The sky was clear, and the scorching sun blazed overhead.
"Inhale, exhale, inhale"
On the training field of the 88th Branch base, Jay maintained a special breathing rhythm. In his hands, two silver-colored nunchaku spun rapidly, producing countless afterimages and a sharp whistling as they sliced through the air.
Just watching it was enough to make one feel intimidated.
No one doubted that if those things accidentally hit someone, at best it would rip the skin, at worst it could break bones.
And if it hit the head...
Well, you might as well delete your account and start over.
But standing at the center of the storm, Jay didn't feel any danger at all, because every move was under his absolute control.
A mistake?
That would only mean he hadn't trained enough, and that just meant he had to train more.
Otherwise, when fighting a real enemy, he'd only regret not practicing enough.
Enemies don't show sympathy!
Speaking of which, after fulfilling the activation conditions, Jay didn't just receive a breathing technique, he also got some derivative moves.
However, he gave up on those.
First, because he felt those techniques didn't suit his current self and couldn't fully showcase his strength.
Second, to bring out their true power, he'd have to get a specially made weapon, a flexible, whip-like retractable blade with great resilience.
Too troublesome, and it didn't match the combat style Jay had in mind.
In short: he didn't like it.
But he did absorb certain techniques from it, like force application methods and movement skills.
Especially considering his current weapon was the nunchaku, which shared some similarities with the breathing techniques.
Anyway, Jay didn't need to think about how to efficiently slay demons. What he needed was to defeat his enemies cleanly and swiftly.
So it was inevitable that the derivative moves he developed from the breathing technique would end up very different.
After all, the enemies they faced were fundamentally different.
Of course, this required time. It wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight.
After a while, Jay finally came to a stop, exhaling continuously for over a minute.
Off to the side, Buck was getting anxious waiting.
But Jay's intensity just now had been way too intimidating, he hadn't dared to approach.
And when he'd tried calling out twice, Jay didn't respond.
"Alright, what is it?" Jay asked as he set down his nunchaku and picked up a towel to wipe off sweat.
"The final result from the Iron Hammer Pirates suppression is out!"
"Everyone gets a 20,000 Beli bonus and a small military merit recorded for killing enemies."
"Damn it! 'Iron Hammer' Beck was clearly taken out by you, Big Bro Jay. It's bad enough you didn't get most of the credit, but now they're giving you the same as us…"
"Colonel Hammond really is shameless. What's the point of stealing this credit? Does he really think he'll make it to Marine Headquarters? Pah!"
Jay, who had expected this outcome, didn't react with the same righteous fury as Buck.
He just chuckled lightly. "Wanting promotions and wealth is human nature, but people should also know their limits."
"Our dear Colonel only made it this far because he's greedy, and bold enough to act on that greed."
"With enough benefits, you can tie a lot of people to you. And then those people become a community of interests."
"That way, even if something happens to him, those people will try to protect him, for the sake of their own interests."
"But if our colonel becomes too ambitious and tries to climb higher, that's when his downfall begins."
"Not only is he not strong enough, but the big shots above will also start worrying he's getting out of control, and could become a bigger problem."
"So chances are, even he knows that this is the peak of his life."
Buck looked half-confused, half-enlightened. "Then why is he still hogging all the credit?"
Jay put his cup down. "A few reasons. First, he's intolerant and insecure, worried that his subordinates will climb too fast and threaten his power and dominance."
"Second, he needs to maintain just enough achievement to keep his position. Not too little to get reassigned, but not too much to attract unwanted attention. A mediocre record is the safest bet."
"And clearly, our 88th Branch is always short on achievements, even reluctant to act against pirates, so the colonel's desperation is understandable."
Buck finally looked like he got it. "So… Big Bro Jay, which one do you think Colonel Hammond is?"
"Obviously... both!" Jay was now neatly dressed.
Though to outsiders it might seem like he had "aligned himself" with the colonel, only Jay knew the truth: he never truly had the man's trust.
Their relationship was purely one of mutual exploitation.
And the moment Jay lost his value, Colonel Hammond would be the first to try and make him disappear.
As for the illusion of "being favored" that was spreading lately, it was only because the colonel thought he had Jay completely in his grasp.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have left Jay with absolutely nothing from this mission.
But Jay didn't care.
Because in this world, what ultimately mattered was strength.
And with his current strength, he could tear that colonel apart with his bare hands.
In the Four Seas, a colonel's strength often didn't match his rank.
Just think of Colonel Nezumi or Captain Morgan from the East Blue in the original story.
So unless Hammond made the first move, Jay would just keep developing quietly for a while longer.
But if the guy insisted on seeking death, then Jay would "reluctantly" send him off himself.
That said, if he had a choice, Jay would still prefer to stay in the Marine, it was more convenient for his plans.
"So we're just letting it go like this?" Buck was still unwilling.
From his attitude alone, it was clear, he was all-in on following Jay now.
Even though Jay was just a sergeant and Hammond was a full colonel.
Jay gave him a surprised look. "Let it go? No way. We're just keeping a tab, for now. We'll settle everything later."
"But for now, we can make our dear colonel a little uncomfortable. Collect some interest."
Buck perked up instantly. "What's the plan?"
"That info I asked you to collect last time, how did it go?"
"I only managed to dig up part of it. And it doesn't seem like it's from Colonel Hammond's core operations," Buck said, a little embarrassed.
T/N: Here are the promised +5 chapter for last week