Games, master and disciple, inside Impel Down (please don't let chapters pile up!)

The girl's slender figure vanished in an instant, appearing before Naito in the blink of an eye. "Return!"

Her palm, covered in red flames, swept toward his chest.

Naito didn't even lift an eyelid. His body instantly softened like putty, and his chest twisted to one side just enough to let Ain's palm sweep past.

Kami-e.

Ain drew the two short swords at her waist. Peach-red flames wound around their blades as they traced two red arcs through the air, striking like venomous snakes.

Her swordsmanship was decent.

But too slow.

Naito didn't even use Kami-e again. Casually swaying from side to side as he stepped backward, he effortlessly evaded every one of Ain's slashes.

"Is that all?"

Naito yawned.

Ain gritted her teeth.

Can't I even touch him?

The two blades crossed and clashed in her hands. Peach-red flames burst forth like an explosion, threatening to engulf Naito the very next instant.

Oh, a new move I haven't seen before.

Naito raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Soru."

A sharp trail appeared in the air. Its straight path bent in an instant, and before the flames could spread, Naito was already standing behind Ain.

The girl's eyes flew wide.

So fast!

And ordinary Soru can't change direction halfway through. Just how far has Naito developed the Six Powers?

Ain sighed regretfully. "I lost."

The gap is even bigger than I imagined. If Naito wanted to, I probably couldn't withstand a single move from him, could I?

He really is-

Still immersed in her disappointment, Ain suddenly felt a pain in her backside.

Huh?

She went flying and, bewildered, landed face-first on the ground. She then slid a long way, leaving a clean trail across the floor.

"You didn't think I'd spare you a beating just because you surrendered, did you?"

Without hesitation, Naito had kicked the beautiful girl in the backside and sent her sprawling face-first. He said coolly, "You learned another lesson today: don't take on things beyond your abilities."

"It hurts!!"

Ain couldn't even get up at first. She wriggled on the ground with one hand over her face and the other wrapped around her chest.

"Naito!"

Ain, usually the more levelheaded one, was so angry that her teeth itched.

She was a Marine, but she was also a girl who cared about her looks.

Yet when Ain turned around in annoyance, she froze.

Naito was already standing in front of the large iron ingot again, earnestly throwing punches.

"..."

Ain was suddenly at a loss for words.

That's Naito for you.

He talks more arrogantly than anyone, but he works harder than anyone, too.

He really deserves to be this strong.

That's why I've always looked up to him as my goal.

And besides-

Ain gazed at Naito's profile, somewhat lost in thought.

Naito is actually pretty handsome when he's serious. If only he didn't have a mouth.

The girl's face suddenly stiffened.

What are you thinking, Ain?!

Naito is already so much stronger than you, and he still works this hard. If you keep slacking off, the gap will only get bigger!

Ain sprang to her feet and patted her slightly burning cheeks.

If you're training, I'm training too!

Chapter 6: Games, master and disciple, inside Impel Down (please don't let chapters pile up!)

Naito had no idea he had become Shirou Emiya doing the high jump, somehow stirring a girl's heart.

If he had known, he would definitely have said, "Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding," in an exceptionally deep, gravelly voice.

Naito simply threw punches with meticulous care and wholehearted sincerity.

He couldn't reveal the Dream-Dream Fruit's abilities. Physical techniques and Haki were his main means of fighting as a Marine, so he couldn't afford to slack off in the slightest.

Naito only stopped once his arms were nearly too exhausted to move and his fists were dripping with blood.

Then he began strength training.

This was when he could secretly slack off. Naito entered the dream world and remotely controlled his body to train on its own.

He took a peek at Weevil and his mother. The pair, who should still have been aboard the prison ship, were also in the dream world at the moment.

With a crowd of servants attending to them, Buckingham was enjoying a romantic time with Whitebeard, completely content to stay.

Weevil, meanwhile, was feasting on a pile of delicious food. Being rather simple-minded, his desires were much more modest than his mother's, and much easier to satisfy.

After watching them for a moment, Naito left them alone.

It was time for some entertainment.

Amid the dark, deep expanse of space, a battle of unprecedented ferocity erupted.

The mechanical empire, commanding a vast space fleet, came into contact with an army of immortal cultivators crossing the cosmos in the flesh. They immediately began a fierce exchange of attacks.

Every collision between beam cannons and the spiritual light of immortal arts burst into a brilliant firework in the dark cosmos.

Enormous stars were like specks of dust, and even vast galaxies shattered at a touch.

Naito sat cross-legged on a gigantic star, waving his hands like an orchestra conductor and making different gestures. The vast space fleet in the distant starry sky danced to his movements.

The warships weaved back and forth through the dark galaxy, now concentrating their fire, now scattering.

You could say he was playing real StarCraft.

Unfortunately, Naito couldn't create beings with true intelligence, so the opposing army of immortal cultivators was about as smart as the bosses in games from his previous life. At its core, it just followed set patterns.

Fortunately, there were enough patterns that Naito still had plenty of fun.

He kept playing until his body in the real world was completely exhausted, then returned his consciousness to it.

Overwhelming fatigue swept over him. Naito couldn't remain standing, and his body was about to crumple to the floor.

But at that very moment, his body forcibly straightened again.

"Phew..."

Naito slowly let out a breath.

Life Return. Amazing, isn't it?

My body has reached its limit, but my willpower is still fully charged.

"That ability is practically cheating."

A breathless voice came from beside him.

"Hm?"

Naito turned in surprise and saw Ain sprawled on the floor, looking as though she had just been pulled from the water. "You're still here?"

Ain's mouth twitched.

That was why she said Naito was good in every way except for his mouth.

Whenever her impression of him improved, he would open his mouth.

"Can't I be here?"

Ain's voice was cold and hard.

"What an attitude, Ain. Whatever, as long as you're happy."

Naito stretched. "I'm going to dinner. See ya."

After training all afternoon, he was starving.

He turned and walked away.

Ain gritted her teeth, struggled to her feet, and strode after Naito with a limp.

If you're eating, I'm eating too!

Naito didn't care. Was he supposed to stop her from going to the cafeteria?

Although the recruits were on leave, not everyone had gone into town, so the cafeteria was open as usual.

When Naito strode into the cafeteria, one of the workers serving food visibly turned pale. He looked back toward the kitchen and shouted in horror, "Naito's here!"

Several cooks who had been slacking off in the kitchen instantly jumped up.

"He didn't go into town?"

"Quick, quick, quick! Bring out the ingredients we prepared!"

"Another great battle!"

Listening to the voices from the kitchen, Ain's mouth twitched again.

Naito's appetite really did cause the cafeteria cooks quite a bit of trouble.

In any case, a large amount of food was soon laid out before Naito, and a worker apologized, saying more was being prepared.

Naito wasn't picky and immediately began wolfing it down.

Compared to him, Ain was much more elegant. She ate slowly, chewing carefully, and occasionally tucked her fallen hair behind her ear, revealing a neck that was sweaty but still as fair and beautiful as a swan's.

Naito's attention, of course, was solely on the food in front of him.

Clang.