Chapter Seventy-Two: Nami Has Disappeared

This chapter is not part of the main story. This chapter is not part of the main story. This chapter is not part of the main story. This chapter is not part of the main story.

How frustrating. Because the launch has been delayed, the plot is stuck, and I’m feeling irritable. I wrote all night and wasn’t satisfied with a single word, but I can’t stop updating before the official launch, so this is all I can manage. I hope you’ll all understand.

The updates will definitely be made up, I promise! There will absolutely be updates!

There will be an update tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll revise the plot further. Sigh.

This chapter will be refreshed tomorrow!

As he was about to enter Navy Headquarters, Roland felt it was time to fully display his strength.

A suddenly appointed colonel was something most of the Navy simply could not accept.

But as long as his strength was up to par, no one would have anything to say.

Isn’t it the case in the story? Fujitora was directly appointed as an admiral through the global military draft.

“Dual sword style, is it?”

Smoker returned to his original position, his gaze growing ever more serious.

He hadn’t expected that such a simple spar would bring him so many surprises.

First it was Armament Haki, and now dual sword style—just how many cards was this man hiding up his sleeve?

“Are you ready? I’m coming.”

Roland smiled lightly, lifted his twin blades, and charged straight at Smoker.

His footwork was swift and nimble; in the blink of an eye, he was already before Smoker.

“A Navy Colonel isn’t as simple as you think, bastard!”

Seeing Roland’s attack, which seemed to lack any real menace, Smoker couldn’t help but get angry again.

Gripping his jitte, he blocked Roland’s attack head-on.

His attack was stopped, but Roland wasn’t surprised. He calmly retreated from Smoker’s side, then called out softly, “Single Blade Style: Air Splitter!”

With that cry, his left hand, wielding the Nara, suddenly thrust forward like a white rainbow—its speed was breathtaking and even as it pierced toward Smoker, there was a faint crackling as it tore through the air.

But this wasn’t all that Roland had prepared. As his left hand used Air Splitter, his right, wielding the Short Moray, launched an equally fierce assault.

His dual sword style was quite different from others.

Thanks to memories from his previous life, Roland had deliberately practiced ambidextrous techniques while learning dual swordsmanship, ensuring he could use different single blade skills with each hand simultaneously.

By now, Roland had achieved a decent level in this ambidextrous skill.

Against truly powerful foes, perhaps this technique was still somewhat raw.

But if the opponent was Smoker, Roland believed there would be no flaws for him to find.

Perhaps Smoker had anticipated this. As Roland’s right hand wielded the Short Moray alongside the Nara’s Air Splitter, Smoker had already turned his body into smoke.

Because of this, both of Roland’s attacks missed.

Armament Haki does, indeed, restrain Logia users to a great extent, but not absolutely.

If a Logia user is still solid, the opponent can use Haki to hit their true body. But if the user is prepared and transforms into their element in advance, they can largely avoid Haki attacks.

“Already prepared, huh?”

Roland chuckled softly; this was not unexpected.

“Single Blade Style: Wind Cutter—”

Roland continued, his voice light and steady. Suddenly, his right hand wielded the Short Moray, slashing rapidly through the air with lightning speed.

In just a single second, he struck more than a dozen times, and then a violent gale surged forward, sweeping in tandem with his attack.

Under Smoker’s development, the Smoke Fruit, besides elementization, seemed to have few other highlights.

If it were another Logia, this move might not be very threatening.

But against Smoker, the impact was significant.

Faced with the raging storm, Smoker’s brows furrowed. He quickly canceled his element form and returned to his true body.

At that moment, Roland attacked again—using the same move: Air Splitter.

This time, the move lived up to its name. As the thrust chased the wind forward, its sharp force scattered the storm entirely.

“Sorry, but I win.”

The tip of the Nara rested steadily just before Smoker’s nose, while the Short Moray pressed down on his jitte.

Roland looked at Smoker, whose expression had grown grim, and laughed cheerfully.

“You deserve the rank of Colonel.”

Smoker withdrew his jitte, stared at Roland for a long moment, and finally spoke slowly.

The entire spar had lasted only a few minutes, but the surrounding sailors were all stunned.

What had they just witnessed?

A veteran Navy Colonel, during a friendly match, had been completely dominated by the newly appointed Headquarters Colonel.

Haki, Devil Fruit abilities, and swordsmanship—both sides had displayed a dazzling array of skills, overturning everything they thought they knew about Roland.

“These are the appointment documents for you and your companions, your uniforms, and your personal warship. It should cross the Calm Belt and arrive at Loguetown in about half a month.”

Smoker handed the file that Tashigi had been holding to Roland and explained.

“Looks like not all the Navy higher-ups are just a bunch of old fogeys, as you said.”

Roland took the appointment papers and joked.

Smoker didn’t answer. With a snort, he left with Tashigi and the other sailors who’d been watching the match.

Roland didn’t care much about Smoker’s reaction.

It was nothing more than the normal envy and jealousy of a man who’d been a Navy Colonel for over a decade—nothing worth dwelling on.

Adjusting his mood, Roland finally read through the documents carefully.

Skipping over the opening formalities, he went straight to the main content.

“Hereby appoint Roland Roman of the East Blue Navy’s bereaved as Navy Colonel; Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter, as Navy Ensign; Nami, civilian, as First Class Seaman; Koby as First Class Seaman…”

The rest was more formalities.

A Colonel and an Ensign.

Roland’s lips curled. The Navy was quite generous.

His own rank was something he’d bargained for, so there were no surprises.

But Zoro’s appointment as Ensign was unexpected.

Tashigi had followed Smoker for so long and was still only a Petty Officer.

Yet Zoro, simply by joining the Navy with Roland, was immediately made Ensign—one rank above Tashigi.

As for Nami and Koby, getting First Class Seaman was surprising enough, given their lack of reputation. It would have been normal for the Navy to make them Third Class Seamen.

“Zoro, you’re now an official Navy Ensign.”

Roland approached Zoro and handed him the appointment letter, joking as he did.

“Ensign, huh?” Zoro didn’t seem especially interested. He glanced at the document and handed it back to Roland.

The recent fight between Roland and Smoker had inspired him greatly, especially Roland’s ability to wield different sword techniques with his left and right hands. It had suddenly deepened Zoro’s understanding of three-sword style.

If he could figure out how Roland managed that, his strength would surely leap forward.

“More than that, Roland, that move you just did with both hands…uh…how should I put it…”

Zoro scratched his head, struggling for words.

“I call it ‘ambidextrous combat.’”

Roland explained.

“That’s it—ambidextrous combat. Can you teach me?”

Zoro asked, a little sheepish.

He’d learned a lot from following Roland; today, Roland had even helped him buy two high-quality swords, putting him further in Roland’s debt.

But as for what he’d done for Roland? Practically nothing.

The only time he’d fought, it was against that octopus swordsman, Hachi, who he’d been interested in anyway.

But Zoro knew that even if he hadn’t stepped in, Roland could have dealt with that enemy easily on his own.

Now, wanting to learn from Roland yet again, he couldn’t help but feel awkward.

He hadn’t helped much, but he owed Roland a lot.

“Of course.”

Roland smiled breezily. “But before you learn this, you have to master something else first. Otherwise, you won’t be able to pick it up.”

“What’s that?”

As long as it had to do with improving his strength, Zoro was interested, and the awkwardness vanished.

“Draw a circle with your left hand and a square with your right.”

With the Short Moray, Roland drew a circle and a square on the ground. “If you can quickly draw both shapes to standard in a short time, it shows you have talent for this.”

“How hard can that be?”

Zoro waved dismissively, crouched down, and grabbed two sticks.

But as soon as he tried, he realized it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Draw a circle with the left, a square with the right—eight simple words.

But once he tried, Zoro found it wasn’t something just anyone could do.

It reminded him of when Koushirou, their master, taught swordsmanship to a bunch of kids and always scolded them for not focusing, for never being able to split their attention.

Thinking back, if only he really could split his mind in two.

Watching Zoro become engrossed in his practice, Roland smiled and left.

He had taught everything he could. Now, it was up to Zoro’s own talent.

If he could master it, Roland would teach him everything he knew.

If not, well, he could only blame his own lack of talent.