Chapter 6 – The Basics of Naval Academy Recruitment
The spring chill lingered in the air, and the morning light was faint and cold.
It was early March, yet Marineford still carried the breath of winter.
Before the sun had even risen, Yoriichi Tsugikuni stepped out of his room and gazed at the empty courtyard before him, exhaling softly.
Just yesterday, through Garp's introduction, he had officially become the disciple of Admiral Zephyr of Marine Headquarters. But because of his age, Yoriichi couldn't enter the Naval Academy directly. Instead, he had moved into Zephyr's home to live under his care.
Zephyr was forty-seven this year. Five years ago, tragedy struck his family had been slaughtered by the very pirates he once pursued. Since then, the "Admiral Who Refuses to Kill" had stepped back from the front lines.
At first, Zephyr had intended to leave the navy altogether, but under the persuasion of Fleet Admiral Kong and his close friends like Garp, he stayed on retiring to a second-line position as an instructor at the Naval Academy, responsible for training the next generation of marines.
Marineford was a vast, multi-functional island. It wasn't just the navy's headquarters; while it bore the weight of vital military command, it also served as the residential zone for marine officers and their families.
At the island's center lay the officers' quarters.
As a former admiral, Zephyr had been allocated a rather spacious estate. Yet ever since the tragedy, he had rarely stayed here, preferring instead to sleep at the academy dormitories. It wasn't until yesterday that he returned for the first time bringing Yoriichi with him to the home he had long avoided, the place filled with his happiest memories.
But now, that "home," or rather, that house, felt terribly empty.
Yoriichi understood Zephyr's story. Even after living so long in the world of Demon Slayers, his memories had resurfaced upon meeting Zephyr yesterday.
He felt a deep respect for this righteous admiral who refused to take lives, and a pang of sorrow for the misfortune that had befallen him. At the same time, it gave him his first vivid glimpse into the cruelty of this world.
A man of such justice and yet, this was his fate...
Turning his head, Yoriichi glanced back at the room he had just stepped out of. The room he occupied had once belonged to Zephyr's child. On the desk still sat a few baby toys that had never been put away.
Though Zephyr seldom stayed at home, the room was spotless, not a speck of dust to be seen. It was clear that he still tended to it regularly that he had never truly let go of his wife and child.
"Oh? Up already? Not bad saves me the trouble of waking you."
Zephyr's voice came from behind him, warm and steady.
"It's good you have the habit of rising early. For anyone who wants to be an excellent marine, discipline and a proper routine are essential!"
"Did you sleep well last night? I haven't tidied the place up in a while your room might be a bit messy, so don't mind it."
Lost in thought, Yoriichi turned to see Zephyr walking toward him from the corridor, smiling as he spoke.
"Good morning, Teacher Zephyr," Yoriichi greeted with a smile, shaking his head at the man's concern.
"You're too kind, sir. For someone like me, raised in the wild, I've never stayed in a place this fine."
"The room is spotless and comfortable. I like it very much, thank you for arranging it for me."
His tone was polite, almost overly so. Hearing that, Zephyr felt a faint distance between them.
But he didn't take offense. It was natural, after all children thrust into unfamiliar surroundings tended to be cautious and reserved.
"As long as you like it. You'll stay here from now on."
"Garp's always out on missions and rarely stays at headquarters. So from now on, you'll live with me, I'll look after you."
"Come, let's have breakfast first."
"I'll be heading to the Naval Academy afterward. You'll come along. You might not be able to enroll just yet, but you can still train on your own when you have time."
"The training grounds are open, you can use them whenever they're empty."
Zephyr stepped up beside Yoriichi, resting a hand on his shoulder. The warmth of his palm dispelled the chill of the morning air.
"Yes, sir."
From Zephyr's tone and demeanor, Yoriichi felt something he hadn't in decades genuine care.
He had long forgotten what that felt like. As a child, he had entered the temple young; his mother had died early, his father was a cold, calculating man, and his foolish older brother had never known how to show affection.
In his life, there had only ever been demons to slay and the endless climb of his swordsmanship.
Watching the obedient boy, Zephyr cast one last look at the room that had once belonged to his son. His gaze lingered for a moment, then he spoke in a low voice.
"Yoriichi," he said.
"Today, come with me to the Naval Academy."
"If you find that you don't like it… you don't have to join the navy."
Zephyr turned to face him again. That youthful, innocent face stirred something deep within him.
If his own child had lived, he would be about eight years old now. Garp had told him Yoriichi was extraordinarily gifted but seeing that tender face, Zephyr could not forget: no matter the talent, this was still just a child.
The future held countless paths ahead. Becoming a marine… wasn't necessarily the right one.
To live an ordinary, peaceful life was that not a form of happiness too?
If only his son could have
Yoriichi blinked in slight confusion at the admiral's sudden tone.
A navy admiral, trying to talk a young man out of becoming a marine?
Is he testing me? he wondered.
With that thought, Yoriichi shook his head firmly and said,
"I won't dislike it. I've already made my decision."
"I really don't like this world," Yoriichi said quietly, his eyes unwavering. "No matter what others think, I've decided I'll do what I can to change it."
Zephyr looked at the boy beside him, momentarily taken aback. He couldn't quite understand how someone this young could possess such conviction.
For a child to think this way already…
It seems we marines truly haven't done nearly enough.
"Damn it," Zephyr muttered under his breath, a wave of guilt stirring within him. But in front of Yoriichi, he suddenly threw back his head and laughed.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Good! That's the spirit!"
"Come on then let me take you to the Naval Academy. I'll show you how outstanding marines are made!"
With a hearty slap on Yoriichi's back, Zephyr grinned from ear to ear.
By the time the two arrived at the Marineford Naval Academy, the day's training was already in full swing.
In the wide training grounds, the morning chill had yet to fade, but every cadet was drenched in sweat as they ran their laps.
"Look, Yoriichi," Zephyr said, gesturing proudly toward the trainees. "These kids are all elites—handpicked from every corner of the four seas."
"The Naval Academy isn't a place just anyone can enter."
"Every single one of them stood out from their regional branches to get here."
"And those who graduate successfully will be assigned directly as commissioned officers."
As Zephyr spoke, he led Yoriichi closer to the training grounds, pride gleaming in his eyes as he watched the cadets circle the track that ran around the field.
Yoriichi tilted his head slightly. "Running, huh… It's not quite what I expected. I thought training at the Naval Academy would be something a bit more… special."
Then he added with a faint smile, "If it's just running, Teacher Zephyr, I think I could join in too."
Hearing that, Zephyr chuckled without answering. Instead, he called over one of the instructors supervising the drills and asked loudly,
"Report! How long have they been at it?"
The instructor straightened, saluted crisply, and replied with a firm voice, "Reporting, Chief Instructor Zephyr training has been underway for one hour and forty minutes!"
"There are twenty minutes left before warm-up concludes!"
"Mm." Zephyr nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Yoriichi, smiling.
"Running is just a light warm-up."
"It doesn't even count as training."
"One lap around the field is one kilometer."
"Their warm-up alone is forty kilometers a day."
"After that, they move on to other disciplines navigation, marksmanship, close combat, naval history, and more."
"What you're seeing right now," Zephyr said, his chest swelling with pride, "is only the tip of the iceberg."
In the old days, the academy had been nothing like this. Back then, recruits learned a bit of hand-to-hand combat or swordsmanship and were immediately sent off to fight pirates. But ever since Zephyr became Chief Instructor, the curriculum had grown far more detailed and systematic.
As a result, many outstanding officers had graduated under his guidance.
Listening to Zephyr's explanation, Yoriichi raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.
This Naval Academy was far more structured and advanced than he had imagined. He had thought it was merely a place to teach marines the Six Powers and Haki but clearly, it was something far greater: a true officer's academy.
"Yoriichi," Zephyr said, folding his arms. "Admission to the academy is extremely strict."
"Only those with a Doriki level of eighty or higher are qualified to enroll."
"Do you know what that means? A typical adult male even one who's undergone some training only has a Doriki of around ten."
(End of Chapter)