It was a colossal island.
Even from far out at sea, Kai could feel the oppressive presence it radiated.
Marine Headquarters—Marineford.
The island's coastline was ringed by titanic, wall-like structures made from some incredibly tough material, forming a solid barrier between the harbor and the open sea.
They were fortifications, built to repel invaders.
Specifically—
Pirates.
Of course, very few pirates in this era were mad enough to try and attack Marine Headquarters.
But "few" didn't mean "none."
And when this was the Marines' grand main bastion—the face of the entire organization—there could be no such thing as too careful. Everything had to be towering, imposing, airtight.
It wasn't about expecting an attack.
It was about making sure that if anyone did try…
They'd regret it.
The waters around Marineford were almost completely empty.
Hardly any vessels dared cut through this sea zone.
As for pirate ships?
Forget it.
If a pirate ship appeared here, there were only two possibilities—
Either they were suicidally overconfident.
Or they'd taken a very, very wrong turn.
To date, the only pirate to openly attack Marine Headquarters head-on was a man from the previous era—
The legendary Golden Lion, Shiki.
His end?
Defeat.
He was thrown into Impel Down, only to later saw off his own legs and become the first man in history to escape that underwater fortress.
Even so—
His assault on Marineford ended in one-sided failure.
If even someone like that had been crushed and caged…
What chance did other pirates have?
"What a place…"Kai narrowed his eyes. "So this is Marine Headquarters?"
"Quite the sight."
Even separated by distance, he could make out the layout of Marineford's outer structure.
Vast walls.
Monolithic buildings stretching toward the sky.
An aura of power, discipline, and order.
"Full speed ahead!"
"Head straight into Marineford!"Garp shouted.
The warship surged forward, closing in on the massive island.
The nearer they got—
The heavier the aura pressing down on them became.
Even as a Marine ship, the oppressive force was impossible to ignore.
If this were a pirate crew sailing here…
They'd probably be pissing themselves already.
A few minutes later—
The warship arrived before the huge, looming stone gate built into the defensive wall.
The gate towered over the sea, a monumental barrier carved from solid rock.
When the lookout Marines on the inner side caught sight of Garp's familiar figure standing on the bow—
The gate began to open.
Rumble—!!
The grinding of ancient stone reverberated across the water, a deafening roar like thunder.
At the same time—
Whooosh!
The movement of the gate churned the sea, kicking up waves that crashed against the hull and rolled outward in frothing bursts.
Under the helmsmen's careful steering—
The warship slowly passed through the opening and slipped into the inner harbor.
Finally—
They were in.
Standing on deck, Kai could see Marineford's interior clearly for the first time.
Majestic.
Solemn.
Tightly guarded.
Yet clean, orderly, and alive with motion.
There was a certain calmness in the air, a disciplined stillness broken only by the rhythmic shouts of Marines training in the distance.
On one of the training grounds, Kai's gaze lingered—
He spotted a group of teenage recruits racing laps under the blazing sun, drenched in sweat, faces flushed but determined.
Youth.
Resolve.
The whole of Marineford pulsed with energy.
Beyond the training grounds, lush trees stood scattered across layered hills, their greenery softening the military hardness of the island.
Towering structures rose all over the place—barracks, offices, depots, residential quarters—
Packed close together, but meticulously ordered, forming a massive, self-contained city.
Marineford wasn't just a base.
It was a home.
Not only to Marines—
But to countless civilians as well.
If anywhere could be called the safest place on the sea…
It was here.
No pirate in their right mind would casually set foot on this island.
For them—
Marineford was a forbidden zone.
"Spectacular, isn't it?"
At some point, Kuzan had walked over to stand beside Kai, leaning lazily on the railing as he, too, looked out over the view.
"Yeah,"Kai replied, eyes shining slightly. "It really is."
There was a vibrant, uplifting feeling in the air—
A place where people trained to become stronger, day after day.
Where justice, at least in the Marines' eyes, actually meant something.
Down at the harbor, a formation of Marines armed with rifles practiced drills in perfect sync, uniforms crisp, faces stern.
All across the island—
Men and women in white coats and "Justice" cloaks moved about with purpose.
Only those who wore that cloak across their shoulders…
Could be called Marine officers.
Everyone else was still at the bottom.
The warship glided toward one of the main piers and slowly began to decelerate.
Moments later—
Clank—
Anchors dropped.
Sails were furled.
Lines were thrown.
They had docked.
The harbor was already packed with Marines, their ranks neatly arrayed as they stared up at the warship with awe and reverence.
As soon as they saw that familiar, broad-backed figure on deck—
The whispers started.
"That's Vice Admiral Garp!"
"Vice Admiral Garp is back!"
Their voices rose with excitement.
In Marineford—
Garp's reputation didn't lose to anyone's.
His presence overshadowed everything.
Even Kuzan.
"Every time I come back with Vice Admiral Garp, I get completely ignored," Kuzan muttered, expression deadpan. "Kinda hurts, you know."
"Here I am, a dignified Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral…"
He sighed theatrically.
Of course—
He was complaining, not actually upset.
If people started crowding around him and cheering every time he walked by, his lazy, slacker soul would probably die on the spot.
"Kid," he continued, glancing sideways at Kai, "from here on, Garp-san is going to arrange things for you."
"If I had to guess…"
"He's probably going to toss you straight into the training camp."
"Have you grind it out there for a while."
"So you might want to brace yourself."
"Training camp?"Kai blinked. "You mean you want me to go train with a bunch of new recruits? You sure that's… still necessary?"
With his current strength—
Wouldn't that just be a waste of time?
Was there any recruit on this island who could pose a threat to him?
Kuzan chuckled and shook his head.
"Don't underestimate that training camp," he said. "It's not some random boot camp for fresh grunts. It's where the Marines forge their elites."
"If you want to master the Two Types of Haki quickly…"
"That's the best place to start."
"Because the man who runs that camp…"
"Is my teacher—Zephyr."
"Right now, he's a Marine Headquarters Admiral."
"Black Arm Zephyr."
"If you go there and get a chance to show what you can do…"
"And if he takes an interest in you…"
"Then with your talent, it won't take long at all before he starts teaching you how to use Armament and Observation Haki."
Kuzan's eyes softened with a touch of nostalgia.
"Under Zephyr-sensei's guidance…"
"With your monstrous talent…"
"I'd bet you'll be wielding both types of Haki properly within a month."
He couldn't help but laugh at himself a little inside.
Back when he trained under Zephyr—
It had taken him half a year just to become comfortable with both types of Haki.
Half. A. Year.
And even that had been considered early.
He'd been hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius.
But compared to the monster standing beside him now…
Kuzan could only admit it.
He was outclassed.
This kid…
Is on a completely different level.
"After all…"
Kuzan thought quietly.
"This brat Kai…"
"Is the most terrifying monster on the sea."
"A once-in-a-century freak."
Out loud, he only smiled faintly and added, "So yeah. Don't look down on that training camp, kid. That place creates monsters. You'll fit right in."
"Zephyr, huh…"
Hearing that the training camp's chief instructor was Zephyr himself, Kai's interest sharpened instantly.
If that was true—
Then his progress toward mastering Haki would be much faster than he'd originally expected.
Once he held Armament and Observation in his hands…
He could stand proudly among the true strong of this sea.
Everyone knew—
Only after mastering Haki could you be considered a genuine top-tier fighter in the New World.
Right now—
Kai still hadn't crossed that line.
But he was close.
Very close.
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