Aludo's anger flared, a murderous aura radiating from him. "Where did this killer come from?!"
Just then, a gust of wind lifted the curtains slightly, allowing moonlight to seep in. As Aludo's eyes adjusted, he felt the strength drain from his body.
The cafeteria floor was a sea of blood and dismembered limbs. Colorful balloons and streamers lay scattered, a grotesque contrast to the carnage. It was like a scene from hell.
Aludo's gaze drifted numbly across the room, recognizing familiar objects: Keelung's shoe, Lark's watch, Chery's glasses. All separated from their owners, now just part of the gruesome tableau.
As the curtain fell back into place, Simon, perched on the roof, tossed aside a silk thread and waved a yellow flag towards the square.
Loya, acting as messenger, got the signal and called Minnie. "You can leave now. The Jerome brothers will be there soon."
Behind a tree outside, Minnie hung up and gave her companions a sympathetic look before letting out a blood-curdling scream.
Aludo snapped to attention. "Minnie!"
Panic surging through him, he smashed through the cafeteria wall, his unexpected speed shocking Mingde, who was still playing dead.
Outside, the Jerome brothers, disguised as attackers, pretended to drag Minnie into the woods.
"Aludo! Help!" Minnie cried out, genuinely startled by Aludo's sudden appearance.
"Minnie!" Aludo roared, his eyes blazing as he charged after them.
As they raced towards the training grounds, Minnie couldn't help but think, "When did this big lug get so fast?" But she kept up her act, her cries for help spurring Aludo on as they disappeared into the depths of the forest.
Aludo lost sight of Minnie but refused to give up, chasing in the direction he last saw her. Suddenly, he found himself at the walls of the Elite Camp's courtyard. The sight of the place, still bearing scars from the earlier CP attack, made him pause.
"Everyone," he murmured, staring at the scattered debris and wiping away a tear. "I'll avenge you."
Meanwhile, perched on the top floor of the wooden attic, Simon held his head wearily. "Does he really think we're all dead? Doesn't he consider there might be someone like you around?" he asked Loya.
Loya shrugged. "It's better this way. We can skip the scene where I show up and get defeated. Tell the Jerome brothers to lead Aludo straight to the room."
As Simon left, Loya watched Aludo approaching, muttering, "This fool."
Aludo leapt directly into the courtyard through a gap in the wall. A trail of fresh blood led deeper into the yard, and on the grass lay a black hairpin - Minnie's.
Aludo snatched it up, recognizing Minnie's scent mixed with the smell of blood. "Minnie," he growled, his eyes dangerous.
Suddenly, a figure darted across the courtyard.
"Who's there?!" Aludo shouted, giving chase. But the figure was too fast, quickly outpacing him.
Frustrated, Aludo kicked a pillar, shattering it. "Who are you?!" he roared. "Why are you killing my friends?!"
His anguished cries echoed through the empty courtyard, met only by silence.
A sudden door slam broke the silence. Aludo whirled around, seeing nothing. Then, a realization struck him.
"That sound... there's only one door here that sticks like that!"
He charged forward, smashing through a wooden fence. Jerome, following behind, was baffled. Had Aludo really figured it out on his own?
Reaching the door, Aludo saw bloodstains on the floor. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and pushed it open.
The lights flicked on, momentarily blinding him. Before his vision cleared, something large flew at his face.
"Surprise!" Loya's voice rang out as he leapt forward, slamming an enormous cake onto Aludo's head.
"No!" several voices cried out in dismay. "That took Ms. S all afternoon to make!"
As Aludo's vision cleared, he saw his companions rushing towards him. His expression cycled from confusion to anger to teary-eyed relief.
"The cake!" the Jerome brothers wailed, watching helplessly as the massive dessert sailed through the air.
Aludo raised his eyes, seeing the cake flying towards him and his friends. He could catch it if he wanted to, but...
SPLAT! Aludo wrapped his arms around his approaching friends instead, letting the cake rain down on all of them.
"Aww, man," someone grumbled. "There goes our snack."
But Aludo, covered in frosting and surrounded by familiar faces, couldn't stop grinning through his tears.
"You're all okay," he choked out. "You're all okay!"
......…
In the newly renovated training room at Navy Headquarters, Zephyr was guiding Loya through Haki practice. The room, rebuilt with high-quality materials at great expense, was now twice as sturdy as before. Thankfully, Loya's successful Heathwell mission had padded the Navy's coffers, or Fleet Admiral Sengoku might have balked at the cost.
Zephyr had decided to start with Armament Haki, given Loya's mastery of Life Return and his unique physique.
"In the New World, Haki is commonplace," Zephyr explained. "We have to train our soldiers in it just to survive out there, let alone complete missions."
He frowned slightly. "But it's not easy to learn. Usually only Vice Admiral-level personnel can grasp it, and even then, it takes a lot of work to improve."
Zephyr recalled Loya's encounters with Rocky and Beard. "Remember how easily you broke through Rocky's Haki? But Beard's took more effort. That's the difference in strength and training."
He shook his head. "It's not like Devil Fruits where you can gain power instantly. Haki requires constant honing."
Zephyr then touched on the rarest form of Haki. "There's also Conqueror's Haki. It's the most terrifying - you can attack with just your will. But it's innate, can't be learned or inherited. It's all up to fate."
As he spoke, Zephyr demonstrated various Haki techniques, his weathered hands glowing with dark energy. Loya watched intently, eager to begin this new phase of his training.
Zephyr continued his lesson, his weathered face serious. "Conqueror's Haki is incredibly rare - maybe one in a million. In the New World, it's seen as the mark of a true leader."
He paused, considering. "I'm not sure if anyone in the Navy has it. But given how many pirates seem to, I'd be surprised if we didn't. Though for some reason, no one's showing it off."
Zephyr stripped off his shirt, revealing a body covered in scars. His arms turned black up to the elbows, and Loya felt a sudden sense of danger.
"Your physical strength is impressive," Zephyr nodded. "But remember, Haki is just a tool. Your body is your true strength."
Loya nodded, recalling stories he'd heard about Amazon Lily. Despite their widespread use of Haki, their warriors still couldn't match up to New World pirates.
Satisfied with Loya's understanding, Zephyr held up his prosthetic arm, now blackened with Haki. "I said there are two types of Armament Haki - coating and hardening. Which am I using?"
"Both?" Loya ventured cautiously.
WHAM! Zephyr's fist sent Loya sprawling.
"Did I spend the last half hour talking to a wall?" Zephyr roared, barely containing his frustration. "I said there's only coating! When your Haki is strong enough, the coating naturally hardens! Even the hardening on my other hand is just dense coating!"
He glared at Loya, exasperated. "How can you not understand something so simple?"
Loya picked himself up, sheepish but determined to grasp this crucial lesson.
Loya picked himself up, wincing. 'Is the old man losing it?' he thought. 'He can't even remember what he just said.' But he kept these thoughts to himself, recognizing the value of Zephyr's hard-earned wisdom.
Zephyr continued his lesson, explaining that mastering Armament Haki was more about practice than innate skill. "Once you can coat your hands or objects, that's step one," he said. "You'll be able to touch Logia users."
He went on, describing how denser coating led to the visible black layer of advanced Haki. "After that, it's just a matter of strength and experience," Zephyr said. "Like the difference between a veteran driver and a newbie."
Zephyr's enthusiasm was palpable. He hadn't felt this excited in years. Loya was not only strong but also quick to grasp concepts and dedicated to training. Where else could he find such a perfect student?
Finally, Zephyr's voice began to crack from talking so much. He gave Loya one last piece of advice: "I won't repeat the close combat stuff. But remember, most of your Devil Fruit attacks are mid to long-range. Don't even think about coating those attacks until you've mastered basic Haki. That's way beyond you right now."
Loya rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Zephyr had read his mind - he'd been imagining his Ice Dragon's Roar wrapped in Haki, its power multiplied to terrifying levels.
As the lesson ended, Loya felt a mix of exhaustion and excitement. He had a long way to go, but with Zephyr's guidance, he was on the path to mastering this crucial skill.