Chapter 46: Departure with the Warship
When Barkley arrived at the scene and saw the shocking abyss carved into the street, he almost instantly followed his instincts and abandoned any thought of pursuit.
In other words, he chose discretion over valor.
"We need to report this immediately," Barkley said, his voice tight with panic.
Only a master swordsman at the pinnacle of the sword could wreak such devastation with a single strike!
Such a formidable opponent was simply beyond the reach of an All-Star like him—it would require at least one of the Three Calamities to handle.
As for the death of the Carl brothers, he could only mourn them silently.
Meanwhile, back at the hotel...
"WHAT?!"
"You're Momousagi's student?!"
Sabo was stunned, completely shocked by this revelation.
Come on, they were the Revolutionary Army. While they weren't directly opposed to the Navy, becoming a Marine's disciple was crossing quite a line.
Sabo didn't know what to say, and finally managed, "Well... good for you!"
Momousagi's legendary strike had truly intimidated Sabo, leaving him unable to even think of objecting.
"I'm afraid I can't return to headquarters with you guys."
Rhodes shrugged helplessly. "But it seems the sensei doesn't have much time to teach me. I'll probably only get a three-month training period."
After all, Momousagi was a Marine Admiral candidate and didn't have abundant free time.
Besides, Rhodes wasn't a complete novice without foundation. Momousagi estimated that three months should be enough to teach him everything she intended.
"Hmm, this is quite the situation."
Sabo pondered for a moment.
Great swordsmen were incredibly rare. It was naturally a good thing that Rhodes had the honor of becoming one's disciple. Even Dragon wouldn't have too many objections.
The Revolutionary Army's enemy was the World Government and the world's nobles—the Celestial Dragons—not the Navy that maintained order on the seas.
Moreover, in this era, no one could stop someone from growing stronger.
"How about this—we're not in a hurry to return to headquarters anyway."
"It just so happens that I obtained a lot of intelligence from Bell's stronghold earlier. Some ancient classified documents and recent maritime intelligence."
"Apparently, an underground assassin organization is targeting one of our affiliated forces. It's not far from here, and we can go help them."
"During this time, you should study hard, and when you finish your training, we'll all return to headquarters together."
Sabo said this with a sincere smile: "We're partners. We came out together, so naturally we should go back together."
Koala nodded vigorously. "That's exactly right! How could we go back first?"
Rhodes' expression softened slightly upon hearing this. Seeing that both of them looked as if this was the most natural thing in the world, he stopped trying to dissuade them and nodded. "I'll contact you when I'm done."
"Perfect."
Sabo smiled, patting Rhodes on the shoulder. "Work hard—maybe if you train diligently for three months, you'll actually catch up to me."
"Tch, I'll easily surpass you by then."
Rhodes' expression was composed, his tone full of confidence.
Never mind the improvement in his swordsmanship—even after three months of training, his lightning abilities would undoubtedly reach a level comparable to a Vice Admiral's. While he might not be able to defeat Sabo outright, he would certainly be on equal footing.
After all, the power of lightning was inherently extraordinary, nearly invincible in nature.
The three exchanged contact information before walking together to the hotel lobby.
Momousagi sat gracefully, sipping black tea with an elegance reminiscent of the finest nobility, drawing the attention of many self-proclaimed gentlemen in the hotel.
"Finished with your discussion?"
Momousagi calmly set down her teacup and glanced at Rhodes.
Rhodes nodded.
"Then let's go."
Momousagi led the three of them slowly to the shore of Krinos Island.
It was a steep cliff, with the surging sea below relentlessly crashing against the rocky reefs.
"Can you fly?"
Momousagi asked, her kimono fluttering in the breeze as she casually brushed her hair aside.
Rhodes was momentarily startled and replied, "Yes."
"Then follow me."
Momousagi didn't ask why Rhodes knew Geppo, or perhaps she simply didn't care. She lightly leaped into the air.
Rhodes barely had time to bid farewell to Sabo and the others before quickly following suit.
As if walking through the air itself, the two of them headed toward the horizon.
"Are they planning to use Geppo to return directly to the warship?"
Sabo's mouth twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Rhodes. Geppo was extremely physically demanding, and he could imagine what Rhodes was about to endure.
Koala also smiled, though a hint of anticipation flashed in her beautiful eyes.
Koala felt she was the one who most clearly understood the depth of Rhodes' talent. In just over five months, he had acquired strength that surpassed ordinary Revolutionary Army officers.
After not seeing him for three months, she wondered just how much stronger this guy would become.
"Although strength increases more slowly in the later stages, why do I always feel like Rhodes has no such limitations?"
Koala murmured softly, watching the two black dots gradually disappear from sight with their Geppo. "Sabo, I think you're about to be surpassed by him."
Sabo was slightly taken aback by this and wanted to object, but suddenly realized it might actually be true.
Throughout their journey, Rhodes had defeated Silver Fox, clashed with Squard and escaped unharmed, and in this mission, he had even defeated "Silver Sword" Reynard before single-handedly facing the Carl brothers without losing...
This series of achievements and performances placed him very close to being the most talented member of the Revolutionary Army.
Sabo couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency and motivation.
This was the first time he had felt this way about someone his own age.
...
Between sea and sky stretched a boundless expanse of azure blue.
"Sensei, are you sure we're not going in circles?"
Rhodes gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep up behind her.
It had been more than half a day since they'd left Krinos Island.
During this time, when Rhodes had energy, he would walk through the sky using Geppo. When exhausted, he would swim in the sea, desperately trying to keep pace with Momousagi.
Under the scorching sun, his clothes kept getting soaked and drying repeatedly—a truly miserable state.
"Almost there," Momousagi repeated, her expression unchanged.
Frustrated, Rhodes overexerted himself and accidentally fell. Crashing into the sea, he sent up a wave half a meter high before managing to steady himself and regain his balance.
When he'd been learning the Rokushiki techniques, he hadn't put much effort into Geppo, simply aiming for basic flight capability, so his proficiency wasn't very high.
Huff.
Rhodes took a deep breath, wishing he could practice the technique a hundred times over.
"You seem to be thinking something inappropriate..."
Momousagi's calm, cool voice rang out, and Rhodes shuddered. Extreme fatigue had left his mental defenses somewhat weakened, allowing some thoughts to slip through.
Seeing Momousagi's slightly suspicious look, Rhodes gave a dry laugh, quickly composed his thoughts, and spoke seriously:
"I was just wondering what sensei's warship looks like. I haven't even seen a Navy warship yet."
Momousagi narrowed her eyes, suddenly feeling like she was being played. How refreshing that naive young man had been, so easily revealing his honest thoughts.
"You'll see it soon enough."
As soon as the words left her lips, a massive dark silhouette appeared in the distant mist.
(End of Chapter)
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