Chapter 5: Ruthless Pursuit of Cultivation

Bang! The door shuddered, a curtain of dust fell, and a large foot ruthlessly kicked its way inside.

“Garp… How many times do I have to tell you—knock before you enter!” came a furious bellow from within a plain, spacious office, where a pair of blazing eyes seemed ready to glare Garp to death.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff, Fleet Admiral Kong. By the way, do you have any donuts left?” Garp, paying no mind as he picked his nose, wore a sycophantic grin, his gaze locked unblinking onto Kong’s desk.

Because there, if nothing went awry, he would surely find his beloved donuts.

With a helpless sigh, Kong slumped into his chair, rubbing his forehead, and tossed the donuts across the desk to Garp—anything to avoid igniting his own temper.

“Thanks,” Garp said, grabbing the donuts and slumping into a chair nearby with no regard for decorum, munching away with revolting happiness.

From the moment he entered, Xuan Ye felt the pressure in the room, as if an invisible rope had tightened around him, making it difficult to breathe.

His gaze fell on a middle-aged man with a Mohawk and an M-shaped beard. This man’s physique was extraordinarily robust, draped in the Navy’s signature “Justice” coat over casual clothes. The first impression he gave was one of sheer power, a figure brimming with explosive strength.

Without a doubt, this was the Fleet Admiral, Steel-Bone Kong, the future Supreme Commander of all forces.

Seated at Kong’s left was a navy man with wild, frizzy hair, frog-eyed glasses, and a braided beard, unmistakably the current Admiral Sengoku—the future Fleet Admiral.

To the right sat Admiral Zephyr, a man whom Xuan Ye both admired for his strength and teaching ability, and yet could not fully agree with on certain matters.

Nonetheless, when it came to Zephyr’s prowess and his capacity as an instructor, Xuan Ye’s respect was absolute.

“So, why are you all here today?” Tsuru asked, her gaze drifting toward Sengoku and the others.

“It’s because of those pirates tearing up the seas lately. The Five Elders have issued an order: the Roger Pirates must be captured, dead or alive—especially Gol D. Roger,” Sengoku explained to Tsuru.

“Sengoku’s right. The Roger Pirates are wreaking havoc in the New World, and so are the Golden Lion and Whitebeard Pirates. Because of these troublemakers, our navy is being squeezed out of the New World,” Kong said, massaging his temples with a pained expression.

“Garp, how’s the pursuit of the Roger Pirates going?” Zephyr asked, glancing at Garp, who was devouring his donut with relish.

Crunch, crunch—Garp chewed noisily, then burst out laughing. “He got away again. But this time, I’ve discovered two monsters for the Navy.”

“Hm?” In unison, Kong, Sengoku, and Zephyr turned their attention to Xuan Ye and Kuzan.

The Navy sorely lacked young powerhouses. Even with promising cadets like Akainu, Kizaru, and Dragon in the academy, it was hardly enough for an ever more turbulent sea. Thus, recruiting strong new blood was the Navy’s top priority.

“Garp, you shameless oaf—Xuan Ye’s here because of me,” Tsuru snapped, her tone biting.

“Come on, Tsuru—between us, what’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. No need to fuss about details,” Garp replied, oblivious to any double meaning.

Tsuru turned away, her cheeks tinged with red, choosing to ignore Garp entirely.

The others could only look at Garp with bemused expressions. As for Xuan Ye and Kuzan, their faces had darkened, shooting daggers at Garp.

A soft cough from Kong broke the awkward silence.

“What are your names? Introduce yourselves.”

“Xuan Ye D. Tang. Devil Fruit user—Zoan, Ancient Type, Flamebird,” Xuan Ye replied with a slight smile, locking eyes with Kong. He doubted this man was unaware of his identity.

“Kuzan. Devil Fruit user—Logia, Ice-Ice Fruit,” Kuzan answered lazily, his indolence almost tangible.

“Why do you want to join the Navy?” Kong’s gaze bore into them, his aura oppressive.

“The old man dragged me here. Let’s just call it a pursuit of justice,” Kuzan yawned, glancing at Garp.

“And you?” Zephyr asked, arms crossed, his eyes sharp as blades.

“To become stronger. To destroy the Golden Lion Pirates—and every pirate, for that matter,” Xuan Ye replied evenly, staring straight back at Zephyr.

“In that case, you two will join the academy,” Kong said, casting Xuan Ye one last glance before turning to the others. “Whose turn is it to teach this month?”

“Mine,” Zephyr announced, stepping forward.

“Very well, they’re in your care,” Kong said with a wave, signaling Zephyr to take Xuan Ye and Kuzan away.

As Xuan Ye departed, Sengoku turned to Tsuru. “Are you sure he’s from Skypiea? And that he has a sister, and a grudge against the Golden Lion?”

“Ninety percent sure. Garp was there, too. While chasing the Golden Lion, a boy and a girl fell from the sky—one was Xuan Ye. The girl was captured by the Golden Lion,” Tsuru explained, glancing at Garp.

“If that’s true, it means the Golden Lion has set his sights on Skypiea. That’s not good news,” Sengoku said, narrowing his eyes. He knew all too well the ambitions of the Golden Lion.

“So Xuan Ye’s background is clear—he probably joined the Navy to rescue his sister. As long as we foster him carefully, I believe he’ll be loyal to the Navy, and to the World Government,” Kong mused, stroking his beard. “In the end, it’s up to him.”

“All right, let’s discuss the Roger Pirates now.”

***

Time slipped by unnoticed; a week had already passed.

On the Navy Academy’s massive training grounds, fifty kilometers in diameter, the air was thick with dust and the heat of exertion.

“Are you all useless? Move faster! If you don’t complete a hundred laps today, none of you will eat!”

From his platform, Zephyr shouted mercilessly at the hundred or so freshmen below.

At the front, two figures led the pack—unmistakably the so-called monsters, Akainu and Kizaru. Zephyr watched them run, his face filled with satisfaction.

Trailing behind were Kuzan and Xuan Ye. With all his effort, Xuan Ye could only manage second place.

He remembered that on the first day of training, he had lagged at the very end. On the second day, he improved. By the third, the fourth, and onward, he made progress every day. Having never trained before, the sweat Xuan Ye shed far exceeded that of the others.

But he was hardly satisfied. No one knew that he wore weighted metal bands on his wrists and ankles—each weighing a ton.

On the first day, Xuan Ye had sought out Zephyr, requesting to train under these weights. Zephyr hadn’t asked why; he simply agreed.

Perhaps Zephyr had expectations for Xuan Ye, for over the next days, Xuan Ye’s performance continually shattered his preconceptions.

If anyone asked Zephyr who the most terrifying student was, he’d have answered: Xuan Ye.

Perhaps in combat Xuan Ye wasn’t yet a match for Akainu, Kizaru, or even Kuzan, but in terms of sheer determination, none could compare.

His training was utterly insane. If running fifty laps was required, Xuan Ye would run eighty, even a hundred—slow as he was, his willpower was fearsome and relentless.

He treated himself like a monster, never stopping until he collapsed from exhaustion.

Because of this, Zephyr had warned him more than once about the dangers of impatience. But for Xuan Ye, these warnings were meaningless. As long as he had enough food and five hours of sleep, he could return to peak condition.

All thanks to his Devil Fruit—the Mythical Zoan, rarer even than Logia types.

Without it, Xuan Ye might have crippled himself with such training.

Naturally, his madness earned him both admiration and contempt, even hostility from some.

But Xuan Ye cared nothing for these things. Except for brief chats with Kuzan, his life was consumed by relentless, monotonous training.

…