"You don't plan on leaving? Master, you mean—?" Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Zephyr's eyes, and he stared at Rowan intensely.
Rowan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he helplessly lowered his large tobacco pipe and gestured around. "I say, Zephyr-boy, do you plan on hosting this old man right here in the docking bay?"
Currently, Rowan and Zephyr were still standing on the gangplank of the ship's internal dock. Zoro and Luffy hadn't even had the chance to step off their small boat yet.
Prompted by Rowan's remark, Zephyr realized his oversight. His face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm terribly sorry, Master. In my excitement, I simply forgot..."
"You brat..." Rowan shook his head with a teasing scold. "I'm telling you, at your age, you really ought to fix that flighty habit. Don't forget, your current status is the Chief Instructor of Marine Headquarters."
Shortly after Rowan had retired, Zephyr—then only in his forties—had encountered a series of tragedies that led him to resign from his position as a Marine Admiral. He had stepped back to the second line to serve as the Chief Instructor.
Leading Rowan from the gangplank toward the main deck, Zephyr rubbed his head again. "Master Rowan, it's only because I'm excited. It's been far too long since I've seen you. These days, I wouldn't feel even a spark of nervousness even if I were facing an Emperor of the Sea."
"You kid..." Rowan shook his head with a chuckle.
You're a former Marine Admiral; not being nervous in front of an Emperor should be a given, shouldn't it? Why do you make it sound like such a point of pride?
Rowan kept the thought to himself. After all, Zephyr wasn't a child anymore; he didn't need constant verbal encouragement.
On the deck, the Marine recruits gathered by Ain's order watched Rowan and Zephyr approach with peculiar expressions. Before this white-haired, white-bearded elder, the usually stern and stoic Master Zephyr—who was notoriously strict with them—was currently acting like a child who had made a mistake.
Who exactly is this old man?
And that green-haired youth being hosted by Instructor Ain... he looks terrifying.
Unable to discern Rowan's identity, most of the recruits' gazes fell upon Zoro, who followed behind Rowan alongside Instructor Ain. With three blades at his waist and a gaze as sharp as a hawk's, the young swordsman exuded an aura that warned others not to approach. He was clearly no ordinary person.
As for Luffy, who was cheerfully chatting with Binz, almost no one gave him a second glance.
"Everyone, let me introduce you. This gentleman is my most respected mentor, the former Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, Mr. Rowan!" Standing before the formation of recruits, Zephyr introduced him with gravity.
As he spoke, a deep sense of pride radiated from Zephyr's face—as if being Rowan's student was the greatest honor of his life.
Upon hearing the introduction, the recruits let out collective gasps of realization. If this was the legendary Mr. Rowan, then Master Zephyr's reaction made perfect sense. Ever since they joined the Marines and became recruits under Zephyr, their instructor had frequently spoken of this legendary figure.
The recruits had always been curious. What kind of man was this "Marine Godfather" who had single-handedly trained the Marine Hero Garp, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Great Tactician Tsuru, and their own teacher—the former Admiral and current Chief Instructor Zephyr?
Knowing Rowan's identity, regardless of the Old Man's current combat strength, his peerless resume alone was enough to command the absolute respect of these raw recruits.
Without needing a reminder from Zephyr, all the recruits snapped to attention and saluted in unison. "Trainees of the Marine Recruit Training Camp, greetings to Mr. Rowan!"
Looking at the vibrant, disciplined youth before him, Rowan nodded with a smile. "Hahaha! Greetings to you, the future pillars of the Marines. As for me..."
After delivering a stirring speech that left the recruits' blood boiling with passion, Rowan turned to Zephyr. "I almost forgot. This little guy is Garp's grandson, Monkey D. Luffy."
Rowan gestured for Luffy to come forward. "Come, say hello to Grandpa Zephyr."
"Grandpa Zephyr..." Luffy muttered, looking quite reluctant. If anyone other than Rowan had asked, Luffy would never have called a stranger "Grandpa."
"Garp's grandson is already this big?!" Zephyr looked at Luffy with surprise. Though Luffy was somewhat scrawny, one could see the faint shadow of a young Garp in the boy's features.
Looking at Luffy, Zephyr's gaze suddenly turned mournful as he recalled his own family, who had been murdered by pirates decades ago. But he quickly pushed the sorrow aside and reached out to pat Luffy's head affectionately.
He is the Old Man's student and my best friend's grandson—that makes him my grandson as well!
Thinking this, a gratified smile finally returned to Zephyr's face. Though Luffy didn't understand the sudden shift in the old man's mood, he didn't pull away from Zephyr's massive hand. After all, his Great-Grandpa was watching!
"This one is my unofficial disciple, the Three-Sword Style swordsman Roronoa Zoro. He used to be a pirate hunter," Rowan continued, gesturing toward Zoro.
"Your unofficial disciple, Master?" Zephyr cast a surprised look at Zoro.
He knew that "unofficial" meant the boy wasn't a formal student yet, merely someone who had caught the Old Man's eye and was receiving temporary guidance. However, Zephyr knew better than anyone that while Master Rowan's raw power might not have been the highest back then, the Old Man had a unique, peerless understanding of training.
It was thanks to that guidance that Zephyr had been able to reach the rank of Admiral in his early thirties. Even now, having trained the three current Admirals and numerous elite Vice Admirals, Zephyr believed his own teaching ability paled in comparison to Master Rowan's.
He was merely a Chief Instructor. But the Master... he was the legendary Marine Godfather!
Therefore, even if the Old Man claimed this sharp-eyed youth was only an "unofficial" disciple, Zephyr knew the young man was destined to become one of the top powerhouses on the sea.
"Hmm? Wait, Zephyr-boy, what happened to your arm?" Rowan suddenly frowned.
Only now did he notice something was wrong with Zephyr's right arm. Zephyr had removed the massive "Battle Smasher" mechanical arm designed by Vegapunk before welcoming Rowan, but his right arm was still encased in heavy mechanical plating.
Zephyr had once been known as "Black Arm." But now, he didn't even show his wrist. How could he still bear that title?
"This arm... how should I put it? My strength was simply too lacking," Zephyr sighed, clutching his right arm.
"Was it that 'Whitebeard Junior'?" Rowan's gaze darkened, his voice low and heavy.
Old memories surfaced. Rowan immediately recalled the reason for Zephyr's lost arm. Seeing Zephyr's dejected silence, the Old Man knew his guess was correct.
It really was that guy...
Rowan remembered that before he retired, he had specifically warned Zephyr-boy to be wary of that individual. He had hoped his warning would help Zephyr evade this tragedy. But in the end, it had still happened.
"Little guy, don't you worry. This debt... the Old Man will help you collect it!" Rowan exhaled a long trail of smoke, his face grim as he patted Zephyr's shoulder.
As the words fell, every Marine on the warship felt a sudden, bone-chilling cold. A thick, suffocating wave of killing intent washed over them.
Sensing this intent, Ain and Binz—standing closest—couldn't help but shiver. A look of sheer horror flickered in their eyes. In their minds, they had assumed Master Zephyr's mentor was, at best, a top-tier elite Vice Admiral.
But feeling this concentrated malice, they realized they were wrong.
They were dead wrong.
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