and returned to the recruits, acting as though he had only stepped away briefly.
  • Gion arrived at Gigantia Island and found the wrecked Marine warship and the pirates’ bodies.
  • Gion examined the flawless sword wounds and realized they came from a swordsman of terrifying skill.
  • Gion ordered her Marines to handle the pirates’ bodies and recover their fallen comrades, then declined to question the recruits.

Ch. 33Six Powers Training

Gion was punished for the failed pursuit that cost a Navy warship and its crew, while Rayne and the other recruits returned from wilderness training and began studying the Marine Six Powers. Rayne instantly mastered Iron Body to its maximum level, learning that the skill could not be raised beyond Advanced.

  • Steel Bone Kong relieved Gion of field assignments and transferred her to the Elite Training Camp as a Swordsmanship instructor.
  • Rayne and the recruits returned from the deserted island healthy and without casualties, and Zephyr praised them before announcing their combat courses.
  • Shuzo demonstrated Iron Body to the recruits and explained how the technique hardened the body through controlled muscle compression.
  • Rayne recognized Iron Body as an inferior form of Armament Haki, and the system raised his new skill from Beginner to Advanced.
  • Rayne tried to raise Iron Body further, but the system stated that Advanced was the skill's maximum level.

Ch. 34Gion the Instructor

Rayne trained in body-hardening and swordsmanship while hiding his true abilities from the recruits and instructors. When Gion became the new swordsmanship instructor, she paused after testing Rayne’s stance, but he remained uncertain whether she suspected anything.

  • Rayne and the recruits practiced hardening their bodies, with T Bone, Smoker, and Hina making quick progress while Rosinante struggled through determined effort.
  • Rayne finally hardened his body for an instant near the end of the lesson.
  • Rayne noticed that recruits left far more cafeteria food uneaten after tasting his cooking on the deserted island.
  • Shuzo introduced Gion as the recruits’ new swordsmanship instructor, and Rayne recognized her as the Marine connected to the pirates he had encountered.
  • Gion taught the recruits a basic sword stance and inspected their form, pausing briefly when her sheath tapped Rayne’s trembling saber.
  • Rayne maintained his appearance as an ordinary recruit, and Gion continued her inspection without revealing what she thought of him.

Ch. 35What Kind of Plan Could You Come Up With?

Rayne learned that Hina had asked Smoker to arrange for him to cook better food for them at night. He agreed to make the meals in exchange for Smoker’s secrecy and help covering for him, along with doing the dishes.

  • Smoker awkwardly asked Rayne how he managed to eat the cafeteria food, then suggested sneaking into the cafeteria so Rayne could cook.
  • Rayne guessed Smoker had not come up with the plan himself, and Smoker admitted Hina had asked him after struggling to eat lunch.
  • Rayne pointed out the flaws in Smoker’s plan before agreeing to cook for them.
  • Rayne told Smoker to keep anything unusual he saw Rayne do secret and to cover for him when needed.
  • Rayne also required Smoker to wash the dishes and scrub the pots after every meal.

Ch. 36Chapter 36

Rayne and Smoker kept their midnight cooking operation going as the Marine recruits advanced through Zephyr’s training. During a hot-pot feast, Smoker remarked on Rayne’s growing strength, and a woman suddenly confronted them at the kitchen entrance.

  • Smoker packed a portion of Rayne’s sea-beast meat rice bowl for Hina before eating his own.
  • Zephyr’s recruits improved through intense drills, while Hina, Smoker, and Rayne maintained their midnight food operation.
  • Rayne cooked a spicy hot pot for himself and Smoker, who praised his cooking and questioned how he kept getting stronger.
  • Rayne checked his system panel and noted that he had advanced the Marine Six Powers and used Life Return to turn food into energy.
  • A woman’s authoritative voice called out from the kitchen entrance, startling Smoker and making him drop his cup into the pot.

Ch. 37Don't Just Stand There

Gion went to investigate the forbidden late-night cooking in the rear kitchen and caught Rayne, while Smoker escaped with food for Hina. After tasting Rayne’s hotpot, Gion forgot about disciplining him and ordered him to bring more meat.

  • Gion remembered the slash she had seen on Gigantia Island and wandered through the base to clear her thoughts.
  • Gion followed the smell of hotpot to the rear kitchen and startled Rayne and Smoker.
  • Smoker fled through a window as smoke, taking the packed lunchbox prepared for Hina with him.
  • Gion confronted Rayne over breaking into the kitchen, taking reserved ingredients, and drinking sake.
  • Gion tasted Rayne’s hotpot, drank from his sake cup, and sat down to eat more.
  • Gion told Rayne to stop standing around and bring more meat.

Ch. 38Not So Gentle

Gion offered Rayne private training in exchange for him cooking for her, and Rayne accepted, seeing it as a way to explain his future growth. After returning to the dormitory, he beat up Smoker for abandoning him during the kitchen incident.

  • Gion praised Rayne's cooking, criticized his training, and offered to coach him privately in exchange for meals.
  • Rayne eagerly accepted Gion's deal, and she set their first lesson for the next night.
  • Gion left the kitchen, and Rayne finished cleaning before returning to the dormitory.
  • Smoker anxiously asked Rayne about Gion, and Rayne beat him for running away instead of covering for him.
  • Rayne decided Gion's coaching could provide a cover for his future improvements, then went to sleep.

Ch. 39Playing the Pig to Eat the Feed

Rayne brought Gion a late-night meal, then trained with her at the base and accidentally revealed more strength than he intended. Gion suspected his injury was an act but ended the lesson by asking him to make tempura the next night.

  • Smoker and Hina delivered top-tier ingredients to Rayne after complaining about being made to handle the work.
  • Rayne cooked several dishes for Gion in her quarters, and she enjoyed the meal before he cleaned up.
  • Gion took Rayne to the training ground and demonstrated how to combine the Six Powers with swordsmanship.
  • Rayne instinctively parried Gion's strike with enough force to make her recoil, then pretended that his wrist was injured.
  • Gion examined Rayne's uninjured wrist, called out his act, and ended the lesson by requesting tempura for the next night.

Ch. 40Half a Year Later

After six months of training, Rayne had kept his abilities and ambitions hidden while Gion struggled to draw out his true strength. Zephyr ended the recruits’ camp training and announced a three-month shipboard internship, leaving Rayne eager to face pirates.

  • Rayne sparred with Gion, who said his Six Powers had reached the upper levels of the Elite Class and that he needed real combat experience.
  • Rayne reflected on his low-profile performance at the recruit camp and used Armament Haki to silence Smoker’s snoring with a paper ball.
  • Zephyr addressed the assembled recruits and praised their progress during eight months of systematic training.
  • Zephyr announced that the recruits’ final test would be a three-month shipboard internship at sea.
  • Rayne hid his excitement as he anticipated confronting pirates.

Ch. 41I Choose Vice Admiral Sakazuki

Zephyr announced the six vice admirals’ internship fleets, and the recruits chose their assignments. Rayne stunned the crowd by selecting Sakazuki’s high-casualty fleet, and Zephyr approved his request.

  • Zephyr introduced the internship fleets and warned that Sakazuki’s ship had the highest casualty rate.
  • Hina chose Strawberry’s fleet, while Zephyr rejected Smoker’s request for Sakazuki’s ship and assigned him to Kuzan’s instead.
  • Rosinante chose John Giant’s fleet, T Bone chose Momonga’s, and the other recruits filled the remaining assignments while Sakazuki’s fleet stayed empty.
  • Rayne chose Sakazuki’s fleet, surprising the recruits and drawing an interested reaction from Gion.
  • Zephyr questioned Rayne’s resolve, then approved his choice after Rayne declared that he wanted to witness justice on the front lines.

Ch. 42Clark Kent's Glasses

Rayne chose to sail with Vice Admiral Sakazuki, reassuring Smoker and Hina before telling Gion a fabricated story about his family being killed by pirates. After Gion gave him sword-maintenance tools, Rayne bought Clark Kent's Glasses from Dimensional Curiosities.

  • Rayne ignored the recruits' criticism of his choice and returned to the dormitory, where Smoker and Hina urged him to reconsider sailing with Sakazuki.
  • Rayne cooked a lavish dinner for Gion, who demanded to know why he had chosen Sakazuki's ship.
  • Rayne told Gion that pirates had destroyed his East Blue hometown and that he had joined the Navy to make pirates pay.
  • Gion warned Rayne that Sakazuki's justice and Rayne's hatred could consume him, then gave him a set of whetstones and maintenance oil.
  • Rayne returned to Dorm 307, stopped Smoker's snoring with an Armament Haki-coated paper ball, and bought Clark Kent's Glasses for 10,000 Sin Points.

Ch. 43Encountering Pirates

Rayne and Rosinante served aboard Sakazuki's warship, where Rosinante struggled with the harsh routine while Rayne waited for a chance to fight pirates. When the crew spotted the Broken Finger Pirates, Sakazuki ordered the two recruits to stay beside him as their first battle approached.

  • Rayne boarded Sakazuki's warship and reunited with Rosinante, who explained that Sengoku had sent him there for tougher training.
  • Sakazuki warned the recruits that his ship followed absolute justice and ordered the warship to set sail.
  • During the voyage, Rosinante repeatedly blundered and became an object of contempt, while Rayne trained diligently and listened to his complaints.
  • The lookout spotted the Broken Finger Pirates, a notorious crew with a 35 million Beli bounty, and Sakazuki ordered his men to prepare for combat.
  • Sakazuki told Rayne and Rosinante to stay by his side for their first battle, while Captain One-Eye ordered his pirates to attack the Navy warship.

Ch. 44Absolute Justice

During his internship under Sakazuki, Rayne witnessed the vice admiral destroy a pirate ship without sparing the kidnapped civilians aboard. Rosinante questioned Sakazuki’s justice, and Rayne urged him to become strong enough to make his own ideals heard.

  • Sakazuki blasted the approaching pirate ship with magma, killing the pirates and the civilians trapped in its hold.
  • Rosinante vomited in horror while Rayne hid his rage over the innocent victims’ deaths.
  • Sakazuki dismissed their reactions and said he would teach them his version of justice during their internship.
  • That night, Rosinante asked Rayne whether Sakazuki’s actions were any different from a pirate’s.
  • Rayne told Rosinante that strength gave Sakazuki the power to decide everything and urged him to become strong enough to make Sakazuki listen.
  • Rayne kept the civilians’ presence aboard the ship secret, fearing Rosinante would confront Sakazuki and get himself killed.

Ch. 45Blood Axe Pirates

Rayne joined Commander Dal’s night assault on the Blood Axe Pirates and proved an exceptional scout as the Marines approached the fortress. The squad was poised to make its final advance when Rosinante’s sudden sneeze threatened to expose them.

  • Sakazuki ordered Dal’s squad to eliminate the Blood Axe Pirates and assigned Rayne and Rosinante to the landing team.
  • Rayne caught Rosinante when he nearly fell into the sea as the Marines boarded their assault boats.
  • Rayne led the vanguard up the cliffs and helped Dal’s squad silently approach the fortress.
  • Rayne detected sentries and traps along the route, earning Dal’s approval for his scouting skills.
  • As the squad prepared to sprint toward the fortress, Rosinante sneezed loudly.

Ch. 46Assault

Rosinante’s sneeze exposed the Marines’ stealthy approach, and the ensuing assault separated Rayne and Rosinante from the main force. The pair faced Blood Axe Pirates captain Barton as he approached with his men.

  • Rosinante sneezed and knocked over makeshift alarms, alerting the fortress and exposing the Marine squad.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dal ordered the Marines to charge, and the battle erupted between the elite Marines and the Blood Axe Pirates.
  • Rayne fought while posing as an elite recruit, acquired Jimmy’s Intermediate Fishing skill, and stopped a wounded pirate from stabbing Rosinante with a poisoned dagger.
  • Pirates detonated explosives near the squad, separating Rayne and Rosinante from the main force and knocking nearby fighters unconscious.
  • Rayne protected Rosinante from the blast, then saw Blood Axe Pirates captain Barton, an 80-million-Beli bounty holder, approach with several men.

Ch. 47Overwhelming Destruction

Rayne confronted Blood Axe Barton and his four pirate officers in an alley, hiding his true strength until they attacked. He killed all five pirates with overwhelming speed and swordsmanship, leaving Rosinante out of sight around the corner.

  • Barton spotted Rayne and Rosinante, then ordered his officers to capture and torture them.
  • Rayne sent Rosinante around a corner and killed Iron Claw Hook and Swift Blade Simon with two quick slashes.
  • Rayne cut through Iron Hammer Grom's hammer and killed him, then shattered Kasa's chain and struck him through the heart.
  • Rayne split Barton's battle axe and body with a single vertical slash.

Ch. 48Good Luck, They Ran into Internal Strife

Rayne killed Blood Axe Barton and his officers, then claimed they had died in internal strife. Rosinante and Lieutenant Colonel Dal accepted the cover story, while Sakazuki noticed its flaws and grew suspicious.

  • Rayne chose Body Inheritance for five system rewards, strengthening his physique, then smeared pirate blood over himself to disguise his role in their deaths.
  • Rayne told Rosinante that the pirates had killed one another, and Rosinante chose not to question or report him.
  • Rayne and Rosinante reached Lieutenant Colonel Dal and repeated the internal-strife story; soldiers found Barton and his officers dead in the alley.
  • Sakazuki read the battle report and reviewed the gruesome footage, recognizing the cover story's holes and finding Rayne interesting.

Ch. 49Rescue Signal

Rayne and Rosinante settled into life aboard Sakazuki’s warship until a distress signal from the Misty Archipelago reported a ghost ship, an attack, and a spider. Sakazuki ordered the warship toward the danger zone and sent Lieutenant Colonel Dal, Rayne, Rosinante, and elite Marines ahead to investigate.

  • Sakazuki visited Rayne and Rosinante in the infirmary, dismissed the need for Rayne to get up, and left without challenging his cover story.
  • Rayne and Rosinante spent their shore leaves and training breaks together as Rosinante grew more accustomed to shipboard life.
  • A communications officer reported that a distress signal from the Misty Archipelago had mentioned a ghost ship, an attack, and a spider before cutting off.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dal identified the endangered vessel as the Navy gunboat Seagull 3 and suspected that the Great Whirlpool Spider, Squard, had attacked it.
  • Sakazuki ordered the warship to the Misty Archipelago and directed Dal to take a reconnaissance speedboat with ten elite Marines, including Rayne and Rosinante.

Ch. 50Squard

Rayne joined Lieutenant Colonel Dal, Rosinante, and a small Marine team on a nighttime reconnaissance mission into the fog to find the Maelstrom Spider Pirates. They discovered the wreckage of the Marine gunboat Seagull 3, and Rayne sensed an enemy attack approaching.

  • Rayne recognized Squard's name and recalled that he would later become a Whitebeard captain who stabbed Whitebeard during the Summit War.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dal led Rayne, Rosinante, and eight elite soldiers into the fog aboard a reconnaissance speedboat, where the crew lost communication and navigation.
  • The Marines found the wreckage of the Seagull 3, torn apart and covered in tough, white spider silk.
  • Rayne secretly used his blade to slice through the spider silk and realized Gion's maintenance tools had made his weapon exceptionally sharp.
  • Rayne sensed several fast-moving objects approaching through the fog and shouted a warning of an enemy attack.
Arc 2 of 2