As the sun climbed to its zenith, the bustling sailors finally finished loading the necessary supplies for the journey. Loya held the manifest, studying it intently... and realized it was absolutely useless to him.
One of the objectives of these field missions was training, ant to help them beco stronger. More importantly, it was ant to familiarize elite recruits with mariti navigation—a foundational skill for any future officer. After all, if they didn't understand the basics, how could they lead a fleet in the future?
However, for Loya, "navigation" was sothing to be avoided at all costs. No matter how much he understood the details, he never wanted to go to sea for fun!
Decisively tearing the manifest into pieces, Loya shouted to Aldo, who was standing on deck: "Aldo! Prepare to depart! Target: Heathville!"
"Understood!" Aldo replied, then turned to the sailors nearby: "Pass the order, we're setting sail!"
"Yes!"
The sailor saluted crisply and ran off to convey the command. Tony, leaning on the railing, raised an eyebrow and shouted down at Loya on the pier: "Hey, aren't you getting on the ship?"
"Of course... I have to!" Loya groaned, his face etched with reluctant misery. "You guys go ahead; give a head start."
"A head start..." Tony watched him, speechless. Just how seasick can one guy get?
Curious, and rembering Loya's unique abilities, Tony had a bold thought: Wait, don't tell he's going to move like Admiral Kuzan.
A shrill whistle from the bow interrupted his thoughts. The signalman on the lighthouse waved his flags, giving the all-clear. Slowly, the scenery began to retreat as the Wave-Breaker eased away from the dock.
Minde, still maintaining the pride of a veteran, walked to the deck, looked at Loya on the shore, and asked coldly: "What, isn't Loya coming with us?"
Field missions were mandatory. As a Marine, obedience was his duty. If Loya truly deserted, he would end up in Ward 3 of the infirmary upon his return. Minde didn't fear Loya shrinking back; he just wanted to assert his authority on the ship and remind Tony of his place.
Facing the aggressive tone, Tony smiled calmly. "He said he wants to run for a bit; he'll catch up soon."
After a month of living together, Tony had grown used to the forr thug's way of speaking. Minde was a jerk as a senior, but as a comrade, he was soone you could trust with your life. He wouldn't stand by if Tony were in real danger.
Tony ignored him and looked back at the shore. He was genuinely curious if Loya could really traverse the ocean like an Admiral.
Following Tony's gaze, Minde also noticed the activity on the pier. Loya took a deep breath, and the stone pavers under his feet were instantly coated in a layer of crystalline frost. The frost didn't spread in all directions but surged forward in a targeted line.
CRACK!
With the sound of freezing water, a straight, narrow path of ice appeared on the sea surface. It was two hundred ters long and stood unmoved by the crashing waves. From a distance, it looked like a military saber plunged into the ocean.
"That really is... terrifying power!"
In that mont, everyone—from Aldo and the others to the ordinary sailors—was struck by the sheer scale of Loya's ability. In this world, the sea was viewed as an unconquerable force. Seeing soone freeze it with such ease was genuinely awe-inspiring.
Loya breathed slowly, adjusting the output of his cold air. He lifted his feet, and two ice blades manifested beneath his soles.
"Here I go!"
Stepping onto the ice, Loya sprinted, moving with incredible speed.
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Zephyr watched Loya's receding figure, his thoughts hidden. He didn't even notice the cigar in his mouth had gone cold.
Sengoku walked up to his old friend and patted his shoulder. "Trust Loya. He is your disciple, after all."
Zephyr pulled the cigar from his mouth. "Mm, I know."
"Bah! What's the big deal! That brat is slippery; even if everyone else dies, he'll be just fine!" Garp chomped on a rice cracker with a loud crunch, looking completely unbothered.
Zephyr's face darkened, and he spat the cigar right into Garp's face. "Get lost!"
Garp flicked the cigar away with his finger, retorting with a strange look. "What? Am I wrong? You..."
"Shut up, Garp!" Sengoku interrupted, his face black. "I think you're just bored and wandering around my office! Since you're so free, I have a mission for you!"
Garp imdiately backpedaled: "Hey, hey! I'm still on vacation! That's against the regulations!"
"Which day aren't you on vacation? Sit down and be quiet!"
While Garp and Sengoku bickered, Zephyr lit a fresh cigar and watched the figure on the horizon, now a tiny speck. "Was I... truly too impulsive? Well, at this point, I can only put my faith in Loya."
The sun moved from overhead to the slant, and the breeze took on a chilly edge.
Jim had ticulously inspected every part of the Wave-Breaker. Its performance was even better than Loya had anticipated. Even without using Soru or his magic crests to accelerate, Loya's control over his body had evolved. He was three tis faster than before, lagging just slightly behind a genius like Hansa.
Still, he couldn't keep up with the ship's top speed and trailed far behind.
Brr-brr.
Loya pulled out his Den Den Mushi. Minde's iconic pompadour-shaped head appeared on the shell.
"Hey! Loya, we're about to enter the Calm Belt. Are you coming aboard, or are you going to keep running?"
Loya sensed the air currents. The wind had died down; the sea ahead was like a still painting, calm and wave-less. He checked the sun. "It's about 4:00 PM. I've got energy, but my mana is down to under 500 points. I won't last much longer. Let's rest."
He spoke into the Den Den Mushi: "Slow down. I'm coming up... Oh, and tell the ship's dic to have the seasickness dicine ready."
"Roger!"
Minde hung up and shouted to the deck: "Notify the control room to slow down! Tell the dic to prepare the seasickness pills!"
"Yes!"
Minde's head was sharp, and his naval experience surpassed Tony's. Under Loya's suggestion, Minde had taken over command of the Wave-Breaker.
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