Chapter Summaries

Rayne and Smoker left confinement and joined the assembled recruits as Zephyr announced a year of training and entrance placement tests. After hearing that scores would determine their class and resources, Rayne decided to aim for the upper-middle ranks of Elite Class.

• Rayne and Smoker left confinement, and Hina teased them about their exchange the night before.
• Rayne recognized Hina and followed Smoker to the central training ground, where hundreds of elite recruits had gathered.
• Zephyr appeared and declared that the recruits would undergo a year of training under his command.
• Zephyr announced tests in Doriki Value, pressure resistance, and actual combat, with scores determining placement in Monster, Elite, or Reserve Class.
• Rayne decided to control his scores so he could avoid the extremes and quietly place in the upper-middle ranks of Elite Class.

The recruits took their first test, measuring their Doriki values, and Smoker scored an impressive 602 before Rayne deliberately held back and scored 101. Rayne avoided the Reserve Class, while Smoker and Hina grew suspicious of his true strength.

• Iron Jaw began the Doriki test and sent recruits who scored below 80 to the Reserve Class.
• T Bone scored 420 Doriki, Rosinante scored 221, and Hina scored 310.
• Smoker focused his strength into a punch and set a new record with 602 Doriki.
• Rayne scored only 101 Doriki, drawing snickers from the recruits and disbelief from Smoker.
• Hina noticed Smoker's reaction to Rayne's score and grew more suspicious of Rayne.

Rayne concealed his strength during Zephyr’s pressure test and earned an above-average rating in practical combat, placing him in the Elite Class. He then discovered that the Marine cafeteria’s foul-tasting stew was highly nutritious, but dreaded having to eat it regularly.

• Zephyr tested the recruits’ resistance with his battle-honed killing intent, and Rayne pretended to struggle while Smoker, Rosinante, Hina, and T Bone endured it.
• During the combat assessment, Smoker impressed Instructor Iron Jaw, while Rayne deliberately fought clumsily and received an above-average rating.
• The assignment list placed Smoker, Hina, and T Bone in the Monster Class and Rayne in the Elite Class.
• Rayne joined the recruits for lunch expecting Sea Kings cuisine, but the cafeteria served everyone the same foul-smelling gray stew.
• After eating the stew, Rayne felt its powerful restorative effects but worried about having to endure its taste every day.

Rayne bought supplies and treated himself to an expensive meal in Marineford before returning to the dormitory. Smoker questioned his strength, and Rayne concealed his identity by claiming his power was unstable and apologizing for hitting too hard.

• Rayne shopped for necessities and ordered a Sea King steak meal, then balked at the fifty-two thousand Beli bill.
• Rayne returned to the dormitory and found Smoker training while the room remained messy.
• Smoker confronted Rayne about scoring 101 Doriki and being able to hit a Logia user.
• Rayne realized Smoker had not recognized him as Roger's executioner and claimed his strength sometimes erupted uncontrollably.
• Rayne told Smoker Vice Admiral Tsuru had sent him to Zephyr for help and apologized for hitting him too hard.

Rayne endured the Elite Training Camp’s punishing physical exercises while concealing his strength, and secretly saved Rosinante from being dragged into a sea trench. After discovering the camp’s awful food offered only slow gains, Rayne decided to seek a shortcut to becoming stronger.

• Shuzo led the recruits through a weighted island run and deep-sea boulder hauling, while Rayne faked exhaustion to blend in.
• When Rosinante slipped and was pulled toward the sea trench, Rayne stopped his rope with his boot and disguised the rescue as an accident.
• Rosinante thanked Rayne, who pretended not to know what had happened and let him believe the help was accidental.
• Rayne saw that the Monster Class received an extra piece of steak, then ate the Elite Class’s gray protein feed.
• Rayne considered years of training to reach a top-tier physique but rejected the slow path and resolved to find a shortcut.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.