A corner of the Marineford training ground, usually filled with sweat and shouts, was a little different today.
Zephyr, having just finished his rigorous guidance of the new batch of elite cadets, watched the young men leave, their bodies tired but their spirits high. He habitually rubbed his slightly sore right arm. Although he was no longer young, he still insisted on demonstrating the techniques of 'Black Arm' and the iron-blooded ideals of justice himself. The heat and clamor of the training had left him a bit weary; he needed some quiet to calm his breathing and thoughts.
He habitually walked towards the resting area on the edge of the training ground, nestled in the shade of the main Marineford building. There were a few benches there, usually quite peaceful. However, today, one of those benches was already occupied.
Zephyr's steps paused slightly.
It was a very young officer, wearing a wrinkled captain's uniform, slumped on the bench in an extremely relaxed, almost 'melted' posture. His head rested against the back of the chair, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was even, clearly immersed in a deep afternoon nap. The sunlight was blocked by the building, with only a few scattered reflections falling on him, outlining a strangely tranquil atmosphere. Centered around the young man, the surrounding noise of the training ground seemed to be filtered by an invisible barrier, becoming distant and blurry.
Zephyr raised an eyebrow. He recognized this unfamiliar face—or rather, he had heard the bizarre rumors about the young man Levi, brought back by Tsuru, who was extremely 'lazy' yet possessed uncanny abilities. He had originally intended to find another spot, but his gaze swept over Levi's unguarded sleeping face and the tranquil area 'purified' by an invisible force. Zephyr suddenly changed his mind.
He lightened his steps, which was not easy for a man of his burly stature, walked to an adjacent bench, and sat down without deliberately keeping his distance. His massive body made the bench groan slightly, but the sleeping Levi merely smacked his lips and furrowed his brow, as if disturbed, but did not wake up. He unconsciously rolled over, turning his face to the other side, and continued to sleep.
Zephyr watched this scene, a hint of undetectable amusement appearing on his stern face. He relaxed his own body, leaned back against the chair, and also began to close his eyes to rest. For a moment, this corner was left with only the even breathing of the two men and the distant, muffled training noise. A peculiar sense of harmony permeated the air.
Zephyr could clearly feel a power in the surrounding atmosphere that relaxed the mind, even making one feel a bit lethargic. Normally, he might be wary of such an influence, but at this moment, having just finished high-intensity teaching, he found this power... just right for alleviating his fatigue. He even felt that his old injuries, which often caused him dull pain, seemed to be somewhat soothed in this 'lazy' domain.
After an unknown period, Levi slowly awoke from his slumber. He habitually stretched with extreme slowness, his bones emitting a slight clicking sound. Then, he groggily opened his eyes, habitually looking to his side—usually, Potts might appear with food around this time.
However, what he saw was not his orderly, but an extremely burly, purple-haired old man wearing sunglasses, exuding an aura as steady as a mountain.
Levi's brain took a few seconds to process. *Who? Seems a bit familiar... Zephyr? An Admiral? Why is he here?* A series of question marks slowly emerged, but they didn't bring much tension. The man showed no signs of being 'troublesome'. He hadn't woken him, hadn't scolded him, just sat quietly next to him as if he were also resting.
Zephyr seemed to notice Levi's awakening. He slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at him, his voice deep and calm, showing no emotion. "Awake?"
Levi nodded sluggishly, his movements as slow as a sloth. "Uh... Mr. Zephyr?" He wasn't sure what to call him.
"Just call me Teacher Zephyr. Many people here do," Zephyr's tone was natural. He sized up Levi. "It seems the rumors are true; you're really good at finding places to rest."
Levi blinked, trying to analyze whether the remark was praise or criticism, and ultimately decided to take it literally. "It's quieter here, and the sun is just right..." he answered honestly.
"Indeed," Zephyr agreed, even shrugging his shoulders. "And staying here, I feel even my old injuries are too lazy to hurt."
This remark carried a hint of subtle teasing, but Levi listened intently. "Pain is indeed very troublesome..." he mumbled with empathy, as if he had found a kindred spirit. "It's best if it can just be quiet."
Upon hearing this, Zephyr's eyes behind his sunglasses flickered slightly. He hadn't expected such a response. He looked at Levi's matter-of-fact expression, the way he wished pain would disappear simply out of a desire to avoid trouble, and suddenly chuckled softly. "Heh... yes, pain is indeed a troublesome fellow." His laughter was hearty, carrying the broad-mindedness of someone who had weathered countless storms. "It seems we've reached a consensus on this, kid."
Levi looked at Zephyr and realized the older man genuinely wasn't looking for trouble. His slightly tense nerves completely relaxed. He even found this old man much more agreeable than many of the boisterous Marine officers—at least he wasn't noisy.
"Your ability," Zephyr suddenly changed the subject, his tone remaining calm, "it's very special. Not for destruction, but to make things 'stop'."
Levi thought for a moment, then nodded. "Moving around often leads to trouble; stopping makes things quiet."
"A very unique insight," Zephyr commented. He didn't dismiss this philosophy like Akainu, but rather approached it with scrutiny and thought. "Although it's completely different from my teaching philosophy, I have to admit that in certain situations, it might be more effective than pure violence." He taught the 'dynamic' of forging ahead and crushing evil, while this young man represented the 'static' of letting all conflicts naturally subside. The two were diametrically opposed, yet not entirely without room for discussion.
Levi was noncommittal about this evaluation; he just felt that chatting with this old man... wasn't too troublesome.
At this moment, Zephyr looked at the sky and stood up. "Rest time is about over. Time to go check on the lads' afternoon training."
Levi also slowly stood up, feeling that this nap had been exceptionally sound.
Zephyr prepared to leave. After taking two steps, he turned back to Levi. "If you find other places noisy in the future, you can come here to rest. As long as you don't disturb the training, this old man has no objections." This was almost a tacit approval for Levi to claim this area as his 'nap sanctuary'.
Levi was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "...Oh... thank you... Teacher Zephyr..."
Zephyr waved his hand and departed with steady steps. As he walked, he thought, *So lazy to the extreme, it forms a unique 'still' domain? Perhaps... it could be used as a special case to mention in stress resistance courses?*
As Levi watched Zephyr's receding back, he had only one thought: *This old man... he's a good person. Doesn't talk much, doesn't meddle, and even agreed to give him a good place to sleep. Truly... not troublesome at all.*
He yawned, deciding to go to the mess hall to see if there was anything good to eat, to reward himself for the energy expended in his recent, passive 'social interaction'. This unexpected encounter contained no sparks of conflict, no fierce clash of ideals, only a bland yet harmonious mutual recognition based on 'non-interference' and 'reducing trouble'. For Levi, this was undoubtedly the best kind of interpersonal relationship.
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POWER STONES ∝ CHAPTERS
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