Jayr POV - Blue Star, East Blue, Polestar Isnd - 20 GAP

  As the first sparring match between two random Petty Officers starts, I stao Koby and curious about my student's thoughts, I ask the same question that Smoker asked me a few minutes ago, "So, what do you think about this training experieh the Marines?"

  Koby tio stare at the two Petty Officers as they start to circle around with their bluraining swords pointing at each other, obviously thinking about how to expin his sensations aions in clear words.

  After some time, with a slight frown on his face, he says in a low tone, "I have to admit that it was a fun, frustrating, strange, and enlightening experience... One of the reasons for that is because many times I felt that the various exercises were way too easy and light, I even had to slow down a few times to keep their pace, and that while wearing my weighted clothes. It is strahese men are supposed to be the ones who defend the people against the most on threats of our era, which are the evil and powerful pirates, the people whose simple presence causes the people to feel safe and protected. So why are they so weak that even someone like me easily defeat them? Why don't they work harder to beore powerful?"

  But without waiting for me to ao his questions, Koby tinues, "But then we moved to the bat situations and I uood everything. These men represent a different kind of strength of the Marihey represent the Marine's unity and teamwork. They aren't meant to fight against the powerhouse able to level an isnd on their own, that's the job of the higher-ranked powerhouses. Sure they defeat pirates on their own but that isn't their main duty, their job is to taihreat, protect the civilians, keep them away from harm, use their lives as the st defense line, and capture or keep occupied the weaker pirates as the strong fight."

  At this point, Smoker puts his hand on Koby's shoulder and says, "You got it right, kid. The main job of these men is exactly that. Not everyone is meant to bee a powerful fighter, one of the strengths of the Marine is that every man or woman make a difference while doing their job to the best of their abilities, and there are many roles that one take to make that differenatter of little it may be. Some fight on the front line, some focus on proteg, some focus on support from behind, unseen and many times even unappreciated, some lead the soldiers, and so on. All these men and women are all fighting for justi their own way."

  While we were talking the two random Petty Officers fiheir fight, and soon the oarted, but these fights are very b and dull as these meruly the perfect representative of a random mob character, so much that I'm sure that even the current Usopp is able to defeat them with some ing trick.

  The only mildly iing matches were those where Koby, Tashigi, and Smoker took part, as the way they dealt with the weaker marines gave some insight into their fighting style and character.

  Tashigi is very brave and reckless when fighting her oppos, a trait typical of swordswomen and swordsmen, and this obviously ends with some very swift matches where she defeats her oppos in one sirike.

  Smoker is aremely serious and gruff mareats his underlings with the same respect as his peers and never abuses his position, and even during these matches he doesn't use his Devil Fruit's powers to instantly deal with them, but lets them attack him a few times as he carefully coaches them on what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong, but despite that, he always swiftly ends his fight after exactly 3 minutes passed knog them out with his Jutte.

  And Koby, well, it seems that he is following my example a little, he is kinda like Smoker, he lets the oppo attack him but wheices a mistake or an opening, he ruthlessly attacks with all kinds of painful grappling teiques while pointing out what his oppo did wrong, in the end, all his oppo ended up knocked out cold as he sms them into the ground, or pass out when held in a chokehold after a minute or so and those who don't end up giving up before Koby's lessoo painful.

  Finally, after a bunch of b and meaningless matchups, an iing pairis at the ter of the field, they are Koby and Tashigi.

  The two of them are now fag each other and are about to start their sparring matbsp;

  On one side, Tashigi is armed with a blunt katana which is very simir in size and appearao her own sword, Shigure.

  Oher side, there is Koby, who is approag this fight unarmed, just like every ht before this one.

  Seeing that, I look at Smoker who is now standing beside me, and ask with a curious tone, "So, who do you think will win this?"

  Smoker seriously thinks about it for a few seds before he replies, "I think that Tashigi has a greater ce to win this match. She is usually absent-minded and clumsy as on my nerves all the time, but when things get serious she is the orust the most among all my men. Moreover, I'm very familiar with her fighting style, and from what I have seen, she is the worst match-up for someone like that kid, Koby, who is quite a bit slower than her, sure, he has great enduraeique, and also a good amount of strength but all that is useless if he 't hit."

  Hearing his answer, I nod with a smile on my fad say, "Indeed, it is a bad match-up, but it isn't for the reason you think of." which makes Smoker look at me with clear fusion on his face as he asks, "What do you mean with that?"

  To that question, I simply expin, "Koby is quite used to fighting with faster oppos, after all, on our way here he fought with Kuro every single day, but he is totally clueless about what to do when fighting against someone armed. But even with that, Koby should still be able to do something, after all, he isn't as slow as he currently seems... Besides, what you have seen until now isn't Koby's true capabilities at all..."

  At this point, Smoker finally remembers something I told him and Tashigi before and realizes what I mean, his eyes open wide in shock as he excims, "Wait! Don't tell me that he has been wearing those weighted clothes that you talked about before until now!?"

  I simply smile and nod, making Smoker stare at Koby once more, as he seriously asks, "How much is he currently carrying?" to which I reply, "Not much, overall, just some 250 kg! Something that I fot to tell you guys, is that as a part of his training, he has to carry that weight all the time."

  Just as Smoker is about to say anything else, the fight between Koby and Tashigi finally starts.

  Tashigi doesn't hesitate and rushes toward Koby and attacks with a horizontal ssh aiming to swiftly end this fight just like all the others before, but to her and everyone else surprise, Koby is able to rea time and dodge by throwing himself on the ground and rolling forward, making Tashigi's sword pass over his head.

  Tashigi too shocked that her ssh was dodged this way, was too slow to recover and turn around, so, she wasn't able to take advantage of that slight moment where Koby was slightly disoriented as he slowly got up.

  Meanwhile, Koby once again showed his inexperien dealing with armed oppos as he threw himself on the ground with too much strength, clumsily rolling way too mud leaving himself open to another possible attack.

  Such a clumsy dispy makes both me and Smoker click our to the same time, Smoker even ents, "That girl... she is truly the shame of the Marine HQ! I told her many times to be more careful wheacks, but she always rushes as really reckless when fighting her oppos."

  I nod agreeing with him and add, "And Koby isn't aer! True, he doesn't have much experiend tends to get way too nervous at times, but that erfect opportunity to terattack, but he overshot his dodge by a mile."

  Soowain their bearing and they once more face each other, this time they are more careful as they slowly start to circle around waiting for the perfeent to attabsp;

  Tashigi is once again the ohat makes the first move as she runs toward Koby and starts to attack him with a flurry of quick but weak sshes which force Koby to dodge and tinuously retreat.

  Seeing this se, Smoker once again ents, "You are right. Koby keep up with Tashigi's speed even if he is burdened by all that weight. But I think it is way too soon for him to fight with someone like Tashigi. He still doesn't know how to use a on, and it is almost impossible to defeat a swordsman or swordswoman unarmed, one needs some kind of on to defend himself or at the very least some armor, that is why I have this Jitte despite the fact that my Devil Fruit is a Logia Type."

  But I shake my head and decre, "That is not always true. You see, since young I was trained in using all kinds of ons but at the same time, I was forbidden to fight using ons, except in a few exceptional cases. There are two reasons for that, one is that the people I trained with believe that ons are able to corrupt men and spread senseless death, and so, we are taught to be very wary of using them. The other is that the best way to know how to defend and ter a on is by knowing how to use it. Following that belief, I almost never used a on uhe situation truly called for it, but despite that, I have never lost a fight against an armed oppo."

  I focus ba Koby ahat he is still panig a little as he tio dodge Tashigi's flurry of attacks, and at the same time, I add, "Moreover, if I remember well, Mr.Garp also doesn't use any ons nor does he wear some armor, but he still mainly fights with his fists... After all, he is known as Garp the Fist. But it is true that I haven't taught Koby anythi about how to fight against an armed oppo, and this is one of the reasons I asked to let him join your training so that he personally experie on his skin."

  Meanwhile, Koby tio be pushed baable to find an opening, but despite that, he is still able to dodge every single one of Tashigi's attacks making her spend a lot more energy than usual, especially as the fight tio stretch, something that makes her more anxious, frustrated, and reckless.

  Suddenly, Tashigi stops her attacks and jumps back creating a lot of distaween her and a surprised Koby, at the same time, she sheathes her blunt sword into its saya (scabbard), and takes an Iaido stance, clearly indig her io use a quick draw teique.

  At the same time, seeing this se, Smoker ents, "She is serious now, Tashigi is about to use her stroeique, she calls it Kiri Shigure. A quick-draw teique named after her treasured katana Shigure where Tashigi passes and cuts her enemy in one siion."

  Indeed, soon after Smoker says that Tashigi dashes forward and so fast that Koby 't eve, she draws her sword and diagonally sshes Koby's torso with an upward swing.

  Then she passes him over and takes her end stance as she uses both hands to position her sword overhead, with the bde parallel to her back.

  Of course, even if Tashigi sshed Koby, she didn't actually cut him, for ohe sword she used in that match is a training one, meaning its edge was blunted, and so the worst kind of damage that it cause is some broken bone, but more important, Tashigi also finely trolled her sword so that all she did was lightly bruise Koby.

  Immediately after that, Smoker calls the match results and orders the oo start, so, Tashigi and Koby leave the field aurn to their positioo us.

  I look at Koby as he walks over still gently rubbing his chest to soothe the pain of Tashigi's st attad ask, "So, what do you think about your first experieh a real sword expert?"

  Koby fidgetted a little before replying, "It was very scary, she is way too different from all the other oppos I faced before... even if I khat the bde was blunted every single swing made me feel like she was going to cut me. Moreover, even if she moved slower than Kuro, I could barely read dodge the whole time as the speed of her swings was way faster than her movements. But the worst thing was that sensation of being powerless because of the distance, as she tio attack me, I could not do anything because even wheacked me, she was too far away from me to terattack, and I couldn't find any opening to step in."

  Hearing the ret of his personal experience, I nod with a calm smile on my face, and then I say, "That's right. This is exactly what I wanted you to experience. Usually, those who really use a on have many advantages over those who are unarmed. First of all, is that obviously, ons are by nature more lethal than fists, then there is the advantage of reach just like you experienced, a person with a sword has a longer reach than a person with only his arms and legs, a person with a spear even more so, a's not talk about bow and arrows and guns."

  I look at Koby in the eyes and tih my lesson, "A on give incredible advao its wielder especially if he or she knows how to use them, this is a universal truth. But that doesn't mean that an unarmed person ever defeat an armed ohrough training and effort, you turn your own body into your on. Of course, that doesn't mean that you have to pletely ighem, to know how to best deal with them, you first have to learn how to use them. So starting tomorrow, I will start teag you about the various kinds of ons."

  After that, we tio watch the other sparring matches as I tio teach Koby what the people fighting were doing right, where they could be better, and the istakes and openings that he could take advantage of, after some time, it was finally time for Koby to ehe field once again, this time, his oppo will be Captain Smoker himself.

  But just before Koby ehe field, I hold him back by putting my hand on his shoulder and say, "To experiehis fight the best, you have to go all out, so remove your weighted clothes."

  Hearing that, Koby replies embarrassed, "But Jayr-san that way I'll be almost naked having only my briefs on!"

  I look at him and ask, "And what is so embarrassing about that? It is basically the same as when you go swimming..."

  Finding no fws in my logic, Koby shakes his head and starts undressing, making all the clothes fall on the ground with a loud sound which surprises the sailors around us who didn't know about Koby's weighted clothes so much that they all start to sport the iiel's face.

  At the same time, a curious Tashigi grabs Koby's shirt and tries to pull it up, but she is uo do so, shocked she excims, "I khat his clothes were heavy but this is too much! Wait! He was carrying all this while fighting me!?"

  Koby POV - Blue Star, East Blue, Polestar Isnd - 20 GAP

  After my defeat at the hands of Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, a very strong swordswoman who was able to defeat me without giving me any ce to terattack, I'm once again standing in the middle of the training field of Loguetown Marine Base to take part in another sparring match, and I never felt so nervous in my life, not even the first time, I faced a dangerous pirate like Kuro be pared with what I'm feeling right now.

  The reason for that is very simple, it isn't because I'm standing in front of many sailors half naked wearing only my briefs, no, the reason is because this time, my oppo is her than Captain Smoker himself, a true high-ranking Marine officer.

  I now stand in front of him, waiting for the match to start, at the same time, Captain Smoker looks at me and with both cigars still in his mouth he says, "Kid, I see that you finally got rid of those weighted clothes. But that won't ge anything because just as your teacher asked, I'll make you experience what is like to fight against someone who ate a Devil Fruit."

  Indeed, Captain Smoker is someone who ate one of the mythical Devil Fruits that Jayr-san told me about, and not a simple o that, but one of the rarest and most powerful Devil Fruits, a Logia Type Devil Fruit, and what makes me even more nervous is that even knowing that, I still don't kly what is his Devil Fruit, as Jayr-san only told me that Captain Smoker ate one and what its type was, but he didn't tell me anything more.

  So, to calm my nerves a little, I remember Jayr-san's lesson about the Devil Fruits, especially the part on the Logia Type.

  We were sitting on the deck of the Athena's God Bidoof calmly fishing as Jayr-san taught me, "Logia is the rarest of the three Devil Fruit types. Those who have eaten a Logia fruit are grahe power to physically transform their very body into a of nature, on top of creating said element from their body in nigh-endless quantities, to trol as they please. The body-transf aspect of Logias serves to distinguish them from other Devil Fruit types, particurly Paramecia abilities that allow for the geion of substances: such Paramecias only allows oo create, not bee, one's respective substance."

  Then he went over the more important characteristics, "If a Logia user transforms part of their body and that part is struck physically by a normal body part or object, the user's real body does not take any damage, and any effect of the atta the user's elemental form is superficial and the body be reformed with no issue. It is unclear how much scious trol is required to transform one's body to e attacks. No Logia user has ever shown difficulty or inability to bypass normal attacks, although there have been instances outside of direbat when forceful tact has been made with a Logia user's real body and it did not transform. Additionally, it appears as though Logia users egate having parts of their body severed by normal attacks by simply transf the severed part into their element aurning it to the rest of their body, this even applies to decapitation."

  Remembering that st part already makes me realize that this is an almost hopeless fight, but I also remember that Jayr-san also told me about the Logia Type's oints, "Of course, there are only a few ways to bypass this transformation and successfully iransformed Logia user, with the most ethods being the usage of Seastone and Busoshoku Haki. Additionally, if a Logia user's element be overwhelmed or celed out with a different element, that element harm their physical bodies. Sustances include water g out sand, rubber g out lightning, and magma g out fire. And of course, one 't fet the major weakhat all Devil Fruit users share, seawater."

  I still remember the st part of that lesson as Jayr-san fished out a huge Sea King while expining, "Remember, despite the fearsome power of Logia users, they are not invincible. All users are required to transform into their respective element voluntarily therefore sneak attacks are more likely to work, as the user will not have enough time to shift into their elemental state and avoid the attacks so that is also an option. However, with training, most Logia users learn to transform by reflex, eliminating this particur weakness, but this still be useful if you mix it with a few other methods."

  (AN: Sorry about this info dump, I'd like to avoid them but when I 't I'll try to keep them as brief as possible.)

  I'm suddenly brought out of my reminisg by Captain Smoker's voice as he asks, "Are you ready, kid?"

  I take a deep breath to calm my hen I firmly reply, "Yes, Sir!" making Captain Smoker nod and say, "Good, let's start this then."

  With his signal, I don't hesitate anymore, I rush forward at my top speed while thinking, 'The first and most important step. Take advantage of the element of surprise to hit him and learn what exactly is his element then find a way to ter it.'

  I close in on Captain Smoker and throunch aiming at his stomach, but my fist, and quickly after the rest of my body, easily pass through Captain Smoker's body as some kind of smoke takes the pce of his flesh and disperses around me, givihe same sensation when I gh my pung motions hitting only air.

  At the same time, I hear Captain Smoker's surprised voice as he ents, "Oh, you got a lot faster than before... but you aren't fast enough yet."

  Then, his body quickly reforms and he grabs my still-extended arm and throws me up in the air.

  Only now my brain finally catches up with what exactly happened as I realize, 'Was that some kind of white fog or smoke? How I ter something like that!? At the moment, I 't think of any elements that ter that!'

  While thinking that, I try to twist my body in mid-air to adjust my nding and at the same time keep an eye on Captain Smoker but as I turn, I see the figure of Captain Smoker quickly closing in as he turned his lower body in that white fog or smoke to propel himself like a rocket.

  Soon Captain Smoker is in front of me, and without aation, he yells, "White Blow!" turns his right arm into that white fog leaving only his fist solid, and then he shoots that cloud of dense smoke to unch the fist at me, hitting me right iomad sending me crashing on the ground, knog the air out of me for a few instants.

  I grit my teeth, ehe pain, and jump up and roll out of the way and just in time as a dense cloud of that white smoke just crashed on the spot I was lying a few moments ago, then the cloud quickly transforms bato Captain Smoke who looks at me and ents, "Not bad... Not bad at all. Most would have been knocked out by the first blow, or at the very least remain stunned long enough to allow me to capture them easily."

  I rub my stomach as I still feel the pain of his st blow, which luckily didn't break anything as it was quite a lot lighter than what I'm used to, and reply, "Thanks for your pliment, Sir. But this is only because I'm quite used to this... After all, most of my sparrings with Jayr-san always end up with a few of my bones broken."

  Odyin