Chapter 26: Three World Government Organizations!

"Observation Haki?"

Borsalino's body transformed into light particles and reappeared beside the warship. 

If that blade had been infused with Armament Haki just now, he would've been sliced in two by now. His eyes reflected shock as he looked at Ron. He couldn't fathom just how powerful this guy really was.

"That's enough for today," Ron said, sheathing his sword. 

The fight with Borsalino wasn't some whim. On one hand, Ron wanted to gauge his strength. However, the main reason was to awaken his Observation Haki under pressure. Now that it was activated, there was no need to continue. 

If they kept fighting, it would come down to a life-or-death struggle. Given the gap in their power, Ron could have killed Borsalino within a hundred moves, if he weren't holding back. Even a Logia-type Devil Fruit user who's just entered the Vice Admiral rank isn't qualified to stand in his way.

"Ron Vice Admiral, I'll return to the headquarters," Borsalino said nonchalantly. The two of them had a silent agreement to never mention this incident. 

A fight? What fight? Clearly, it was just a friendly exchange between colleagues. It's only natural for comrades to spar occasionally, right? Ron being provocative? Nothing of the sort. Borsalino was smart enough not to offend a future Marine Admiral with unlimited potential over such a trivial matter.

As the battleship sailed away from G8, Borsalino glanced at the fortress shrinking in the distance, his face reflecting both emotion and anxiety. 

"To master Haki and Kendo at such a young age… what a terrifying guy!" Borsalino thought. "It won't be long before he's promoted to Admiral." He shook his head, deciding that regardless of Ron's future rank, he wanted no part in being his enemy. Luckily, they were both Marines, so it was unlikely they'd ever clash. Even if they did, it wouldn't be a fight to the death.

"Armament Haki, Observation Haki… Now all that's missing is Conqueror's Haki." Feeling the warship leave his Observation Haki's range, Ron grabbed a giant beast's leg and bit into it. "I seem to be getting hungrier lately."

In the blink of an eye, a small Sea King was reduced to bones. Ron rubbed his stomach, still feeling only half-full. 

"Speaking of which, my intestines and stomach have been strengthened for quite some time now. They should be evolving soon." His increased appetite was likely due to his stomach nearing its next stage of evolution, requiring more nutrients.

Thinking this, Ron dragged a few slaughtered Sea Kings from cold storage and sent them to the massive kitchen behind the fortress, where hundreds of chefs were working in shifts to keep up with his demands. Being a Vice Admiral, second only to Admirals and the Fleet Admiral in rank, it wasn't unreasonable for him to have such privileges, right?

When word spread that Ron had taken most of the cooks from Marine Headquarters, the entire base starved for three days. Only after emergency chefs were sent from the World Government did things return to normal. The Fleet Admiral, Kong, didn't mind such trivial matters. After all, these were elite Marines—they could catch Sea king and survive a few days without cooks. Better this than having Ron stir up trouble elsewhere.

For the next month, Ron stayed in the fortress, alternating between training, eating, and familiarizing himself with his newly awakened Observation Haki.

"Finally evolved!" A month passed, and after consuming countless Sea Kings, Ron felt his stomach undergo its first major evolution. It happened quickly—within an hour, his stomach had transformed.

What changed? 

Ron eyed a freshly cooked Sea King roast nearby, a ten-meter-long chunk of meat steaming. And this was just one-tenth of the entire creature.

"Swallow!" He opened his mouth, and a great suction pulled the entire roast into his stomach. His digestive power had improved dramatically, allowing him to swallow half a Sea King in one go. As for the "science" behind this? Devil Fruits aren't exactly grounded in logic, after all. They defy explanation.

"Not bad," Ron muttered, wiping his mouth with a tissue. "But my appetite's grown again." 

Where he used to be sated by a few Sea Kings, now he needed at least twice that amount. However, his diet had expanded too. Ron broke a piece of iron from the table and tossed it into his mouth, chewing it up with ease. His evolved stomach could now digest steel—and possibly even the wood from the Adam Tree. 

Anything he ate would be broken down into trace elements his body could absorb. In other words, consuming enough iron would make his body as tough as steel.

"If I eat a few seastones, would I become a walking seastone weapon?" He considered the idea briefly but dismissed it. While a Devil Fruit user weakens in seawater, they can still use their powers. But with seastone, even abilities are sealed. 

It was a tempting thought, But it might also weaken him so he forgot about that idea.

[Power Stones Required]

Now he will stick to steel. He could always add a few extra pounds of iron to his meals. After a few years of this diet, his skin might evolve further, perhaps even rivaling Kaido's title as the strongest creature on land, sea, and air.

Satisfied with his progress, Ron swallowed some pig iron. While it didn't have much flavor, he could feel his body becoming stronger as his cells compacted, increasing his physical defense. "Eat more, grow stronger," he mused, grabbing another piece of meat.

If he kept eating like this, he'd be an Admiral in three to five years. After that, the position of Fleet Admiral would be within his grasp.

Ron's peaceful routine was only interrupted when he received a report from headquarters. 

"Impel Down's director is dead?" Ron muttered, reading the newspaper with a strange expression. 

The World Government's three main institutions—Marine Headquarters, Impel Down, and Enies Lobby—were all powerful. But Marine Headquarters, the strongest of the three, boasted Admirals as the government's ultimate military force. In contrast, Enies Lobby and Impel Down weren't quite as formidable. 

Impel Down had at least one Admiral-level fighter to suppress the criminals there. Meanwhile, Enies Lobby, with 10,000 elite soldiers and the CP9 spy organization, wasn't as impressive. Although CP9 had world-class training, their strength usually only matched that of a Vice Admiral. 

With no Admiral permanently stationed there, Enies Lobby was primarily a judicial institution, securing captured criminals. Even the World Government found it unnecessary to waste Admiral-level power on such a task. Admirals, after all, weren't exactly common. 

Given Enies Lobby's strategic position, connected to both Marine Headquarters and Impel Down, no pirate would dare attack. Since the World Government's establishment, Enies Lobby had never been breached.

I hope your like the chapter 😊.