One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

"Ugh… such a shame. Not even a single Sea King showed up to deliver themselves as training material."

Leaning lazily over the ship's railing, Wright yawned in boredom. Suddenly, a quiet voice sounded behind him, asking softly, "Pretty dull, huh?"

Wright instinctively replied, "Yeah, super boring. Not even a Sea King to—huh?!"

Realizing something was wrong, Wright jolted upright. That voice—wasn't it Garp's? This old man must have deliberately softened his tone to…

Before Wright could spiral into worse thoughts, Garp had already taken action, practically tossing him into the firepit.

"Ahahaha! Full alert, crew! Fire the cannons, 500 meters to starboard!"

"!!!"

"Old man Garp! I'm not bored at all! Please, don't—"

Wright's protest turned into a wail, but it was too late. The sailors, already accustomed to Garp's eccentric commands, executed them with perfect precision. They had already traversed most of the Calm Belt, and with "Hero" Vice Admiral Garp onboard, even blasting through the rest of the route seemed manageable.

But apparently, today's "trailblazing" wasn't for Garp—it was Wright's hellish turn.

"Look alive, Wright!" Garp's booming voice barked with a mischievous grin. "A Sea King has shown up. Clear the way!"

"All crew, stay on alert! Full speed ahead! Drag those beasts behind us!"

Wright almost wanted to slap himself. What kind of idiot says something that gives Garp ideas? He used to think the old man was just a clown, but now he realized he was a cunning one too!

The Sea Kings charged toward the ship. With no time for regrets, Wright unsheathed Ashes, his blade shimmering with cinematic brilliance, ready for battle.

"Swish, swish, swish, swish—!"

As the warship continued its course, the Sea Kings pursued relentlessly. Wright's job was to guard the right flank and rear of the ship. His mastery of Observation Haki and his flying slashes, previously unseen even in sparring matches with Garp, were now fully unleashed.

Wright's strikes were precise and powerful, defending the ship while minimizing wasted effort. Occasionally, he even had time to slice off particularly appetizing-looking parts of the Sea Kings and toss them onto the deck for the cooks.

But as the kills piled up, the scent of blood began to spread, attracting more Sea Kings to the pursuit. Wright, a fresh recruit, hadn't yet mastered the Navy's Rokushiki, particularly Geppo and Soru, which were crucial for mobility and aerial combat.

Thus, Wright could only rely on short bursts of air-jumps to stay aloft. Given his outward persona as a Devil Fruit user, going into the water was out of the question—making things quite awkward.

The growing number of Sea Kings forced Wright to abandon thoughts of picking out the best meat and focus solely on massive slashes to protect the ship. Fortunately, his Holy Light-infused attacks left minimal blood splatter, but even so, the number of slain Sea Kings quickly surpassed double digits.

After another Holy Light spell healed his wounds and restored his stamina, Wright laughed triumphantly: "Come on! I can do this all day!" He unleashed a golden slash that severed a massive tentacle in two, then followed it up with his Final Judgement technique, cleaving an incoming giant claw cleanly in half. His energy showed no signs of waning.

The crew, watching the spectacle, felt as though they were witnessing a monster movie. They marveled at Wright's immense power and incredible endurance. Meanwhile, Garp and Bogard stood on high alert, observing Wright's techniques and habits closely.

"This kid Wright sure has some talent!" Garp remarked with a sly grin. "When I was pounding on him earlier, I thought he was just tough, but his slash power isn't bad either. His Observation Haki is sharper than I expected, and his recovery rate—downright terrifying."

Garp squinted as he watched Wright fend off the relentless Sea Kings, evaluating his combat prowess. Bogard chimed in, "Indeed, Vice Admiral. Wright's balanced skill set gives him an edge in high-intensity battles."

"Unless he's up against overwhelming strength, Wright's combat style could potentially wear down even slightly stronger opponents. With his flying slash-level offense, specialized defense, and absurd recovery rate, his only real weakness is mobility. But once he formally learns Rokushiki, that gap will close, and his combat power will soar to new heights."

Garp nodded. "Exactly. Even now, he's already surpassed most Headquarters officers. This kid is a real find!"

"Ahahaha! I can't wait to brag about him to that grumpy old Sengoku!"

...

After finally reaching the edge of the Calm Belt, the warship raised its sails and accelerated, leaving the pursuing Sea Kings behind. The ship's cooks wasted no time preparing meals from the Sea Kings Wright had "harvested," earning him unanimous praise for his food-picking instincts during battle.

As Wright finally sat down to rest and await dinner, he reflected on the battle. While Holy Light could restore stamina, it wasn't limitless. His Haki replenished as his energy recovered, but mental exhaustion couldn't be avoided.

Though he'd fought many battles in the East Blue, this was his first time enduring such prolonged, high-stakes combat. If Garp hadn't been nearby, Wright wouldn't have dared to fight this recklessly.

"Report! Vice Admiral Garp, we're approaching Marineford!" a sailor announced as Wright and Garp were digesting their meal.

"Finally!" Garp exclaimed. "Wright, gather your things and follow Bogard shortly." Tossing aside a toothpick, Garp donned his "Justice" coat, pretending to look serious.

"Uh… okay," Wright replied, still awestruck by the massive Gate of Justice looming ahead. Seeing it up close for the first time, he couldn't help but blurt, "It's way bigger than the Gate of Darkness!"

...

Upon arriving at Marine Headquarters, Garp immediately sent someone to fetch him senbei and ordered them to deliver it—not to his own office, but to Admiral Sengoku's!

Meanwhile, Bogard escorted a bewildered Wright, who was visiting Marineford for the first time, through the process of enlistment paperwork and assigning him quarters.

In Sengoku's office:

"Dammit, Garp! The first thing you do when you return is raid my office for snacks?!"

Sengoku's furious roar echoed through the Marineford base, announcing Garp's arrival to all within earshot.

"Aw, don't be so stingy, Sengoku!" Garp replied, munching loudly on senbei he'd pilfered. "We ran out on the ship, and I've been holding back for ages. Anyway, I already sent someone to fetch more. We'll share later!"

In the humble office, a plaque reading Justice Rules the World hung prominently behind Sengoku's desk. Beneath it sat Admiral Sengoku, the Marines' sole active admiral at the time, who looked utterly exasperated.

Dealing with Garp always tested his patience. "What did I do to deserve this clown?" he muttered to himself.

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