Chapter 38

"He just wanted to get stronger, to make his mark before his time ran out.

And it was running out fast. Last year, the Navy's best doctor said that if Hansa stopped training and fighting, he might make it to forty. Zephyr had wanted to give him a desk job at headquarters, but Hansa refused.

Now? He probably had a few years left, at most.

Hansa smiled at Loya's concern. "It's okay... I don't want to die in pain on some hospital bed. If I can go out fighting, that'd be an honor."

"Tch... you're trouble, you know that?" Loya frowned, but didn't argue.

"I'll be waiting in the arena at 2 PM tomorrow," Hansa said, then hung up. The snail's eyes drooped shut.

Loya stared at the sleeping snail, then pulled out a lettuce leaf. "Here, eat up. It's been three days since I fed you last!"

As the snail munched away, Loya fell into deep thought.

In just a month, Loya had mastered four of the Six Powers. The news had spread like wildfire through the elite camp, even reaching Navy HQ. Kuzan had called to ask about it.

On paper, learning the Six Powers hadn't made Loya stronger. His raw power was still off the charts, his Dragon Slayer magic still incomprehensible.

But the Six Powers had filled in his weak spots. His moves were more well-rounded now. In actual combat, the current Loya was at least twice as dangerous as before.

In the world of One Piece, setting aside the weird Devil Fruits, there were four elements to evaluate a fighter: Speed, Strength, Defense, and Skill.

Before, Loya only had the edge in Strength and Defense. His powerful magic made him like a fortress.

Not just the elite battalion - no Vice Admiral wanted to face Loya in a fight. It was like... well, as Loya put it:

"A hurricane sweeping the earth! Fire Roar and Ice Wing alternating could level a town in hours."

But back then, Vice Admirals could still beat Loya in close combat with their speed and experience. As long as they dodged his blue energy attacks, even his ice armor couldn't stop them.

Now, even the top brass had to admit: aside from lacking experience, Loya with the Six Powers had surpassed most Vice Admirals.

That was the scariest thing about Loya now - he was too well-rounded!

In Molding Magic, Loya had long been able to hold his own against the toughest Vice Admirals.

In melee combat, his Six Powers might still be a bit behind Sakazuki's, but he was no longer a sitting duck.

Once he mastered them fully and learned Haki? He'd be giving Admirals a run for their money.

Then there were those unique abilities, supposedly from deep-seated dragon memories. Even Zephyr wouldn't want to face Loya's Ice Dragon's Roar head-on.

And don't forget Loya's trump card: "Awakening: Pseudo-Dragon Transformation." When he went all out, he could briefly go toe-to-toe with Zephyr himself.

Well... let's not dwell on how "brief" that might be. A man's got his pride, after all!

With such comprehensive abilities, Loya had become a Navy celebrity. Soldiers everywhere gave him friendly nods.

Some were even spreading rumors that Loya was next in line for Admiral.

Let's... not get into the betting pools behind those rumors. Suffice to say, Loya made a tidy profit.

Yet facing this "terrifying" Loya, Hansa hadn't lost his fighting spirit. Loya could see it wasn't stubbornness or pride - Hansa simply wanted to defeat him.

"Is this what they call a 'pure swordsman'?" Loya wondered.

It reminded him of something from the original story. Zoro, after years as a pirate hunter, had raised his sword to Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, knowing he might lose or even die.

Honestly, Loya, raised in peacetime, couldn't quite grasp these swordsmen's mindset. All that planning and preparation? Meaningless to them. They lived to train, fight, and grow stronger.

Just like now, with Hansa choosing to challenge Loya.

Zephyr didn't try to stop him. He knew nothing could shake Hansa's resolve. He just quietly asked Loya to end the fight quickly...

After all, the longer it dragged on, the more likely Hansa's body would give out.

Loya's response was simple: "If I have to resort to stalling tactics to beat Hansa, I'd be pretty disappointed in myself."

The next day, in the Navy HQ cafeteria:

Loya was wolfing down his food when he realized the elite squad had gathered around him, staring blankly.

Finally, Aludo awkwardly spoke up: "Loya... uh, are you really going through with this duel against Hansa?"

Loya nearly choked on his water. He fixed Aludo with a deadpan look. "Seriously? You're still hung up on that?"

"But... I..."

Before Aludo could embarrass himself further, Simon dragged him away. Clearly, making Aludo their spokesperson had been a mistake.

Tony stepped forward. "Look, none of this matters now. We just... we don't want to lose a comrade."

Hansa hadn't just saved Tony's life; he'd spent the past month sharing his sword knowledge, helping Tony train. Zephyr, not being a swordsman himself, could only point out problems, not dive deep into swordsmanship.

At first, the arrogant Tony had been impatient. With his family's style and the Asura technique he'd learned, he figured he'd make his mark on the seas. Why bother with Hansa's teachings?

But learning about Hansa's condition had silenced Tony. Hansa was... leaving his legacy.

Loya paused, eyeing Tony. "So what are you saying? That I should forfeit? Or go easy on him? You know that'd hurt Hansa worse than dying, right?"

Tony's face darkened, his hand tightening on his sword hilt.

He knew Loya was right. If Loya held back, it'd crush Hansa. Not out of pity, but shame. For a swordsman, if you can't answer with your blade, you might as well die.

The normally noisy cafeteria fell silent. Only the sound of Loya slurping his juice could be heard.

Finally, Minnie broke the silence. She tied back her hair with a band. "If that's how it is, then Loya, I'm challenging you right now!"

Whoa!

Everyone stared at Minnie in disbelief. What was she thinking? This was Loya they were talking about! A genuine monster!

Sure, he'd spent a month training in the Six Powers without fighting, but they all remembered his previous battles. The guy was terrifying!

The memory of Loya crushing those attackers was still fresh. Had Minnie forgotten?

"Minnie, what the hell are you doing?" Tony growled, grabbing her arm. But Minnie didn't budge.

Only then did Tony realize she was trembling all over, muscles rigid, breath short.

"She's... scared?" Tony thought. Suddenly, Minnie looked at him and nodded gravely.

"What does that mean?" Tony was baffled.

Then Simon's voice cut through the crowd. He flicked his bangs back. "For real? Then I'm challenging you too, Loya!"

"What?!"

Tony was lost now. Simon had even more reason to fear Loya. Sure, his Devil Fruit power could pierce Loya's ice armor, but his weak constitution meant he couldn't follow up.

What made him think he stood a chance?

Loya's lips curled into a smirk. He laughed. "Interesting! Really interesting! Well then, don't just talk. Come at me, all of you!"

He actually agreed! To face them all! Wasn't he worried about wearing himself out before the duel with Hansa?

Then it clicked for Tony. This was their chance to weaken Loya before his fight with Hansa!

The rest of the squad caught on too. They exchanged glances, fighting spirit surging, their collective will forming a spear aimed at Loya.

"Loya! We're all challenging you!"

Something flickered in Loya's eyes.

"I've got that appointment with Hansa this afternoon, but... if you're so eager to get your asses kicked, who am I to say no? Bring it on, small fry!"