Chapter 33: Wood Released to Sea

"Gion-san is an excellent swordsman with a wealth of practical experience. I am fully convinced of my defeat and have no complaints whatsoever."

Hearing Gion's expression, which seemed to suggest, "If you don't accept it, we can fight again," Wood quickly decided to concede.

However, it was precisely this attitude that left Gion feeling unsatisfied with her victory, and the feeling only grew stronger in her mind.

To be honest, Wood's swordsmanship is on par with her own. He has also mastered the fast-moving "Shave" technique, and he holds advantages in both physical strength and power.

She was able to defeat him simply because she knew too well how shameless Wood could be.

If this had been their first encounter and the competition had been a real life-and-death duel, would she still have won?

The answer, of course, was no. Although she won, it was largely due to luck.

Thinking this, Gion felt a growing sense of dissatisfaction. Just as she was about to challenge Wood to another match, she noticed that the shameless guy had already run over to Teacher Zefa, trying to curry favor with him.

According to the agreement between Wood and Zefa, he needed to win or draw against Gion before the demon sword Tianku could be his. But for various reasons, Wood felt that provoking Gion would only lead to more headaches, so he deliberately lost.

"With the strength you just showed, you should have been able to defeat Gion, right? And you clearly cared about Tianku, but you lost on purpose."

Zephyr, as an admiral of the Navy, could see through Wood's actions. Although Gion and Wood were both skilled, in his eyes, they were still relatively inexperienced.

Wood's final actions might have fooled others, but they couldn't escape Zefa's keen observation.

From his sharp gaze, it was clear that whether it was Gion's "Leaping Rabbit" move or the final counterattack, Wood's body reacted ahead of his consciousness.

The only way to achieve that is through "Observation Haki."

It was because of this that Zefa looked surprised like everyone else when watching the battle earlier.

Based on Zefa's understanding of Wood's abilities, he initially thought Wood wouldn't stand a chance against Gion. However, he never expected that in just one year, Wood's growth would be so astonishing.

Not only had he mastered the "Shave" technique from the Six Styles in advance, but he also learned the outward slashing technique and comprehended "Observation Haki."

While Shave is one of the Six Styles and can be mastered through systematic practice, the swordsman's outward slash and Observation Haki are different. These can't be learned through practice alone; they require talent, comprehension, and a wealth of practical experience.

During this past year, Wood should have been focusing on basic courses and physical training at the Naval Academy, just like everyone else, right?

This kid isn't even 18 years old yet! When I was his age, I had just entered the Naval Academy!

Moreover, if Wood has grown this much after just one year of basic training, with another year of intensive training and my personal guidance, he will surely excel!

"You really wanted to obtain the Tianku sword, yet you deliberately lost the competition. Does that mean some things—or people—are more important to you than Tianku? From what I understand, there are many people pursuing Gion, and you're younger than her..."

Before Zefa could finish, Wood interrupted him, insisting that things were not at all as Zefa thought.

However, Wood couldn't just say that he found Gion troublesome, so he struggled for a long time without saying anything.

Seeing Wood's embarrassment, Zefa gave him an understanding look. After all, young and inexperienced boys often go through these confusing situations—Zefa had been there himself.

To avoid embarrassing Wood further, Zefa tactfully changed the subject, looking at the Tianku in Wood's hand.

"A deal is a deal. Since you failed to defeat Gion in the competition, Tianku cannot be awarded to you. But considering how much you've grown this year and how you've lived up to my expectations, I'm willing to sell it to you at market price."

Wood was quite disappointed after hearing the first part of Zefa's statement, but his face lit up with joy upon hearing the second part.

If this were a normal sharp sword, Wood wouldn't have been able to afford it at market price given his current financial situation. However, while the demon sword is also a famous sword, it's not highly sought after by swordsmen due to its ominous nature, making it relatively cheap on the market.

Zefa's offer to sell Tianku at market price was essentially giving it away.

Because of the sparring match between Wood and Gion, the arrogance of the naval elites who had been retained began to fade.

It's undeniable that as the best students retained at the Naval Academy, they knew they were being groomed as naval non-commissioned officers. Coupled with their youthful nature, they had become somewhat complacent.

However, after witnessing the battle between Wood and Gion, they finally understood that they had no reason to be arrogant.

Whether it was Wood or Gion, although they were the same age or even younger, the strength they displayed was enough to easily defeat the others.

After the battle, the remaining students were instructed to engage in two-on-two combat, and the results were just as Zefa had expected.

These so-called "naval elites" who had been retained were indeed excellent in physical fitness and theoretical knowledge. However, once they entered actual combat, it became clear that they were just a group with flashy but ineffective moves.

Worried that if he stayed any longer, his strength might be questioned and Gion would continue to bother him, Wood applied to Zefa for early leave, citing discomfort caused by using the demon sword.

After returning to his dormitory, Wood couldn't put down the Tianku sword in his hand while also removing the large amount of weight-bearing equipment he had been wearing!

The Naval Academy offers specialized masters in martial arts, kendo, and the Six Styles to train the students. Over the course of a year, the naval elites can choose one specialty for systematic training, followed by large-scale combat exercises every month.

The initial practical courses were just internal skirmishes among the students, but in the later stages, Zefa would personally take them out to sea to hunt pirates.

Of course, Zefa's presence was just a safety net. Even when encountering pirates, he generally wouldn't intervene, instead allowing the students to handle the enemies themselves.

As graduation approached, Zefa would no longer accompany them, sending Wood and the others out to sea alone to face the pirates.

Since this is the first half of the Grand Line, the pirates aren't too formidable, but casualties are inevitable in battle.

To become a navy officer, especially a non-commissioned officer, one must develop the ability to command operations and the mental fortitude to remain fearless in the face of danger.