Compared to the dark, stormy seas of the New World, where the ongoing war loomed like an oppressive shadow, Marineford, located in the first half of the Grand Line, was much quieter and more peaceful.
Under the night sky, Marineford looked no different from usual, tranquil and serene.
In the courtyard, Fleet Admiral Xayuki, draped in his Admiral's coat, stood with his head slightly tilted, gazing at the moon that was gradually disappearing into the clouds with the arrival of dawn. In a soft voice, he asked, "Ain, any new intelligence from the New World?"
Standing beside him throughout the night, Ain took a step forward, glanced at the silent Den Den Mushi in her hand, and shook her head.
Then, she looked up at Xayuki and cautiously asked, "Fleet Admiral, are you worried about Admiral Sakazuki?"
"It's not worry," Xayuki replied, his tone calm. "It's just that this war has been dragging on for quite some time."
After a brief pause, Xayuki suddenly changed the subject, asking, "What about the Shichibukai? Are they behaving themselves?"
Ain nodded. "They've all quieted down after lights out."
Hearing this, Xayuki glanced at his watch and said decisively, "Go and have Noah wake them all up."
"Huh?"
Ain blinked her bright eyes, thinking she had misheard. "Right now?"
"I haven't even had time for a nap, and they've been sleeping for hours. That's enough!"
Without further explanation, Xayuki briskly walked toward the dormitory where the Shichibukai and their families or subordinates were staying.
Ain stood frozen for several seconds before covering her mouth to stifle a laugh.
She didn't need to guess what Xayuki was planning next. It was undoubtedly the same method he had used to train his own subordinates—a method he was now going to apply to the Shichibukai and their crews as part of his Ideological Remolding Program.
Over the years, ever since the attack on her internship ship, Xayuki had not only sparred with Ain and Binz in swordsmanship during his spare time but also dragged them to the training grounds to train alongside other soldiers.
At first, Ain thought Xayuki's training methods were no different from the usual Marine drills. But after experiencing it firsthand, she realized that the previous training methods for recruits and officers were like child's play in comparison.
Most importantly, Xayuki was like a completely different person during training. Normally, he was righteous, warm, and fiercely protective of his people. But during training, he became an undeniable devil.
Of course, Ain understood why Xayuki had suddenly come up with this idea.
Although he claimed not to be worried, his actions betrayed his true feelings. He had asked her about the situation in the New World at least a dozen times tonight.
As someone who had been fiercely protective even as a Captain, Rear Admiral, and Vice Admiral, Xayuki could not possibly remain indifferent now that he was Fleet Admiral.
Even though Sakazuki and Gion were powerful enough to handle themselves, and the Vice Admirals were more than capable, the ordinary soldiers accompanying the fleets were not all battle-hardened veterans. As the war dragged on, casualties among the soldiers would inevitably increase.
In such a situation, it was only natural for Xayuki to find something else to occupy his mind.
By the time Xayuki and Ain arrived at the Shichibukai dormitory, the building was already brightly lit.
In the hallways, the sound of loud knocking and shouting echoed incessantly.
Bang, bang, bang—
"Wake up! Wake up!"
"Emergency assembly!"
In the hallway, Noah, with his sword at his waist, was accompanied by two soldiers. They knocked on every dormitory door with urgency, their penetrating voices reverberating through the corridor. One by one, the dormitory doors opened, revealing groggy, half-asleep faces.
"What the hell?! Waking us up at this hour?"
"Emergency assembly? Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the Donquixote—"
"Ahem! Oh, it's Lord Noah. W-we're getting up now!"
Amidst the grumbling and complaints, members of the Donquixote Family were the first to rush out of their rooms, followed by members of Baroque Works, and finally, the trio from Thriller Bark.
"Ughhhhhh!"
"I just fell asleep!"
"This Noah guy is a devil! Not cute at all!"
The last to emerge was Perona, the Ghost Princess of Thriller Bark.
With dark circles under her eyes, she didn't even bother with the hallway. Instead, she floated out of the window, holding her red umbrella.
Hovering beside Gecko Moria, Perona was just about to complain to Noah when a single glance from Xayuki, standing opposite in his Admiral's coat, silenced her instantly. She quickly floated to the ground, straightened her posture, and stood at attention.
"Hope I didn't disturb your sweet dreams!"
Once everyone had quieted down, Xayuki slowly walked forward, stopping in front of the towering Moria. In a calm and deliberate tone, he said, "Don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble. I've just been having trouble sleeping lately, so I thought I'd come check on everyone."
As he spoke, Xayuki thoughtfully reached out to button up Moria's coat and even pinched Perona's puffed-up cheeks.
Before Perona could react, Xayuki walked past Hogback, his gentle voice continuing, "Since you've all chosen to submit to me, you can no longer act as you please. Lazy habits must be corrected, and basic discipline must be upheld."
"That's why I've designed a special training program just for you!"
"From now on, Mihawk, Jinbe, and Hancock will form one group. Moria and the members of Thriller Bark will form another. Crocodile and the members of Baroque Works will form the third group. And lastly, Doflamingo and the members of the Donquixote Family will form the fourth group. Each group starts with 100 points. During the upcoming training, good performance will earn points, while poor performance will result in deductions."
At this point, Xayuki returned to stand before Moria, his tone growing sharper as he added with a smile, "If your group's points drop to zero, don't worry. I won't kill you. At most, I'll just send you back to Impel Down for further reform!"
The unexpected declaration left everyone wide-eyed in shock.
Standing behind Xayuki, Ain wanted to laugh but didn't dare. She knew this scene all too well!
Noah was no exception. Both of them were well aware that while Xayuki appeared kind and approachable at the moment, the devil within him had already awakened.
A single misstep, and even they might find themselves roped into the training.
"Um—"
Standing beside Moria, Perona glanced around nervously. Seeing that everyone else was avoiding eye contact, she cautiously looked up at Xayuki and whispered, "Xayuki, I…"
"What's wrong?" Xayuki stepped closer, his voice as gentle as a neighborly big brother. "Do you have a question?"
Perona hesitated before timidly asking, "I… I need to go to the bathroom. Is that okay?"
"Of course," Xayuki replied with a warm smile.
Overjoyed, Perona turned to float back toward the dormitory.
But just as she turned, Xayuki's previously gentle voice transformed into a devilish roar:
"Interrupting when I'm speaking—deduct five points!"
"Addressing me by name during training—deduct five points!"
"Moria's group—deduct ten points!"
Perona froze mid-air, her expression stiffening.
The next second, she burst into tears.
"Waaaaah!"
"Moria-sama! Xayuki is bullying me! I… I want to go home!"
Before Moria could respond, the devil's roar echoed again:
"Moria's group—another ten points deducted!"
Perona's sobbing stopped abruptly.
And then—
"Pfft…"
A stifled laugh broke the tense silence.
Following the sound, everyone turned to see Bon Clay from Baroque Works, his face flushed as he struggled to suppress his laughter. His exaggerated makeup and false eyelashes made his expression all the more comical.
Standing beside him, Crocodile immediately realized the danger and shot Bon Clay a fierce glare.
Sure enough—
"Crocodile's group—deduct five points."
Crocodile's face twitched uncontrollably.
Seeing Crocodile's reaction, the members of the Donquixote Family managed to hold back their laughter, but Doflamingo, ever the provocateur, let out his signature chuckle.
"Fuffuffuffu—"
"Hm?"
Realizing his mistake, Doflamingo immediately looked up at Xayuki, his lips trembling as he tried to explain.
But it was too late.
"Doflamingo's group—deduct ten points!" End of the third update for today. The next chapter will be updated tomorrow at 8 AM.
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