One Piece: The Eternal Flame

Compared with the previous battle, Gray and Muli spent a bit too long, but no one felt boring, this battle was really exciting.

After eight years of silence, Muli showed his strength several times stronger than before in this final assessment.

It's like the desperate counterattack of a dying person, often able to erupt with powerful force.

And Gray's moves were calm, facing Muli's crazy attack, he responded freely as if he had predicted the opponent's actions in advance, with a faint feeling of steel bone that was as solid as a rock.

As Gray's instructor in charge, Oliver said softly after seeing Gray's performance on the field: "Inheritance of will is often more important than blood."

Gray and Cyborg don't have any resemblance, but they just can see Cyborg's shadow in Gray.

It was a feeling that couldn't be easily expressed. It couldn't be explained by appearance, personality or even blood. It was more like a similarity on the spiritual level.

Maybe this kid really will be the next Cyborg.

On the field, Gray's response became more and more handy. His eyes were fixed on Muli's movements, and then his brain would automatically predict Muli's attack trajectory.

No one has taught him the relevant knowledge of domineering, so Gray naturally does not know that it is domineering, and he defines it as a fighting instinct for the time being.

Muli naturally also felt Gray's changes, his attacks were gradually getting no benefit, the pressure caused more and more cold sweat to slide down his forehead, and his moves became frizzy and eager.

Gray's eyes were fixed, and he saw the gap that he suddenly appeared, and seized the opportunity to stab Muli's chest with the sword tip very close to the chest.

When Muli was so close, as long as he breathed, the heaving of his chest could touch the tip of the sword.

He lost.

Thinking of this, the training sword Muli held tightly in both hands fell to the ground with a crisp sound, and he himself lost all his strength and knelt down on the ground.

Living up to their expectations, Muli looked at his calloused hands. He still remembered that at that time, it was these hands that gave money to their captain in exchange for a chance to study at the headquarters. It was also these hands that received the travel expenses that his friends made up.

Muli trembled with his hands, and finally covered his face and cried bitterly after a long while, his voice was extremely desperate and hoarse, as if he had lost everything, his back was bent fiercely, his face was buried in his hands, and his forehead touched the cold and gravel ground.

Gray stood not far away, silently looking at Muli who collapsed and cried loudly, neither stepped forward nor retreated, just stood there, quietly.

The strange thing is that this victory did not make him feel happy. Apart from the physical exhaustion caused by the long battle, his spirit seemed to have died down and he could no longer mobilize.

Muli soon passed out due to his injuries and exhaustion, and was carried by the instructor to the nearest medical room.

Gray also wanted to leave, and when he walked out of the crowd, everyone turned around to make way for him.

No one cheered for the victors, on the contrary, their eyes were full of disgust, as if they wanted to turn all the sympathy for Muli into sharp knives and stab the victorious innocents.

Maybe it would be better if he lost?

Gray couldn't figure it out. Unknowingly, he came to the gate of the headquarters and was stopped by the guarding navy before he came back to his senses.

"Is Little Gray here to find the general?" the navy asked Gray, knowing him.

"No." Gray shook his head, finally nodded, and changed his words: "Well, is the general there?"

He was a little confused, maybe he should ask his father.

In Gray's heart, the steel bone is his guiding sign, so when his heart is shaken, the steel bone is the first thing he thinks of.

As the admiral of the navy, Cyborg always has endless tasks. Occasionally, he will sit in the office and process documents when he is not at sea.

As the only general in the navy, he will be the only successor after the marshal leaves office.

"Dong dong dong." There was a knock on the door of the office.

"Enter." Steel Gu put down the document, looked up at the door, a black head poked in first, his tense expression eased slightly, and asked, "Didn't you go to the assessment today?"

"No." Gray shook his head, and added: "I took part in the assessment today, with a man named Muli."

"Muli? I remember, you mentioned it before." Steel Gu thought for a while, seeing Gray's uninterested expression, he had a guess in his heart, and said, "Did you lose?"

"No, I won't lose!" Gray retorted.

"That's why, you won't be so honest if you win."

Gray recalled the previous incident, lowered his head again, and told the whole story. Finally, he was aggrieved and said, "Obviously I was the one who won, why are you all unhappy? Is it better for me to lose on purpose?"

Steel Bone thought for a while and asked, "Do you think Muli will accept that you lose on purpose?"

Gray guessed: "Probably not, I don't think he is such a person."

"Then do you want to lose?"

"." Gray was silent for a while, and after thinking, he said firmly: "No, I don't want to lose, I want to win! Keep winning."

"Since you think so, then you don't need to care about other people's eyes, just do what you want to do."

"But... I will be very sad, and I always feel that I have done something that I am sorry for them."

Gray asked in frustration: "Muli told me that the Navy Division is different from the Navy Headquarters, and that I'm naive, I don't know anything, should I know something?"

Cyborg fell silent. He didn't know how to answer Gray's question. This kind of complicated question involving many aspects cannot be explained clearly in a few words.

Thinking of what the instructors had said to him, Cyborg closed his eyes and finally made a certain decision.

He bent down and took out a sword from under the table, stood up and walked in front of Gray, "I can't give you a clear answer to the questions you asked."

"Gray, what do you think the Navy's job is?"

"Protect civilians and enforce justice."

"Would you like to continue to perform this duty as a Navy?"

"Of course!" Although he didn't know why Cyborg asked, Gray said firmly without any hesitation: "I want to be a navy like you!"

"This sword was originally planned to be given to you after you graduate from the Naval Academy four years later, but it doesn't matter if you give it now."

Steel Bone handed the sword in his hand to Gray, "This sword is called Griffin, it used to be my saber, and now I give it to you, I hope you can become an excellent navy."

"Give it to me?" Gray's eyes widened, joy jumped on his brows, he quickly took the sword with both hands, and couldn't wait to draw out the blade.

The exposed part of the sword blade was white and shiny, which could clearly reflect his face. Then, there was a clang, and the long sword was pulled out.

The sword blade, which had been hidden by the master for a long time, reappeared, exuding a steady stream of coldness.

This is undoubtedly a sharp sword that cuts iron like mud. Although the steel bone did not say that this sword is one of the twelve great swords, Gray can clearly feel that the blade of this western sword is sharp and reveals decisive perseverance.