"Quiet!" Dalmatian bellowed.
The crowd fell silent immediately.
"You're all Navy descendants, so I assume you've heard my name before. There's no need for me to introduce myself." Zephyr grinned, the kind of warm smile you'd expect from a friendly uncle next door. There was nothing in his appearance to suggest he had once been a Vice Admiral who commanded the seas. "There are no former Vice Admirals here. If you like, you can just call me Instructor Zephyr, like Dalmatian does."
Zephyr clapped his hands. "Alright, enough chatter. Let's begin the lesson."
"Hmm, he looks just like I remember," Rayk thought, observing the man he had often seen visiting his home in his memories, comparing him to what he recalled.
On the surface, there was little difference.
But Rayk noticed something deeper.
"This man, once the strongest Marine, still in his prime at a young age, no longer radiates the aura of a true champion in his actions or gaze. A real strong person, no matter their personality, never loses that unyielding, forward-driving spirit. At most, it is hidden."
"But with this former Vice Admiral…" Rayk sighed internally. "Zephyr's aura is gone. He has completely lost his drive."
Perhaps the moment his family died because of him, a part of Zephyr's heart had died too.
If anyone knew that a novice like Rayk was judging a legendary figure like Zephyr, they would likely laugh uproariously. But Rayk showed no emotion.
"Very well. First, I will test the results of your past month of training and see whether that little Dalmatian has been doing his job properly," Zephyr said with a smile.
Dalmatian felt embarrassed but was at a loss for words. It was not unusual for Zephyr, his mentor, to refer to him in such a manner.
"Next, I will pair you up. Each pair will engage in practical combat exercises so I can assess your progress," Zephyr said as a Marine handed him a thick book. It looked identical to the one Dalmatian had used for roll call. "When I call your name, step forward and pair up."
Zephyr began calling out names.
"Grinton and Patrick, step forward. You two are a pair."
The two immediately left the crowd and stood to the side.
"Shun and Sadie, you're a pair."
"Steven and Faraday, you're a pair."
"Smoker and Tina, you two together."
"Rayk and Drake, you're a pair."
Soon, all the students were grouped.
"This grouping is interesting, but I doubt it was Instructor Zephyr's doing…"
Rayk pondered silently as he observed his pairing with Drake and the other groupings. While not perfectly balanced, no pair had a disproportionately large gap in strength. For example, Smoker and Drake were not paired with the weakest students.
Rayk knew his own performance. He was not the standout among the students, but he was above average. Tina was in a similar position.
Therefore, this arrangement must have some logic.
"It seems likely this was Dalmatian's doing…" Rayk glanced at him, but Dalmatian noticed immediately.
Dalmatian gave Rayk a sharp glare, silently saying: "You little brat, stop looking around."
Rayk quickly averted his gaze and stared straight ahead, pretending nothing had happened.
Once the groups were set, the battles began.
Under Zephyr's watchful eye, one group after another engaged in combat. He observed, noted each student's mistakes and weaknesses, then corrected and instructed them on areas needing improvement.
Zephyr's teaching method was undeniably practical.
"This is just an assessment of training outcomes, yet it is far more effective than direct instruction. No wonder he's trained so many strong fighters the Black Arm, Zephyr," Rayk thought.
Because the students' combat skills were still developing, they could not endure prolonged, intense battles like true champions. Even if their power was comparable, their stamina could not sustain extended fights. Thus, each round concluded quickly.
Soon, it was a match that caught Rayk's full attention.
Smoker versus Tina.
In Rayk's original world, the two had been close, but here, they were merely classmates. Tina, while also a Devil Fruit user, possessed a Paramecia-type ability the Barrier Fruit. Early in training, compared to Smoker's Logia-type Smoke Fruit, she was leagues behind and not on equal footing.
Despite Tina's talent, placing her among the top students, the chance of her defeating Smoker was nearly zero.
As expected, their battle lasted less than a minute.
At first, Smoker allowed Tina to attack him for a while, but once he realized her attacks were ineffective, he ended it with a single move.
The young girl felt deeply wronged, pouting with tears welling in her eyes.
Seeing this, Rayk's impression of Smoker worsened immediately.
The two had no prior conflict, yet Smoker, while easily able to win, chose to flaunt his Logia power excessively.
Though Tina could be clingy at times, Rayk did not want to see her mistreated.
"Smoker's a bit too much," Drake said beside Rayk, frowning in shared disapproval.
"Tina, return to your group. You did well, nothing to worry about," Zephyr said first.
Tina thought Zephyr was comforting her, so she bowed politely and stepped back into the crowd.
Rayk, disregarding the presence of others, walked directly to Tina, patted her head, and asked with concern: "Little brat, are you okay?"
Calling her "little brat" in front of everyone made Tina's face turn bright red. She quickly replied, "I'm fine, Rayk. You should go back. You have your match soon."
She worried that Rayk's boldness might draw Zephyr or Dalmatian's attention.
Unexpectedly, both instructors seemed completely unfazed by his action, ignoring him entirely.
Zephyr, in particular, suddenly turned a serious gaze toward Smoker.
"Do you know what your problem is, Smoker?"