On this day, the Cerberus Pirates were declared destroyed.
The Swamp Pirates were declared destroyed as well.
Two infamous pirate crews, both known throughout the Grand Line, had fallen on the same day at the hands of the same group.
Under the orders of Trull, the marine colonel stationed on Angel Island, more than four hundred Marines quickly moved to shackle the captured pirates.
When they came to the unconscious members of the Swamp Pirates, the Marines could not hide their amazement.
"So this is what Conqueror's Haki can do?"
"With a single thought, it wiped out more than a hundred vicious pirates."
"What a terrifying power."
"The Swamp Pirates were destroyed by one man alone."
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed something like this."
The Marines murmured in awe as they worked.
At the same time, they moved quickly, fastening handcuffs and chains onto every unconscious pirate to make sure none of them could break free once they woke up.
"Admiral Zephyr."
Trull approached Zephyr alone, his expression respectful.
"Can you handle things here on your own?"
"I'm taking these students back to Marineford."
"Of course."
Trull immediately nodded.
If he could not even secure a group of pirates who had already lost the ability to fight, then he did not deserve to wear the rank of colonel.
As the commander of a Marine base, Trull was far from weak. He was a skilled swordsman in his own right, more than capable of dealing with ordinary pirates worth several tens of millions.
And now, all of the pirates here had already been beaten and stripped of their will to resist. If he still couldn't handle them under those circumstances, then he truly would be unworthy of his position.
After a moment's thought, Zephyr still decided to leave one more instruction.
"I'll report this upward and have a team sent here to take custody of the prisoners and transport them all to Impel Down."
"Until then, keep watch over them. Don't let a single one escape."
Even though the pirates were restrained, Zephyr still did not entirely trust leaving them in the branch base long-term.
After all, some of them were not weak.
To him, they might be little more than small fry.
But to the Marines stationed here, they still posed real danger.
That was why Zephyr would rather call in a proper transport force and have the prisoners sent to Impel Down, where there would be no room for accidents.
"Yes, Admiral Zephyr."
"I'll guard them personally. Not a single one will escape."
Trull's answer was firm.
If these prisoners escaped under his watch after everything that had happened today, he would be too ashamed to remain a colonel.
"You don't need to tense up so much."
"You're more than capable of handling this."
Zephyr smiled and patted Trull on the shoulder.
Before long, Kai and the others watched as Trull led the four hundred Marines away, escorting the pirates back to the Marine branch base.
Only after they had completely disappeared, and the battlefield had finally been cleaned of all prisoners, did Kai's group turn away.
"It's over."
Smoker let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He himself had not been injured in this fight.
Even so, his instant defeat at Morrison's hands had left a deep impression on him.
And even more unforgettable was the sight of Morrison—who had crushed him so effortlessly—being blown apart by Kai.
That made Smoker understand, more clearly than ever, just how absurdly wide the gap between them still was.
"That monster…"
"He just keeps getting stronger."
"Can I ever really catch up to someone like that?"
He looked at Kai's back and could not help doubting himself.
At this moment, Zephyr addressed the cadets again.
"Get ready."
"We'll be setting sail and leaving Angel Island soon."
"I'm giving you one hour. Use it however you want in town to relax."
"One hour from now, everyone will regroup at the port and board the ship for the return voyage."
For once, Zephyr was giving them some breathing room.
The cadets instantly erupted in cheers.
In the blink of an eye, most of the seventy cadets had already run off toward the bustling town, eager to relieve the tension that had weighed on them all day.
Watching them go, Zephyr laughed softly.
Then he noticed that a number of cadets had stayed behind and asked,
"You really don't need some time to unwind?"
"This graduation trial was a trial by fire."
"It means…"
"that from this point on, you're all qualified Marines."
"The first time you kill someone, feeling sick afterward is normal. That's why I'm giving you this chance to relax."
"If you bottle all that up, it could leave lasting problems."
For his students, Zephyr was strict.
But he also believed in balance.
He knew better than to keep them under pressure without pause.
Otherwise, it would only hurt them in the long run.
"Teacher, I'm fine."
Smoker was the first to refuse.
Tina did not leave either.
As for Kai?
He was in a category of his own.
Killing was hardly new to him.
On the way out of East Blue alone, he had already cut down who knew how many pirates. Not only had he felt no nausea, he had found the experience almost exhilarating.
The violent instincts hidden inside him made him far more battle-hungry than most people on the sea.
Killing no longer affected him.
"In that case, we'll head back to the ship first."
"This place is finished."
Zephyr gave the order.
With that, Kai and the remaining cadets followed him back toward the port.
Soon enough, Kai saw the giant warship again, moored quietly at the edge of the harbor.
The sea breeze rolled in.
Waves lapped gently against the dock, sending silver ripples across the surface with a soft, pleasant rhythm.
Back on the deck, Kai found a fresh shirt and put it on. Then he leaned against the rail and let the cool wind brush over him while he quietly waited for the rest of the cadets to return.
This time, the system had not even bothered to notify him afterward.
That left him vaguely thoughtful.
"It looks like…"
"battles where I'm just crushing weaklings won't raise my strength anymore."
Kai shook his head.
Each fight had always only given him the slightest increase anyway.
But over time, those tiny gains added up.
Unfortunately, fights at this level had now become completely worthless to him.
Still, he had already expected as much.
An hour later, every cadet returned.
Not one was missing.
As the elite young generation of the Marines, none of them would make a careless mistake like missing departure time.
In fact, most had returned well before the hour was up.
Every face wore a bright smile.
Today's trial had weighed heavily on their hearts—
but it had also given them something else for the first time:
the joy of completing a real mission.
The sense of accomplishment.
The pride.
"All right."
"Since everyone is back, we set sail."
"Once I report your results from this graduation trial…"
"your official appointments should come down soon."
"When that happens, you'll leave Marineford and each of you will be assigned to a different region."
"I hope…"
"that when that day comes, you'll remember why you put this uniform on in the first place."
"Keep doing your part to preserve peace on the seas."
There was real feeling in Zephyr's voice.
Year after year, the students who graduated had all been shaped by his own hands.
Seeing them grow into people who could help bring peace to the seas filled him with pride.
Soon, the great warship raised anchor, unfurled sail, and began to move.
The vessel cut through the calm ocean, sending rings of water outward as it left the harbor.
Before long, it had completely departed from Angel Island.
The island itself gradually shrank behind them until it became no more than a black speck on the horizon—
and then vanished altogether.
…
Time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, four days were gone.
This day dawned bright and clear.
The sky was cloudless.
The sea stretched endlessly beneath the sun.
The warship carrying Kai and the others encountered no trouble at all on the return voyage.
And at last—
they arrived back at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
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