Chapter 22: I Thought I Was Here to Learn a Skill!!!

Chapter 22: I Thought I Was Here to Learn Techniques!!!

The next day, a sharp, brief ringing shattered the tranquil morning on the warship. With the weekend break over, the naval vessel returned to its regular "training camp schedule."

After leaving his room, Cui Ze, dressed in his blue-and-white naval uniform, joined the other recruits rushing through the corridor. They gathered on the deck for the joint morning exercises of the recruit training camp.

Once the sweat-drenched morning drills concluded, Cui Ze headed to the ship’s cafeteria. After quickly polishing off a breakfast meant for dozens, he made his way toward the shooting range.

In the recruit training camp, aside from a few collective drills, the marines mostly spent their time seeking out specialized instructors based on the courses they had chosen. This way, those practicing swordplay wouldn't disturb those boxing, and those shooting wouldn't distract those studying. Every marine could focus on their specific training, which not only improved learning efficiency but also prevented the waste of resources.

As Cui Ze headed to the shooting range, the naval warship slowly sailed away from the waters surrounding the Island of Antiquity. After all, Zephyr had ultimately failed to recruit the two Elbaf giants on the island.

A few minutes later, Cui Ze stepped into the shooting range. The sound of gunfire inside was significantly more intense than it had been during the break yesterday. A quick glance revealed that the number of naval soldiers in the room was more than double what it had been the day before.

"I guess the elite naval training camp has rules about balancing work and rest, too?" Cui Ze muttered to himself. He then grabbed a flintlock musket and began his practice.

The scar-faced instructor in charge of firearms was weaving through the crowd, occasionally offering reminders to those with poor technique or incorrect posture, urging them to correct their form. Just after advising a soldier, the scar-faced instructor noticed Cui Ze’s arrival. He stood in the shadows, silently observing Cui Ze’s training for a while. He couldn't find any faults; in fact, Cui Ze was performing better than the vast majority of recruits who were handling a gun for the first time.

The results, however, left the instructor stunned.

"Has this guy’s close-range accuracy really reached such a monstrous level?"

Ten meters, ten shots. Nine bullseyes and one nine-ring shot. It was freakishly accurate.

The dense gunfire in the room meant Cui Ze didn't notice the instructor's gaze, as he remained fully immersed in his target practice. After briefly reviewing the effects of his "Close-Range Shooting" skill, Cui Ze nodded with satisfaction. He then adjusted the target distance, moving to the 20-meter zone to begin training for "Mid-Range Shooting."

The morning passed in a blur. By noon, Cui Ze had raised his F-rank "Mid-Range Shooting" to the same level as his "Close-Range Shooting." His next target was the 50-meter range, to see if he could trigger a new skill like "Long-Range Shooting." If that worked, he might even try the 80-meter range—nearly the maximum effective range for a flintlock—which would be extremely difficult. If 50 meters triggered "Long-Range Shooting," perhaps 80 meters would trigger an ability like "Extreme Shooting."

The scar-faced instructor was shocked by Cui Ze’s talent. Since joining the camp, he had never encountered a student whose shooting accuracy improved this rapidly. On the first day, he had just picked up a gun and was already achieving precision at 10 meters. By the second day, that "precision" had already extended to the 20-meter range!

Was he witnessing the birth of a legendary sharpshooter?

Watching Cui Ze walk away, the instructor mused to himself, "If this kid learns to use Armament Haki and Observation Haki to reinforce his bullets and lock onto targets, maybe the world is about to see the rise of a top-tier sniper."

Cui Ze was unaware of the instructor's thoughts, and even if he were, he wouldn't have cared. After all, he had never intended to become a "top-tier sniper."

His frantic grinding of "Close-Range" and "Mid-Range Shooting" proficiency over the last two days was driven by two factors: first, a genuine fondness for gunpowder weapons; second, his desire to acquire mid-to-long-range attack methods to compensate for the gaps in his combat system.

After lunch, following the instructions left by Instructor Shuzo, Cui Ze headed to the advanced martial arts training room, intending to delve into the study of "Tekkai" (Iron Body).

The advanced training room looked somewhat like a large gymnasium, filled with various exercise equipment. Similar to the shooting range, there was a massive shelf against the wall, but instead of standard-issue firearms, it held thick, heavy blunt weapons: iron bars, clubs, hammers, and the like. In the center of the room was a vast, open space, though its purpose was unclear.

As Cui Ze entered, he saw several recruits already there. Most were strangers, but there were one or two familiar faces.

"Sentomaru, and... Vergo!"

Cui Ze’s gaze swept over the two "acquaintances." In the original story, both were formidable Haki users. Sentomaru could unleash long-range Haki attacks during the Sabaody Archipelago arc, and two years later, Vergo could even harden his entire body with Armament Haki.

"It seems 'Tekkai' is indeed related to Armament Haki!" Cui Ze felt reassured.

The elite marines warming up in the room noticed the newcomer. They quickly recognized him as the one who had defeated Smoker the previous morning. The elite soldiers exchanged glances, and a shared emotion manifested in their eyes: a desire to test him!

A freak who could defeat someone who had eaten a Logia-type Devil Fruit! A super-tough guy who had reportedly even survived a clash with an Emperor of the Sea! They all wanted to take a crack at him.

Cui Ze, possessing sharp senses, immediately picked up on the strange shift in the gazes of the elite marines. Far from being intimidated, he felt a sense of pleasant surprise. Defeating Smoker had earned him a D-rank bait. Since Smoker was the undisputed top dog of the training camp, it stood to reason that while the camp was filled with elites, their overall evaluation was likely only D-rank at best, with average recruits perhaps only reaching E.

Cui Ze felt more than capable of handling opponents at this level. He was looking forward to the next "Smoker" appearing!

However, for now, he needed to focus on his "Tekkai" training. After finding some familiar equipment, he began his warm-up. The other recruits followed suit.

A few minutes later, Instructor Shuzo stepped into the room. He briefly introduced Cui Ze as the new addition to the "Tekkai Class" and, without further ado, launched into the explanation of the technique.

"Tekkai! It is the art of stimulating the body's power to grant it the hardness of steel!" Shuzo crossed his arms, causing his already massive pectoral muscles to bulge even more dramatically. "Cultivating Tekkai is a process of forging iron! To forge iron, you must first learn to endure a beating!"

Cui Ze felt a sudden chill, realizing he might have walked into a den of wolves. Shuzo looked at the "tender" Cui Ze and flashed a philosophical, hyper-masculine grin.

"Every recruit! Go to the weapon rack, pick a weapon you’re comfortable with, find a sparring partner, and start training!"

The recruits, familiar with the routine, immediately sprang into action. Only Cui Ze stood there, at a loss. The instructor’s masculine aura grew even more intense.

"As for our new recruit, Cui Ze-Fett, you shall be pummeled by me!"

As the instructor’s iron rod connected with his back, only one thought remained in Cui Ze’s mind:

*Take the cruelest beatings to build the thickest armor? I thought I was here to learn techniques!!!*