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Before the Marines launched the world military draft, Issho—known as Fujitora—was an unknown figure, just a skilled but obscure swordsman among the common people.
But once he participated in the worldwide Marine recruitment campaign, his reputation exploded overnight.
His strength was so overwhelming that even Vice Admirals at Marine Headquarters were left stunned.
After a high-ranking officer was dispatched to duel with him and confirmed his formidable power, the report was quickly escalated.
"Fleet Admiral!" a young officer announced, "Issho was discovered during a draft held seven days ago.
This round of recruitment wasn't just for civilians—it also had special channels for powerful individuals across the world."
"This silent swordsman only revealed his brilliance the moment he took action, leaving the recruitment officer utterly shocked and immediately filing a report to headquarters".
"According to the intel, Issho is a blind swordsman. Though his eyes are impaired, it doesn't seem to affect his ability to perceive. We suspect he has extremely advanced Observation Haki."
"Additionally, he's a user of the Gravity Devil Fruit. He has a fondness for gambling, but he's a kind and polite man overall." The young officer stood in front of Arashi, reporting earnestly.
Upon hearing this, Arashi slowly looked up, smiled faintly, and said, "Bring this powerful man to Marine Headquarters." After a brief pause, a peculiar glint flashed through his eyes. "I'm very interested in him."
The officer paused, then saluted sharply. "Yes, sir!" After the officer departed, Arashi returned his attention to the documents on his desk.
There was no doubt—Fujitora Issho possessed not only overwhelming power but also unwavering conviction and belief.
From the perspective of a Marine, he was more than qualified: strong, faithful, and willingly recruited.
A smile formed at the corner of Arashi's lips as he reflected on it. This was the privilege of being on the side of so-called 'world justice'.
No matter how much the anime romanticizes the idea of pirates—their passion, their ideals—to the common people of the world, a pirate is still a pirate.
In ordinary life, who would place their trust in a criminal infamous across the seas? Fifteen minutes later, a knock sounded on the office door. Arashi looked up and was surprised to see who entered.
"Why are you here?"
The person had short green hair and three swords at his waist. It was none other than Roronoa Zoro, the young man Arashi had recently accepted as his disciple.
"You're seriously asking me that?!" Zoro's eyebrow twitched as the words burst from his mouth.
Ever since he had been officially accepted as Arashi's student, it felt like he'd been dragged into a nightmare. His teacher had completely abandoned him to the Marine system.
They'd shoved him into the Marine Academy, cramming his head full of Marine knowledge — endless theory classes and zero focus on strength training.
It was absurd! They were raising him as a full-fledged Marine, an elite one! The lead instructor had even enthusiastically taught him the Rokushikis of the Marines in person.
It wasn't that Zoro disliked the Rokushiki; it's just that, as a proud swordsman with the dream of becoming the world's greatest, none of it aligned with his path.
So now, what did all of that mean? What did Arashi even see him as?
"When are you going to teach me swordsmanship?!" Zoro gritted his teeth and shouted, eyes blazing.
Arashi blinked, then suddenly burst into laughter. Slapping his forehead, he said, "My bad! Things have been hectic lately—I completely forgot!"
"Forgot?!" Zoro's face twitched. If he could beat this guy, he would've slashed him right there.
"Well, since you're here, follow me!" Arashi stood up with a smile and headed outside. As Fleet Admiral, he did have some spare time beyond his busy schedule.
Zoro widened his eyes—seeing that Arashi was serious about teaching, he immediately followed.
Soon, the two arrived at a secluded area near Marine Headquarters, before them stretched the rolling sea and golden sands.
"Zoro," Arashi said as he walked ahead, his feet sinking slightly into the sand. His tone held a trace of nostalgia.
"Back in the day, it was on a beach like this, on an island, where I learned swordsmanship from Roger."
Zoro's eyes widened at once. "Roger?! As in Pirate King Roger? Roger taught you swordsmanship?" he blurted out, forgetting all courtesy.
Without a word, Arashi turned around and thumped him on the head with a fist. "Call me 'teacher!' No respect or reverence, and you still expect to learn from me?"
Zoro clutched his head in shock and pain, tears and snot streaming. "Teacher!"
Arashi nodded in satisfaction, then turned back around. "Roger passed his swordsmanship to me, and I, over the years, have taken it to the peak of the world."
"Back then, I sought guidance from the Pirate King Roger. Now, I'm about to pass everything I've learned on to you."
"It's funny how life comes full circle, isn't it?" Arashi smiled as he walked slowly to the water's edge, letting the sea nearly touch his feet.
He then turned and called, "Zoro!"
Zoro blinked, then drew all three of his swords.
"No, just one will do," Arashi said, shaking his head. Zoro hesitated, then chose to wield only the Sandai Kitetsu.
"Use all your strength. Swing at the sea," Arashi said gently. Though confused, Zoro did as told. Drawing a deep breath, he launched a powerful strike at the water.
Whoosh! A brilliant arc of sword energy exploded outward, cleaving the ocean momentarily in two, but the range wasn't too wide.
Arashi gave a small nod, then slowly shook his head. "You've stepped into the threshold of the sword path. But you're still far from ready."
Zoro remained silent. He knew well how far he had to go, which was why he had chosen to take Arashi as his master.
"Give me your sword," Arashi said. Zoro handed it over without hesitation. "Be careful. That blade is cursed."
Arashi merely smiled and gripped the Sandai Kitetsu. As expected, a sinister red-black aura flared up from the blade, attempting to lash back at him.
But in that instant, Arashi tightened his grip. The sword trembled violently, then quickly fell silent.
"Sandai Kitetsu," he murmured. "A fine sword. Suits you well."
Zoro stared, dumbfounded. That moment made it clear—the Kitetsu had resisted him, yet submitted instantly to Arashi's brute will.
'What kind of power does that take?!'
Then Arashi raised the blade and casually swung. It was an effortless motion—no fire, no flare.
But the sea before them split in two. A massive chasm tore across the ocean, stretching as far as the eye could see.
"That," Arashi said softly, handing the sword back, "is what it means to step fully into the sword path."
Zoro stood frozen, eyes fixed on the water, replaying that slash in his mind over and over. Arashi smiled faintly and walked away.
He knew Zoro had already grasped something crucial from that single swing. Unlike physical combat, the way of the sword demands not just strength, but precision, insight, and deep understanding.
Zoro's potential was clear. Once he built a strong sword foundation, integrating Haki would follow naturally. For many, Haki awakens during the pursuit of true swordsmanship.
When Zoro finally came back to his senses, he realized Arashi had already left. He took a deep breath. "There's so much to learn…"
That single swing had taught him everything: how to focus power, condense sword intent, and align mind and body.
It even connected to his past slash on Thriller Bark. Insights bloomed in his heart one after another.
Arashi's teaching style surprised him. It wasn't just a display of dominance—it was deliberate instruction. Every detail of that swing had been laid bare for Zoro to see and understand.
From that day forward, Zoro made this stretch of beach his training ground. He would swing his sword at the sea every day, again and again.
Only when he could split the ocean in half—truly—would he consider himself worthy of the path. This was Arashi's first lesson with him.
...
Three days later.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Arashi sat quietly as a tall figure stepped inside.
Broad-shouldered, square-jawed, eyes shut, blade at his waist—standing at 2.7 meters tall, about 60 cm shorter than Arashi, he carried a heavy and composed air.
"Fleet Admiral!" the officer announced. "This is Issho, the powerful swordsman whose name has spread across the world draft!"
"Nice to meet you, Issho," Arashi said, standing and smiling as he extended a hand. "I'm Arashi, Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters."
Issho was surprised, but calmly reached out and shook his hand with mutual respect.
"The honor is mine," he said deeply. "To meet the strongest in Marine history."
Issho's expression was serious, forehead beading with sweat. From the moment he entered the room, his inner senses were overwhelmed.
A terrifying presence—vast as the sea, as boundless as the sky—loomed over him, and there was no doubt… the source of that power was the man standing before him.
Smiling. Kind and Monstrous.
In the upcoming plans, there was also the intention to adjust the number of Admirals, promoting Vice Admirals to full Admiral rank.
Suddenly, the man before him lifted his head sharply and spoke with earnest determination.
"Fleet Admiral Arashi! I want to test just how vast the gap is between myself and the strongest man in the world! Consider it a humble request before I officially join the Marines!"
Arashi paused for a moment, then nodded without hesitation. "Of course. I also need to understand your strength as well—to determine which position in the Marines would suit you best."
At those words, Issho was immediately filled with fighting spirit. Though his eyes were closed, his heart was surging with anticipation.
The man before him was the strongest he had ever encountered, a presence that made his whole body tremble.
"Let's find a spacious place to fight," Arashi said with a calm smile. Issho nodded in agreement.
With the nearby officer watching nervously and excitedly, the two left Marineford's headquarters building and arrived at a secluded training ground, located at the edge of the fortress.
After surveying the area, Arashi gave a small nod. "This place will do." Issho naturally had no objections.
He stood quietly, took a deep breath, and placed his right hand on the hilt of the long blade at his waist.
"Then forgive my offense!"
Arashi remained where he was, still smiling. The two stood about 20 to 30 meters apart. The officer watched from afar, not daring to get any closer.
As a veteran of the Marineford War, he might not know the full extent of the blind swordsman Issho's strength, but he trusted completely in Fleet Admiral Arashi's destructive power.
"Huu…" A quiet breath escaped. Issho's grip tightened on the hilt. His closed eyes did not indicate emotion, but his expression was focused and grave.
Suddenly..
Vroom!
Dust burst up from the ground. Issho had vanished from where he stood. Almost at the same instant, a thunderous crash rang out.
Issho's blade was swinging down hard, but Arashi had already raised his sword with ease, blocking the strike firmly below.
"What terrifying strength!" Issho thought in shock. Even using the force of his leap and downward strike, he couldn't shake Arashi's casual block.
"Hell March!!"
Issho shouted fiercely, his expression steeling. In the blink of an eye, an overwhelming gravity burst outward from him, pressing downward at terrifying speed toward Arashi.
Arashi furrowed his brow briefly, then suddenly grinned.
"Impressive, Issho!"
As he spoke, his right arm flexed. Thick veins bulged across his forearm as he swung upward with tremendous force.
With raw power alone, Arashi resisted the crushing gravity and flung Issho away. The sheer impossibility of it shattered Issho's understanding of reality.
"What kind of monstrous strength is this? He's just human, and yet he resisted gravity itself through brute force alone!"
Issho was in disbelief. This gravity technique of his, especially when launched unexpectedly mid-fight, was enough to overwhelm almost anyone.
But this man…His physical might and resilience were completely unfazed.
"Ahahaha! Your abilities, Issho, remind me of my past battles. To most people, this would be a decisive blow… but to me—"
Arashi chuckled as he praised him. "I've grown used to pressure like this."
Back in Impel Down, injured and shackled with Seastone, the crushing pressure he endured then wasn't any less than this.
"What a monster…So this is the power of someone who stands at the peak of the world…?" Issho murmured.
The next moment, his pupils contracted. With just a push of his legs, Arashi launched forward like a cannonball.
In a flash, his blade swung downward. If Issho had eyes, he still wouldn't have been able to track that speed.
Voom!
The sheer force and velocity of Arashi's slash created a monstrous pressure that descended on him. The ground surrounding Issho began to crack under the weight of it.
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!!" Issho quickly drew his blade and met the strike head-on.
BOOM!
A shockwave rippled out from their clash, shattering the ground beneath them and sending dust flying across a radius of nearly a kilometer.
"Fleet Admiral Arashi… is too powerful…!" the officer gasped in awe from afar.
From his vantage point, he could see that Arashi's blow had struck the ground beneath Issho with such force that it sank nearly thirty centimeters.
Issho's legs were buried deep in the earth. Gritting his teeth, Issho couldn't believe the pressure bearing down from Arashi's blade. It was even more terrifying than his gravity-infused attacks.
In the next instant, he quickly leapt backward, escaping the range of Arashi's overwhelming force.
"Huff… huff… huff…!"
Panting heavily, sweat dripped from his chin. Issho looked up again.
He couldn't even comprehend just how powerful this man truly was. He felt like he was staring into a vast, endless ocean, immeasurable and unknowable.
His expression turned solemn. With a sharp motion, he sheathed his sword. The next moment, ripples of force shot upward into the sky.
Voom!
A massive shadow appeared overhead, tearing through the white clouds high above.
"What is that?! A meteor!"
"Sir Issho… summoned a meteor?!" the officer shouted, eyes wide with fear and disbelief. This level of ability was already equal to an Admiral.
"Oh?"
Arashi looked up at the enormous shadow engulfing the entire training ground. A smile crept across his lips.
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