Marineford Hospital, Intensive Care Unit.
The soundproofing was good, but the sound of heavy impacts and labored breathing could still be heard from inside.
"998... 999... 1,000!"
Boom!
The massive metal hospital bed slammed onto the floor, making the whole room shake.
Sakazuki was shirtless, his upper body covered in bandages. Sweat slid down his tight muscle lines, soaking the gauze.
An IV tube was still inserted into the back of one hand. The medicine bottle swayed violently with his movements, looking as if it might shatter at any moment.
"Damned blonde bastard..."
Sakazuki ground his teeth, his fists cracking. "Next time we meet, I'm going to smash that hypocritical face of yours. I'll embed you into the foundations of Marineford."
Every squat, every tearing pain in his muscles, reminded him of the day's humiliation.
Knock. Knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Get out! I don't need a nurse! Just leave the meat!" Sakazuki roared without looking back.
"Oh my, Sakazuki, still so temperamental. Didn't the doctor tell you? This will affect the healing of your wounds."
The voice he dreamt of strangling drifted in softly.
Sakazuki whipped his head around.
At the ward door, Tatsuki stood in a crisp Marine uniform, his signature gentle smile on his face.
Worst of all, the bastard was holding a bouquet of flowers.
A bouquet of deathly white, oversized white chrysanthemums... the kind only seen at funerals.
The white petals were still precariously falling off, and a black bow had been "thoughtfully" tied in the middle.
The air froze.
Sakazuki's face turned from red to green, green to purple, and finally black.
"You..."
Sakazuki pointed at the bouquet, his voice squeezing through his teeth with a tremor, "You bastard... are you here to see me off to my grave?!"
"What are you talking about?"
Tatsuki looked shocked as he strode into the ward and solemnly placed the white chrysanthemums in the vase by the bed.
"Sakazuki, you've disappointed me. How can your thoughts be so vulgar?"
Tatsuki pointed at the flowers with an expression of grief. "I ran all over Headquarters to find these. Look at these pure white petals, they symbolize the untainted nature of justice. And this black ribbon symbolizes... uh, it symbolizes our determination to purge evil in the darkness."
"In my hometown, only true warriors are qualified to enjoy these flowers when they 'lie down.' I'm wishing that you, like this chrysanthemum, can stand proud in the autumn wind no matter the hardships... or sleep peacefully."
[Ding! Dealt a mental critical hit to the injured!]
[Violation Points +200!]
Looking at the white chrysanthemums facing him, Sakazuki felt his blood pressure soar. The blood in the IV tube even started flowing backward.
"I'll kill you!!!"
He ripped the needle from his hand, ignoring his wounds reopening, and lunged at Tatsuki like a wounded beast.
"Such spirit? Good."
Tatsuki moved forward instead of retreating, a glint flashing in his eyes.
His body shifted slightly, his footsteps gliding eerily as he effortlessly dodged Sakazuki's rage-filled strike. Then, he reached out and heavily patted Sakazuki's bandage-wrapped shoulder.
Smack!
The hit landed right on the wound.
"Hiss!" Sakazuki hissed in pain, his movements stiffening.
"Seems you're recovering well, enough to hit people." Tatsuki withdrew his hand with a smile, stepping back to a safe distance.
"However, your movements are still too slow, Sakazuki." He raised a finger and wagged it gently.
Sakazuki glared at Tatsuki, his chest heaving. Despite his fury, he had to admit that in that moment, Tatsuki's dodging maneuver was incredibly fast.
This bastard... just how strong is he?
"What do you want to say?" Sakazuki asked coldly, suppressing his anger.
"I want to help you."
The smile on Tatsuki's face faded, replaced by an expression of utmost "sincerity."
"In seven days is the Elite Camp's end-of-month assessment. I heard that for this assessment, the top three will qualify for a Devil Fruit."
Sakazuki's pupils contracted slightly.
"I don't want my dear friend to fall behind because of injuries, I would be very lonely then."
Tatsuki walked to the bed, picked up an apple, and took a bite without peeling it.
"So, I've decided to sacrifice my personal rest time. Starting tomorrow, I'll come here every day to give you one-on-one 'rehabilitation training'."
"I will impart my combat techniques to you without reservation through practical application. Until I beat—no, until I've trained you well."
"Of course, if you're afraid of being beaten to tears, you can refuse. After all..."
Tatsuki glanced at the white chrysanthemums and shrugged, "You really are quite fragile right now."
Reverse psychology.
But Sakazuki was susceptible to exactly that. His pride wouldn't allow him to bow his head to anyone, especially this smooth-talking bastard.
"Hmph."
Sakazuki snorted coldly, leaned over to pick up the bloody needle from the floor, and expressionlessly reinserted it into his vein.
"I couldn't ask for more."
Sakazuki turned his back to Tatsuki, his voice chilling. "As long as you're not afraid of death, come ahead. Just don't come crying for mercy then."
"It's a deal."
Tatsuki swallowed the apple, a curl appearing at the corner of his lips.
Excellent.
A durable experience pack that refreshes daily and provides high emotional value—the binding was successful.
"Then get some good rest and eat more meat so you don't collapse from one punch tomorrow."
Tatsuki waved his hand and walked out of the ward in high spirits, turning off the light for Sakazuki as he left.
"Goodnight, my dear friend."
As soon as he stepped out of the hospital gates, the smile in Tatsuki's eyes deepened.
After this series of actions, he'd be raking in quite a bit again.
'System, check current Violation points balance.'
With a thought, a pale blue light screen expanded on his retina.
[Violation Points: 34,082]
Tatsuki looked at the number and nodded with satisfaction.
'Time to level up the remaining moves of the Rokushiki. After all, as an instructor, I need some new tricks to give the students a surprise.'