#79 - Chapter 79 Borsalino
After a morning of intense training, Jin finally stopped to catch his breath.
Under the scorching sun, the Marine Headquarters training ground was dazzling, the air thick with a mixture of dirt and heat.
His clothes were completely soaked with sweat, clinging to his skin, and each breath allowed his muscles to fully relax.
Just as he sat down in the shade of a tree, panting, Gion walked over.
She held a bottle of water in her hand, her steps light, as if the surrounding heat had nothing to do with her.
Approaching Jin, she smiled slightly and handed him the cool, thirst-quenching treasure.
"Good work," she said, with an undisguised concern in her voice.
Jin took the water, his fingers touching the coolness from Gion's hand, and he looked up at her warm smile, nodding his thanks.
"You really don't have to do this for me..."
After spending a morning together, he also understood why Gion had reacted so strangely yesterday.
"It's not too much to give your savior a bottle of water, is it?" Gion said with a charming smile.
Jin looked around. This was a big problem. Didn't she see the way those people around them wanted to devour him with their eyes?
It was terrifying...
But the main thing was, he hadn't really done anything.
Back when he hadn't joined the Marines yet, he was training alone in the South Blue.
He saw a ship being besieged, grabbed his sword, and charged over. He didn't expect that there would be a future Marine Vice Admiral on that ship.
"Jin, I've finished all of today's training tasks..." Toki walked over from another training ground, wiping sweat with a towel as she walked. "Can we go eat after a wash?"
Toki, after training, revealed a hint of fatigue as she walked to the place she had agreed to meet Jin, and then saw the tall woman sitting next to him.
Was she an acquaintance of Jin's at Marine Headquarters? She didn't seem to have seen her before.
Before she could see the person's face clearly, a strong smell of smoke entered her nose, causing her to wrinkle it.
"Gion, so you're here. I've been looking for you all morning," Kaji stepped in between Jin and Gion.
Jin smiled wryly. Did this guy Kaji have to be so wary of him? He had no designs on Gion.
At this moment, Toki also quietly stood behind Jin, watching the suddenly appearing man.
Gion frowned slightly. "Kaji, you don't have to follow me all the time, do you?"
"Uh, Gion, we're always partners."
"And, Fleet Admiral Kong has something for the two of us to do."
Kaji explained hurriedly. He wasn't lying. He was here this time because he had a mission.
He considered himself a man of great discretion, and he wouldn't do anything unnecessary.
"What could it be?" Gion muttered to herself.
It had been a while since they had been summoned by the Fleet Admiral, and she felt that every time they were summoned, they would be busy for a long time.
Soldiers take obedience as their duty, and when they received orders, they naturally had to obey them.
"We'll go see what Fleet Admiral Kong has planned first. We'll catch up with you next time," Gion said, getting up with an apologetic expression.
Jin also understood that she had things to do, and stood up as well. "Go ahead, I hope your mission goes well."
Kaji and Gion were being groomed as future admirals. If their strength reached the level of an admiral in the future, the more things Steel Bones Kong arranged for them to do, the easier it would be for them to be promoted in the future.
Many people in the Marines were very envious of being able to get this kind of opportunity.
Although they envied Gion and her treatment, they were just envious, because Gion and she had extraordinary talents.
"......"
Jin and Toki left the training ground and walked leisurely towards their residence.
During his time at Marine Headquarters, he had also seen many strong people who would become famous on the sea in the future.
He had met Sakazuki and Borsalino once, but they weren't familiar with each other.
Those two guys were currently in the Marine training camp, and it seemed that they would be able to graduate from that place in a while.
It is worth mentioning that Kuzan has also entered the training camp now, living a painful and happy life.
Within the Marines, people with Logia abilities would be heavily cultivated. Under these circumstances, Kuzan was the center of attention at Headquarters, and those instructors couldn't wait to impart all their knowledge to him.
Jin was the opposite. Steel Bones Kong didn't like him very much, always feeling that he was not doing his job properly.
He was just a Colonel, and not even ranked at Headquarters. It wasn't enough for him to go out and catch some pirates to hand over, and Steel Bones Kong even set training tasks for him.
"......"
Because of training, the two of them arrived at the restaurant during the peak dining hours, and it was already packed.
There were many restaurants in Marineford, but there were even more Marines. The food here could only be said to be edible. If you wanted to enjoy food that stimulated your taste buds, you could only go to the commercial street for food made by the families of Marines.
"You stay here and hold the seat, I'll go buy you some food," Jin said, after circling the restaurant five times and finally finding a seat, he pressed Toki into the seat and ran off to buy food.
Toki was already used to Jin's arrangements. He knew what she liked to eat, and staying here to hold the seat was the best choice for her.
Just as Toki was waiting in her seat, a slightly lazy voice sounded from behind her.
"This is terrible, this is the only empty seat here. This beautiful lady, may I sit here?"
Toki nodded, looking at the man who had already walked to the table. There was still room at the table for four, and adding one more person was no problem at all.
Getting a reply, the man wearing sunglasses sat in the seat farthest from Toki.
"Thank you," Borsalino said, thanking her, and silently ate his food in his seat.
After a while, Jin returned to his seat with two portions of food, and was stunned when he saw the person in the seat.
"Yo, isn't this the rising star Jin? To think I'd see you in the restaurant, how terrifying," Borsalino said, swallowing the food in his mouth.
Jin put the food on the table and smiled helplessly. "I can't be called a rising star, and I just don't come often, not that I don't come at all."
Borsalino shook his head and said, "Instructor Zephyr often mentions you in our ears, monster-like physique, superb swordsmanship..."
"Except for being a little lazy, there's nothing else to complain about. In short, the instructor always has you on his lips, and our ears are getting calluses..." Borsalino said with a resentful expression.
"Pfft..." Toki couldn't help but laugh.
Originally, Toki didn't react much to Zephyr praising Jin, because what he said was true.
She didn't expect a twist to come later, and that last sentence was probably what Zephyr really felt in his heart.
'Those old guys in the Marines must have an opinion of me,' Jin muttered to himself. He was very diligent, okay?
It seemed that he still hadn't cultivated enough, and he would have to work harder in the future.
......
That afternoon, Jin ran to the Fleet Admiral's office, using sharp words to get the Marines to restore his reputation.
The result was obvious.
Jin's arm ultimately couldn't twist his thigh, and his rebuttal was collectively ignored by those people in the Marine high command.
...
...
