Under the gaze of the entire training field, Tsugikuni Yoriichi and Kyros exchanged dozens of blows. Finally, Yoriichi seized on a momentary opening in Kyros's attack—he struck the man's wrist with the hilt of his blade, disarming him and securing a hard-won victory.
This time, however, none of the surrounding marines groaned or sighed at their comrade's defeat. Instead, cheers erupted.
Among them, Gibbens hurriedly stepped forward, his voice brimming with excitement as he called out to Zephyr and the instructors.
"Next one! Next one! Let me go next, Instructor Zephyr!"
But before he could move another step, Lieutenant Shaun—who had been so "humble" earlier about giving up his turn—lunged forward and grabbed Gibbens by the arm.
"Instructor Zephyr! Let me go next! Gibbens, do me this favor, will you? When I get my promotion, I'll make sure to pull you up with me!"
"Get lost!" Gibbens barked, shaking him off. "This is a naval academy, not your personal promotion ladder! Don't start pulling rank here—now move aside!"
"Zephyr-sensei, my turn! Let me at him!"
Gibbens wasn't the only one. Several marines who believed themselves stronger than Kyros began shouting over each other, terrified of missing the chance to prove themselves.
Zephyr looked over the crowd—these same cadets who, moments earlier, had been timid and hesitant were now burning with eagerness after seeing Yoriichi's "struggling victory." Inside, he was laughing his head off, but outwardly, he kept his face stern.
"Hmph!"
"You lot are hopeless!" he snapped. "Fine—since you're all so eager, I'll give you a chance. But I'll tell you this—even if you all go together, not one of you could beat him."
He let that hang in the air for a moment. "If anyone still wants to try, step forward."
The cadets glanced at each other, hesitating. Then one clever-mouthed soldier raised his hand, grinning.
"Uh… Instructor Zephyr, if we all go at once, who gets the promotion if we win?"
Zephyr blinked, momentarily dumbfounded that someone had actually asked such a shameless question. He turned and saw a tall young officer in his early twenties standing there with an eager grin.
"Smoker—how can you ask something so shameless?!" Zephyr barked. "You're the highest-ranking one here, aren't you? A captain, and you still have the nerve to say something like that?!"
This young officer—Smoker—was one of the rising stars of the new generation. He had joined the Navy at sixteen, fought on the Grand Line, and earned several commendations. He had even captured a pirate worth thirty million berries.
Just a year ago, at barely twenty, he had been transferred to Marine Headquarters to study. Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself saw promise in him and had already arranged for Smoker to serve under him as a major upon graduation—a meteoric rise for someone without family connections.
Smoker had already mastered two of the Six Powers—Soru and Geppo—and his swordsmanship was formidable. Among the cadets, he was the undisputed top dog.
"Come now, Instructor Zephyr," Smoker said with an oily grin. "Don't take it seriously—I was only joking! Just teasing a little, hahaha!"
Zephyr gave him a sidelong glance, pretending to think. Then he suddenly clapped his hands and said loudly:
"Fine! Don't say I go back on my word!"
"I, Zephyr, always keep my promises. If you all go together and somehow win—then every single one of you will get a promotion!"
The announcement sent the field into an uproar. The marines thought Zephyr had been cornered into keeping his word and cheered at the chance.
In an instant, they surrounded Yoriichi, eyes gleaming like hungry wolves.
Zephyr watched their enthusiasm build, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Then he stepped up beside Yoriichi, leaned down, and whispered:
"Yoriichi, technically, this will be your first public display at headquarters."
"There's no need to hold back. The stronger you are, the more respect you'll earn. The stronger you are, the more freedom you'll have later."
He straightened up and patted Yoriichi's shoulder. "Go ahead—teach them a lesson. Just don't cripple or kill anyone."
Yoriichi nodded. Zephyr didn't need to tell him twice.
Hide his strength? Play weak? There was no need. The Navy might have bureaucrats, but its true power rested with Zephyr, Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru—people who valued strength above politics.
This wasn't Konoha; there were no endless layers of scheming and backstabbing here.
Understanding that, Yoriichi tightened his grip on his sword—then calmly slid it back into its sheath.
The watching cadets blinked in confusion. Even Kyros, who had already tasted defeat, quickly grabbed his sword and scurried to the back, wanting no part of what was about to happen.
"You may begin!" Zephyr announced.
At first, the marines hesitated. Yoriichi looked young—barely more than a child—and few had the heart to go all out.
Someone broke the silence, shouting from within the ranks, "Don't talk about fairness! We're marines—we fight as a team!"
No one knew who yelled it, but Yoriichi did.
He vanished.
A blur of movement—and the next thing anyone saw was Yoriichi standing in the middle of the formation, his sheathed blade slamming into the shouting cadet's leg and sending him sprawling.
"Since you put it that way," Yoriichi said with a bright smile, "I won't bother with fairness either."
"Get ready—I'm coming."
With that, his body blurred again, moving faster than the eye could follow.
A streak of light swept through the crowd. One by one, marines were sent flying, crashing into the ground with dull thuds.
Smoker and the others could only gape. The realization hit them all at once—Zephyr had set them up!
"He's too strong!" someone gasped.
"Who the hell is this guy?!"
"Don't scatter—stick together! This kid's not normal!"
But it was too late.
In the span of three minutes, Yoriichi had laid waste to every cadet on the field.
Smoker himself barely had time to react before Yoriichi appeared in front of him, the sheath of his blade slamming into his side.
"So fast—!" was all he managed to think before he was sent skidding across the ground.
Three minutes later, the training ground was silent save for the groans of the defeated.
Yoriichi, calm and unruffled, looked around at the sea of fallen marines and spoke clearly:
"My name is Tsugikuni Yoriichi. Starting today, I'm also a cadet of the Marine Academy."
"I hope my seniors will take care of me."
(End of Chapter)
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