The next day arrived quickly. Victor arrived at the Elite Camp early—today, Zephyr would officially take over as instructor, meaning Victor's temporary role was coming to an end. As the acting instructor, he needed to be present for the handover.
The recruits also arrived early, their spirits visibly different—burning with a thirst for strength. Zephyr observed them with satisfaction.
"Fall in!" Victor's command, though quiet, carried sharp clarity. The recruits reacted swiftly, forming ranks in under five seconds.
"The man beside me is the Chief Instructor of the New Recruit Division—and now, your Elite Camp instructor. Former Admiral Zephyr..."
"CLAP CLAP CLAP—"
Before Victor could finish, thunderous applause erupted. The recruits had been stealing glances at Zephyr since dawn. A former Admiral—an existence at the pinnacle of the Navy! (The Fleet Admiral didn't count—too busy with paperwork and politics. No glory there.)
To them, Admiral was the ultimate honor—the Navy's strongest, their names shaking the seas, free to roam wherever they pleased. That was a man's true romance.
Zephyr smiled warmly. Victor raised a hand, signaling for silence, and the applause gradually died down.
"Instructor Zephyr only returned to Headquarters yesterday. As for why... well, you all know—the last Elite Camp's field assessment. Yet here he is, diving straight into work, terrified you'd learn bad habits under me!"
"Pfft—HAHAHA!"
The recruits burst into laughter. Zephyr's grin widened.
"And what does that tell you? It means Instructor Zephyr cares. He'd sooner cut off his other arm than let me corrupt you. So from now on—train harder. Push yourselves. That's the only way to repay his dedication!"
"YES, SIR!!!"
Thirty voices roared in unison, loud enough to startle birds from the sky.
A faint glimmer of moisture flashed in Zephyr's eyes. 'This... this is why I keep going.'
"Good. Now, introduce yourselves—let Instructor Zephyr know who you are."
"We'll start with Barnett."
"Instructor Zephyr, I'm Barnett, the Restore-Restore Human, user of the Restore-Restore Fruit..."
"I'm Rebecca..."
"I'm Wendy, a sniper..."
"I'm Kevin, Eagle Zoan user of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Falcon..."
One by one, all thirty recruits introduced themselves in detail—including their specialties. Victor had insisted on this; only by knowing their strengths could Zephyr tailor their training.
Zephyr listened intently, memorizing each name and skill.
"Now that introductions are done, my time as acting instructor ends here. Next—Instructor Zephyr will address you."
Another round of applause erupted as Victor stepped down, rejoining the ranks.
Zephyr took the platform.
"I am Zephyr, your new Elite Camp instructor. From today onward, I'll oversee your training. Victor has laid an excellent foundation—stick to it. His methods are precise, ideal for preparing you for the Six Powers."
"And no, I didn't take over because I feared he'd ruin you. Not at all. Truth is... I just can't sit still."
A chuckle rippled through the recruits.
"Back when I was an Admiral, I spent my days chasing pirates—always moving, always fighting. But that life cost me... people, moments I'll never get back. Now, as an instructor, I've found purpose again. Idleness doesn't suit me anymore."
His voice grew heavier.
"What I want to say is this: Your talent might not be extraordinary, but don't despair. This world belongs to the ordinary—I am ordinary."
"...Huh?!"
"Instructor Zephyr... ordinary?!"
"An Admiral calling himself normal?!"
Murmurs spread, but Zephyr let them continue.
"Yes, ordinary. I had no special talent, no Devil Fruit. I clawed my way up from the bottom. Why do I say this? Because I fought alongside Garp—and that man? That man is not ordinary."
He glanced at Victor.
"I've mentioned this to Victor before. Garp eats enough in one meal to fuel me for a week. More food means more energy—longer battles, faster recovery."
The recruits' eyes flicked to Victor, who gave a confirming nod.
"When injured, wounds that would hospitalize me for a month? Garp shrugs them off in three days—fifteen meals, good as new."
Another collective glance at Victor.
"Then there's the Six Powers and Haki. I trained relentlessly to master them. Garp? Learned them through play."
Zephyr's expression hardened.
"So how did I become an Admiral despite such a gap? Because I never resented those born stronger. Never quit just because others had it easier. I kept moving forward—even if my progress was ten times slower, I outworked them."
The recruits' eyes burned with renewed fire. Here was living proof—Zephyr had no reason to lie.
"If Garp represents natural genius, then Victor is genius plus relentless effort. Don't compare yourselves to him—you'll only despair. Compare yourself to yesterday's you. Did you run one meter farther? Hold out one minute longer? That's progress."
Once again, all eyes turned to Victor.
'Yeah, comparing yourselves to me is pointless,' Victor thought dryly. 'I'm basically cheating—the heavens' favorite nephew. We're built different.'
"Victor is only seventeen years old," Zephyr continued, his voice carrying weight. "You all witnessed his battle against Sakazuki a few days ago. Let me be clear—Sakazuki already possesses Admiral-level strength. The only reason he hasn't been promoted is due to internal Navy politics, which I won't delve into."
"Admiral-level?!"
"Does that mean Victor can already hold his own against an Admiral?!"
"Just how strong is Victor?!"
The recruits were stunned. A seventeen-year-old with Admiral-tier combat power? What kind of monster was this?!
'Though that's a bit of an exaggeration,' Victor mused internally. 'Both of us were holding back in that fight. Sakazuki's greatest weapon is his overwhelmingly destructive Devil Fruit, which he barely used. If I had to rate myself honestly, I'd say I'm at most Yonko Commander level—capable of putting up a fight, but guaranteed to lose in a prolonged battle.'
"This is what happens when talent meets relentless effort," Zephyr declared. "Even Garp didn't have this level of strength at Victor's age. So remember—if you have just 'one' of these traits, you can still become a powerhouse. I am living proof that perseverance alone can take you to the top!"
The recruits' faces flushed with excitement, their morale skyrocketing as if injected with adrenaline.
"Enough talk. Today's focus is comprehensive physical testing to tailor your future training. Follow me to the training facility."
With that, Zephyr concluded his speech and moved on to the day's agenda.
"Rebecca, Wendy—you two go get tested as well. Establish your baselines," Victor instructed.
"Aren't you coming, Victor?" Rebecca asked. Wendy tilted her head in similar curiosity.
Victor smirked. "Do you really think those machines can measure someone at my level? Just go."
"...Fair point," Rebecca conceded after a beat. Wendy nodded in agreement.