A perfect pull on the first try?
One D-rank bait… and he drew the most fundamental, core ability of the Plume-Plume Fruit? The trait of naturalization itself?
Staring at the name of the newly revealed ability on the system screen, Trace froze in surprise.
But when he looked closer, he realized he'd misunderstood.
"From Dungeons & Dragons… a Békefan Wind Elemental? What the hell is that supposed to be…"
Trace scratched his head. That was outside his knowledge zone.
Thankfully, the ability's effects were simple enough to understand.
"A rare flight skill… and immunity to physical attacks under D-rank?"
Trace instantly picked out the key traits of [Smoke Form] and felt a jolt of excitement rise in his chest.
He strode to the door, locked it securely, and stepped to the center of the room. Taking a deep breath, he activated his newly acquired ability.
An overwhelming feeling of weightlessness surged through his entire body.
He felt as if he had shed his heavy human form and drifted into a vacuum—weightless, free, like a spirit soaring in space.
Instinctively, he raised his right hand.
The hand that had just been wrapped in white bandages had now turned into a monstrous gray claw, with dark mist swirling and coiling around its ghostly, shifting surface.
A moment later, the transformation completed throughout his entire body.
Trace turned to glance at the mirror.
What stared back at him was a demon-like creature, cloaked in howling wind and creeping smoke, with an enormous pair of membranous wings unfurled from its back—composed entirely of thick smoke. Its form was downright terrifying.
"Tch."
Trace clicked his tongue in mild disgust.
"Okay… so in terms of function, [Smoke Form] is solid. The flight speed and damage immunity are excellent.
"But does it have to look this horrifying?
"I'm supposed to be a proud, valiant Navy recruit now! How am I supposed to show my face around town with this smokey demon aesthetic?"
Still, even as he grumbled aloud, Trace mentally marked [Smoke Form] as one of his trump cards.
Because honestly? Being able to fly was incredible.
Flight alone made you a big deal.
With a thought, he deactivated [Smoke Form] and returned to his human form.
Just as he was about to sit down and reflect on the battle with Smoker, a knock came at the door.
Thinking it was Hina, Trace casually walked over and opened it.
But instead of a pink-haired Navy girl, a large, unfamiliar middle-aged man stood outside.
He was tall and broad, with deeply tanned skin and bulging muscles. A single topknot was tied neatly on his head, and his jaw was covered in a tangled, bristly beard.
But the most eye-catching feature? His mustache.
Or rather—what looked like a mustache.
Because those two long, thick tufts of hair weren't coming from above his lip… they were nose hairs bursting out of his nostrils!
Trace instantly felt a shiver run down his spine.
He'd expected to see a cute, energetic girl. Instead, he got a towering musclehead with weaponized nose hair.
The emotional whiplash was brutal.
It took him a moment to recover before he finally asked, "Uh… hello. Can I help you?"
The man answered in a low, gravelly voice. "Recruit Trace. I'm a senior instructor responsible for hand-to-hand combat at the training camp. Marine Headquarters Commander—Shuzo."
Trace wasn't surprised at the man's identity. The pristine white coat with the word "Justice" on the back was proof enough.
"Commander Shuzo—no, Instructor Shuzo!" Trace quickly corrected himself and gave a crisp Navy salute with his bandaged right hand.
Seeing such respectful behavior from a newcomer who had gone toe-to-toe with Kaido and just publicly defeated Smoker, Shuzo's stern face softened slightly.
"Recruit Trace! Per Chief Instructor Zephyr's orders, due to your actions intercepting Kaido and your clear lack of combat fundamentals, you are now eligible to learn one of the Rokushiki."
The Rokushiki?!
Trace blinked. He nearly passed out from the shock of that golden surprise.
He'd been wondering how many meritorious feats he'd need to perform just to exchange for training in the Six Powers.
And now—just one duel with Smoker, and he was directly granted access?
If he'd known, he would've challenged Smoker the moment he woke up!
Suppressing the excitement bubbling in his heart, Trace asked cautiously, "Instructor, I don't have much combat experience. Is it really okay for me to start training Rokushiki?"
After all, the Rokushiki were combat techniques that pushed the human body beyond its limits—extremely powerful, but demanding.
It was a fair concern.
"No problem," Shuzo replied, shaking his head. "The Rokushiki are indeed high-level physical techniques, but learning them doesn't rely much on combat experience. It all depends on your physical attributes—your body's potential."
He added seriously, "I observed your battle with Smoker. Physically speaking, you're more than qualified to begin training."
Trace beamed.
Seeing the eager look on his face, Shuzo couldn't help but remember his own excitement the first time he learned one of the Rokushiki.
"The Rokushiki," Shuzo began, "refer to six distinct physical techniques: Soru, Tekkai, Kami-e, Rankyaku, Shigan, and Geppo.
"Soru is a high-speed movement skill. Tekkai is a defensive technique. Kami-e is—"
He gave a brief overview of each ability, then asked:
"So, which one do you want to learn first?"
"Tekkai!" Trace answered with an innocent-looking smile… but the move he chose was anything but innocent.
"Because I'm kind of afraid of pain," he said, "I think I'll start with defense!"
---
Shuzo, as a senior instructor, wasn't responsible for individual training. After confirming Trace's choice, he shared a few beginner tips on practicing Tekkai, then took his leave.
Before departing, he also reminded Trace to report to the ship's advanced combat training room the next day.
Trace readily agreed and nodded repeatedly.
After closing the door, he recalled the training tips Shuzo had just shared—and couldn't resist trying them out.
"Absorb large amounts of air in a short time…
"Accelerate blood circulation…
"Stimulate rapid muscle contraction…"
As Trace tried to emulate the Tekkai technique, he froze.
According to Instructor Shuzo, Tekkai was considered one of the harder techniques among the Rokushiki.
Ordinary people would need to spend 3 to 5 years just strengthening their body enough to begin training. Then, another 3 to 5 years just to grasp the basics of Tekkai.
Even if you had exceptional physical fitness and started training right away, making progress in a single year was considered remarkable.
Since the Navy training camp was established, only a handful of recruits had ever mastered Tekkai during their training period.
Among them were three monstrous legends: Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.
And yet Trace…
After just one attempt—he already felt something.
He pressed the index finger of his right hand into the skin of his left forearm.
Sure enough, he could feel the muscles tightening, the density increasing. His forearm had noticeably hardened.
"Iron Body… inhale deeply… accelerate blood flow… toughen the body…"
Trace went silent for a moment.
"Beast Breathing - Eight Form: Explosive Rush… inhale oxygen… accelerate blood flow… increase speed…"
"Wait a sec… does that mean Beast Breathing is perfect for training Tekkai?!"
"I just hit the jackpot!!"