Chapter 18: Starting to bluff

Recruit training ground.

Zephyr glanced at the time and roared at the recruits who were sweating: "Everyone stop, that's all for now. Assemble promptly at 6:30 tonight. Dismissed!"

The recruits who had trained all day cheered instantly, pushing and shoving as they rushed toward the cafeteria. Ain and Binz stood where they were; it wasn't that they weren't hungry, but that they were going to visit the injured Karl today.

"Ain, Binz, you two come with me!"

"Yes, Master Zephyr!"

The two followed Zephyr closely as they walked toward the Navy hospital. Binz looked at the hospital getting closer and felt conflicted, whispering to Ain: "Hey, Ain, do you think Karl will hold a grudge? After all, I hurt him so badly?"

Ain bit her lower lip, thinking of the lively and cheerful Karl on the recruit ship, and shook her head: "I... am not sure either. According to Karl's personality, he shouldn't hold a grudge."

"Phew~ That's good then..." Binz immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, the three walked into the hospital and arrived at Karl's ward. The door was open, and Zephyr walked straight in without a second thought.

"Karl, how is your recovery... Huh?"

Zephyr froze halfway through his sentence, eyes wide, pointing at Karl and unable to speak for a long time. Ain and Binz were confused, but when they saw Karl and Mo Nika inside the ward, they froze too.

Karl, wearing a pair of blue shorts, was sitting lazily on the chair by the window, a cigar in his right hand, a newspaper in his left, with his legs crossed.

Faint lipstick marks were still visible on his fair face, and Mo Nika was kneading Karl's shoulders from behind like a docile little wife.

When Zephyr suddenly burst in, he and Mo Nika seemed to be frozen in place. Karl stared at Zephyr, dumbfounded, not even noticing the cigar ash falling onto his leg.

Mo Nika reacted a bit faster, quickly pulling her hands back behind her, her expression somewhat awkward.

"Cough, cough, cough~ Ouch! Nurse Mo Nika, I suddenly feel some chest tightness, what's going on? Help me to the bed quickly, I need to rest for a while!"

Seeing Mo Nika didn't react, Karl looked embarrassed, extinguished his cigar on his own, and stumbled into bed, covering himself with the quilt.

"Stop pretending, Karl!!! So you were doing this on purpose? You've been deceiving me all along to avoid training, haven't you?"

Combining Karl's strange behavior since joining the camp, Zephyr quickly cleared his thoughts. That kid was doing it on purpose! And this behavior gave him an inexplicably familiar feeling—yes, it was that bastard Kizaru!

The methods these two guys used to avoid training were practically from the same school. No wonder Karl, despite having a physique far superior to Binz, could sustain such serious injuries! Was he really treating him like a fool?

Zephyr's furious voice echoed in the ward, and Binz and Ain shivered in fear.

Mo Nika looked worriedly at the angry Zephyr, then at Karl, who didn't dare to make a sound.

She gathered her courage and said to Zephyr: "Mr. Zephyr, please keep your voice down. This is a hospital, not a training ground. Please do not disturb the patient's rest!"

Karl sighed deeply and said: "Mo Nika, you go out first!"

Looking at Karl's serious expression, Mo Nika's eyes flickered, as if she wanted to say something, but she chose to obey. She gave Karl a look of "good luck," and walked out of the ward, *tap, tap, tap*.

"Phew~"

Zephyr's chest heaved continuously. After being lectured by Mo Nika, he calmed down. He looked at Karl expressionlessly and said: "You've been living quite comfortably these few days while sick! It seems my training camp has been hindering your enjoyment."

Karl scratched his head awkwardly; why did Zephyr's words sound so much like Kizaru?

"Well, Instructor Zephyr, you overestimate me. I just felt like I was rusting from lying down, so I asked Nurse Mo Nika to help me loosen my muscles. It's definitely not what you think."

"Hmph!"

Zephyr snorted coldly; he didn't believe a single word Karl said now.

"I don't care about that. Since you've recovered, please return to the training camp as soon as possible. Don't forget, you've missed a whole week of training!"

"For the remaining time, I will supervise you personally. I will definitely not give you another chance to cut corners!"

Don't do that! Karl was shocked, his little brain spinning wildly. If Zephyr really did that, his daily tasks and career tasks would never be completed.

But he couldn't blame him. As the Navy's Chief Instructor, Zephyr valued his potential and wanted to lead him onto the right path—"hoping for his success." Did he do anything wrong?

No! On the contrary, he did very well; the countless Navy elites he had trained were proof of that.

"Sigh~ Master Zephyr, let me tell you the truth! Actually, I have a special training method, but I can only tell you alone."

After speaking, Karl glanced at Ain and Binz standing near the door. Zephyr subconsciously thought Karl was going to spout nonsense again, but his heart softened when he saw Karl's serious eyes.

Thinking that even his chronic asthma, which had plagued him for years, could be easily cured by Karl, maybe he really did have something special?

After thinking it over, he decided to give Karl one more chance. If Karl was still spouting nonsense, he would immediately drag him off the hospital bed and train him to death at the training ground!

"You two, get out!"

"Yes, Master Zephyr!"

Ain and Binz didn't hesitate at all and immediately turned to leave.

"Bang!"

Zephyr closed the door, turned around, and stood with his arms crossed, staring at Karl.

"It's like this, Master Zephyr. Ever since I obtained the Devil Fruit ability, I discovered that the power of the Holy Light is far more than just healing and strengthening; it can also enhance my physique!!!"

After speaking, Karl stood up, his body emitting a faint golden halo, like a god descending. Then, he slowly closed his eyes and breathed rhythmically.

Secretly, Karl immediately used an attribute enhancement card to strengthen his physique. A warm current surged through his body, and his physique changed from E-rank to E+ rank.

Broke through?

Karl had thought he would need to use a few more, but he didn't expect he was just one step away!

The golden halo gradually dissipated, and Karl opened his eyes, looking at Zephyr with a smile, thinking that with Zephyr's discernment, he should be able to tell... right?

The moment Karl's physique broke through, Zephyr's expression changed. He had been immersed in martial arts for many years, and he knew physique better than anyone. Just now, he clearly sensed that Karl's physical fitness seemed to have undergone a transformation.

Could it really be as Karl said, that his ability could strengthen his physique on its own? No, that's not right. Karl's ability could originally provide a strengthening effect, but it would last at most an hour, unless...

"Karl, let me test your strength!"

Zephyr gave a light shout, his well-developed muscles bulging high, as if cast from steel.

Karl's gaze narrowed—it was Iron Body! He used Iron Body!

"Master Zephyr, I'm embarrassed to show off!" ===== CHAPTER 20 =====