Graduation

Of course, some classes did teach him useful things, such as the Navy's technological innovations and how the world was structured.

One person Xia Le met in an ideology class was a young-looking officer whose face resembled a zombie's.

He was an ensign, about twenty-six years old.

"Superior Officer Xia Le, I admire you."

"I've been hearing all about how you fought the Roger Pirates and battled Dark King Rayleigh."

T Bone looked frightening, but he was kindhearted. He also showed great respect to a young superior like Xia Le.

"Really? It was only a minor fight."

Xia Le smiled faintly.

"No!"

"What you did was incredible! I want to become as strong as you!"

"If I could serve under you after graduation, that would be wonderful!"

T Bone spoke excitedly.

"I'd be honored."

Xia Le smiled.

T Bone grew even more excited.

Life at Navy Academy was dull, but Xia Le had considerable freedom. He kept training every day. To his frustration, Kami-e seemed to be his natural enemy: no matter what he tried, he struggled to master it.

Several months passed, and Xia Le enjoyed a relatively peaceful stretch of time.

He had recovered well. The food at Navy Academy was good, and his once-lean frame gradually filled out. He now weighed nearly 140 kilograms.

Muscle bulged across his body. The slightest flex of his arms revealed the explosive power within them.

The Demon Back on his back looked fiercer than ever.

In his previous life, a physique like his would probably have intimidated a whole crowd of fitness enthusiasts.

His full pectorals looked ready to burst through his undershirt. His build was looking more and more like Garp's.

The female cadets in his classroom often stared at him and drooled. His powerful, muscular body had already won their hearts.

The days passed.

Xia Le also kept an eye on the papers circulated within Marine Headquarters.

He soon learned that the Celestial Dragons bloodbath on Sabaody Archipelago had been hastily swept aside. Vice Admiral Laku and a pirate who happened to be there took the blame. Laku was demoted, while the pirate was gagged and beheaded.

Then Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino obtained Logia Devil Fruits and began to distinguish themselves in the Navy.

Next came news of the pirates: Douglas Bullet had left the Roger Pirates and was beginning to make a name for himself as a rookie.

His teacher, Garp, meanwhile, was rarely seen and spent almost no time at Marine Headquarters.

Admiral Zephyr did visit the academy often to provide instruction.

Five months later, Xia Le received the gift Kong had promised him: a pair of glossy black gloves with a little give to them.

"Turning Seastone into gloves is unimaginably difficult."

"We even consulted Vegapunk at the research institute. They could only be made by combining it with other materials!"

"Even then, they're nowhere near as soft or comfortable as ordinary gloves. But they're just about good enough to use as weapons!"

Kong had come to deliver them in person, and he spoke with a sigh.

Xia Le held the gloves. He could feel their weight, and they were somewhat hard to the touch.

"I originally wanted to have brass knuckles made. That would've been much simpler."

"But Garp insisted on having a pair of gloves made for you."

"Treasure this weapon. You could say it's the first pair of its kind in the world!"

"Absolutely one of a kind!"

Kong smiled.

"Thank you, Fleet Admiral!"

Xia Le spoke with gratitude.

Kong waved a hand and left. As Fleet Admiral, he had plenty to do.

Xia Le watched him go, then tried on the gloves. They were hard, though they had some flexibility. Using them would require tremendous strength.

Otherwise, even making a fist would probably be difficult.

Opening and closing his fingers felt like working against five incredibly stiff springs.

But there was no doubt that these gloves would be devastating against Devil Fruit Users.

After that day, Xia Le continued his studies at the academy.

The days slipped by, and another year passed.

Over that time, he grew more familiar with the world and came to understand the Navy better.

The Navy had fairly distinct factions.

Some were fanatics who cared nothing for civilian lives and defended the Celestial Dragons and the government's version of justice. Others held fast to their own convictions. Still others were kindhearted dreamers who sought the strength to protect civilians and uphold true justice.

There were good people in the Navy, and bad people too!

That did not surprise Xia Le. Everyone had more than one side to them.

Another six months passed before Xia Le finally learned Kami-e and saw the skill appear on his panel.

With that, he had mastered all Six Powers.

Garp happened to be at Marine Headquarters then. After mercilessly disparaging Xia Le's talent, he taught him Life Return and hurried off again.

"Kami-e was the hurdle."

"Life Return, though, was easy to learn."

In just a few days, Xia Le mastered Life Return with ease.

Only then did he feel he had complete control of his body. Under Life Return, every one of the Six Powers seemed capable of becoming stronger.

"Hair, blood, muscles, even organs."

"Life Return can control all of them!"

Realization lit up Xia Le's eyes.

"I can even faintly sense Haki other than Conqueror's Haki."

It was still vague, but he could clearly detect a trace of something.

Unlike Tekkai's control over what happened inside his body, this trace came from his perception of the world outside it.

"Could it be Armament Haki?"

P.S. Thanks to Ronin丨, 依然-光光, and 光头 for the monthly votes!

Graduation

That trace came and went. It was so faint that most people would have struggled to sense it at all.

But with Life Return, Xia Le could perceive it clearly.

That meant his control over his body had reached an entirely new level.

Once someone's physical abilities reached Superhuman Level, they could train in the Six Powers. Life Return then allowed them to control their body with even greater freedom.

"Limbs, hair, internal organs—wherever my will goes, I can control them freely."

Xia Le quickly grasped what made Life Return so powerful.

He focused his will on his hair and ordered it to grow. The next moment, it lengthened before his eyes, spilling from a close crop all the way to the floor.

Then he focused his will on it again and applied Tekkai. His hair instantly became hard as steel, strong enough to use as a weapon.

He kept experimenting, directing his will into his organs. When he focused on his stomach and intestines, they could secrete acid faster and digest food in a remarkably short time, supplying his body with energy.

He directed his will into his fingers and nails, his skin and hair, and even his crotch.

A smile gradually spread across his face. He was beginning to appreciate the fun of Life Return.

In a sense, this unusual skill gave the body superhuman abilities.

What would happen when a person gained complete control of his own body?

"Every detail of my body, every talent I have, becomes clear!"

"For example, I have some talent for Armament Haki. I was born with the qualities of a king, which is why I awakened Conqueror's Haki."

"But as for Observation Haki..."

Xia Le now understood himself thoroughly.

He did have talent. Most of it lay in Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki. He had some aptitude for Observation Haki as well, but not much.

That meant mastering Observation Haki would probably take a great deal of time.

"So that's why it took me more than two whole years to learn Kami-e?"

He was less gifted at sensing the world around him.

But Xia Le did not consider that a serious problem. Whether he had Observation Haki or not would make little difference to him.

"Besides, I've spent two years at Navy Academy."

"It's time to graduate!"

Xia Le sighed.

He had learned everything he needed to learn. Staying longer would gain him little.

He went to the academy to apply for early graduation exams.

The exams included written and physical tests. He passed them easily.

"Congratulations, Rear Admiral Xia Le. You've completed the Navy Academy curriculum."

"May you have fair winds and smooth sailing throughout your naval career."

A smiling blonde officer with wavy hair handed him his diploma. As she did, her soft fingertips brushed his hand, leaving a small note behind.

Xia Le paused, then smiled faintly and turned away.

Once outside the academy, he tossed the note into a nearby trash can.

During his two years there, female instructors and staff had slipped him notes countless times. His muscular physique held a powerful appeal for the women at the academy.

But now he found himself briefly at a loss.

Before entering Navy Academy, he had always followed Garp. Garp was away now, and for a moment Xia Le did not know what to do next.

After a little hesitation, he decided to ask his teacher.

"Kid, if you need something, say it quickly."

"I'm busy! Roger's probably about to become the Pirate King!"

Garp sounded impatient.

"Huh?"

Xia Le froze.

Then it came back to him. He had spent two years at Navy Academy, and it was now the year 1499 of the Sea Circle Calendar—the year Roger reached Laugh Tale and became the Pirate King.

For a moment, Garp's words left him dazed.

Was he about to witness history without even realizing it?

Roger would become the Pirate King, disband his crew, and turn himself in. Then Golden Lion Shiki would rampage through Marine Headquarters. Events he had only seen as flashbacks in the original story were about to unfold before his eyes.

"Kid, what is it? If you don't say something, I'm hanging up!"