"This kid... can you really lead a class of recruits all the way out here?"
Rowan cocked an eyebrow. He hadn't expected to run into his former student so soon after entering the Grand Line. As the Chief Instructor of Marine Headquarters, Zephyr's presence in this particular stretch of sea wasn't entirely standard.
The moment he recognized Zephyr, Rowan's Observation Haki swept over the vessel. On the entire warship, aside from the navigators controlling the ship, only Zephyr and the two young people—one male, one female—standing beside him possessed power worth noting.
Since we've crossed paths, it must be fate. I might as well see how this little guy is faring as the Chief Instructor,Rowan thought, nodding slightly to himself.
On the warship, Zephyr, with his shock of short purple hair, stood at the very front of the deck with his hands clasped behind his back. His sharp eyes, hidden behind black sunglasses, gazed out at the vast ocean with an expression of grim resolve.
The vessel beneath his feet—a specialized warship that only an Admiral had the authority to deploy—was cutting through the waves at maximum speed. The sea breeze whipped against his face, making the Justice mantle draped over his shoulders snap and howl. Though his hair had not yet turned white, the skin of this legendary Marine had long since become dry and sallow from decades of exposure to sun and salt.
At this moment, no one could see the exact look in his eyes behind those dark lenses.
"Master Zephyr."
Suddenly, a gentle female voice spoke from behind him. Without turning, Zephyr knew it was Ain, his most prized female disciple of recent years.
A faint smile touched his battle-hardened face. Without looking back, he asked, "Ah, Ain. How much longer until we reach the island?"
As he spoke, Zephyr adjusted the massive mechanical arm—the "Battle Smasher"—fitted to his right side. The three enormous iron fingers creaked and groaned as they clenched and relaxed. In this state, Zephyr made no effort to hide the killing intent radiating from his body. It made the old man look less like a teacher and more like a terrifying, human-shaped engine of slaughter.
Seeing this, Ain remained unfazed. Though the current Zephyr was far more frightening than the gentle, venerable teacher he had once been, Ain understood the change perfectly. She was one of only two students who had survived that horrific massacre years ago.
With her talent, had she chosen to develop within the ranks of Marine Headquarters, she would be at least a Captain by now. But after that incident, she refused to leave Zephyr's side. Her only wish now was to support him as he trained generation after generation of new Marine forces.
The current class of recruits aboard the ship was nearing the end of their training. The reason Zephyr had led them so far from Headquarters was to conduct their final graduation exercise: a life-and-death struggle against a formidable pirate crew.
Their target was the "Ogre Pirates." The captain was a man with a bounty of 53 million Berries, known by the moniker "The Demon Executioner." With nearly three hundred men under his command, they were a powerful force entrenched in the first half of the Grand Line.
Like Zephyr, Ain now harbored a deep-seated contempt for pirates. Their objective for this mission was to slaughter the entire mid-sized crew. Every single one. They would leave no survivors.
Such actions were a far cry from Zephyr's former title as the "Non-Lethal Admiral." But since that tragedy, Zephyr was no longer the man who refused to kill. Beyond training recruits at Headquarters, he had formed a "Pirate Extermination Guerilla Unit." Led by Zephyr himself, the unit was dedicated solely to hunting down and eradicating pirates on the high seas.
Taking a deep breath, Ain spoke softly. "Master Zephyr, we are approximately one hour away from Kust Island."
Kust Island—the current stronghold of the Ogre Pirates. After receiving intel from his guerilla unit's scouts, Zephyr had ordered the recruits to proceed there at full speed.
"Only one hour left?" Zephyr's lips curled into a wide grin. To an outsider, the smile was chilling. "And yet, I find I can hardly wait..."
Muttering to himself, Zephyr stretched his stiff body, his joints popping like firecrackers. He turned to Ain. "Ain, pass down the order. Tell the recruits to prepare. The mission is to execute every pirate on that island. Leave none alive. Three hundred souls... that is no small number."
He knew that facing such a vicious crew would inevitably result in casualties among the recruits. But if they had chosen to be Marines, they had to be prepared to stake their lives against pirates. The Marine Recruit Training Camp was not a greenhouse for raising flowers.
"Yes, Master Zephyr!" Ain offered a crisp salute and turned to depart.
She hadn't been gone long when a strangely dressed figure dropped from the rigging. He landed without a sound. This young man did not wear a standard Marine uniform; instead, he wore shinobi attire and peculiar makeup. This was Binz, the only other disciple besides Ain to survive that great tragedy. In that incident, several hundred recruits led by Zephyr had fallen under a pirate's blade—leaving only Ain and Binz alive. Not only that, but Zephyr himself had lost his right arm that day.
"Master Zephyr, a report. At the nine o'clock position, we have spotted a small sailing vessel," Binz said, standing at attention with a respectful expression.
"A small sailing vessel? In these waters?" Zephyr was surprised. This was the entrance to the Grand Line. Anyone in a small boat here was either lost after being blown off course by a storm or a powerhouse with specialized abilities.
With a hint of curiosity, Zephyr asked, "Who is on board? Pirates or civilians?"
Binz shook his head. "Identity is currently unknown. No pirate flag was sighted, nor the flag of any World Government affiliated nation. There are three people: an old man and two youths. The old man and one of the youths don't seem to possess any combat potential, but the other youth is carrying three longswords. He appears to be a swordsman."
"An old man and two youths? Could they be civilians who lost their way?" Zephyr speculated. But how could mere civilians navigate a small boat into these dangerous waters?
"Let me see."
Zephyr took the telescope from Binz and peered in the direction indicated. However, as the small boat came into focus, the expression on his face froze. An overwhelming surge of emotion instantly flooded his heart.
"That is... Master Rowan?!"
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