A week later, in the back hills of Marineford, Nokiyoru stood straight, welcoming the morning light, gazing out at the endless sea.
After several days of recovery, Nokiyoru was fully revitalized, and his strength increased slightly. Today was his first day out of the hospital, and as usual, Nokiyoru liked to come here to clear his mind.
Through his battle with Akainu, Nokiyoru realized he was still too weak. Compared to Kong and the others, the gap was substantial.
If Sengoku or Garp had fought Akainu, Akainu would have been a corpse within ten moves. However, Nokiyoru struggled bitterly with Akainu, which left him very dissatisfied. He desired absolute power, the only way to proudly rescue Nokishio and roam the seas.
Gold Lion Shiki was a force that once rivaled Gol D. Roger. Combined with his near-godlike Float-Float Fruit abilities, he was the undisputed ruler of the skies. According to future events, it took both Garp and Sengoku to defeat him. If Shiki focused solely on escape, no one, not even Garp or Sengoku, could stop him.
Thinking of this, Nokiyoru sighed, feeling bitter inside. “There’s a long road ahead.”
“What’s with the gloomy face? It doesn’t suit you,” came a voice from behind. Zephyr, holding two bottles of alcohol, teased lightly.
“Master.” Nokiyoru turned, showing a faint smile.
“Nokiyoru, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you last time.” Sitting down, Zephyr handed Nokiyoru a bottle of alcohol, looking apologetic.
“It’s not your fault, Master. You held off Sengoku and Garp for me. It’s just that my strength was insufficient to bypass Fleet Admiral Kong and kill Akainu,” Nokiyoru shook his head, not blaming Zephyr.
“Well, at least you’ve gained the recognition of the Gorosei,” Zephyr said, taking a swig and gazing out at the endless coastline.
“Perhaps,” Nokiyoru replied calmly.
“By the way, who won between Kizaru and Aokiji?” Nokiyoru asked, suddenly remembering.
“A draw,” Zephyr smiled. “Kizaru’s abilities are troublesome, and Aokiji’s powers are not to be underestimated. They fought for half a day and found that neither could overcome the other. In the end, they settled it with a game of rock-paper-scissors.”
Zephyr’s expression was strange, remembering how everyone was dumbfounded at the time. Since that day, Fleet Admiral Kong’s face had remained dark.
“Rock-paper-scissors?” Nokiyoru was taken aback, then burst into laughter. “Only those two slackers would come up with such a method.”
“Master, who won?” Nokiyoru asked, curious.
“Aokiji.”
“Really? That guy got lucky. So, I’ll be facing Aokiji to decide the winner?”
“Yes, and the match is in half a month. You still have ten days to rest,” Zephyr nodded.
“That dead dog has no objections? He did beat Aokiji,” Nokiyoru inquired.
“Except for the top spot, no one cares about second or third place. Since they are all Logia types, the outcome is often decided in one move. In a life-and-death battle, none of them can guarantee survival. You understand now?” Zephyr spread his hands.
“I understand. To them, second or third place means nothing. A slight difference in moves won’t satisfy them. They’re all proud individuals, but I won’t hold back against Aokiji.”
Nokiyoru’s expression was determined. He had come to respect Aokiji and unconsciously regarded him as a friend.
“Master, are you free today?”
“Why?”
“Train with me,” Nokiyoru said eagerly.
“Alright, but just for the afternoon. You have to come home for dinner tonight. Your teacher’s wife specifically requested it. If I don’t bring you, I won’t have a place to sleep,” Zephyr laughed, making a joke.
“I miss her cooking too.”
“Ha ha ha…”
“Master, here I come. Soru.”
“Boom…” Dust flew, and the back hill erupted with activity once more.
Time flew, and in a blink, several nights passed. Today, on the same fragmented island, the competition that had lasted over a month was finally coming to an end.
On the high platform, Fleet Admiral Kong’s face was still dark, evidently not over the previous theatrical battle.
“Ha ha… ha ha…” Garp’s loud laughter echoed as he said, “Let’s see how that kid wins against Aokiji this time. Fire versus ice, the clash will be spectacular.”
Ignoring Garp’s antics, everyone focused on the arena, eager to see if fire could suppress ice or vice versa.
Standing in the arena, Nokiyoru’s face was calm, lost in thought, giving off an unusual vibe.
Opposite him, Aokiji stood lazily, picking his ear, his face full of boredom.
“Aokiji…”
“Stop. I know, I forfeit,” Aokiji interrupted Nokiyoru, dropping a bombshell.
“Huh?” Hearing this, Garp stood up, shouting, “Kid, what are you saying? Forfeit? Before the fight even starts, you forfeit?”
“Yeah, is forfeiting against the rules?” Aokiji looked bewildered at everyone’s reaction.
“I…” Garp, seeing Aokiji’s irritating face, moved to give him a piece of his mind but was held back by Tsuru.
“Why?” Nokiyoru asked, frowning.
“Do you think I’m an idiot? I know you want to beat me up. And you’re a madman in a fight. Facing you means a week in the medical bay,” Aokiji said, digging his nose, his gaze shifting to Akainu, wrapped in white bandages with only his eyes showing.
Little did they know, Akainu had been bedridden for half a month. It was only today that he hobbled to the arena, clearly not fully recovered.
Everyone’s faces darkened, speechless at Aokiji’s reasoning.
“Moreover, you’re my friend. You becoming first means you can find your sister. What’s mine is yours. Why fight? I’d rather sleep.”
The bizarre reasoning left everyone at a loss for words.
“Sigh…” Nokiyoru exhaled, walking towards Aokiji. Under everyone’s confused gaze, he hugged Aokiji.
“Thank you.” Nokiyoru sincerely appreciated Aokiji’s gesture.
Despite Aokiji’s lazy demeanor, Nokiyoru knew that he would have to give his all in a real fight. As a Logia user, Aokiji had his pride. But this match held no meaning for him. From the beginning, Aokiji considered Nokiyoru a friend and understood why Nokiyoru fought so desperately.
“As long as you consider me a friend,” Aokiji replied, smiling and hugging Nokiyoru back.
“From the moment we met, we were already friends,” Nokiyoru said, lightly punching Aokiji.
“Good to know.”
“Damn it, Aokiji, you sure about this?” Garp, face dark, clenched his fists.
“Old man, don’t be so serious,” Aokiji replied nonchalantly.
“You’re in for it. Get ready for some tough love.”
“Whatever…” Aokiji shrugged, pretending not to care.
“Then Nokiyoru is the winner of this competition. The award ceremony will be held tomorrow at Marineford,” Kong announced, his face black with frustration at yet another anticlimactic conclusion.
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