Rice crackers—sweet and chewy rice snacks made from glutinous rice were Rosinante's favorite treat. After discovering this, Admiral Sengoku had stocked up and made sure Rosinante brought plenty to the Marine Academy. It was with these snacks that Rosinante managed to spark an unlikely friendship with both Sakazuki and Borsalino.
"These rice crackers are seriously good." Borsalino puckered his lips as he nibbled one, sipping his tea with even greater satisfaction.
Even Sakazuki, after tasting the ones Rosinante offered, gave a rare nod of approval.
"Not bad. Sweeter than the ones we get back in the North Blue."
As the three of them munched on rice crackers, the initial awkwardness of living together began to fade. When lights-out rolled around, Sakazuki and Borsalino went to sleep, conserving energy for the next day's training.
Rosinante, meanwhile, secretly activated a soundproof barrier using his Calm-Calm Fruit and entered a state of deep sleep—a power-enhanced slumber that rapidly restored his body and mind.
Two hours later, all his fatigue was gone. Fully refreshed, he opened his eyes. Borsalino and Sakazuki were still sound asleep. Quietly dressing himself, Rosinante used his Devil Fruit to silence every trace of his movements and slipped out of the dorm.
Out on the training field, he launched into a rigorous physical regimen. His goal: to master the Six Powers, the six forms of Marine martial arts—a shortcut for physically trained combatants to grow stronger. Rosinante wasn't about to let such an opportunity slip by. He needed to raise his Power Level to 500 as quickly as possible.
But no sooner had Rosinante left than Sakazuki and Borsalino stirred in their beds. Both were seasoned fighters, even the slightest disruption could wake them. Though Rosinante had silenced every sound, the faint air movement from lifting his blanket had been enough to alert them.
Borsalino, groggy-eyed, peeked out the window and mumbled, "Woah~ That kid's a nut. Just two hours of sleep and already out there training like a beast…"
"Not everyone's a lazy bum like you." Sakazuki snapped. His eyes fixed on the lone figure sweating it out under the moonlight. "Blue Eagle, huh? I acknowledge your resolve. Someday… we may well fight side by side."
With that, Sakazuki laid back down. Unlike Rosinante, he didn't have the luxury of deep sleep to instantly recover stamina. To maintain peak condition, he needed a solid six hours. Any less, and fatigue would drag him down.
Borsalino watched Rosinante for a while longer, then sighed and went back to bed.
—
One month passed in this high-intensity routine. Don't underestimate it, while just a month had gone by in the outside world, thanks to Rosinante's deep sleep ability, he had crammed in six months' worth of training.
After that grueling period, Rosinante's Power Level finally surpassed 500, and he shot up in height too—now standing around 165 centimeters.
Interestingly, during the same period, even some of the so-called "problem students" started making breakthroughs. One cadet, codenamed Water Buffalo, also managed to hit 500 Power Level. Both he and Rosinante were formally approved by Z to begin training in the Six Powers, joining the ranks of the qualified.
Under Z's instruction, Rosinante began training in all six forms. Water Buffalo, however, chose to focus only on Iron Body, Moonwalk, and Tempest Kick. As Z had once said, "Spreading yourself too thin isn't wise. Better to master a few than dabble in all six." After all, not everyone had the talent or stamina for full mastery.
But Rosinante was no ordinary cadet. With his deep sleep ability, his time and energy were practically six times that of a normal person. Learning all six forms posed no problem. In fact, mastering all six unlocked a bonus technique: Life Return.
This ability was borderline broken. Once mastered, it allowed the user to freely control their body, hair, and even internal organs. You could, for instance, accelerate digestion to rapidly convert food into energy—just like Luffy, who after exhausting battles would stuff himself with meat and recover miraculously. That was Life Return at work.
It could also manipulate one's hair as a weapon. In the manga, CP9's Kumadori used Life Return to control his hair like octopus tentacles and entangle opponents.
Another example: the Marine Vice Admiral Onigumo, known for wielding eight swords. Some believed he'd eaten a Spider-type Devil Fruit, but that was a misconception. In truth, he had mastered Life Return, using his hair to grip additional swords like extra limbs.
—
Another four months flew by. Only one month remained until the first graduating class of the Marine Academy.
In that time, Rosinante's strength had surged. His Power Level now exceeded 2000, and he had fully mastered all Six Powers techniques. Life Return was the only one still eluding him, but he could already feel himself brushing up against its threshold.
At this point, Rosinante's strength was comparable to a Marine Headquarters Captain—on par with pre-timeskip Luffy in the main story.
—
Morning drill.
For the first time in a while, Z appeared on the training field. The cadets assembled promptly. Walking beside him, a sub-instructor held a small lottery box.
"Alright, rookies. Two years have flown by, and graduation is almost upon us. To help you leave a lasting impression on each other, we'll be holding a mock assessment—one-on-one duels. Win your match, and your post-graduation rank will automatically increase by one tier. I'll personally evaluate your performance as well."
He paused and then grinned.
"Alright, you greenhorns—let the games begin. Who wants to draw their opponent first?"
The cadets' eyes widened in disbelief.
Seriously? A duel right off the bat?
They quickly realized how much was riding on the draw. Pick a weak opponent, and you might walk away with a promotion. But if you pulled Sakazuki or Borsalino, you might as well start writing your will.
Everyone played it safe, hoping someone else would pull the short straw first. Ideally, Sakazuki and Borsalino would draw each other—let the two natural-born monsters slug it out.
But dreams are often dashed by cruel reality.
Sakazuki stood up first and reached into the box.
His opponent: Water Buffalo.
The poor cadet paled. He glanced at Sakazuki and nearly cried. There was no way he could win. He had barely learned three Six Powers techniques, and all of them were still shaky.
Facing Sakazuki? That was suicide.
"Umm… Z—Master-Z, I forfeit!"
A wise choice. No one mocked him. Everyone had an unspoken agreement: if you drew Sakazuki or Borsalino, the only logical response was to surrender immediately. Only a lunatic would fight those two.
Z didn't comment on Water Buffalo's decision. A student who didn't even have the courage to face a strong opponent had no future in the Marines anyway.
"Who else wants to draw?"
Z asked, looking at everyone.
At this time, Rosinante stepped forward and said—
"I will."
(End of Chapter)
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