For once, Borsalino let out a real, heavy sigh—not his usual fake-ass easygoing act.
And who could blame him? While those two monsters tore each other apart, the Navy's workload would fall entirely on his shoulders. Even when it was over, neither Sakazuki nor Kuzan would be in fighting shape.
He'd be stuck handling everything and answering to whoever ended up as the next Fleet Admiral.
"Looks like I'll be dragging Yuji into this mess toooo…"
"Wait—hey, don't drag me into this shit!"
Honestly, having one promising young guy helping out didn't sound too bad.
"Thing is, it's not just some joke this time, Yuji-kun."
"What are you talking about?"
"Both Sakazuki and Kuzan... they both said that if they became Fleet Admiral, they'd definitely choose you as the next admiral…"
"You serious?"
"Ooooh, dead serious. They're both lookin' for strong, fast-footed talent, ya know…"
And this wasn't just Borsalino talking out of his ass.
Sakazuki and Kuzan had straight-up declared that Yuji would be their top pick for the next admiral.
"I figured it'd happen eventually."
"You're just tooo strong, kid."
"C'mon. Vice Admiral Momonga and the others are no slouches either."
"Back when we were your age, we were still greenhorns, ya knowww… Or what, you don't wanna be an admiral?"
"…No, it's not that." Yuji Tono didn't exactly hate the idea of becoming an admiral.
On the contrary, if rising in rank meant he'd be able to do even more, then it wasn't a bad deal.
"Relax, you'll still be workin' right there on the front lines~"
"In that case, I've got no complaints."
"That's all I wanted to say… Good luck out thereee…"
"Thanks. You too, Borsalino-san, with… y'know, all your stuff…"
"Oooooh, words from the young stab right through meeee…"
And with that final parting jab, the Den Den Mushi—previously groaning in visible agony—slowly slipped into sleep.
After the hell that was the Summit War, the Navy had no choice but to evolve.
A change in the Fleet Admiral meant a change in everything: the structure, the command, the inner workings. The admirals would shift too.
"What a pain in the ass."
Even if his promotion was practically guaranteed, there wasn't much room to celebrate.
It meant heavier responsibility, more paperwork, more bullshit. Sure, Yuji appreciated that the top brass recognized his strength, but with the way the world was shifting, he could already smell the mountain of headaches coming his way.
"Kehaha! Ah well. I'll manage somehow."
But there was no point worrying about it now.
Everything hinged on the outcome of the fight between Sakazuki and Kuzan.
"Alright, guess it's about time I hit the training grounds again." Yuji stepped out of his quarters and onto the deck.
Tashigi and the others were in the middle of showering. He could go in and catch them off guard for fun, but as long as he wore the Marine uniform, there were duties he had to uphold.
And if he was going to be an admiral, then strength was non-negotiable.
"Marge."
"Yes, sir!"
"How long d'you think you can withstand my Conqueror's Haki?"
"If I had to guess… five, maybe six seconds, sir…"
"Kehaha, have some confidence. You got promoted to Rear Admiral after the war, didn't you? Holding out that long against my Haki is no joke."
Yuji waved his right-hand man over with a flick of his finger.
The man had been training since childhood to stand against Yuji's Conqueror's Haki. Just the fact that he could withstand it for even a few seconds said everything about his growth—and yet, Yuji's brow furrowed.
"But if you can take it, that just means my Haki still ain't strong enough."
"Wha—N-No, sir! That's not what I meant!"
"You can think what you want. But I can't accept that shit." Yuji had a long list of things he hated.
Being tied down. Being told what he couldn't do. Getting shafted by injustice. Being underestimated.
But above all… the thing he hated the most was feeling weak.
"I can still get stronger. Whoever said you can't train Conqueror's Haki directly is full of shit."
"Y-You're not seriously…"
"Oh, I am. You're gonna be my test subject."
"N-No thanks! Hard pass!"
"What, you got a mouth now? Wanna die, you idiot?"
"Ugh… come on, sir."
A 31-year-old subordinate getting bullied by his 18-year-old superior—it sounded ridiculous on paper.
But in the Marines, where power spoke louder than rank or age, it made perfect sense. The gap between them was undeniable.
"Alright, here it comes."
"W-Wait! At least give me a—!" Marge stood on the deck, directly in front of Yuji.
And without warning—
"Here ya go."
"…!"
Yuji unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.
"—Khah! Hah… gah…!"
"Ooh, you're really withstanding it?"
"Of course… I am…! After how many years I've trained under you, Vice Admiral Yuji…!"
"Been what, around eight years? I even remember almost killing you once when I snapped."
"That's not something you should talk about so casually!!"
It had only lasted a second.
A fleeting moment—barely a blink. But in that instant, Marge's entire body broke into a cold sweat, and he nearly lost consciousness from the pressure of the Haki.
"…Phew. Vice Admiral, could you not be so unreasonable all the time?"
"What's the problem? It's not like you died. You're decently strong, aren't ya?"
"I thought I died for a second, though!!"
Of course, Yuji hadn't gone all out.
He'd used maybe 60% of his full power, but even that was enough to reveal a lot.
"So? That was about sixty percent. Think you could handle me at max power?"
"…I think I'd survive. Probably."
"Good, good. Appreciate the effort. Means I've still got room to grow."
Yuji's Haki still had room to evolve.
Some say Conqueror's Haki can't be trained the same way as the other types, that it only grows with the user's spirit and growth as a person.
But if that's true, then by pushing both mind and body to their limits, it should be possible to sharpen it even further.
"Keha ha ha ha! Hell yeah. This is getting fun."
With that, Yuji Tono made his way toward the ship's training room, clearly fired up.
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