Chapter 102: Out on a Mission

The next morning, Nami entered the library with a sense of unease, terrified that someone might notice the history books she had flipped through the day before.

Loran’s words from the previous day weighed heavily on Nami’s mind. In the past, no matter the challenge or foe Loran confronted—including Vice Admiral Tuggy—his demeanor had always been fearless and brimming with confidence. Yet on the subject of the blank history, Loran had displayed an unprecedented solemnity, even advising her not to dwell on it until he possessed the strength to challenge the entire World Government.

Nami had only a vague notion of what it meant to stand against the World Government, but she had pieced together some understanding of its structure in recent days. The Navy branch they had joined was merely one small part of it.

Even within that single division existed more than a dozen Vice Admirals nearly as formidable as Tuggy, not to mention Admirals whose power dwarfed them by countless multiples—the very man she had encountered last time, for instance. Beyond that, there were Admiral candidates and Fleet Admirals, and figures like Vice Admiral Karp whose strength matched an Admiral’s.

Facing such an enemy would leave Nami paralyzed with despair, any thought of resistance vanishing. Yet with a force of this magnitude serving as merely one of the World Government’s three major institutions, how truly formidable must the entire organization be? Nami dared not contemplate it.

When Nami finally stepped into the library, however, she realized her worries might have been unfounded. The library remained as quiet and harmonious as it had been the past two days. Aside from the two familiar female Marines greeting her, no one paid her the slightest attention. A wave of relief washed over her.

Loran’s solemn warning kept Nami from touching the history books again. Instead, her gaze fixed entirely on the volumes concerning navigation techniques. She did not know how long Loran would be away at sea, but she resolved to master these subjects before his departure.

She did not lack trust in the Marine navigators; rather, she feared entrusting so vital a matter of life and death to anyone she could not fully rely upon.

Outside the library, the training grounds buzzed with activity. Roronoa Zoro and Koby’s spar continued, though today’s special target had shifted from Zoro to Koby. The immense disparity in strength rendered the bout a pitiful display, even Bogart himself growing visibly disinterested.

For some reason, Bogart always sensed Koby’s timidity during these sessions—quite literally timid. Although it was merely a spar, Koby’s stance remained as hesitant as against pirates, unable to unleash his full power. The techniques Bogart had taught him went unused, and even basic manners were absent. One strike from Koby, and he either cowered with hands over his head or swung wildly blindfolded, oblivious to his surroundings.

After several repetitions, Bogart conceded defeat. Without first correcting Koby’s mindset, he saw no point in teaching combat skills. Until that inner barrier fell, further instruction would be wasted effort.

Compared to Koby, Loran’s progress had been swift. Since Zephyr had poured the entirety of the Six Styles into him the previous day, today’s session had been a mere symbolic review of proficiency. Following suggestions drawn from Loran’s performance, Zephyr departed the training field to attend to his own duties.

Occasionally, an exceptionally gifted disciple could prove a burden.

Unlike Zephyr’s frustration, Loran had bloomed with delight upon mastering the Six Styles. Before acquiring them, his daily training had yielded only fifty points of all-round experience, resulting in virtually no advancement over five years. Without those double-experience cards, he would never have reached his current level of strength.

Yet once the Six Styles were learned, the system’s tasks centered solely on them. Under such rigorous demands, Loran now gained three hundred points of all-round experience daily, equating to six days’ worth of prior training. What a difference that made. If reaching nine levels would have taken ten years before, now it would require little more than a year to two.

The sole drawback was that swordsmanship experience remained unchanged, still limited to one thousand daily swings with a mere hundred points of experience. Without double cards, how distant that day of reaching nine levels and becoming an unrivaled great swordsman seemed.

The following days passed in quiet routine, as though the base’s arrival had never occurred. Nami remained in the library with her books, while Loran and Roronoa Zoro trained steadfastly on the field. Only Koby, taken by Bogart to some distant location for mindset correction, disrupted the pattern; the others otherwise maintained their accustomed rhythms.

Half a month later, Loran received a command that stirred both excitement and mild disappointment. He was to undertake a mission.

According to the intelligence relayed from headquarters, an island called Salon Island, roughly three days’ sail from Judicial Island, had been struck by pirates the previous day. Normally, such matters would fall to the nearest branch bases, but the pirates’ cruelty had inflicted severe repercussions.

Thus, headquarters had bypassed the branches entirely, dispatching forces straight from base to encircle and eliminate the threat. The goal was to intimidate lawless pirates into order through swift, decisive action with minimal losses.

A Vice Admiral’s leadership had been expected to ensure the fastest resolution. Yet headquarters had chosen Loran—an colonel whose strength rivaled a Vice Admiral—believing his presence would amplify the deterrent effect.

How many colonels existed in the Navy compared to vice admirals? If both could accomplish the task, the former’s impact would naturally be greater. With nearly countless colonels and fewer than twenty vice admirals, the one appearing more frequently on the high seas would wield greater intimidation.

The answer was clear.

Loran gave the matter little thought. Since the higher-ups had assigned him a task, he would simply carry it out. Showing one’s face and earning renown was a favor he never declined.

The following morning, Loran set out with Roronoa Zoro and Nami toward the harbor, where Vice Admiral Penggleis awaited—unseen for more than half a month. Because Bogart required Koby’s mindset adjustment, Loran had not laid eyes on him in that span. Believing no danger threatened headquarters and that Vice Admiral Karp’s deputy would not interfere, Loran paid it no mind. For Koby, the arrangement was a boon. Should his timidity ever yield to resolve, he would become a formidable warrior.

As for little Nami, Loran had already entrusted her to Master Hiyori via Karp. Rather than assigning the child to Hiyori himself, Loran noted that Hiyori possessed a capable sister, Admiral candidate Tobi Shiki, a swordsmanship expert who had expressed interest in taking little Nami as a disciple. Tobi ranked among the strongest female swordsmen in the original tales; guiding her would suit her better than Loran doing so. He had not expected Tobi to accept outright, hence the introduction.

Little Nami’s response pleasantly surprised Loran. She offered no complaint, proved remarkably sensible, and voiced no objections to the arrangement. Loran felt considerable relief.

After a brief exchange with Penggleis, Loran led the three aboard the warship, his subordinates at his side, steering toward Salon Island as specified in the mission brief.