"Hahaha!"
"Serves Zhan Taowan right!"
After his initial surprise, Garp burst out laughing heartily.
Though Bai Yu was only nominally Garp's disciple, he was extremely proud of him.
The stronger Bai Yu became, the more Garp's face seemed to glow with pride. How could he not be overjoyed?
Standing nearby, Kizaru lowered his head slightly and remained silent, choosing not to add anything.
"Ahem…"
The sound of Sengoku's deliberate cough broke Garp's carefree laughter.
"I've decided to make an exception. Bai Yu will receive a special promotion."
Once Garp's laughter subsided, Sengoku spoke firmly.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three admirals—Kizaru, Aokiji, and Akainu—changed drastically.
They stared at Sengoku in disbelief.
After all, Bai Yu had just been promoted to Colonel, which was already a rare speed of advancement.
And now? If promoted again, he would leap straight into the Vice Admiral ranks—almost brushing shoulders with the admirals themselves!
Such lightning-fast promotion was unheard of.
"Isn't that... a little too fast?"
Akainu frowned, his voice cold and tense.
"Too fast?"
Before Sengoku could respond, Garp's grin vanished, and his voice boomed through the room.
"Has anyone else in the Navy taken down the Hannabar Pirates single-handedly like Bai Yu did?"
"And don't forget—'the disgrace of the Navy' was trained by you, Akainu."
"Compared to that, promoting Bai Yu not by one level, but by two, isn't unreasonable at all."
Garp crossed his arms, clearly dissatisfied with Akainu's attitude.
Hearing Garp bring up Gasparde, the so-called "Navy Disgrace" who had defected and turned pirate...
Akainu fell silent.
The weight of Garp's words was heavy.
"Very well."
"Since it's been confirmed that Bai Yu has no ties to the ancient weapons..."
"And he continues to make contributions of this scale..."
"Then it's only right that the Navy reward such a rare talent."
"We can't afford to lose someone like him."
Sengoku's tone was resolute. For once, he and Garp stood firmly on the same side.
"Understood."
Seeing Sengoku make his stance clear, Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru all fell silent.
Each nodded, conceding the matter without further argument.
And just like that, the decision was finalized.
---
The Next Day
Bai Yu and the Navy forces from Branch 188 set out for their return journey.
As usual, Bai Yu and Ke You trained separately on the deck, continuing their routine.
"Am I imagining things?"
As Bai Yu swung his blade, he suddenly paused, murmuring to himself.
"It feels like my strength has increased since I obtained the power of the dragon..."
The weight of the Longyan Taidao in his hand felt noticeably lighter.
Each swing was swifter, more precise.
It wasn't just in his head—something had changed.
"Must be a passive boost from Dragon Force..."
He dismissed the thought quickly, attributing it to the lingering power from the dragon ability he had recently acquired.
Without further delay, Bai Yu resumed his sword practice.
"500… 501… 502..."
Under the blazing sun, Bai Yu's blade cut through the air again and again.
He moved with tireless intensity.
---
BOOM!
Suddenly, the entire warship lurched violently, startling the entire crew.
"Report!"
A navy soldier sprinted over to Bai Yu, urgency in his voice.
"Eight hundred meters ahead—two large Sea Kings spotted! They're fighting!"
Bai Yu stopped mid-swing.
With a swift movement, he flashed to the ship's mast.
Whoosh!
A single leap, and he landed atop the mast's highest point, scanning the sea ahead.
Sure enough, two massive Sea Kings were locked in a ferocious battle on the surface of the sea.
One resembled a centipede, its long body bristling with armored plates.
The other was covered in white and black stripes, bearing a strong resemblance to a zebra—albeit one the size of a fortress.
The collision of their monstrous bodies had stirred up a wave large enough to shake the warship.
And now, they blocked the ship's path forward.
Bai Yu's eyes narrowed. A thought struck him.
This was the perfect chance to test someone.
"Bellumebo!"
He shouted.
"Cawww!"
A gust of wind followed. Moments later, Bellumebo—now in his Ancient Pterosaur form—swooped in beside him.
"Take us up!"
Bai Yu leapt lightly onto Bellumebo's back.
He had to admit—flying on the back of a pterosaur was an unmatched thrill.
"Roger that!"
Bellumebo flapped his wings powerfully, soaring through the air toward the Sea Kings.
After rigorous training, Bellumebo now had near-total mastery of his Devil Fruit abilities.
His transformation was smooth, his strength vastly improved.
As the pair flew high above the battling Sea Kings, Bai Yu analyzed the situation.
The two monsters were fully focused on tearing each other apart.
They didn't notice the intruders above.
"Go."
Bai Yu patted Bellumebo's back, then leapt off with a light tap, staying airborne using Geppo.
"???"
Bellumebo blinked, confused.
"What are you waiting for?" Bai Yu called back. "Take them down! Time to see the results of your training!"
"I thought I was just here to observe..." Bellumebo muttered.
But Bai Yu only crossed his arms and gave him a sharp look.
"Go."
"Fine! I'll fight!"
Gritting his teeth, Bellumebo flapped his wings hard and dove toward the two Sea Kings.
ROARRR!
A deep, thunderous screech echoed from his beak—a dragon-like roar that shook the sea.
The two Sea Kings froze momentarily.
Then, recognizing an intruder, they snarled furiously and turned their wrath skyward.
They attacked.
One lunged with its massive jaws, the other swiped its tail in a broad arc.
From the mast, Bai Yu rested a hand on his Longyan Taidao, ready to step in if needed.
---
But Bellumebo stayed calm.
He wasn't the same weak recruit he once was.
As the monsters lunged, he twisted midair and narrowly avoided both attacks.
He darted forward, claws extended.
SLASH!
His talons raked across the zebra Sea King's eye.
Blood burst out, and the beast howled in pain.
But victory was short-lived.
WHAM!
In its agony, the striped Sea King thrashed violently, its colossal tail slamming into Bellumebo midair.
CRACK!
The impact echoed like thunder. Bellumebo coughed blood.
His body spiraled downward, wings flailing—
—and directly into the path of the centipede Sea King, who opened its jaws wide—
Ready to devour him whole.