If the Protagonist Doesn’t Undergo Some Special Training, Can He Be Called the Protagonist?

### Chapter 8: If the Protagonist Doesn't Undergo Some Special Training, Can He Be Called the Protagonist?!

Borusalino remained unaware of Scarface and his cohorts' scheming. Even if he had been aware, he might not have had the energy or inclination to deal with it. Upon returning to the dormitory, he was surprised to find an unexpected guest – Colonel Malvern, who was supposed to be waiting for them in the office, sat casually on his bed.

"Hey there, borusalino, glad you're back," Colonel Malvern greeted warmly as borusalino pushed the door open and entered. Shifting his legs, he asked, "How's the food here at our North Sea branch?"

"Colonel Malvern? Well, the food's good, but shouldn't you be waiting for us in the office? Why are you here in our dorm?"

"I figured I might end up waiting until nighttime for you two to find me," Colonel Malvern stood up, smiling mischievously. "What can I say? It's a healthy living habit, right?"

Borusalino, not yet as shameless as he would become in the future, could only laugh awkwardly at Colonel Malvern's teasing.

Colonel Malvern's smile faded as he got down to business. "Let's get to it, borusalino, Sakaski. Because you're both natural Devil Fruit users, starting this afternoon, I'll be conducting specialized training for you, different from that of ordinary sailors."

"I've arranged a separate training ground for you two. Come with me."

...

Although borusalino hadn't seen the size of the training grounds at Navy Headquarters, the area prepared by Colonel Malvern for him and Sakazuki was quite expansive – roughly estimated to be 150 meters square. Unlike typical naval training grounds filled with various equipment, this one contained nothing but five walls spaced about ten meters apart. These walls varied in thickness, each seemingly designed for specific training purposes.

Observing borusalino and Sakaski taking in the walls for the first time, Colonel Malvern smiled and explained, "These five walls were custom-made by me; they're no ordinary walls. Each contains a blend of metal to increase their rigidity."

"The thickness increases with each wall: the first is 20 centimeters thick with 15% metal content; the second is 30 centimeters with 20% metal; the third is 40 centimeters with 40% metal; the fourth is 60 centimeters with 70% metal... As for the fifth, it's 100 centimeters thick with 100% metal."

"One hundred centimeters thick, 100% metal content?" Borusalino couldn't help but smirk wryly. "Isn't that just a solid block of metal? What's the wall for?"

"Haha, you're right," Colonel Malvern chuckled. "But I never said they weren't entirely metal walls."

"Compared to their sheer hardness, breaching these walls progressively from the easiest to the toughest will be your training objective before you head to headquarters."

"Personally, my best so far is penetrating the fourth wall in one strike. The fifth wall, though, is beyond me."

Colonel Malvern said, removing his shirt and approaching the fourth wall.

Borusalino and Sakazuki followed suit. Upon reaching the fourth wall, they noticed hundreds of holes, each as wide as an adult's thumb, penetrating it completely.

Before they could examine further, Colonel Malvern suddenly called out, grabbing their attention.

"Watch closely!"

Taking a deep breath, Colonel Malvern slightly lowered his center of gravity, extended his left arm, fingers splayed, and pulled back his right arm, thumb extended.

Borusalino and Sakazuki watched intently as Colonel Malvern's body crackled like popping beans, radiating heat.

"Finger Gun!"

In an instant, Colonel Malvern's thumb, previously pulled close to his chest, shot forward. Before their eyes, his hand retracted and returned behind his back.

Simultaneously, several muffled thuds echoed, and multiple round holes appeared on the fourth wall before them.

Borusalino and Sakazuki couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. Colonel Malvern had fired multiple shots in rapid succession, yet their eyes could only register the afterimages.

"Let's see what's behind the wall."

Maintaining a composed demeanor, Colonel Malvern led borusalino and Sakazuki behind the wall.

Upon closer inspection, they found three small, burnt-looking holes protruding from the wall, with debris scattered below.

"By concentrating your strength into your fingers, you can deliver blows akin to bullets. The fingertip thrusts possess bullet-like penetration power, capable of piercing human flesh and even steel..."

Colonel Malvern spoke with pride. "This is an advanced Navy martial art, one of the six Finger Gun styles, and my proudest accomplishment in nearly two decades of service."

"That's truly impressive, Colonel Malvern," Porusalino praised sincerely.

"Absolutely," Colonel Malvern said, puffing his chest out. Then he turned serious. "However, what I intend to teach you isn't just Finger Gun techniques. Skills like these rely heavily on physical prowess and long-term practice. You'll likely struggle to master them in the short term, let alone achieve proficiency. For you two, your Devil Fruit abilities are more suitable for your combat methods."

"What exactly are you planning to teach us, Colonel Malvern?" Sakazuki inquired, brow furrowed.

"Well..."

Colonel Malvern tilted his head, facing their curiosity and skepticism, his smile turning enigmatic.

"As the saying goes, you must learn to walk before you can run! Rather than focusing solely on offense, newcomers like you should first learn defense and evasion techniques!"

"Finger Gun—Hell Thrust!"