One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

After bidding farewell to Neptune, Queen Otohime, and Jinbe, Wright immediately activated the Lightforged Beacon Crystal to teleport back to his office in Marineford.

Savoring the delightful convenience of instant teleportation, Wright carefully stored the camera Den Den Mushi, changed out of his flashy vacation attire, and slipped into a crisply pressed suit. Off came the sunglasses, and over his shoulders went the coat emblazoned with Justice—Fisherman Island's "Grand Healer" had officially transformed back into Vice Admiral Wright of the Marine Headquarters!

The office was empty but showed signs of being carefully cleaned. Wright fussed with the camera Den Den Mushi containing pictures of the beautiful mermaid ladies, hesitated for a moment, and decided to pass one along to Old Man Sengoku.

If he claims I'm all talk and no action, wouldn't that ruin my honest and reliable reputation as Vice Admiral Wright?

Heh! That old bachelor… I think of everything for him!

Upon sneaking into Sengoku's office—empty, of course—Wright tiptoed over, tucked the photo under the stack of documents on Sengoku's desk, cleared his throat, and swaggered off to the training grounds to check on Rosinante, Smoker, and Drake's progress.

"Yo! You three! Did you miss me while I was gone?"

From a distance, Wright's infuriatingly cheerful voice echoed across the grounds. Rosinante, sensing an imminent eruption, quickly cast a Mute effect on the enraged Smoker, whose mouth flapped violently in silent protest.

"Hmm? Smokey, is this some sort of special welcome gesture?"

Wright burst into laughter—Smoker looked absolutely miserable. The poor man's head was wrapped in bandages, an adhesive plaster covered his face, and the cigar clamped between his teeth had been reduced to a stub. His abdomen was swathed in layers of gauze, one arm was in a sling, and the other flailed angrily.

The scene wasn't much better for Rosinante, though he'd fared better overall. His eyes were swollen, bandages wrapped around his head, and his left hand was completely mummified in gauze.

Then there was Drake, whose state was downright pitiful. Currently in his Allosaurus form, one tiny claw trembled uncontrollably. His two hind legs fared no better—one seemed broken, dangling limply, while the other barely supported his weight. His thick tail sagged in the middle, clearly fractured, and his enlarged, swollen head twitched in agony. His little dinosaur eyes blinked rapidly, on the verge of tears.

The culprit behind this carnage—Old Man Garp—stood nearby, digging a finger into his nostril and looking around nonchalantly.

"Wright! You're finally back…"

Rosinante wiped his tears and stormed forward, grabbing Wright by the collar. "What exactly did you tell Mr. Garp before you left? Why did he say, 'Beat them as hard as you like, just don't kill them'?!"

"…"

Wright looked utterly baffled. "What? Did I really say that?

"Weren't you supposed to just continue with Haki training?"

"Then how do you explain this?" Rosinante shuddered and glanced nervously at Garp, who grinned in their direction. "Well… Smoker and Drake were a little too stubborn. I was fine, relatively speaking."

"…Old Man Garp! Didn't you say they dropped before you even used your full strength?!

"From the looks of it, you kept hitting them after they fell!"

Rosinante released Smoker from his Mute, allowing the fuming officer to vent. Once his tirade was over, he collapsed onto the ground. "So, did you get it done?"

"Yeah, all good…"

"Then hurry up and heal us! Vice Admiral Garp is practically beating us into retirement!"

"…!"

Drake reverted to his human form and flopped onto the ground, moaning in pain—he'd taken his beating silently, which only made it worse.

"Oi, you little brats! Complaining behind my back now?"

Garp sauntered over as Wright began healing the trio. "I'm doing this for your own good, you know! Haki only improves through real combat—what better way to train than experiencing high-level Haki firsthand?"

"That wasn't training—it was a full-on beating, Mr. Garp…" Rosinante muttered softly.

"Bah! Ordinary folks don't get this kind of special treatment. As long as I don't kill you, Wright can patch you up in no time! See? Good as new!"

After finishing the healing process, Wright turned to glare at Garp.

"Old Man Garp! I don't care how hard you hit them—"

Sensing the icy glares from the trio, Wright cleared his throat. "Training's on pause for now. Let them rest. I can heal physical injuries, but not mental fatigue!

"Next, I'm heading to the East Blue. I'm taking Kuina home to visit our master and mistress. Smoker and Rosinante, you head back to G-3. I'll bring Drake along for the ride."

"Hmm? I thought you'd be heading straight to the East Blue for a vacation.

"But we can't delay Kuina's home visit… Wright, you little punk, you planned this on purpose!"

"…Like I'd know when you plan to take a break, you crusty old geezer! Don't you sneak off on vacations when I'm not around anyway?"

"That's different! If you're overseeing the branch base, I get an extra month of vacation!"

"…"

Are you complimenting my strength or…?

"When I return, I'm applying for a mission. I'm not babysitting the base anymore!"

Wright personally picked up Kuina from the Navy Academy, secured her extended leave, and set sail for the East Blue aboard the Holy Light warship. Accompanying them was Drake.

On the deck of the Holy Light warship, Wright pointed to the tranquil sea of the Calm Belt as Kuina and Drake looked on in awe.

"Beneath this still surface is a nest of Sea Kings! This ship may be huge, but those monsters could swallow it whole in a single bite."

Wright began explaining the Calm Belt. "When Old Man Garp dragged me through here, I had to fight my way through hordes of Sea Kings. On my second trip, I realized most of the ones we encountered were small fry—probably because of the Seastone lining on the hull or because we were such a small target.

"However, the deeper waters near Fish-Man Island? That's where the truly terrifying ones dwell… The Calm Belt must be swarming with beasts like that. Unless you're strong enough, you'd best pass through quietly."

Seeing Kuina and Drake nod solemnly, Wright sighed in relief.

The last thing I want is for Kuina to get ideas about testing her mettle in the Calm Belt. I only survived because of my Holy Light—not just swordsmanship. Even if she becomes a flying slash-level swordswoman, this place isn't to be trifled with.

Kuina had become more subdued recently, her pride tempered by her time at the Navy Academy. But Wright knew it wouldn't last—once she digested everything she'd learned, her fighting spirit would return in full force.

After crossing the Calm Belt, the Holy Light warship didn't sail straight for Shimotsuki Village.

"Kuina, we've got a slight detour to make."

"Understood, Senior Brother!"

"Set course for Cocoyasi Village!"

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