One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

After returning to G-3 Base alongside Garp, Wright immediately checked on his subordinates' training progress.

During Wright's absence, the Lightbringer, led by Commodore Rosinante, managed G-3 Base affairs.

Garp, as expected, remained in his usual "slacker" state as long as the Lightbringer was present. In his words, it was all about "training the younger generation!"

"You brat, take a look—without me delegating so much, would your crew have improved this fast?!"

In the office, Garp pointed at Rosinante, Smoker, Hina, Drake, and Ain, grinning widely at Wright.

"So don't go accusing me of slacking off! I went to Sengoku to discuss serious business! Serious business!"

Garp, clearly trying to justify his frequent absences from the base, had crafted a flimsy excuse to address Wright's complaints about his truancy.

"Alright, alright… at least there's been some progress," Wright replied, nodding in satisfaction at the promotions: Hina and Drake were now Commander and Lieutenant Commader, respectively, while Ain had been promoted to Captain.

"You handle the assignments. I'll go arrange for the warships to be pre-coated," Garp mumbled, clicking his tongue as he considered the workload. "With this bunch of brats heading out, Bogard won't be able to manage everything on his own."

"Looks like I'll need to bring back some elites from the training camps. Now that I've dealt with most of those nepotistic assignments, it's time to restock our manpower."

Muttering to himself, Garp pushed the door open and called out, "Bogard! Handle the pre-coating arrangements for the warships! I'm heading to Fish-Man Island to sample their royal desserts!"

"..."

Wright pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. This old geezer just said he'd handle the coating himself!

"Alright, moving on. We've got important work to do. I'll head to Alabasta first. The Lightbringer's Lightforged Beacon Crystal is active—once you arrive as planned, I'll return."

With the serious matters needing attention, Wright got straight to the point, delegating assignments.

"Should I go with you?" Rosinante asked. "I'm pretty good with intelligence work, after all."

"No need. My 'disguise' abilities are sufficient." Wright shook his head. "Rosin, you and Drake have other tasks. Neither of you will be going on the escort mission."

"??"

Rosinante and Drake exchanged puzzled looks. Skipping the escort duty for the World Summit? What kind of mission is this?

"I'll explain to you both privately in a bit," Wright said before turning to Smoker and Hina.

"Smoker, you'll be leading the Lightbringer to Alabasta this time."

"King Nefertari Cobra of Alabasta is a wise and benevolent ruler, deeply loved by his people. His reputation among both citizens and affiliated nations is exceptionally high.

"King Cobra will be attending the World Summit with Princess Vivi. Hina, I need you to help Smoker tidy up his personal image—don't let him leave a bad impression on the princess by showing up with his chest exposed."

"Rest assured, Vice Admiral Wright! Hina will take care of it!"

Hina's bright eyes turned into crescents as she smiled, clearly eager for the chance to "reform" Smoker. "Hina is delighted. She's been annoyed by Smoker's lack of taste for ages!"

"..."

Smoker's mouth twitched as he glared at the snickering Rosinante, Drake, and Ain. He growled at Wright, "What kind of absurd order is this?

"What's wrong with my personal image?"

"Well… fierce-looking face, intimidating eyes, inappropriate attire—oh, and you smoke way too much!" Wright listed each point, causing Smoker's expression to darken with each one. "And about that inappropriate attire! Think about it—Princess Vivi is only ten years old. Do you want to scare her with your appearance? That's why I'm assigning Hina to handle this. See how considerate I am of you?"

Wright winked at Hina, who beamed and dragged a protesting Smoker out the door.

"Let's go, Smoker! Vice Admiral Wright is absolutely right—your appearance would terrify a little girl!"

"Pfft… Hahaha!"

As Smoker was hauled off, Rosinante burst into laughter. "Wright, you don't know how miserable Smoker's been since Hina arrived. She's been making his life a nightmare!"

"Hey, at least he's got someone like Hina keeping him in check. You, on the other hand, are still a bachelor," Wright teased with a smirk.

"Like you're any better!" Rosinante shot back, sneaking a glance at Ain.

"Ha! My single status is by choice. Yours is because no one wants you!" Wright countered smugly. "That's a big difference!"

"Che! Acting all high and mighty…" Rosinante muttered, but Wright had already shifted topics.

"By the way, Kuina is graduating from the Marine Academy next year. I plan to have her train directly under Zephyr-sensei."

Wright turned to Ain. "After the World Summit, I'll arrange for Kuina to join you and Hina on missions during the latter half of the year."

"Don't underestimate her because of her age. My junior sister is a swordsmanship prodigy, and with that blade of hers… her combat prowess is no joke.

"Letting her experience the battles between Marines and pirates is essential. A sword, after all, is a weapon—and a great swordsman is forged in battle!"

"Yes, Vice Admiral Wright!" Ain replied with a smile. "I've met Kuina before. She's exceptionally talented—a worthy disciple of yours."

"That said, with my current level of swordsmanship, I probably won't be able to guide her much after two or three years."

"Haha… don't worry about that, Ain," Wright chuckled. "Do you know where I disappeared to recently?"

Now both Ain and the others perked up, curiosity written all over their faces.

"I happened to come across the island where the world's greatest swordsman, 'Hawk-Eye' Dracule Mihawk, resides!"

"I sparred with him—well, sought his guidance—and successfully advanced to the level of 'Great Swordsman!'"

Seeing their shocked expressions, Wright smugly crossed his legs. "So, if you've got any questions about swordsmanship, just ask me!"

"And don't forget, you're always improving too, Ain. Plus, if I can't answer your questions, I can always take you to Mihawk for guidance!"

"Vice Admiral Wright, even if you hadn't advanced to a Great Swordsman, my swordsmanship is far below yours…" Ain said nervously. "I just wouldn't want to waste your time…"

"Don't be shy, Ain!" Rosinante grinned. "Wright is always eager to help his own people. He even trained us personally to awaken our Haki!"

"Exactly. So feel free to ask!" Wright said, waving a hand. "Strength is everything. With it, you can achieve what you want."

"And what I want to do… requires all of your help. The stronger you are, the better!"

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