Chapter 47: Guidance
As a candidate for admiral, Momousagi's naval vessels were naturally of the highest standard, towering like mountains.
The densely packed gun barrels were cold and terrifying, and the endless expanse of sails obscured the sun, giving the ship a resemblance to a mobile fortress. Against ordinary pirate ships, the artillery fire alone would likely leave them in ruins.
Rhodes' face showed a hint of surprise, but his heart remained remarkably composed.
As a glorious time traveler, he had seen many warships larger than this in his past life, and at most, he would marvel at the absurd technology tree of the pirate world.
Momousagi was quite pleased with Rhodes' expression.
To completely sway this gifted student, she used every possible means.
First, she instantly killed the two Carl brothers with a single strike, then slashed through a dramatic abyss, demonstrating the master swordsman's insurmountable power. Then, along the way, she tempered Rhodes' pride before finally revealing her majestic vessel.
"Go down,"
Momousagi led Rhodes to the highest deck of the warship.
As soon as he landed, Rhodes sat down against the railing without hesitation, unwilling to move a muscle.
Although only half a day had passed, his physical and mental strength had already reached their limit from the constant strain. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to sleep forever. As soon as he sat down, he fell into a slumber not long after.
Momousagi glanced at Rhodes but said nothing. Instead, she went to the adjutant who came to meet her.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi, who is this?" the female adjutant Eleanor asked curiously.
She obviously hadn't expected Momousagi to bring back a young man from this outing.
Could it be...
Eleanor's eyes were filled with a raging fire of gossip.
"Get your mind out of the gutter,"
Momousagi flicked Eleanor's forehead and said unhappily, "This is my student."
"Eh, a student?!"
Eleanor clutched her forehead, muttering to herself, "Is he planning some kind of forbidden romance? This age gap thing is getting out of hand."
Upon hearing of Momousagi's return, a number of Marine officers gathered on the top deck, all female. These were her personal guard unit, directly under Momousagi's command.
"Vice Admiral Momousagi's student?! Vice Admiral Momousagi actually took a disciple!"
"Hey, this young man is quite handsome, just a little thin."
The personal guards, watching Rhodes sleeping on the deck, whispered among themselves.
The news quickly spread throughout the ship, and all the Marines were incredulous.
The personal guards were curious, while the male sailors were a little jealous.
The female soldiers on Momousagi's warship all lived on the top deck, a privilege reserved for personal guards, and since they were all women, there wasn't much controversy.
But this new student, even living there, was truly enviable... a source of envy and jealousy!
Momousagi emerged from the cabin again, now dressed in standard Marine uniform. Her coat of justice fluttered in the wind, losing some of its elegance but appearing even more heroic, like a valkyrie.
"Has anything happened lately?" Momousagi asked casually, accepting the tea Eleanor offered her.
"Hmm,"
Eleanor said, clutching the documents and pondering for a moment. "The situation has been relatively stable lately, with no major incidents."
"The only major event was the duel between Fire Fist Ace and First Son of the Sea Jinbe."
"The decisive battle lasted five days and five nights, with no clear winner. Fire Fist Ace was then recruited by the Whitebeard Pirates. I wonder what the final outcome was."
Eleanor then curiously inquired about Momousagi's recent experiences. Momousagi glanced at her, not hiding anything. She and Eleanor appeared to be superior and subordinate, but in reality, they were like sisters.
"Three geniuses appearing at once?"
Eleanor frowned slightly, feeling Momousagi was being a bit reckless. She immediately said, "Is it really okay to rashly accept a disciple without thoroughly investigating their background?"
Momousagi gently set down her teacup and said calmly, "Does their identity or position matter to me?"
"I'm interested in this person's potential, not anything else."
Her tone was filled with an indescribable confidence and pride.
She didn't care about Rhodes' identity at all. So what if he was a pirate? So what if he was an assassin? So what if he was even from the Revolutionary Army?
As a supremely powerful figure who stood at the pinnacle of swordsmanship and commanded respect across the seas, her willfulness was her prerogative. Who would dare to stop her from accepting a disciple?
Just like Luffy's family, with a father leading the Revolutionary Army and a grandson being a pirate dominating the Grand Line, who would dare to challenge Garp?
In this world, strength ultimately rules.
"Alright."
Eleanor was speechless and changed the subject, "Headquarters ordered us to go to G-5 base to coordinate the defense zone handover with Admiral Kizaru."
"Let him wait, he's stationed at the base anyway."
Momousagi took a sip of black tea and said, "Let's go to Hotspring Island. It's been a while since I last took a hot spring bath. I might as well teach my apprentice there."
"Uh, but, this might not be appropriate..."
Eleanor said it wasn't appropriate, but her expression was filled with longing.
Momousagi glanced at her "hypocritical" subordinate and ignored her. She narrowed her eyes slightly and began to ponder the next lesson.
After much deliberation, she decided that three months was still too short.
"If we take our time, five or six months won't matter. I'll just have Kizaru handle the transition,"
Momousagi thought nonchalantly.
The next day, inside the cabin, Momousagi was instructing Rhodes on swordsmanship. She said calmly, "Use pure swordsmanship and attack me."
"Yes!"
Rhodes focused his attention, his gaze blazing as he stepped forward, his sword striking repeatedly.
Stabbing, slashing, cutting, cleaving...
However, no matter how tricky his angles, how fast and dense his attacks, Momousagi defended flawlessly, even finding time to strike him with the flat of her blade, sending a numbing sensation throughout his body.
For a full half hour, Rhodes was thoroughly dominated, his entire body reddened by the strikes from Momousagi, and he almost wondered if he had offended her in some way.
She finally stopped and let out a sigh.
"Do you know why I can hit you but you can't hit me?"
"Because you're a master swordsman, sensei. You're experienced, powerful, and your Observation Haki far surpasses mine," Rhodes replied respectfully.
"That's just one aspect. Do you know who's the easiest target at a gambling table?"
"Rich people!"
Rhodes thought for a moment, a thought forming in his mind: Could it be that Momousagi, like Fujitora, also enjoys gambling?
"Beginners!"
Momousagi glanced at Rhodes with exasperation, saying,
"People like this often show their emotions on their faces when gambling. They're excited when they get a good hand, and dejected when they get a bad one. They're easy to read, and they'll lose every time they bet."
Rhodes instantly understood, "You mean I revealed my intentions before I attacked?"
"Your gaze was too focused on your intended target. An experienced fighter wouldn't even need stronger Observation Haki than you to see through your thoughts, predict your attack path, and dodge or counter in advance."
"Of course, you're usually protected by the power of lightning, and your speed is so great that ordinary people can't read you."
Rhodes was slightly surprised, feeling somewhat enlightened. After all, he had only recently embarked on the path of serious training and had experienced relatively few battles. Many of the techniques and insights that can only be learned through actual combat were completely unknown to him.
"Then what should I do?"
"Look your opponent straight in the eye, observe with your peripheral vision, and try to conceal your thoughts and intentions."
"Try again now!"
(End of Chapter)
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