One Piece: Song of Despair - Chapter 5
“Bang…” The door shook, sending a cloud of dust down as a large foot kicked it open unceremoniously.
“Garp… how many times have I told you to knock before entering?” roared an angry voice. A pair of furious eyes glared at Garp in a plain but spacious room.
“Don’t sweat the small stuff, Fleet Admiral Kong. Do you have any donuts here?” Garp nonchalantly picked his nose, his eyes fixed on Kong’s desk.
As expected, Kong’s desk housed Garp’s beloved donuts.
“Sigh…” Kong slumped into his chair, rubbing his forehead. Begrudgingly, he tossed the donuts to Garp to avoid further annoyance.
“Thanks.” Garp took the donuts and sat ungracefully, happily munching away, looking utterly disgusting.
From the moment he entered, Nokiyoru felt immense pressure, as if an invisible rope was binding him, making it hard to breathe.
Before him stood a man with a mohawk and an M-shaped beard. He was extraordinarily muscular, wearing the Marine’s “Justice” coat over casual clothes. The first impression he gave was one of overwhelming strength.
Without a doubt, this was Fleet Admiral Kong, the future Commander-in-Chief.
To Kong’s left sat a man with frog-like glasses, a braided beard, and a large afro—current Admiral Sengoku, the future Fleet Admiral.
To Kong’s right was current Admiral Zephyr, a figure Nokiyoru respected in some ways and disagreed with in others. Nonetheless, Nokiyoru admired Zephyr’s strength and teaching ability.
“Why are you all here today?” Tsuru asked, looking at Sengoku and the others.
“It’s because of the recent pirate activities. The Gorosei have ordered that the Roger Pirates must be captured, dead or alive, especially Gol D. Roger,” Sengoku explained.
“Sengoku is right. The Roger Pirates have caused chaos in the New World, along with the Golden Lion Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates. Our Marine forces are being pushed out of the New World,” Kong said, rubbing his forehead in frustration.
“Garp, how did the pursuit of the Roger Pirates go?” Zephyr asked, looking at Garp, who was still eating.
“Crunch… crunch…” Garp bit into his donut and laughed heartily. “He escaped again, but this time I discovered two monsters for the Marines.”
“Huh?” Kong, Sengoku, and Zephyr turned their gaze to Nokiyoru and Aokiji.
The Marines desperately needed new blood. Although the academy had Akainu, Kizaru, and Dragon, it wasn’t enough to stabilize the increasingly tumultuous seas.
Strong new recruits were currently one of the Marines’ top priorities.
“Garp, you shamelessly took credit! I brought Nokiyoru here,” Tsuru said, her face darkening, her voice filled with anger.
“Come on, Tsuru, what’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine. Don’t sweat the small stuff,” Garp said, oblivious to the unintended implication of his words.
Tsuru blushed and turned away, ignoring Garp, while Kong and the others looked at Garp with strange expressions.
Nokiyoru and Aokiji, meanwhile, stood with iron expressions, glaring at Garp.
“Ahem…” Kong coughed, breaking the awkward atmosphere.
“What are your names? Introduce yourselves.”
“Nokiyoru Kara. Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, Ancient Model: Flame Bird,” Nokiyoru said with a slight smile, looking at Kong.
“Aokiji. Logia-type Devil Fruit user, Ice-Ice Fruit,” Aokiji lazily said, emitting an aura of nonchalance.
“Why do you want to join the Marines?” Kong asked, his eyes fixed on Nokiyoru and Aokiji, exerting immense pressure.
“The old man dragged me here. I suppose it’s for justice,” Aokiji yawned, glancing at Garp.
“And you?” Zephyr asked, his eyes sharp as he looked at Nokiyoru.
“To become stronger, destroy the Golden Lion Pirates, and eliminate all pirates,” Nokiyoru replied calmly, meeting Zephyr’s gaze.
“In that case, both of you will enter the academy,” Kong said, looking at Garp and the others. “Whose turn is it to teach this month?”
“Mine,” Zephyr stepped forward.
“Alright, they’re in your hands then,” Kong waved, indicating for Zephyr to take Nokiyoru and Aokiji away.
Watching Nokiyoru leave, Sengoku turned to Tsuru. “Are you sure he’s from Skypiea and has a sister taken by the Golden Lion?”
“Yes, we’re 90% sure. Garp was there too. During our pursuit of the Golden Lion, a boy and a girl fell from the sky. The boy was Nokiyoru, and the girl was taken by the Golden Lion,” Tsuru explained, glancing at Garp.
“It seems the Golden Lion is interested in Skypiea. That’s not good news,” Sengoku said, squinting his eyes. He had always been wary of the ambitious Golden Lion.
“So Nokiyoru’s identity is confirmed? If he’s joining the Marines to save his sister, we can subtly nurture him. He might become loyal to the Marines and the World Government,” Kong mused, stroking his beard. “Let’s see how he performs.”
“Alright, let’s discuss the Roger Pirates next.”
—
Time flew by, and a week had passed unnoticed.
At the Marine Academy, a vast 50-kilometer training ground was filled with dust and activity.
“Are you all worthless? Move faster! If you don’t complete 100 laps today, no one eats!” Zephyr shouted mercilessly at the hundreds of new recruits below.
At the front of the pack, two figures led the run—none other than the so-called monsters, Akainu and Kizaru. Watching them, Zephyr couldn’t help but feel pleased.
Following them were Aokiji and Nokiyoru. Despite his efforts, Nokiyoru could only manage second place.
On the first day of training, Nokiyoru had finished last. Each day, he improved, his progress evident to everyone.
Yet, Nokiyoru wanted more. No one knew that he wore weights made of gravity metal on his hands and feet, each weighing a ton.
After the first day of training, Nokiyoru approached Zephyr and requested to train with gravity metal. Zephyr agreed without question.
Zephyr may have seen potential in Nokiyoru. Over the past week, Nokiyoru’s actions continuously amazed Zephyr.
If asked who the most terrifying recruit was, Zephyr would undoubtedly say Nokiyoru.
Nokiyoru might still need to match Akainu, Kizaru, or even Aokiji in a fight. But in terms of potential, Nokiyoru was unparalleled.
His training was insane. If the standard were 50 laps around the field, Nokiyoru would run 80 or even 100 laps. Though slower, his determination and madness were evident.
He pushed himself to the brink of unconsciousness daily, refusing to stop until he collapsed.
Zephyr had repeatedly warned Nokiyoru about the dangers of overtraining. But Nokiyoru, with adequate food and five hours of sleep, would recover to full strength, thanks to his Devil Fruit, a mythical Zoan type rarer than Logia types.
Without this fruit, Nokiyoru might have already been broken.
Due to his extreme training, some admired him, while others scorned or harbored ill will. Nokiyoru remained indifferent, focusing solely on training and occasionally chatting with Aokiji.
Nokiyoru’s life was filled with urgency and monotony, driven by his relentless pursuit of strength.
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