Dissatisfied, Linlin charged at Roge like a raging bull.
Having witnessed her monstrous strength, Roge naturally dared not meet her head-on. He continuously used his agility to dodge her attacks.
For the next ten minutes or so, Linlin kept smashing, and Roge kept dodging.
Watching from the sidelines, Reno felt a bit helpless. At this rate, when would the fight ever end?
"Roge, take the initiative to attack Linlin. No need to hold back."
Perhaps Roge thought Linlin's freakishness lay only in her offense and that her defense was weak, so he kept defending passively, afraid of hurting her.
If that was what he thought, he was dead wrong. He had only seen half of Linlin's talent.
Hearing the order, Roge stomped his right foot on the ground, using the explosive force to instantly close the distance to Linlin.
Using Observation Haki to predict and dodge her counter, he landed a solid punch squarely on Linlin's back.
However, Linlin didn't budge an inch. She didn't even stumble, let alone get injured.
The moment his fist made contact with her back, Roge felt as if he had punched a material harder than steel.
"This... This defense!"
Roge was secretly alarmed. Seeing his attack fail, he tried to pull back and create distance.
But having finally gotten close, how could Linlin let him leave so easily?
"Hehehe... You delivered yourself to me!"
While Roge was still recovering from his shock, Linlin grabbed his arm.
"Oh no!!"
Having seen her strength, Roge knew this was bad. If Linlin got serious, his arm might be crushed.
"Golden Sword-Lion: Hybrid Form!"
Roge knew he couldn't hide his true strength anymore. His already muscular body began to swell.
Golden fur sprouted from all over his body, his head transformed into that of a lion, and two sharp fangs protruded from his mouth.
His size more than doubled, and a long lion's tail trailed behind him.
The Hybrid Form—the strongest of the three forms available to Zoan-type Devil Fruit users.
It combined the recovery and defense of the Beast Form with the agility of the Human Form.
With his Devil Fruit power activated, Roge's strength skyrocketed. He counterattacked, grabbing Linlin's arm and using brute force to execute a violent shoulder throw.
BANG!
Linlin was slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The guards watching around them gasped, clicking their tongues in awe.
"This... Captain Roge was a bit too harsh, wasn't he? He used his Devil Fruit ability, and in his strongest form too! If he hurts Linlin, the Young Master won't let him off easy."
"What do you know? Didn't you see it just now? If the Captain didn't counterattack, he'd be the one lying on the ground right now."
"That's true. She really is a little monster. Only five years old and she pushed the Captain this far. If it were us fighting her, we'd have been flattened long ago."
"Hehehe... No wonder the Young Master values her so much. She's a born powerhouse. With a little training, she'll definitely become a huge asset to the Young Master in the future."
"Exactly. Our Karst Kingdom will benefit from this as well."
"As expected of the Young Master. His eye for talent is impeccable!"
While the guards marveled, they didn't forget to flatter Reno in the process.
As the dust settled, Linlin's figure reappeared before everyone.
Aside from looking a bit disheveled, there wasn't a single scratch on her.
Getting up from the ground, Linlin was now furious. She glared at Roge. "Linlin is angry! Linlin will definitely beat you today!"
"No injuries??"
Seeing Linlin's aura growing stronger instead of weaker, Roge narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing within them.
Top-tier offense, super-strong defense. Linlin was even more terrifying than he imagined. He had to get serious.
Thinking this, a layer of black substance began to emerge on Roge's body.
"Alright, that's enough for today!"
Reno stepped in to stop the fight just in time.
"Big Brother, I haven't beaten him yet! Linlin can definitely win!"
Unconvinced, Linlin waved her fist in protest.
"Linlin, remember this: Roge is our companion. From today on, he will be in charge of guiding your training."
"You can't bully him, understood?"
"Huh? Oh, okay then."
Linlin pouted, her anger not fully dissipated, but she nodded obediently.
Seeing Linlin stand down, Roge let out a sigh of relief.
He immediately reverted to his human form, walked up to Reno, and cupped his fists.
"Young Master, Linlin's talent is unlike anything I've ever seen in my life. With just a little training, she will undoubtedly become your right-hand woman and help you achieve great things!"
"Roge, in the future, no matter who your opponent is, never underestimate them."
"Even if you think you can defeat them easily!"
If Reno hadn't warned him earlier, Roge probably wouldn't have even used Armament Haki.
The consequences would have been unimaginable.
"This subordinate understands."
Roge bowed his head slightly, acknowledging his mistake.
"Alright, no need to blame yourself. From now on, Linlin is in your hands."
"For the next few months, you will be responsible for guiding her training. Teach her how to temper her physique, taijutsu, and swordsmanship. As for Observation and Armament Haki, we'll leave those for later."
Swordsmanship?
Roge's eyes lit up.
Linlin's physique was already freakishly strong, so taijutsu would be no problem.
But to train in swordsmanship as well... was the plan to develop her into an all-rounder?
Roge felt a sense of anticipation at the prospect of teaching someone who was destined to become a top-tier powerhouse famous across the seas.
"Rest assured, Young Master. I will give it my all!"