One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

I, Wright! Back in 1996, I was stuck with a terrible boss who constantly forced me into overtime, leaving me with no time to game unless I stayed up all night.

Now, I've decided to work hard and strictly discipline myself to achieve my dream. But why do you locals seem even more eager than I, an outsider, to see me grow stronger?

First, an admiral personally trained me. Then, after graduation, a vice admiral with the combat power of a peak admiral started training me daily. Aren't these resources... just a bit too incredible?

Wright's favorite part of his daily routine was patrol time—essentially, his version of "break time."

During this period, he secretly hoped some clueless pirate would show up to entertain a certain pent-up major who was itching for action.

In truth, nighttime navigation on the Grand Line was particularly dangerous for pirates. The perils of the sea at night far exceeded those on land.

That's why the probability of encountering pirates was much higher during the day. Yet, for some reason, during Wright's recent patrols, he hadn't come across any pirates worth his time. The ones he did meet, with bounties of 20 or 30 million, were just warm-up fodder for him.

"Report! Major Wright!" A Marine saluted as he approached Wright. "Lieutenant Commander Bogard has sent a message requesting your immediate return to base!"

"Huh? What's the rush? I've only been patrolling for two hours and haven't even seen a pirate yet!" Wright grumbled, suspecting it might be Garp stirring up some mischief again.

"Well… reportedly, Vice Admiral Kuzan is about to arrive at the base. You're needed back to make arrangements," the Marine replied. He couldn't help but silently hope Wright would stay frustrated.

If Wright stayed dissatisfied due to the lack of pirates, wouldn't that mean the rest of them—his subordinates—could finally breathe easy?

"Ah, a major figure has arrived," Wright said with a newfound interest. "Pass the order! Return to base. Let's meet this 'Monster' Vice Admiral. This should be exciting!"

How wide was the gap between himself and this famous figure?

"Yo, Smoker!"

At the port, Wright immediately spotted his fellow trainee disembarking behind Kuzan. Smoker, as always, had two cigars clenched in his mouth, with even more strapped to his coat and arm. Wright couldn't help but laugh.

"How's this guy affording all these cigars? Or maybe old man Garp's just being frugal. After all, donuts are way cheaper than cigars."

"Bang!"

As expected, Garp delivered his usual "Iron Fist of Love" to Wright's head.

"Brat! My salary is way higher than a captain's! And my donuts are top-quality! Expensive, too!"

But… was this really the part Garp should be focusing on?

"Ah, Garp-san, seeing you so lively puts my mind at ease," Kuzan said, yawning lazily.

The tall vice admiral, clad in a dark coat and small round sunglasses, chuckled as he spoke.

He had initially expected Garp to be a bit down lately, but clearly, this enthusiastic major was keeping him entertained.

Kuzan took note of Wright—currently nursing a lump on his head from Garp's punch. A major who had gained such fame at headquarters was hard to ignore. After all, anyone who could endure being Garp's "punching bag" had to possess remarkable durability and recovery.

Even Kuzan, a natural-type Devil Fruit user with extraordinary resilience, wouldn't want to face Garp's method of "training."

"Ah, Kuzan!" Garp, completely ignoring his responsibilities as the branch commander, greeted him.

"Perfect timing! I just set a new donut-eating record yesterday! Care to challenge me?"

"Ahaha, Garp-san, breaking records again? Then I'll have to step up my game. Want some ice-cold beer to go with those donuts?"

"…"

Watching the two laugh and walk off, their subordinates seemed entirely unbothered—clearly, this was normal behavior. Meanwhile, Wright and Smoker stood frozen in place, utterly bewildered.

Wright: That senile old man is unreliable, but was Kuzan always this laid-back in his youth? Ice beer with donuts? Really?

Smoker: What's happening here? Where am I? And how is Garp's "Hero of the Marines" image still intact after this?

"Ahem!" Wright cleared his throat and called out to Smoker, who was still processing what he'd just witnessed.

"Smoker, doesn't it feel like Garp's heroic image just completely fell apart? Like, shattered into pieces?"

Smoker nodded numbly. "Somehow, this base seems perfect for you, Wright."

Wright's face darkened as he punched Smoker in the head.

"You're saying I'm like that crazy old man? Impossible! Ask your adorable subordinates if we're anything alike!"

Smoker's subordinates: Absolutely alike. Major Wright, didn't you just get punched the same way by Garp moments ago?

"Tch. Enough joking. Smoker, why's Kuzan visiting our G-3 branch? Aren't you usually out on long-term missions?" Wright asked.

Smoker, nursing his bruised head, puffed on a cigar before answering.

"Kuzan's here because of the rising number and strength of pirates lately. High-bounty pirates with rewards over 100 million have been appearing more frequently, far surpassing the levels seen in previous years."

"So, he's here… to borrow troops?" Wright asked, surprised.

Smoker nodded, his expression dark. "Pirates are like locusts, swarming endlessly. We capture one batch, only for another to emerge. During my time with Kuzan, I've seen countless villages and towns devastated by pirates."

"Unfortunately, due to a lack of manpower, we often couldn't arrive in time. No matter how strong Kuzan is, he's still just one person. The pirates… there are too many, and they're too scattered."

"That's why Kuzan wants to borrow elite Marines from Garp—to help locate pirates. This way, he can focus on directly taking them out instead of wasting time searching."

"Ah, that sounds exactly like Kuzan. Lucky him! Fighting pirates while I'm stuck here, taking punches from Garp daily…"

Smoker smirked. "You're not fighting Garp. You're getting beaten by him. Learn the difference, Wright." 

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