One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

Faced with the kneeling Franky, Jake immediately crouched down, pulled him up from the ground, and quickly said.

"I also handled things poorly in this situation, Franky-san. There's no need for such an apology. We're comrades guarding Tom's Workers together—minor conflicts happen. This small matter isn't worth making a fuss over. If you keep apologizing like this, it'll make me seem like I'm being unreasonable."

Hearing Jake's words, Franky found it impossible to continue with such a grand apology.

After all, persisting would only pressure Jake into forgiving him.

Knowing when to stop was best.

Franky wasn't a fool—he understood Jake's intention.

He nodded firmly at Jake, then huge teardrops and snot slowly dripped from his face.

Next, under Monet's slightly surprised, confused and displeased gaze, he suddenly hugged Jake and wailed.

"You! You're a super nice guy, way beyond what I expected!"

As Franky's keep crying and shouting, everyone in the shipyard erupted into laughter.

Even the usually composed Iceberg couldn't help but smile.

Tom and T-Bone who was watching from a distance, also broke into knowing grins.

For a moment, laughter nearly overflowed throughout the entire shipyard.

Infected by the joyous atmosphere, Jake's own mood lifted slightly.

The world of One Piece was one filled with passion and romance, a world of fantastical adventures and boundless imagination.

Though it had its share of darkness and bloodshed, none of that could overshadow its inherent sincerity and unrestrained romanticism.

Feeling Franky's somewhat stiff embrace, Jake chuckled and patted his shoulder, saying.

"You're also a super nice guy who surprised me!"

Hearing Jake's affirmation, Franky's tears became even more unstoppable.

In this scene, everyone wore genuine smiles—except for one person: Monet.

Watching Jake, who was being hugged by Franky yet wore an incredibly bright smile, Monet wanted to laugh but found herself unable to do it.

A strange feeling lingered in her heart.

****

The daytime guard duty usually takes place between 2 PM and 7 PM, as Sea Kings are far less active during this period compared to the night or morning.

To minimize unnecessary trouble, no other time slots are allocated for departure tests outside this window.

At the Water Seven Marine Branch Training Ground, faint golden light occasionally flickered from one corner.

Amids temperatures noticeably colder than the surrounding area, Kizaru wore a satisfied smile.

"Oh~ How terrifying~ Truly astonishing progress, Jake, Monet. Both of you are advancing much faster than I anticipated."

His surprise wasn't unwarranted.

While instructing Jake and Monet, Kizaru had been comparing their training with this year's elite class at Marine Headquarters.

Clearly, both Jake and Monet were progressing far more rapidly than any member of that elite group.

This remarkable speed was largely thanks to Jake's "Healing Prayer" ability.

A single use could restore roughly 20% of Monet's stamina and mental energy and about 15% of his own, while leaving no trace of damage or hidden risks from their intense training regimen.

Ordinary soldiers had to carefully consider the physical harm caused by overtraining, adhering to scientific training methods and intensity to avoid muscle injuries or irreversible bodily effects from excessive exertion.

But while regular soldiers only needed to account for such complex training factors, someone like Jake who can used Healing Prayer, had far more to consider.

When Kizaru, Akainu, and even T-Bone first learned of Jake's cheat-like training method, they all expressed unanimous concern.

However, after observing that neither Jake nor Monet showed any negative effects on their physical condition, they eventually approved of the approach.

Kizaru had even asked Jake whether this ability could be extended to ordinary soldiers, allowing them to undergo similarly grueling training.

But upon learning that Healing Prayer's effectiveness diminished when used on multiple people, he abandoned the idea.

Though it might seem cold-hearted, reality dictated that the world always moved towards maximizing benefits—unchanged since ancient times.

However, upon hearing Kizaru's praise, Monet sighed helplessly and said.

"Are we really progressing that fast, Borsalino-sensei? I still haven't sensed even a hint of Armament Haki, yet Jake has already applied it in actual combat today. Am I just too slow?"

At her words, Kizaru's lips twitched.

He shook his head and replied, "It's not that your talent is lacking, but Jake's is simply too terrifying. Normally, even the elite at Marine Headquarters need at least three months to briefly apply Armament Haki in combat. For Jake to master Armament Haki in a single day—in all my years, he's the first example I've seen."

Hearing Kizaru's words, Jake remained silent while Monet's mood lightened slightly.

She shot Jake a resentful glance that seemed to say.

'You make me look like a complete fool, you jerk!'

Facing Monet's playful resentment, Jake could only respond with an awkward chuckle.

This wasn't the time to hold back.

He needed to display his full potential to earn Marine Headquarters' absolute attention—enough to warrant pouring all their resources into him.

After brief consideration, Jake addressed Kizaru.

"Borsalino-sensei, I'd like to learn Observation Haki next. I'm desperate to improve!"