The chill of early spring still lingered, and the morning light was faint and pale.

  It was already March, but Marineford still held onto the st breath of winter.

  Before the sun had even risen, Yoriichi Tsugikuni stepped out of his room and into the empty courtyard, exhaling softly as he took in the crisp morning air.

  Just yesterday, through Garp’s introduction, he had officially become the disciple of Admiral Zephyr. However, due to his age, Yoriichi hadn’t been allowed to formally enroll in the Naval Academy. Instead, he moved directly into Zephyr’s home.

  Zephyr, now 47 years old, had experienced a devastating loss five years prior. His family had been killed by pirates—pirates he had once hunted. Since then, the “No-Kill” Admiral had withdrawn from the front lines.

  At first, Zephyr intended to retire from the Navy entirely. But with the persuasion of Fleet Admiral Kong and old friends like Garp, he chose to stay, stepping into a new role as an instructor at the Naval Academy, where he dedicated himself to training the next generation.

  Marineford was a massive and complex isnd—not just the headquarters of the Navy, but also a critical military hub and residential area for the families of high-ranking officers.

  At the isnd’s heart y the residential quarters of the Navy’s top brass.

  As a former admiral, Zephyr had been assigned a rge estate. But after the tragedy, he rarely returned home, choosing instead to sleep in the academy barracks. Yesterday was the first time he had returned in a long while, leading Yoriichi back to what was once a home full of warm memories.

  But now, that “home”—or rather, this house—was hollow and cold.

  Yoriichi knew Zephyr’s story well. Even after so many years in the Demon Syer world, seeing Zephyr had stirred his old memories.

  He deeply respected this righteous admiral who refused to kill. Zephyr’s tragic past weighed heavily on him, making the harshness of this world crystal clear.

  Such a noble man… and this was the fate he was dealt.

  Yoriichi turned and looked back at the room he’d just walked out of. It had once belonged to Zephyr’s child. Toys meant for a baby still sat neatly on the desk.

  Zephyr hardly ever stayed here, but the room was spotless—clearly maintained regurly. It was obvious: he had never truly moved on from the loss of his family.

  “Yo! You’re up early. Good, saves me the trouble of waking you.”

  “That’s a good habit. Anyone who wants to become an excellent marine needs a proper routine!”

  “How was your first night here? The room’s a bit messy since it hasn’t been cleaned in a while—hope you didn’t mind.”

  Zephyr’s voice echoed from the corridor as he approached with a smile, finding Yoriichi already awake and standing in the courtyard.

  “Good morning, Master Zephyr.” Yoriichi turned toward him, returning the smile and nodding politely. “You’re joking, Master. A wild man like me’s never stayed in such a nice pce before.”

  “The room’s clean and tidy. I like it very much. Thank you for your hospitality.”

  His words were courteous, a little distant. Zephyr caught that subtle formality—it put a sliver of space between them.

  But he didn’t mind. Kids in unfamiliar pces often carried a bit of guardedness. It was only natural.

  “As long as you’re comfortable. You’ll be staying here from now on.”

  “That rascal Garp is always off running missions. He’s hardly ever stationed here. You’ll be living with me—I’ll look after you.”

  “Come on, let’s grab some breakfast.”

  “I’ve got to head over to the academy ter. You’ll come with me. You might not be enrolled yet, but you can still train on your own time.”

  “The facilities are open. When no one’s using them, feel free to use them yourself.”

  Zephyr pced a hand on Yoriichi’s shoulder. The warmth of his palm cut through the morning chill.

  “Understood, Master.”

  Yoriichi felt a warmth in Zephyr’s presence that he hadn’t experienced in decades.

  Having left home as a child to become a monk, he had long forgotten what it was like to be cared for. In his past life, his mother had died young, and his father was cold and self-serving. His foolish older brother had never known how to express affection.

  All he had ever known was the unending struggle against demons and the relentless climb up the path of the sword.

  Zephyr looked at the quietly obedient Yoriichi, then turned back to gaze deeply at the room that had once belonged to his child. A long silence passed before he spoke again, this time more somberly.

  “Yoriichi…”

  “Today, come with me to see the Naval Academy.”

  “But just so you know… if you don’t like it, there’s no need to join. You have a choice.”

  Zephyr looked into Yoriichi’s young face, and for a moment, he felt disoriented.

  If his child were still alive, they’d be eight years old now. Garp had told him Yoriichi was incredibly gifted, but seeing this young, innocent face up close—he couldn’t forget: this boy was still just a child.

  There were many paths ahead. Becoming a marine wasn’t necessarily the right one.

  A peaceful, ordinary life… wasn’t that a kind of happiness too?

  If only his own child could have…

  Yoriichi blinked, a little confused by the sudden shift in Zephyr’s tone.

  A navy admiral… actually trying to dissuade a young man who wanted to become a marine?

  Is he testing me? he wondered.

  He quickly shook his head and said firmly,“I won’t dislike it. I’ve already made up my mind.”

  “I don’t like this world the way it is. No matter what others may think, I’ve decided—I’m going to try. I want to change it.”

  His eyes burned with conviction. Zephyr was momentarily stunned. How could someone so young speak with such resolve?

  Even a child like this feels the need to take on the world’s darkness…

  Then we, the Navy, truly haven’t done enough.

  Damn it.

  A heavy guilt welled up in Zephyr’s heart—but in front of Yoriichi, he suddenly broke into loud ughter.

  “Ha ha ha ha ha!”

  “Good! That’s the spirit!”

  “Come on! I’ll take you to the academy and show you how real marines are forged!”

  Zephyr gave him a hearty sp on the back and grinned.

  By the time the two arrived at Marineford’s Naval Academy, the cadets were already deep into their morning training.

  The cold of dawn still clung to the air, but the recruits were drenched in sweat.

  “See that, Yoriichi?” Zephyr pointed at the runners circling the outer track. “These guys are elite talents from across the Four Blues.”

  “The Naval Academy isn’t a pce just anyone can walk into.”

  “Every single trainee here stood out among their peers in branch divisions.”

  “And once they graduate, they’ll be assigned directly as commissioned officers.”

  Zephyr’s voice brimmed with pride as they approached the edge of the training grounds.

  Yoriichi watched the cadets running ps and muttered, “Running, huh? Not quite what I expected. I thought naval training would be more… specialized.”

  “If it’s just running, Master Zephyr, I think I could join too.”

  Zephyr chuckled, neither confirming nor denying, and waved over a drill instructor.

  “Report! How long has the training been going?”

  The instructor snapped to attention and saluted. “Reporting, Chief Instructor Zephyr!”

  “They’ve been training for one hour and forty minutes.”

  “Twenty more minutes until warm-up ends!”

  Zephyr turned to Yoriichi, smiling again.

  “Running’s just the warm-up.”

  “Doesn’t even count as real training.”

  “One p around this field? That’s a thousand meters.”

  “They run forty kilometers every morning—just for warm-up.”

  “After that, they move on to other disciplines—navigation theory, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, naval history, and more.”

  “What you’re seeing now? Just the tip of the iceberg.”

  His voice was full of pride.

  Back in the early days, the academy wasn’t nearly this well-rounded. Recruits learned a few basic combat techniques, maybe some swordpy, and were then thrown into battles against pirates.

  But since Zephyr took over as Chief Instructor, the training curriculum had expanded and evolved significantly.

  Many of the officers trained under him had become exceptional marines.

  Listening to Zephyr’s expnation, Yoriichi raised his eyebrows in surprise.

  This academy was far more refined and advanced than he’d expected. He had assumed it would just be a pce to learn the Six Styles and Haki. But clearly, it was a full-fledged officer training institution.

  “Yoriichi, just so you know—the entry standards here are strict.”

  “You need a combat power score of at least 80 to qualify.”

  “Do you know what that means? A normal adult male, even with some training, only hits around 10.”