"Yoriichi, the admission requirements for the Naval Academy are extremely strict," Zephyr began, his eyes gleaming with pride.
"Only those with a Dao Power of 80 or above are eligible to study here."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"Do you know what 80 means? The Dao Power of an average adult male with some training barely reaches 10. An 80 is… almost superhuman for an ordinary person!"
Zephyr's face could no longer hide his excitement. Though a seasoned admiral who had faced countless battles, when speaking about the Academy and its students, he became like a proud child showing off a report card.
"Come, let me show you!"
He led Yoriichi to the edge of the training grounds, gesturing broadly.
"Look there—that's the shooting range. Every graduate of this Academy becomes a sharpshooter!"
He pointed to the playground. "That's for hand-to-hand combat. Every graduate becomes a master martial artist!"
"And that building over there is a dojo. Kendo masters teach our cadets…" Zephyr began, but Yoriichi interrupted.
"Every graduate is a master swordsman?!"
Zephyr paused, touching his chin sheepishly. "Not exactly… Not everyone becomes a master swordsman."
Then, with a broad smile, he continued, "But every one of us lays the foundation to become a master swordsman!"
He laughed heartily.
Yoriichi, far from being impressed, merely felt a sense of calm and peace. This middle-aged man, overflowing with pride and dedication to the Navy, was showing him a vision of the future—a future Yoriichi had longed for but never experienced. In his past life, such serenity was unknown.
After a pause, Yoriichi pointed toward the kendo gym.
"Master Zephyr, can we go there?"
Zephyr's eyes followed his gaze and widened slightly when he noticed the long sword Yoriichi held at his side. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Of course! Let's go! Perfect timing—you can test your skills there. I also want to see what kind of boy Garp personally brought to Marinford."
Crossing the training grounds, their two figures—one large, one small—caught the attention of cadets.
"Who's that kid with Master Zephyr? I've never seen him before!"
"Is he a relative? A new student?"
"Fool! Zephyr has no relatives! And he's too young!"
Ignoring the whispers, Zephyr guided Yoriichi into the dojo.
From a distance, it looked modest, but stepping inside, Yoriichi realized its true scale. Rows of bamboo swords lined the walls, easily numbering a thousand. The hall, designed in traditional Japanese style, had orderly pillars dividing it into dozens of smaller dojos. The space could accommodate over 300 trainees at once.
It had been years since Yoriichi had seen a dojo like this—since leaving Tsugikuni to pursue his demon hunting path. The sight left him momentarily stunned.
Zephyr picked up a bamboo sword and addressed Yoriichi in the center of the hall.
"Yoriichi, are you interested in training?"
"I heard from Garp you're skilled with a sword," Zephyr continued. "My swordsmanship isn't great, but I can spar. Are you ready?"
Yoriichi's heart quickened. It was time to gauge his strength in this new world.
He recalled past battles: slaying a giant beast on the island, facing Luffy, and even the overwhelming power of Garp's punch. Yet these events were unreliable measures of true strength.
Picking up a bamboo sword, he stepped forward. "Teacher, I'll attack with full strength. Please watch carefully."
Zephyr smiled and raised his sword. "Attack!"
In an instant, Yoriichi's calm aura transformed. What had seemed like a placid lake now surged like a stormy wave. His Transparent World revealed countless subtle flaws in Zephyr's stance.
Zephyr's eyes widened. He instinctively brought his bamboo sword to guard his chest.
Suddenly, a mysterious haze filled the gym in just two breaths.
"What… is this?!"
"Devil Fruit ability?!"
"No, it doesn't feel like one… is it just a sword technique?"
Zephyr narrowed his eyes, unfolding his Observation Haki.
Before he could react further, Yoriichi reappeared on Zephyr's right, sweeping his bamboo sword in a precise arc.
"Breath of Haze—Horizontal Slash!"
Read Two weeks ahead at
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(End of Chapter)