One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

With Kuzan and Smoker's arrival, Wright's life finally became less mundane. However, the process of "borrowing soldiers" was far from simple in practice, despite sounding straightforward.

To crew a single Marine Headquarters battleship, about a thousand personnel were required. This included operators for the warship, scouts, intelligence officers, logistical support staff, combat specialists, and so on. Additionally, a commanding officer of at least the rank of Commander was necessary to lead the crew. While Kuzan would provide the commanding officer, the warship and its crew had to be "borrowed" from Garp. Consequently, the reorganization of branch personnel had been exceptionally hectic.

Though Kuzan was a junior that Garp admired greatly, thanks to his incredible strength, he was notoriously lazy. As such, Garp needed to select sharp-witted Marines to avoid disrupting his sleep.

Of course, Garp himself wasn't one to think that far ahead. All of this was Wright's special instruction to Bogard, who was responsible for personnel selection. This time, the normally stoic Bogard was impressed—had this seemingly idle guy actually put thought into this?

Meanwhile, with Kuzan handling Garp, Wright set himself a new task: training Smoker—or as Wright jokingly called it, "educating" him.

"Hey, Smokehead, you've been shadowing Vice Admiral Kuzan for a while now. He's technically our senior disciple, you know?" Wright asked, resting his sword against his shoulder as he glanced at Smoker, who was sprawled on the ground, black lines running across his face. "Kuzan-senpai is a master of the 'Form-Shaping' combat style. Haven't you learned anything useful from him?"

Smoker had recently asked for a sparring session to gauge his progress. Wright agreed enthusiastically, only for Smoker to be thoroughly schooled.

Smoker's growth over this period had been significant—he'd developed his Moku Moku no Mi (Smoke-Smoke Fruit) abilities along the concept of condensation, achieving preliminary success. He could now form a hardened layer of smoke similar to Armament Haki, boasting remarkable toughness while retaining the intangibility of a Logia user. Smoker had even abandoned his signature jitte, focusing on honing his martial arts to create a more versatile fighting style.

"You're a freak, Wright!" Smoker cursed, lighting a new cigar after the previous one was sent flying by Wright's kick. He had challenged Wright full of confidence, only to find himself on the ground after a single sweeping kick. The bastard hadn't even drawn his sword! Is this guy even a swordsman? How is his kicking technique this monstrous? Does he practice Rankyaku as part of his swordsmanship?!

Wright cast a Holy Light spell to help Smoker recover, realizing how much Garp's special training had strengthened him. His foundation in physical fitness, strength, and defense had advanced significantly. While his swordsmanship hadn't progressed much, his speed and destructive power had improved drastically.

Smoker stood, puffing on his cigar, his eyes locking onto Wright. "Of course, I sought Kuzan-senpai's advice on shaping techniques. How else could I master the basics so quickly?"

"Kuzan-senpai even praised my development approach—though I told him it was based on your guidance," Smoker added, ignoring Wright's darkening expression. I might not be good at thanking people, but I can always give credit to the higher-ups.

"Kuzan-senpai also said that my 'condensation' concept is fundamentally different from his 'ice forming' techniques. His experience can only serve as a reference, not a direct learning path. However, if fully developed, my ability might be more versatile than his."

Indeed, Smoker's smoke condensation was akin to 3D printing—more flexible than simply forming ice. However, it lacked the extreme cold of the Hie Hie no Mi (Ice-Ice Fruit). Each ability had its advantages and disadvantages, depending on the user's creativity and mastery.

Smoker, realizing the vast gap between himself and Wright, wasn't discouraged. After all, Vice Admiral Kuzan had also been considered a "monster" in his day. Justice couldn't rely on a few monsters alone; it needed capable elites like Smoker to support them. Smoker resolved to focus on improving himself, trusting that hard work would close the gap.

Once the crew transfer was complete, Kuzan departed with Smoker and the borrowed warship. Before leaving, Kuzan extended an invitation to Wright.

"Ah, Wright-kun, interested in joining my ship for a bit? I hear you're very passionate about hunting pirates. Isn't staying cooped up at the branch base a little suffocating?"

"Damn you, Kuzan!" Garp roared, leaping to his feet. "Borrowing a warship isn't enough—you want to take Wright too? Take this Fist of Love!"

Wright watched helplessly as Garp's iron fist shattered Kuzan into a pile of ice shards, which slowly reformed. Sighing, Wright said, "Vice Admiral Kuzan, I was actually considering it, but if that old man's willing to punch even you, I'm afraid he'd sink your ship if I joined you."

"Haha, true enough. Garp-san doing that wouldn't surprise me at all," Kuzan replied, waving nonchalantly. "Well then, Wright-kun, train hard under Garp-san. 'We' look forward to fighting alongside you someday."

"See you at headquarters."

"...'We,' huh…"

After Kuzan and Smoker's departure, Wright returned to his "peaceful" life. As the pirate threat continued to grow, Garp began assigning Wright long-term patrol missions. For pirate crews that required a Vice Admiral's attention, Garp would merely oversee while Wright handled the specifics.

Two years passed, during which Wright's combat strength steadily reached the level of a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. He spent most of his time refining his combat techniques and further developing his Holy Light powers.

The rank of Marine Vice Admiral encompassed a wide range of combat abilities—some, like the future Admirals, were incredibly strong, while others barely surpassed Rear Admiral-level strength. Wright's power placed him on the lower end of the Vice Admiral spectrum, as he had focused on building a strong foundation and well-rounded skills, including leadership, strategy, and military administration.

As former Admiral Zephyr once said, the Marines couldn't rely solely on fighters; even the strongest warriors had to excel in command and strategy. Even Garp, who seemed like a pure brawler, possessed keen strategic insight and excellent leadership. Of course, with tacticians like Sengoku and Tsuru around, Garp rarely needed to think much, letting them handle the planning while he enjoyed punching things.

During these two years, Wright captured or killed countless pirates. Many pirates from the East Blue remembered Wright as a nightmare. When Wright transferred to the Grand Line and Marine Headquarters, East Blue's pirates celebrated—briefly. Reinforcements soon suppressed them again, though without high-ranking officers stationed there, some managed to escape to the Grand Line.

Unfortunately for them, many met their end at G-3, where Wright was stationed. None of those who encountered Wright returned alive. This earned him both military accolades and a promotion to Headquarters Captain.

A Headquarters Captain with Vice Admiral-level combat strength—alongside Garp's overwhelming power and Bogard's Rear Admiral-level skills—made G-3 a nightmare for nearby pirates.

------------------------------

If you want to support me and read advance chapters, please visit:

pateron.com / juanpiece