Even the Marines' standard firearms were still muzzle-loading flintlocks. Haibara Ai wasn't an expert on guns, but she knew enough to recognize antiques—those kinds of weapons belonged in museums.
If she could send over modern firearms, it would undoubtedly boost the strength of the Marines in Borsalino's world.
And even if that didn't work, there was always Professor Agasa. Sure, he wasn't exactly reliable in day-to-day life, but the things he invented were nothing short of miraculous.
At worst, she could ask him to develop combat-oriented gadgets. After all, the Marines under Borsalino were part of the "justice" camp—Haibara wasn't worried about helping the wrong side.
[Random Passerby Who Wants to Hug Luo Feng's Thigh: Comparing near-no-magic worlds is really hard. You can roughly think of it like this: a Marine Headquarters lieutenant commander could beat ten Gin-level opponents with weapons, or a hundred barehanded. And that's a conservative estimate… also, stop calling me a police dog!]
[Haibara Ai: …Understood. Never mind. Sorry for bothering you.]
[Kobayashi: Um, I asked Tohru too—she doesn't really have a good solution either.]
[Jotaro Kujo: If there's really no other way, I could ask my grandfather for the Hamon training method. But there's no guarantee it'll work.]
[Zhang Sanfeng: Haste makes waste.]
[Random Passerby: Boss, maybe ask Lord Orochimaru? He might have something.]
[Borsalino: @Orochimaru Do you have any fast-track techniques or skills? Preferably without serious side effects.]
[Orochimaru: Heh. I've been busy researching Devil Fruits lately, so I haven't had much free time. As for quick methods… I do have a simplified Lightning Release taijutsu manuscript. As long as the user's talent isn't terrible, they should be able to learn it.]
[Orochimaru: Its real combat effectiveness isn't outstanding, but once someone masters Lightning-nature chakra transformation, they shouldn't be much weaker than an average special jōnin.]
[Borsalino: Sounds good. I'll take it. Trading with Devil Fruits again?]
[Orochimaru: No need for now. I haven't finished analyzing the last two fruits yet.]
[Orochimaru: I originally developed this taijutsu as a counter to Iwagakure shinobi, modeled after Kumogakure's style. The war ended before it was completed. This half-finished product is useless to me—if you want it, just give me something equivalent.]
[Borsalino: Got it. Then I'll trade Marine Six Powers techniques. I'll send you the data later—pick any two you like.]
The Six Powers looked simple, but they were classics refined through countless Marines. Trading two of them for a half-finished ninjutsu set wasn't taking advantage of Orochimaru.
Before long, the incomplete Lightning Release taijutsu scroll arrived.
Borsalino had never personally seen Kumogakure's Lightning Release taijutsu, but one glance at the scroll was enough to tell how much… inspiration had gone into it.
Orochimaru's version abandoned the technique of stimulating and activating the body with lightning chakra—either due to technical limits, or because that was never the goal in the first place.
Borsalino leaned toward the latter. Orochimaru's talent was unquestionable, and by discarding bodily activation, this version significantly enhanced raw lightning discharge instead.
In simple terms, it functioned like the Mink Tribe's Electro: in close combat, everyone effectively carried around a built-in hundred-thousand-volt shock. Against weaker opponents, it was instant death. Against evenly matched foes, it granted a clear advantage.
Unfortunately, it was useless against true monsters.
Against someone like Borsalino, or even Hancock, this level of Lightning Release might as well not exist.
"Good enough. It'll do for now…"
Borsalino smacked his lips, casually stuffed the scroll into the pocket of his beach shorts, and followed Hancock toward the national warriors' training grounds.
The Kuja warriors participating in the assessment were already assembled.
The rules for becoming a national warrior were brutally simple: defeat a certified national warrior in a one-on-one fight, and you passed.
Moreover, if a national warrior was defeated more than three times during assessments, she would lose her title and be forced to requalify from scratch.
Borsalino had complained more than once that this system was deeply flawed—Kuja warriors who weren't suited for frontal combat had almost no chance of passing.
But the women of Amazon Lily were stubborn to the core. To them, a "true" strong person had to face the enemy head-on.
That said, the system wasn't without merit. Every national warrior selected this way was, without exception, an elite among elites.
Earning the title was only the beginning. Anyone who failed to keep growing would eventually be eliminated by newer challengers.
Perhaps it was precisely this cruel tradition that explained why nearly every Kuja warrior had mastered Armament Haki.
"The assessment begins!"
The one presiding over the event was Kikyo, a national warrior radiating wild ferocity. She had mastered both Armament and Observation Haki, and even within the Kuja Pirates she ranked among the top five fighters.
At her command, more than twenty challengers charged forward without hesitation. To defeat opponents who were, in theory, stronger than themselves, they had to go all out.
Even though Kuja warriors universally wielded Armament Haki, deaths during national warrior assessments were far from rare.
"Darling, how many do you think will pass this time?"
Noticing Borsalino's slight distraction, Hancock slipped into his arms, unconcerned by the many Kuja warriors nearby. She clearly just wanted to cling to him.
"Hm? Want to make a bet? Three… maybe four."
Borsalino glanced at the battlefield.
The Kuja warriors were ferocious. Wearing only minimal armor with little practical value, they clashed with longswords in savage, life-or-death combat.
Even the weakest among them could make a name for herself in any of the Four Blues, or the first half of the Grand Line.
Among the challengers was even a female giant, swinging a longsword at least seven or eight meters long, relentlessly chasing her assigned national warrior.
Giants were born warriors. Once they reached adulthood, they naturally possessed the strength of a Marine Headquarters lieutenant commander. With training, they could easily reach colonel or even commodore level.
Though this giantess was still in her youth, growing up on Amazon Lily had already turned her into a seasoned fighter.
Her opponent wasn't weak—but against overwhelming, absolute strength, even the finest swordsmanship struggled to make a difference.
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