So that's how it is...
Tsuru looked at Gion and Tokikake, their eyes blazing with determination, and a smile of satisfaction slowly spread across her face.
Was it because Daren was improving too quickly... and they were worried about falling behind?
Suddenly, she understood why Zephyr insisted on the "seat ranking" system in the training camp. Even among the elite of the golden generation, filled with talented and ambitious youths, they needed someone to chase after—someone worth following, someone to inspire them to push themselves.
That was the meaning of being number one.
"I understand."
Tsuru took a key from a nearby drawer, walked over to a safe in the corner of the office, and unlocked its outer casing. She entered a password, and soon retrieved two finely crafted small wooden boxes. Carefully, she placed them on the coffee table.
Under Gion and Tokikake's eager gazes, Tsuru slowly opened the two boxes.
Inside each lay a Devil Fruit, both radiating a vibrant, mysterious energy.
The one on the left was snow-white, shaped like a peach, its surface glistening with a crystal-clear sheen.
The one on the right looked like a banana, covered in dark brown scale-like patterns.
Even sitting there silently, the two Devil Fruits gave off an overwhelming aura of power.
Gion and Tokikake's eyes were instantly locked onto them, unable to look away.
"I'm sure you already know the pros and cons of Devil Fruits, so there's no need for me to explain."
Tsuru smiled as she spoke.
Both of them nodded in unison.
A single person cannot eat two Devil Fruits.
Once someone eats one, they lose the ability to swim—cursed by the sea.
Tsuru had actually prepared these two Devil Fruits for them two years ago.
Back then, though, both had agreed that their foundations weren't solid enough, so they chose not to eat them and become ability users.
But now, things were different.
After two years of training, trials, and battle experience, and everything they'd learned at the camp, they had undergone a complete transformation. They were no longer the naïve rookies they once were.
Now, they had mastered both the Rokushiki and Haki, reaching a point where they could fully utilize the power of a Devil Fruit to boost their strength.
What's more, the sudden eruption of the Battle of Marineford had left both Gion and Tokikake with a deep sense of pressure and insecurity. It had made them realize just how far they still were from the top-tier powerhouses of the sea.
They knew—if they didn't push themselves now, they might never catch up to that guy again.
Having made up their minds, they didn't hesitate any longer.
Gion stepped forward first, gently picked up the snow-white Devil Fruit, peeled a small piece of its skin, and put it in her mouth.
Her eyebrows instantly furrowed, and her face froze.
Seeing her reaction, Tokikake, who had been itching to go next, burst into laughter.
With swagger, he marched forward, rolled up his sleeves, snorted hot air from his nostrils, and stared down the scale-covered Devil Fruit. Hands on his hips, he grinned cockily.
"Little baby, been waiting for me long enough, huh..."
"Once I eat you, Daren won't be able to keep acting so high and mighty!"
"Keh keh keh keh... from this moment on..."
He grabbed the Devil Fruit, opened his mouth wide, and shoved the whole thing in.
"I, Tokikake, the genius of Marine Headquarters, will no longer—"
His voice cut off.
Tokikake froze on the spot.
His face turned from red with excitement to a ghostly white. Then a purplish hue, like he'd been poisoned, crept up his neck and spread across his face.
Gulp.
His throat moved.
He swallowed.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!!"
Doubling over, Tokikake broke into a violent coughing fit, tears and snot streaming down his face as he howled like a dying beast.
"This tastes like shit!!"
Then he noticed Gion and Tsuru looking at him—expressions slowly turning strange.
...
A few days later...
Marine Headquarters, abandoned port.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Heavy thuds echoed as fists slammed into the sides of massive warships, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
Two tall figures stood in front of separate derelict warships, hammering away with nothing but their raw strength. Their punches struck like cannon fire, carving dents into the hulking steel hulls.
Sweat dripped from their foreheads, their breathing ragged, yet their eyes remained laser-focused.
"Dahahaha! Daren! I'm almost catching up to you!"
With a loud crack, Kuzan smashed a hole into the side of a warship, splinters flying everywhere as a grin of exhilaration spread across his face.
But Daren didn't respond. His concentration was absolute. The world around him had faded—only the warship before him remained, a target to be destroyed.
Not far off, under a large sun umbrella...
Garp lay sprawled out on a beach chair in a loose floral shirt and oversized shorts, munching loudly on a pack of opened senbei.
"You're unbelievable, Garp. Just gonna sit there and watch?"
A resigned voice sounded behind him.
Zephyr walked over, arms crossed, clearly irritated.
Garp let out a carefree laugh.
"You don't get it. This is my secret training method."
"Secret training method?"
Zephyr raised an eyebrow, giving Garp a skeptical glance.
Then he recalled the battle on Coin Island. According to Sengoku, Daren had taken a direct hit from Shiki in that fight.
During that clash, Daren had unleashed a punch remarkably similar to Garp's. Though he was eventually slashed and badly injured by Shiki, the fact that he could replicate part of Garp's style under pressure proved that he had grasped its essence.
Could it be... Garp actually had some kind of special teaching method?
"Wahaha, exactly," Garp said smugly.
"Go on, let's hear it."
Zephyr's curiosity was piqued. Since retiring, he no longer had much interest in military matters—his passion now was raising the next generation of Marine elites.
If Garp really had a unique method, of course he wanted to learn it.
Garp gave him a side glance, then leaned in and said mysteriously,
"It's simple... just let them experience it firsthand."
"Experience it firsthand?"
Zephyr frowned, thinking it over.
Then it hit him.
Wasn't that just another way of saying "beat the crap out of them and let them figure it out themselves"!?
A few dark lines popped up on Zephyr's forehead.
He should've known better than to trust this guy!
He shot Garp a death glare.
Just then, Daren and Kuzan finished their training and walked over, wiping the sweat from their brows.
"Hahaha, Zephyr-sensei, you're here!"
Kuzan looked a bit bashful.
Daren gave Zephyr a nod.
"Zephyr-sensei."
Zephyr smiled.
"Looks like you two have been making good progress."
He gave Kuzan a pat on the shoulder, then turned to Daren.
"Daren, I came to ask—are you ready for tomorrow's training camp graduation ceremony?"
The graduation speech, huh?
A faint, unreadable smirk played at the corner of Daren's lips.
"I've been ready for a while, Zephyr-sensei."
Zephyr paused.
He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but something about that smile made him uneasy.
He had a bad feeling about this...