From Pirate to Revolutionary Mentor

Chapter 82 The Tumultuous Journey of Swordsmanship Training

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

While his main body was training in Shimotsuki Village in the East Blue, his shadow clone, who was taking a break, was also searching for swordsmen in the Navy.

Many people in the navy use knives, but none are skilled enough to rival Hawkeye.

Some lieutenant generals, including the flying squirrel, treated Kevin as if he were invisible because of his previous notoriety, and didn't want to pay any attention to him.

If it weren't for the fear of being accused of bullying the weak, they probably would have picked a fight with him when the name of the monster came up.

Fortunately, the Navy Headquarters still offers swordsmanship classes, since there are quite a few officers of the rank of lieutenant commander and above who use swords, and they need someone to teach them.

Although Kevin didn't use a knife in the youth training camp, so we didn't interfere, he did attend a few knife skills classes, though his main purpose wasn't entirely pure.

The outdoor training ground for the new youth training camp.

Kevin was spotted as soon as he arrived by the speaker. He glanced at him but didn't pay much attention. However, Zephyr, who was sitting next to him, waved to him.

"teacher."

Kevin bowed slightly.

"Heh, you haven't been here since your class graduated. What brings you here today?"

As Zephyr spoke, his gaze fell on Kevin's waist, where a standard-issue longsword of the Navy was held.

He then frowned: "I remember you don't use a knife. You only learned knife skills once or twice in the youth training camp. Why do you suddenly want to learn?"

Although Kevin had a premonition of the impending storm, he still admitted, "I've been wanting to learn swordsmanship lately, so I thought I'd come to the youth training camp to listen in."

"snort."

Zephyr snorted coldly: "I remember telling you back in the youth training camp that Haki is the foundation of all power. Whether it's the power of a Devil Fruit or a sword, they are just auxiliary powers."

"You've already developed your own methods for utilizing the Six Styles of Kung Fu. Starting to learn swordsmanship from scratch now is putting the cart before the horse and wasting time. What are you thinking?"

Uh……

Kevin was speechless after being rebuked.

It's not like he can just say that once he can achieve Shikai, he can chase after Sakazuki and chop him down in the 6,000-degree heat. If he can achieve Bankai, he can just go to Mary Geoise, cut off Im's head and use it as a chamber pot, and liberate the whole world within three days.

This body isn't a physical entity; if I anger the old man and get slapped into smoke, that would be a serious problem.

After organizing his thoughts, Kevin said sincerely, "Teacher, my domineering aura and original methods have reached a dead end, and it's difficult to take them any further. So I was wondering if I could learn some ways to use a knife."

Zephyr was still dissatisfied: "If you had squeezed out some of the time you would have spent drinking in Enies Lobby and picking up girls in Water Seven, you wouldn't need to come here now."

Kevin scratched his head, feeling quite embarrassed, but fortunately, Zephyr waved him away, clearly preferring to stay out of sight.

Kevin bowed slightly and stepped back, then found a corner to stand in and began to listen to Vice Admiral Momousagi explain sword techniques and training methods.

But it's clear that the trainees in the youth training camp are all elites from the navies of the four seas and the Grand Line, and those who wield swords here are not newbies like Kevin.

Therefore, the swordsmanship class in the youth training camp was not basic. Apart from a basic training exercise of slashing with all one's might, he didn't understand it at all.

After an afternoon of work, the navy had come up empty-handed.

However, in the East Sea where his main body was located, Kevin gained a basic understanding of swordsmanship.

The so-called communication with the knife is a process of gradual refinement, involving walking, sitting, and lying down, and requiring two hours of quiet meditation every day.

That night, the main body returned to Marine Headquarters. After the shadow clone dissipated, another one was released, which was then sent to a deserted island to meditate with the Zanpakuto.

That's outrageous, time to sleep!

When he woke up the next day, the shadow clone withdrew and dispersed to process the memories, and he was just staring blankly.

It's either about the Revolutionary Army or how long it will take for Kuzan to make his move on the Navy's side. Anyway, the more I try to calm down, the more I overthink, which is completely useless.

Okay, let's continue our search for Koushirou in Shimotsuki Village today.

The clone continued to attend the classes, and although it wasn't the basics, the memories and insights brought back could at least be of some use.

Today's swordsmanship lesson wasn't taught by Momousagi, but by Momonga. Momonga glanced at Kevin several times, then at Kevin's standard longsword, his eyes filled with mockery.

If the occasion hadn't been so inappropriate, Kevin felt he could have fought him.

And that white-haired brat next to me is really annoying; he keeps giving me provocative looks, which is kind of irritating.

Kevin, who was half-distracted from the lesson and thinking about whether to give the flying squirrel a good whack, had his arm touched.

He turned to look at the white-haired brat: "What?"

The white-haired brat smirked, practically behaving like a wicked dragon king: "I heard you were a monster in the training camp two weeks ago? How about a match?"

Kevin replied directly, "Wait for me after class."

Compared to being bothered in the days to come, simply having this guy eat a meal is a much quicker option.

As for mockery?

At such a young age of sixteen or seventeen, it was easy for him to realize the gap between them and the best solution: instead of constantly mocking each other, he should just beat them up.

Wait, what did the little mustache guy just say?

What's a knife again?

Kevin glared at the white-haired brat, annoyed. He could ask the squirrel after class if he hadn't heard clearly in get out of class, but the squirrel wasn't going to be so nice to him.

Soon, the lecture ended, and the students began their individual practice.

Seventeen-year-old Smoker, with his silver hair, followed along excitedly.

"Rear Admiral Kevin, I've heard of you. You were the youngest trainee in the naval youth training camp two weeks ago, and the fourth monster in the camp. You were even promoted directly to Rear Admiral after your graduation assessment..."

"Alright, alright."

Before he could finish speaking, Kevin interrupted him: "Hurry up and start, we still need to eat after this."

Smoker was stunned. Right here?

"Not going to a specialized..."

"unnecessary."

Kevin interrupted him again: "I don't have much time. If you don't make a move, then consider it a surrender."

Smoker looked around, and even Vice Admiral Flying Squirrel, who seemed to have just been about to leave, stopped and stood looking at the scene.

"Even if you're a monster, you're really taking me way too lightly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a large hand formed from white smoke and slapped Kevin towards it.

"Whoosh."

Without even lifting his eyelids, Kevin appeared directly in front of Smoker and delivered a punch that struck him squarely in the abdomen.

The elemental nature of the natural element was seized, and with a single blow, Smoker was sent flying, enveloped in smoke.

"You can talk during a fight, but it's best to start talking as soon as you strike. Talking a bunch of stuff before you act, are you trying to tell your opponent you're about to unleash your full power and get ready? Idiot."

After saying that, Kevin left immediately.

Smoker was also helped up by his fellow trainees. They were quite united, all greeting Kevin as he left.

"That bastard may be a disgrace to the Navy, but his reputation as a monster is well-deserved. Smoker's Devil Fruit ability is Logia-type, yet he captured the physical body with just one strike."

"His Haki is very strong, and his Observation Haki and Armament Haki have reached a very high level."

"Smoker, are you out of your mind? Tina doesn't like him either, but the teacher said he's very strong."

……

Smoker, who had been helped up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze still fixed on the direction Kevin had left the training field.

Even though he's already reached this level, this guy still wants to become stronger, which is why he came to listen to the swordsmanship class.

Although the reputation is bad, I am far too weak compared to others, so weak that I have no room to fight back.

This is our second meeting, Kevin the Executioner.

……

Unaware that he had become a target, Kevin ate and drank to his heart's content in the cafeteria and then went straight to his residence.

After the youth training camp ended, he was given a separate dormitory as a newly promoted major general.

He created a shadow clone to calm his mind, while his main body went directly to the East Sea to learn swordsmanship again.

After two days, I seem to have a slightly different feeling. It's too short a time to verify, but considering my experience with multiple enhancements from the mental attribute cards, it shouldn't be an illusion.

……

Time passed again, and Kevin would need to set sail again in half a month. His swordsmanship training in the East China Sea would need to end for a while.

After all, Kuzan isn't one of them yet, and even if he were, Kevin wouldn't want him to know his identity.

"I heard you've been practicing your swordsmanship lately?"

Kevin, who was sitting quietly, glanced at Kuzan: "If you know what's going on, can you please not bother me? I finally managed to calm down, and the moment you open your mouth, I lose all feeling again."

Kuzan, who had taken over Kevin's deck chair, replied, "There are many strong people on this sea. The recently famous Marine hunter Mihawk is a great swordsman, and the strongest man, Whitebeard, uses a sword. The Pirate King also used a sword back then. But that doesn't mean that only those who use swords can be the strongest."

"Your age and past methods are already set in stone. Effort might have some effect, but it will never achieve the same level of coordination between your domineering aura and the Six Styles. Instead of wasting time, I suggest you strengthen your existing attack methods."

Kevin said irritably, "If you have nothing to do, go to sleep. If you don't want to sleep, give me back my recliner."

Kuzan shrugged and pulled down his blindfold, no longer bothering him.

I've said what I needed to say; the decision is my own. As for sleeping, it's just that I don't want to see this dark world in front of me.

He couldn't calm down anymore.

Every time I close my eyes, passages from that book come to mind. Comparing them to the world around me, I find that what was said is quite true.

He himself may have begun to doubt the Navy's sense of justice.

All oppression stems from injustice, and all oppression will eventually be met with resistance.

All the oppressed people of the world, unite! This world will not belong to the powerful!

Are you being oppressed?

Back then, when I was fishing with a net every day, I was also one of those being oppressed.

In the New World, the Big Mom Pirates have planned their territory, and Kaido seems to be making preparations in Wano Country as well.

According to naval intelligence, BiGMOM's All-Knowing Society shelters ordinary people, but the price is that those sheltered must give up a portion of their lifespan as compensation, which must be paid annually.

Lifespan...

For ordinary people, survival might be the most important thing.

If you don't know whether you'll live to see the next day when you open your eyes each day, then what does lifespan even matter?

"Kevin, what do you think oppression is?"

Kevin, who was meditating, suddenly stood up; his concentration had vanished in an instant.

I don't remember this jerk being this talkative. He always looked like he hadn't slept properly, so how come he's talking so much now?

After thinking for a moment, Kevin sat down again, abandoning his previous cultivation, and asked, "Do you think being unable to survive counts as oppression? Weren't all the corpses we've seen over the past year unable to survive because of oppression?"

Kuzan: "Yes. People are so oppressed that they can't survive, so they choose to stand up and fight back. Ordinary people just want to live, but even that is incredibly difficult."

"I remember when I was a kid in the South China Sea, life wasn't easy, but we were still able to survive. At least there weren't as many pirates back then, and all we had to think about was how to earn more money to ensure our family could pay the Heavenly Gold."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kuzan turned over and lay down on the recliner to sleep.

He didn't say anything more because he wanted to be alone.

……

Meanwhile, in Mary Geoise, between powers.

"The collection of heavenly gold is about to begin."

"The CP will still be responsible for the protection."

"The preliminary statistics show a decrease compared to the last time."

Are the number of insects decreasing?

"That's what the report said, but CP0's investigation uncovered something else."

"Five of the constituent republics experienced population declines, and all five of them saw coups in that year, with the old kings dying in the coups and the new kings promising to continue paying the Heavenly Gold."

"It's not surprising that some insects died during the coup."

"But according to the CP0's investigation, there seems to be revolutionary forces in all five countries."

"Revolutionary Army?"

"It had appeared in previous reports, but we didn't pay any attention to it."

"Have the CP's intelligence department conduct a further investigation into this revolutionary army. Also, it is necessary to find out whether the coups in five other countries are related to him."

I second that.

"The other one is the trap in the Sabaody Archipelago; that guy hasn't shown up for over a year."

"Mary Geoise is relaxed too."

"The Sabaody Archipelago is too dangerous. If another one dies, the Knights of God will also come looking for us."

"Then use real bait."

A moment of silence fell over the group of people in power, while the other four understood perfectly what the real bait meant.

For more than a year, the Celestial Dragons who were visiting the Sabaody Archipelago were not real Celestial Dragons, and no one recognized them as such.

They were just wearing the same clothes, being the same slaves, and being guarded by the same World Government.

But the cloaked figure didn't appear for over a year, which clearly meant that the other party already knew something.

"That person has developed the power of the Teleportation Fruit, which has already threatened the safety of Mary Geoise to a certain extent."

"Saint Samite's death also reveals the other party's hatred; Mary Geoise may be his true target."

"Only one person can descend from the Sabaody Archipelago each day; the Knights of God can be notified."

"When you're fishing with real bait, the fish have to take the bait."

I second that.

I second that.

……

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(End of this chapter)