Chapter 148: Warship Sandbags, Dream Invasion!

The crescent-shaped plaza of Marineford basked in the bright sun, with a clear blue sky stretching overhead.

"Ah-la-la, looks like it's my turn to spar with you today, Rorschach," Kuzan said, yawning as he approached, his eyes still half-closed in drowsiness.

Rorschach scratched his head, a brief daze crossing his face before breaking into a joyful smile.

"That's great, Uncle Kuzan! It's been ages since we last sparred. How are we doing it this time? Same as last time?"

"No, today we'll be hitting sandbags."

Kuzan shook his head.

"We're going to test the gap between you and an admiral. Don't worry, this training is purely about physical strength. Well, it also involves some applications of Armament Haki."

"Sandbags?"

A giant question mark appeared over Rorschach's head.

What kind of sandbag could withstand an admiral's blows?

Soon, the mystery was solved.

Amid the rumble of heavy vibrations, dozens of recruits, gritting their teeth, dragged two massive Navy warships out from the logistics depot beneath the plaza.

The warships were enormous, their three masts broken and splintered, indicating their size matched the Navy's largest triple-mast class.

As the recruits took turns hauling the mountainous vessels before the two men, each collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

"This... is the 'sandbag' you were talking about, Uncle Kuzan?"

Rorschach gawked at the warships, eyes wide, noting the massive dents and craters pockmarking their hulls.

The thick iron plating, steel reinforcements, and solid wood appeared battered, as if bombarded by meteors or a Buster Call, with not a single intact spot to be found.

Those colossal dents bore clear imprints of fists and feet.

"These are 'warship sandbags,' the ones Vice Admiral Garp used to train me," Kuzan explained, stretching his wrists.

Black Armament Haki silently spread across his arms as he patted one of the ships with a grin, turning to Rosha.

"Give it a try. It's fun."

Rorschach swallowed hard, but his eyes lit with anticipation.

"So, the goal is to make bigger dents in the warships?"

Kuzan shook his head and suddenly dug his fingers into the steel plating of one ship. With a flex of his muscles, he lifted the 50-meter-long warship as though it were a mere toy.

"Since it's a sandbag, you've got to hit it while it's suspended."

Beneath the towering warship, Kuzan's slender figure seemed minuscule, though his rare excitement was evident.

"No way... Don't tell me..."

Rorschach shuddered as a bad feeling crept over him.

Sure enough, as the groaning sound of the warship echoed, Kuzan launched the massive vessel into the air, sending it hurtling toward Rorschach's head.

"How is this sandbag training? This could kill me!"

Rorschach had no idea how much a 50-meter warship weighed, but it was undoubtedly far heavier than his Heavenly Dragon Halberd.

"Azure Scales Form!"

With a roar, Rorschach's body swelled, deep blue Haki surging like waves across his muscular arms. He braced himself, raising his hands to block the descending warship.

BOOM!

The plaza trembled as the warship slammed into the ground, cracking the surface like a spiderweb and stirring a storm of dust across Marineford.

Embedded deep into the rocky ground beneath the ship, Rosha resembled a nail struck by an enormous hammer.

"Don't think just because you're strong, this training will be easy," Kuzan's voice rang out.

"The key is learning how to unleash your power without causing collateral damage. Focus your strength entirely on the opponent. Imagine you're fighting Kaido!"

"But your teammates—Hibari, Law, Drake—are nearby, injured and unable to protect themselves from the aftermath."

"In that moment, how will you unleash your full power without endangering your comrades? Concentrate your strength, Haki, and technique into a single point for a precise strike!"

"I understand, Uncle Kuzan! Let's do this! Meteor Fist!"

Under the warship, Rorschach braced himself, raising one hand to support the vessel while punching upward with the other.

BOOM!

The massive ship shot ten meters into the air but didn't ascend much farther before starting to fall.

Rorschach growled, his body expanding once more as he leapt into the air, fists glowing with deep blue Haki.

"Golden Buddha Impact! Vajra Smash!"

A spectral golden cudgel formed around his fist, resembling a massive deity's weapon. It crashed into the warship's side with tremendous force.

CRASH!

The ship arced through the sky like a meteor, hurtling toward Kuzan, who caught it effortlessly.

"Not bad," Kuzan smirked. "But we're not done."

Grabbing another warship, he tossed it into the air as well.

With both ships airborne, Kuzan grinned.

"Since it's a sparring match, two sandbags make it more fun!"

"Wait—no! Stop!"

The two colossal ships collided with Rosha in between, leaving him battered and bloodied.

...

A Few Days Later

"Ha-ha-ha! Kid, Kuzan trained you with warship sandbags, didn't he? Let me check your progress!"

Garp removed his shirt, revealing a hulking muscular frame.

Munching on rice crackers, he grabbed a warship remnant riddled with dents and hurled it at the silver-haired youth.

"No problem, Grandpa Garp! Please, test me thoroughly!"

"Fist Bone! Abyssal Fall!"

The youth's body expanded fluidly as he caught the incoming warship, his arms bulging as he swung it back toward Garp.

"Hoh? Using my own moves against me? You've got guts, kid!" Garp laughed, grabbing another ship and launching it skyward.

BOOM!

The two warships collided mid-air like meteors, shaking Marineford to its core.

Before they fell, Garp leapt up from below while Rosha shot down from above.

Both threw punches at the ships simultaneously.

"Fist Bone! Clash!"

"Black Arm! Pulverizer!"

Their strikes sent shockwaves through the vessels, blasting them apart and sending the remains crashing into the plaza.

Marineford quaked as if caught in a massive earthquake.

Not far away, the air twisted, and a figure in a black suit slowly emerged, his expression solemn as he looked at the silver-haired boy who had been smashed away under the weight of a battleship.

"I finally understand why even someone as upright as Teacher Zephyr specifically warned me to exercise restraint when dealing with him."

Tianzheng's gaze toward Rorschach became unusually serious.

"This boy's potential for growth and his rate of improvement are nothing short of astonishing."

"But that's not the most important aspect."

Flames ignited in Tianzheng's eyes, and the plaza of Marineford began to fade away, piece by piece.

Soon, only Rorschach remained, standing quietly in a corner of the plaza, his eyes closed and eyelids trembling slightly, as if he was about to open them in the next moment.

In front of Rorschach, shadows flickered one after another, like a slideshow being projected.

In the slideshow-like images, Tianzheng saw Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp.

He saw Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji.

He saw Vice Admirals Momonga, Doberman, and Strawberry.

He saw Drake, Tsuru, and Law.

Opponents constantly rotated in front of the silver-haired boy, while he alone remained unmoving.

Tianzheng witnessed Rorschach learning Sengoku's mastery of shockwave techniques.

He saw Garp laughing heartily, pummeling Rorschach into a lumpy mess while teaching him how to use Armament Haki to temper his bones and flesh and unleash explosive punches.

He saw Zephyr smiling, personally teaching the silver-haired boy his signature moves, the "Black Arm" techniques.

He saw Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji offering their insights into the use of abilities.

Whenever someone interacted with this silver-haired boy, even if they started off impatient or indifferent, a single battle was enough to transform their relationship into one of mutual respect and harmony, sometimes even becoming close.

This was the first time Tianzheng had seen someone in the vast Marine headquarters who could get along with all factions—hawks, doves, and neutrals alike.

The silver-haired boy possessed a magnetic charm that could invisibly dissolve opposition and hostility, attracting leaders from differing camps to his side.

This was an innate talent!

This was the aura of a born leader!

At this moment, Tianzheng even saw in this 13-year-old boy the future unification of Marine ideals, where the organization could truly become the strongest force of justice in the world.

Just then, the silver-haired boy's trembling eyelids lifted, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Almost simultaneously, the vibrant plaza of Marineford reappeared.

With a strand of seaweed in his mouth, Zephyr strode in, his heavy mechanical arm clinking as he introduced the somewhat dazed Rorschach.

"Rorschach, let me introduce you. Today's sparring partner is the Director of the Naval Criminal Investigation Bureau, codename 'Dark Horse'—Tianzheng."

Rorschach shook off his grogginess, looking at the nearly three-meter-tall man in a black suit standing next to Zephyr. A bashful smile spread across his face.

"Mr. Tianzheng, hello, I'm Major Rorschach from headquarters."

"Major Rorschach, it's a pleasure to meet you," Tianzheng said, a faint smile appearing on his lips as he stepped forward to shake hands with Rorschach.

"I've been hearing about a brilliant young marine who recently arrived in Marineford, and my interest was piqued. So, I took the liberty of reaching out to Teacher Zephyr to see your skills firsthand."

"You flatter me, Mr. Tianzheng," Rorschach quickly waved his hands. "I'm just a new recruit at Marineford. I don't have any special abilities; it's all just exaggerated rumors. Please don't take it seriously."

"Is that so? If it's really just exaggeration, I might be a bit disappointed. Hahaha."

As Tianzheng spoke, his body began to grow, his black suit tearing apart to reveal pure black muscles that shimmered like obsidian.

Flames danced on the surface of his muscles, and his jet-black hair grew wildly, transforming into flowing flames that spread out behind him.

His head morphed into a skeletal horse's skull, engulfed in blazing flames.

"By the way, just like you, I also have a Zoan Mythical Type fruit."

Rorschach's eyes sparkled with excitement, and he instinctively transformed into his six-meter-tall Azure Scale form to match Tianzheng.

Even so, his transformed size was still dwarfed by the towering figure of the horse-headed man.

"Mr. Tianzheng, your hybrid form is so cool! You said you also have a Zoan Mythical Type fruit? What's your form called?"

"This is the Nightmare Horse form of the Zoan Mythical Type Horse-Horse Fruit."

"A Nightmare Horse, a mythical creature that can manipulate the dreams of other beings, exploring their subconscious to uncover hidden thoughts and memories."

"Though not particularly powerful in physical combat, it reigns supreme in the world of dreams."

As he spoke, the flames behind Tianzheng erupted, expanding rapidly and engulfing the entire Marineford plaza in an instant.

The marines who were training were consumed by the roaring flames, turning into skeletons and disintegrating into ash.

"Mr. Tianzheng! You—"

Rorschach's expression changed dramatically as an intense sense of crisis overwhelmed him.

He quickly turned toward Zephyr, only to see him bending over, coughing violently, as if struck by an asthma attack.

Meanwhile, Tianzheng's flaming black arm was slowly raising, aiming directly at Zephyr's head.

"Scoundrel! What are you doing? Teacher Zephyr! Dodge!"

Rorschachroared, his eyes blazing red. Violent winds surged around his massive body as a black war halberd flew into his grasp. He swung it fiercely at Tianzheng.

"Boom!"

A deafening thunderclap resounded as a massive lightning column enveloped the halberd's slash. Pushed to incredible speed by the fierce winds, the strike far exceeded an ordinary swordsman's cut. Tianzheng, slightly surprised, was cleaved horizontally across his upper body, his flaming horse's head soaring through the air before being obliterated by the rampaging lightning.

"Teacher Zephyr! Are you alright?"

Rorschach seemed oblivious to his surroundings, failing to realize that he was no longer in Marineford but in a murky gray void.

There were no structures around, only himself, the bisected black giant, and Zephyr still coughing violently.

He rushed forward, dropping his halberd to help Zephyr up.

"A loyal disciple. Teacher Zephyr is fortunate to have a student like you, especially after everything he's been through."

Zephyr raised his head, his eyes ablaze with flames as they locked onto Rorschach's.

The sight of those fiery eyes caused Rorschach's vision to blur, plunging him into a daze.

In the next moment, a black halberd pierced through his chest from behind, lifting his massive frame into the air.

"Argh! What's going on? Teacher Zephyr!"

Rorschach groaned, turning to see a towering, over-ten-meter-tall black horse-headed figure wielding his halberd, holding him aloft.

"Apologies, Major Rorschach. To access the secrets hidden in your heart, I must dismantle layers of your subconscious within this dream realm to delve deeper."

The flaming horse-headed monster grinned wickedly, its fiery maw revealing jagged teeth.

"See you in the next layer of the dream."

With that, Tianzheng twisted the halberd, preparing to tear Rorschach apart.

But in that instant, a black halberd crackling with thunder appeared in Rorschach's hand. He hurled it with all his might, lightning roaring around it.

"100 Million Volts! Thunder Flash!"

"Shiiing!"

The halberd tore through the air, leaving a trail of black lightning as it pierced through Tianzheng's open maw, exited the back of his skull, and vanished into the endless gray fog.

"Hmm? His surface consciousness is this resilient? No wonder those monsters value him so highly."

Tianzheng was momentarily stunned before erupting into a torrent of flames, consuming Rorschach and reducing him to ash in an instant.

As the ashes scattered, the chaotic world began to collapse. The fog dispersed, twisting and coalescing into a vast blue ocean.

At the center of the ocean, a small, lonely island floated silently.

(End of Chapter)

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