“Noki… Nokiyoru…”
Hina swallowed nervously, unsure if it was him, as his hair obscured his face.
“Ha… Ha…” Breathing slightly heavily, Nokiyoru calmed his agitated blood and Qi. He brushed his hair aside and spoke warmly, “Sorry, I just finished training. Sorry to trouble you all.”
“It is you. In just over a month, you look like a wild man,” Onigumo said with a twitching face. Nokiyoru’s messy hair and tattered clothes made him look like a beggar, wearing only ragged shorts.
Nokiyoru smiled wryly, “I’ll go take a bath first. Please prepare some food for me. Honestly, I’ve grown tired of eating grilled meat every day.” With that, Nokiyoru headed for the cabin. After a few steps, he turned back and looked at Hina, saying, “Please prepare a lot, maybe three hundred servings to start. Thanks.”
Watching Nokiyoru’s retreating figure, Onigumo and Hina were at a loss for words.
“It seems this lunatic has grown even stronger. His presence just now was terrifying,” Onigumo said gravely, recalling Nokiyoru’s terrifying speed.
“There’s going to be a good show when we get back. He’s definitely one of the four monsters, and he’s the top lunatic.”
A month ago, back at headquarters, the trainees had unanimously recognized four monsters: Nokiyoru, Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji. Although the rankings varied, Nokiyoru was widely regarded as the top, earning him the nickname “Lunatic.”
Two hours later, on the deck of the Navy ship, Nokiyoru wore a white cloak, his shoulder-length hair tied with a purple ribbon. Standing there, he looked unusually ordinary.
He might have seemed perfect if it weren’t for the three scars on his right cheek.
“Can you tell me what has happened during this time?” Nokiyoru asked warmly, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Hina.
“In which aspect?” Hina asked, gazing at the blue sea.
“Anything, maybe about the pirates.”
“Alright, a month ago, the Roger Pirates conquered the Grand Line, known as the impossible journey, reaching the final island. Now, the entire sea acknowledges Roger as the Pirate King…”
Listening intently, Nokiyoru’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart stirred. Roger had become the Pirate King, and the entire sea would soon be in turmoil. Could he truly find peace with his current strength in this stormy world?
Besides the news of Roger becoming the Pirate King, there was information about the Whitebeard Pirates and some newly powerful pirate crews, such as the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates. Undoubtedly, these pirate crews were beginning to show their fangs.
In short, it would be soon that the entire sea boiled over once Roger was executed.
Thinking deeply, Nokiyoru felt a bit restless. Finally, he shook his head and thought, “If it comes, it comes. As long as I am strong, all conspiracies and schemes will be shattered. Perhaps the chaotic sea will better enhance my abilities.”
The Navy ship was fast. Two days later, Nokiyoru stood calmly, deep in thought, looking at the towering fortress of Marineford.
“Ye.” A rough but caring voice interrupted Nokiyoru’s thoughts.
“Master.” Feeling a bit emotional, Nokiyoru smiled and walked towards Zephyr.
“Not bad, not bad. You’ve grown stronger in just over a month,” Zephyr said joyfully, patting Nokiyoru’s shoulder gently.
“I wouldn’t be here without you, Master,” Nokiyoru said sincerely, deeply grateful for Zephyr’s guidance and support.
“Haha… Good… Good.” Zephyr laughed heartily, then reminded, “Since you just got back, take some rest. The big competition is in half a month. Use this time to adjust yourself.”
“Yes.” Laughing and chatting, Zephyr kept asking Nokiyoru about his experiences over the past month and a half. Nokiyoru shared everything except some special details, forgetting about everyone else.
A few days later.
At night, in the rear mountains of Marineford, at the usual spot, the sky was ablaze with fire and explosions echoed continuously.
“Haha… Again.” Laughing joyfully, Zephyr’s entire body was covered in black Armament Haki, his terrifying aura covering him completely. He shot into the sky like a cannonball.
“Be careful, Master.” In mid-air, Nokiyoru, bathed in flames, extended his arms, his ten fingers igniting and firing ten beams of fire, piercing through the atmosphere with extreme speed.
“Laser Beams.”
“Swish… Swish…” However, despite their speed and high temperature, Zephyr deflected all the beams with his pitch-black fists, extinguishing them in mid-air.
“High-Energy Hand Explosions.”
“Armament.”
“Infinite Arrows.”
“Boom… Boom…” Amidst the smoke and chaos, the ground turned red hot. Nokiyoru knelt, drenched in sweat, his breath unsteady.
“This shouldn’t be your limit. Show me your full strength,” Zephyr ordered from mid-air, standing on a Moon Step, his eyes sharp as he looked at Nokiyoru.
Gritting his teeth, Nokiyoru stood up, his body filled with fighting spirit. Flames erupted from him, lighting up all of Marineford.
“Hybrid Beast Form.”
“Boom…” The temperature soared as Nokiyoru appeared before Zephyr, his leg wreathed in flames and coated in Armament Haki, kicking fiercely at Zephyr.
“That’s the way.” Zephyr’s eyes narrowed, and with a grand momentum, he enveloped his right hand in Armament Haki and punched at Nokiyoru.
“Boom… Boom…” Their clash echoed like a meteor collision, causing a shockwave that engulfed everything.
“Bang… Bang…” Fists collided with flesh, rocks flew, and a red and black figure wreaked havoc, destroying everything around them.
“They’re at it again, that crazy Zephyr,” Sengoku grumbled in the Fleet Admiral’s office, gnashing his teeth as the sounds and tremors from the rear mountains disrupted his work.
Since Nokiyoru’s return, the noise from the rear mountains lasted until late every night. Because of this, Sengoku had received numerous complaints about Zephyr.
“Those two are both lunatics,” Sengoku muttered, choosing to ignore it.
“The Lunatic really lives up to his name,” Onigumo said in the Navy Academy, wiping cold sweat off his brow as he shook his head.
“Hmph… The disgrace you caused me, I will repay tenfold,” Akainu muttered darkly in the training grounds, pushing himself hard.
“The world of lunatics is truly crazy,” Kizaru remarked, sitting on a rooftop, watching the fiery glow from the rear mountains with apprehension.
Reactions varied—fear, disdain, admiration—all mixed.
In the Navy high-ranking residences, in Tsuru’s villa, Tsuru and Gion were having a conversation.
“They’re at it again. Don’t they ever get tired of this?” Gion sat on the sofa, watching her teacup tremble, feeling speechless.
“For that kid, nothing else matters as long as he can get stronger. The loneliness of training can’t stop him,” Tsuru said casually, sipping her tea. She had gotten used to it over time.
“Sister, why is he like this? It’s as if he has no other interests besides training,” Gion asked, wide-eyed and full of curiosity.
“It’s because of his sister,” Tsuru sighed lightly, putting down her teacup. “Nokiyoru has a sister who was captured by Shiki. To save her, he must become stronger, continuously stronger.”
“People with attachments are scary, and that kid’s willpower, ability, and talent are terrifying. Given time, he will surely become famous worldwide.”
“Weakness isn’t scary. What’s scary is an indomitable will, a willingness to do anything, and a relentless drive to get stronger.”
“Sister, is he pushing himself so hard just to save his sister?” Gion asked, nervously fiddling with the hem of her clothes, unsure about her emotions.
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