After witnessing the fight, everyone was left with one thought:
"This kid… is terrifying!"
Akira hadn't just overwhelmed two opponents—he had also earned the submission of two more, demonstrating not only strength but also character.
After a brief moment of silence, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause, celebrating Akira's victory.
Momousagi and Chaton had disappeared at some point.
Instead of basking in the spotlight, Akira remained behind and activated the Quadruple Body Training Scroll (One Week) to begin refining his physique.
The morning passed in intensive training.
He ate lunch at noon, attended Elite Camp courses in the afternoon, and underwent Zephyr's special training session in the evening.
It was worth mentioning that after the pirate extermination mission, Smoker had become noticeably more disciplined and hardworking.
…
The next day.
A curvaceous beauty approached the Navy dormitory entrance.
"Boss Akira, Tina-sis is here looking for you."
Since Akira's decisive victory over the four challengers, everyone's attitude toward him had shifted. Even his roommates now called him "Boss."
Tina had heard about the previous day's events and had come early to apologize.
"I'm sorry. I've already warned them not to bother you again."
"It's not your fault—they didn't come on your orders."
Akira had just finished washing his hair, and his damp locks made him look even more dashing. Tina's eyes lit up at the sight.
"If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you. After all, I did something pretty inappropriate."
Facing Akira's gaze, Tina blushed and turned her head, recalling the incident.
"Let's not bring that up again. I didn't take it to heart."
"You… didn't?" Akira raised an eyebrow.
"N-no, that's not what I meant…" Tina's face turned redder. For someone inexperienced in relationships, this was unfamiliar territory.
After struggling with her words, Tina finally said seriously:
"You saved my life. Please don't talk like we're strangers."
Seeing the flustered marine beauty in front of him, Akira decided to stop teasing—any further, and she'd melt.
"Haha, alright. I get what you mean."
"Ugh, you're the worst," Tina muttered, half complaining and half bashful.
"Since you're not angry, can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"What does 'simp' mean?" Tina tilted her head.
"Some of the guys from Elite Camp told me they'd stop simping for me… all because I'm the girl you're into."
Akira immediately guessed it was Joseph and the others and held back a laugh. "Do you want the honest answer or the fake one?"
"What's the difference?"
"Well, the truth is…"
After explaining what "simp" really meant, Tina rolled her eyes at him—adorably.
"You're terrible. I really thought it was a compliment!"
"Hahaha!" Akira laughed heartily.
His roommates inside the dorm listened enviously. Akira wasn't just strong—he had serious charm too.
After sharing breakfast with Tina, Akira returned to his room to grab a few things—and ran into someone unexpected.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku!
Buddha Sengoku—close friend of Garp, believer in absolute justice, and the mastermind behind the plan that brought down the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Akira immediately saluted.
Sengoku gave a warm smile. Though not officially the Fleet Admiral yet, everyone knew the current one, Kong, had already named him as successor.
In fact, Kong had already handed off most of the responsibilities, spending his days lounging in the sun. Sengoku would formally take over any day now.
At first, Sengoku had modestly protested when people called him "Fleet Admiral," but he'd long since stopped correcting anyone.
"You're… Akira, right?"
Sengoku stared at him for a moment before remembering—Akira's file, along with Tina's and Smoker's, had landed on his desk the night they returned from the pirate mission.
The next day, he'd even chatted about the boy with Zephyr over tea. Zephyr had spoken very highly of him.
Seeing Akira now, Sengoku thought: "He's even better-looking in person."
"You know me, sir?" Akira looked honored.
"Of course I do. You're one of the Navy's rising stars—make sure you keep working hard to protect the people."
Sengoku said the words lightly, but in his heart, he thought: "If Zephyr praised him this much, I should keep an eye on him too."
Like any large organization, the Navy had factions—hawks, doves, neutrals, and fence-sitters.
"If I remember correctly, you worked on a farm before joining the Navy, didn't you? Then you must be good at shearing sheep."
"Yes, sir…" Akira had no idea where this was going.
"Then I have a favor to ask. My pet goat's fur has gotten too long. Would you mind giving him a trim?"
Worried about being misunderstood, Sengoku quickly added:
"That goat is involved in… classified matters. Better to have someone trustworthy do it."
"Classified" of course meant the goat ate documents after Sengoku finished reading them. Literally a walking library—stuffed with paper.
Akira laughed internally but responded respectfully:
"It's my honor, sir. I'd be happy to."
Sengoku was pleased. "This kid's got a good head on his shoulders—calm, polite, and not arrogant."
Just then, the system chimed:
[New Life Choice Unlocked.]
Option 1: Shear the goat normally. Reward: 500 points.
Option 2: Style the goat into something absurdly cool. Reward: Swordsmanship Experience Book.
Option 3: Shave the goat into a balding "Mediterranean" cut. Reward: Companion – Tom the Cat.
Akira froze.
"Wait… the system can summon living things now?!"
Sengoku saw his hesitation and thought he was having second thoughts. Understandable—young men often had high aspirations, and shearing a goat wasn't exactly glamorous.
"It's fine if you're unwilling. I can find someone else."
Akira panicked. This was a golden opportunity.
"No, sir! This is a top-secret mission—please allow me to handle it!"
Sengoku: "…"
"…Why did he suddenly get so excited?"
He led Akira into his office and pointed at the goat lying beside the desk.
"This is the one. Tools are in the box. Just don't touch the papers on the desk—I'll be stepping out for a bit."
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