"The power is likely significant. The only two drawbacks now are physical conditioning and the side effects of the Mangekyo Sharingan," Tengen mumbled, setting aside the translucent attribute panel that only he could see.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he understood that in the world of pirates, the main fighters possess physical forms akin to monsters. For them, war is routine. Fighting ten days straight is just a warm-up. Tengen, who had just begun mastering the Six Styles of Marines and Armor Haki, was not yet at that level, even though he had unlocked 85.2% of the Eternal Madara template.
Of course, if one possesses absolute power, prolonged battles are unnecessary. You simply crush the enemy with overwhelming strength. As for the side effects of the Mangekyo Sharingan, they are temporary. Once the Eternal Madara template is fully unlocked, the Mangekyo will evolve into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
"There's no need to rush. Everything is proceeding as it should," Tengen stretched and calmly shook his head.
He trained diligently every day and checked in with the system daily. With each passing day, his strength only grew, so there was no need to worry. The only thing that puzzled him was that in the entire year, the system had not updated the special place for checking in.
"Could it be that I need to leave this island for it to update?" he wondered.
At that moment, his thoughts were interrupted...
Meanwhile, in the Western Sea, a small Marine warship was swiftly moving across the calm waters. If Tengen were there, he would notice that the ship was heading directly toward his island.
On the deck of the ship stood a man in a dark-red suit, with a rose in his lapel, a tattoo on his neck, black leather gloves, and a scar on his cheek. He held a telescope in his hand and had a cigar in his mouth. He was staring intently at the horizon.
Next to him was a girl with long hair, wearing headphones, a tight-fitting top, gloves, and double-layered pants. She looked extremely confused. Upon closer inspection, you could see that the pattern on her clothing matched the tattoo on the man's neck.
"Family... Who would have thought?" she sighed.
All she wanted was to bring her handsome boyfriend home and introduce him to her parents. But her father was adamantly against it. Instead of witnessing her happy romance, he turned everything into a full-blown trial.
"Uncomfortable?" she thought.
The key issue was that Hibari didn't know what to do herself. Six months ago, while she was on a mission in the Western Sea as part of the secret Marine unit "Blade," pirates attacked her. Nearly the entire unit was wiped out. When she thought her end was near, Tengen appeared. Like a savior, he easily dealt with the pirates.
"Um... "Um..." she whispered.
At first glance, she understood: a life debt can only be repaid with one's life. She followed Tengen to a deserted island, and there, being alone, they did everything necessary and even more.
The only thing that worried Hibari was her father, Sakazuki, one of the Admirals of the Marines, a man known worldwide. She feared that Tengen would be scared when he found out who her father was.
"It's quite possible!" she thought.
Among the Marines, many behaved extremely respectfully towards her upon discovering her parentage. Even vice-admirals treated her with respect, even though she was just a lieutenant.
So, when Tengen asked her name, she merely laughed it off without answering.
"I'm scared he might get frightened and run away? I've finally found a guy I like. If he's scared of my father, what then?" she thought.
Thus, she kept her true identity a secret for the time being.
Initially, she planned that after they left the island, she would bring her father to the West Sea to introduce him to her future son-in-law and discuss everything. But, as they say, plans often go awry...
Unfortunately, I found myself dragged into the War of the Summit—a massive confrontation between Whitebeard's pirates and their 43 allied groups against 100,000 elite marines and the Seven Great Corsairs.
Not only was I summoned to the Navy headquarters at Marineford, but my father, Sakazuki, was also put on high alert. Considering the overall situation, as well as Tengen's words that he would be training for some time on a deserted island in the West Blue, I decided not to tell my father for now.
When I recall the recently concluded War at the Summit, I can't contain my anger.
I'm not foolish, of course, I saw that the Navy's top command wasn't giving it their all.
My father fought with all his strength, but the other high-ranking fighters behaved like actors. In the end, my father sustained severe injuries, while the rest escaped with light scratches.
What was all that about?
In reality, if the Navy's forces and the Seven Great Corsairs had joined together, they could have wiped out Whitebeard's pirates, Monkey D Luffy, and Blackbeard, matching even one of the Four Emperors—Red-Haired Shanks.
But alas... The Navy's top command has various perspectives on "justice," and each pursues their own interests. The Seven Great Warlords played their own game too. As a result, the Navy's victory turned out to be a Pyrrhic one.
And that idiot—Koby...
At the very last moment, he suddenly stood up and cried out, sobbing: "It's over!!"
That scene almost made me sick. An untouched soldier, standing before a wounded admiral, preaching about justice, pretending to embody the ideals of the Navy. It was simply laughable.
If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to be in the same unit as Koby, especially in the Navy's secret forces—the "Sword."
After the War at the Summit concluded and my father almost recovered from his injuries, I immediately went to speak with him.
I told him:
"Father, being an admiral is hard on you, so I've found you a strong and promising son-in-law to solve your problems."
However, Hibari didn't know that in the original story, after she was attacked in the West Blue, it was actually Koby, a member of the "Sword," who brought reinforcements and saved her.
To find the lost teddy bear toy, Koby secretly returned to the battlefield and gave Hibari a big surprise.
Since then, Koby became someone Hibari genuinely admired.
But now, due to some mistake, everything changed because of Tengen. Koby had no chance to save her and earn her recognition.
"Ah..." Hibari hung her head and sighed.
After speaking with my father, I thought he would be happy, but instead, I was met with a furious outburst. He didn't even acknowledge Tengen as his son-in-law.
Especially when, through gritted teeth, I mentioned that Tengen and I had already "cooked the rice," Admiral Sakazuki lost his temper. His aura of anger shook the entire Navy headquarters, attracting the attention of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Admirals Aokiji, and Kizaru.
After that, everything went according to a straightforward plan. Without even me asking, my father took it upon himself to lead me to the West Blue to find Tengen and declared that he must pay a bloody price!
"I wonder how much stronger he has become?"
"Hm... it doesn't matter. I'll stand with Tengen."
"Without overcoming hardships, you can't see the rainbow. The more my father resists, the more convinced I am of my choice."
Hibari lifted her head high and proudly looked toward the sea.
She is Hibari.
She does not give up.
If her father really tries to kill her, she will show him what true "fatherly love and daughterly devotion" is.
And she's curious about Tengen's expression when he finds out that his father-in-law is one of the three legendary admirals of the Navy.
She hopes it will be a surprise, not a shock.
And she is eagerly awaiting this..