Chapter 161: Too Hard, Way Too Hard

"Who?!"

Rorschach's loud shout startled the person peeking from outside the courtyard, causing them to fall to the ground with a thud and let out a frightened yelp.

Hearing this somewhat familiar voice, Rorschach walked over curiously.

What he saw was a young soldier dressed in a purple checkered shirt, wearing pink glasses. She was sitting in an awkward "duck pose," looking up at him with a panicked expression, her face filled with alarm.

"Are you… Dasqi?" Rorschach hesitated, uncertain.

The young woman did resemble Dasqi, whom he hadn't seen in over nine months.

What made Rorschach uncertain, however, was the noticeable change in Dasqi since their last encounter.

His gaze shifted downward slightly.

Hmm.

Indeed, quite a significant change.

"Y-Yes, it's me, Private First Class Dasqi. I salute you, Colonel Rorschach," Dasqi stammered as she scrambled to her feet, hurriedly giving a military salute.

"Didn't you go to the East Blue with Lieutenant Commander Smoker? Why are you here? Are you here to see Hibari?" Luo Xia returned her salute with a smile and gestured for her to come into the courtyard and sit.

"Lieutenant Commander Smoker returned to report to headquarters. He wants to speak with you. Rear Admiral Drake said you'd definitely be at Admiral Akainu's house, so he sent me over…" Dasqi avoided direct eye contact with Rorschach.

She was filled with curiosity and awe toward Rorschach.

In less than a year, the boy who had once been a rookie soldier undergoing training in Marineford alongside her had now risen to the rank of Colonel in the Headquarters!

This kind of rapid promotion was almost beyond belief.

It had taken Smoker years to reach the rank of Headquarters Lieutenant Commander.

Yet Rorschach's record and achievements were undeniable and commanded both admiration and respect.

He had captured or killed over three thousand pirates.

Five of them had bounties exceeding 100 million berries, including the infamous South Sea bandit and mass murderer, Avenger Aristos, who had slaughtered thousands of innocent marines.

Even the proud Lieutenant Commander Smoker often mentioned Colonel Rorschach during their time in the East Blue.

"Wait a minute…" Rorschach suddenly froze and looked at Dasqi in shock. "What did you just say? Rear Admiral Drake? When did that guy become a Rear Admiral?"

"I… I don't know either…" Dasqi was flustered under his gaze.

"That bastard disappeared for half a year and got promoted to Rear Admiral? What big achievement did he pull off?"

"Where are they now?"

"They're dining at the headquarters cafeteria."

"Alright, wait here. I'll ask Hibari if she wants to come along."

About ten minutes later, Hibari, looking exhausted and slightly flushed, was being supported by Dasqi as they followed Rorschach to the Marine Headquarters cafeteria.

On the way, Rorschach made a quick stop at his dormitory to change into a casual short-sleeved shirt.

As he approached the cafeteria entrance, a hemispherical dome suddenly descended, enclosing him.

"Swish! Swish!"

Two figures appeared out of thin air on either side of him.

"Roar!"

On his right, a dark green dinosaur, about seven or eight meters tall, rose up, baring its jagged fangs and lunging toward his head.

"Whoosh!"

On his left, a ten-handled weapon wrapped in black Armament Haki, held by a white smoke-extended arm, lashed toward his waist like a whip.

"You guys…" Rorschach's expression darkened.

"Bang!" "Bang!"

With two muffled collisions, Luo Xia, still smiling, calmly flexed his wrists and looked at the two people who had attempted to restrain him.

"Is this your way of giving a reunion gift, Captain Drake and Lieutenant Commander Smoker?"

"What?"

Smoker, who had thrown his jutte, and Drake, whose massive dinosaur jaws were latched onto Luo Xia's head, both froze. Their eyes reflected utter disbelief as they stared at Rorschach, whose body emanated a deep blue aura.

Rorschach stood there casually in a loose white short-sleeved shirt, knee-length pants, and rubber slippers. He appeared utterly relaxed.

Yet his entire body—clothes, hair, and all—was covered in a shimmering layer of deep blue Armament Haki, resembling the vast ocean. The flowing blue Haki sparkled under the midday sun, like rippling waves, exuding an aura of profound depth, impenetrable resilience, and unyielding strength.

"Full-body Armament Haki coverage?! You really are a monster, kid," Smoker muttered with a complicated expression, feeling an overwhelming sense of defeat once again.

He wasn't a petty man. As someone dedicated to justice within the Navy, Smoker welcomed the emergence of exceptional comrades.

But a comrade this young and this extraordinary? It was hard not to feel disheartened.

Even his prized Logia powers didn't feel so special anymore.

"We've got him pinned! Law! Grus! Move in!" Drake, still in his enormous dinosaur form, grumbled loudly.

The next moment, a steel-like hand grabbed Drake by the chest and lifted his massive seven-to-eight-meter dinosaur form with a single hand.

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?! Rorschach, stop! I was just joking—"

Rorschach smirked, tightened his grip, and tossed the mountainous dinosaur like a ragdoll.

"Boom!"

The air to the right seemed to explode as if struck by a powerful force, creating a chaotic shockwave.

Drake let out a miserable scream as his enormous body shot through the air like a meteor. He traced a long arc in the sky before crashing into the solid rocky ground at an angle, embedding himself with only his thick hind legs sticking out.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two soft sounds followed as Law, holding Kikoku, and Grus, clutching clay bombs in both hands, appeared in front of Luo Xia. They froze at the terrifying sight before them, then silently turned around, pretending nothing had happened, and walked straight back into the cafeteria.

"Zzzt, zzzt."

The faint crackle of electricity passed through the air, followed by two muffled grunts from inside the cafeteria.

Rorschach turned to Smoker, who now had beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, and grinned. "Lieutenant Commander Smoker, how's your position as Admiral of the East Blue? I've heard it's the safest of the four seas."

"It's… it's fine," Smoker replied, swallowing nervously.

Rorschach nodded. The deep blue Haki covering his left hand rippled as he grabbed Smoker's jutte. With a slight squeeze, the sea-stone weapon—harder than steel—crumbled into fine powder that scattered onto the ground.

"Swish!"

In the blink of an eye, Rorschach vanished from Smoker's sight.

"Not good!" Smoker's instincts flared, and he dispersed into smoke, trying to evade.

But the next instant, a size-50 rubber slipper slammed into his face, sending him flying. He transformed into a long streak of white smoke and crashed deep into the cafeteria.

From inside, the booming voice of Uncle Denoh erupted.

"Smoker! You bastard! How dare you knock over my carefully prepared ingredients! Unforgivable!"

"Food must not be wasted! Even if it falls to the ground or mixes with dirt, it can save lives! That's my life motto!"

"If you don't finish eating all this food spilled on the ground today, you're coming with me to see Fleet Admiral Sengoku! I'll report you for wasting food, and you'll be working in the cafeteria for three months to repay the debt!"

(End of Chapter)

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