The lingering chill of early spring hung in the air as the faint light of dawn crept across the horizon.
It was March, and Marineford still carried traces of winter's cold breath.
Before the sun had even risen, Yoriichi Tsugikuni stepped out of his room and gazed at the empty courtyard before him, exhaling softly.
Just the day before, thanks to Garp's introduction, he had become the disciple of Marine Headquarters Admiral Zephyr. However, because of his age, Yoriichi couldn't enroll directly in the Marine Academy. Instead, he had moved into Zephyr's home and was now living under his roof.
Zephyr, now forty-seven years old, had suffered a devastating blow five years earlier when his family was murdered by a pirate he had once pursued. After that tragedy, the famed "Admiral Who Refused to Kill" stepped down from the front lines.
At first, Zephyr intended to leave the Marines altogether. However, under the persuasion of Fleet Admiral Kong and friends like Garp, he chose to remain in the organization, though he withdrew from active duty and took up the role of an instructor at the Marine Academy, dedicated to teaching and training the next generation of Marines.
Marineford was a vast, multifaceted island. It wasn't only the headquarters of the Navy but also a place that bore significant military responsibilities and served as the residential district for the families of high-ranking Marine officers.
At the center of the island lay the Marines' residential quarters.
As an Admiral, Zephyr had been assigned a spacious compound. However, ever since the tragedy that had befallen his family, he had rarely stayed there, preferring to sleep in the dormitories of the Marine Academy. It wasn't until yesterday that he finally brought Yoriichi back to this long-abandoned home, a place filled with the memories of happier days.
Yet, despite being a "home," the house now felt unbearably empty.
Yoriichi knew Zephyr's story well. Even after spending so many years living in the world of the Demon Slayers, his memories of Zephyr had become crystal clear upon meeting him the day before.
Yoriichi deeply admired this righteous Admiral who refused to take lives. At the same time, he felt sorrow over Zephyr's tragedy. It also gave him a stark, visceral understanding of just how cruel this world could be.
For someone as just as Zephyr, to end up with such a fate…
Yoriichi turned and looked back toward the room he'd just exited. It had clearly once been a child's room. The small table was still cluttered with baby toys that hadn't been put away.
Though Zephyr seldom stayed at home, the room was spotless, without a speck of dust. It was obvious that Zephyr still tended to it often, unable to let go of the memories of his wife and child.
"Oh! You're up early. Good, saves me the trouble of waking you."
"You've got a great habit there. If you want to become an excellent Marine, maintaining a good routine is essential!"
"Did you sleep well last night? Sorry the room's a bit messy, I haven't tidied it up in a long time. I hope you didn't mind."
While Yoriichi was lost in thought, Zephyr came walking across the corridor and stopped beside him. Seeing Yoriichi already awake brought a smile to his face.
"Teacher Zephyr," Yoriichi replied, turning his head with a polite smile. Hearing Zephyr's concerned questions, he shook his head gently.
"You flatter me, Teacher. Someone like me, raised like a wild man, has never stayed in a place this nice."
"The room was clean and tidy. I really like it. Thank you for arranging it for me, Teacher Zephyr."
There was a certain formality in Yoriichi's tone, a polite distance that Zephyr could sense immediately.
But Zephyr didn't mind. For a child who'd suddenly found himself in a strange place, a bit of wariness and reserve was perfectly natural.
"As long as you're comfortable here, that's what matters. You'll be staying from now on."
"That Garp fellow is always out on missions, hardly ever in headquarters. So from now on, you'll live with me. I'll look after you."
"Come on, let's go have breakfast."
"Afterward, I have to head to the Marine Academy. You should come along. Even though you can't enroll directly right now, you're welcome to train on your own whenever you have time."
"All the facilities are open for use when no one else is around."
Zephyr stepped up beside Yoriichi, resting a warm, heavy hand on his shoulder. The touch drove away the chill of the early morning.
"All right, Teacher."
From Zephyr's words and actions, Yoriichi felt a rare warmth a kind of care he hadn't experienced in decades.
As a child, Yoriichi had entered a monastery and had long forgotten what it felt like to be cared for. In his previous life, his mother had died early, his father had been a man driven by personal gain, and his foolish older brother was utterly incapable of expressing emotions like affection.
All Yoriichi had ever known was the relentless battle against demons and his endless pursuit of mastery in swordsmanship.
Zephyr studied the obedient Yoriichi beside him, then turned to cast a deep look back at the room that had once belonged to his own child. After a moment's silence, he suddenly spoke in a grave voice.
"Yoriichi…"
"Today, come with me to the Marine Academy and have a look around."
"But remember, you don't have to join the Marines if you don't want to."
Zephyr turned back to look at Yoriichi, whose youthful face brought a flicker of wistfulness to his eyes.
If his own child had lived, he would have been around eight years old now. According to Garp, Yoriichi was extraordinarily gifted. Yet the boy's young, innocent face constantly reminded Zephyr that this was still just a child.
The future was full of possibilities. Becoming a Marine wasn't necessarily the best path.
To live out an ordinary, peaceful life wasn't that also a kind of happiness? If only his own child could have…
Yoriichi looked puzzled as he listened to Zephyr's words. Why would a Marine Admiral try to talk a young man out of becoming a Marine?
"Is he testing me?"
With that thought flashing through his mind, Yoriichi quickly shook his head and answered firmly.
"No, I won't dislike it. I've already made my decision."
"I don't like the way this world is. No matter what others think, I've decided to do everything I can to change it."
Determination shone in Yoriichi's eyes. Zephyr stared at the boy beside him, momentarily taken aback. He couldn't fathom how someone so young could possess such resolve.
"To think that even a child like this has been driven to feel that way…"
"It really shows how much we Marines still haven't done enough."
"Damn it!"
A surge of guilt welled up inside Zephyr. Yet in front of Yoriichi, he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"Good! You've got spirit!"
"Come on, let's go to the Marine Academy. I'll show you how real Marines are trained!"
Zephyr slapped Yoriichi on the back, speaking with obvious delight.
By the time Zephyr and Yoriichi arrived at the Marine Academy in Marineford, the cadets were already deep into their morning training.
In the large training grounds, the chill of dawn still lingered, but every Marine in training was already drenched in sweat.
"Look, Yoriichi. All of these people are the elite, gathered from the Four Seas."
"Not just anyone can join the Marine Academy."
"Every single person here has been selected as the best of the best from various branches."
"And those who successfully graduate from this place go on to be assigned directly as officers."
As he spoke, Zephyr led Yoriichi closer to the edge of the training field, pointing proudly at the cadets running laps around its perimeter.
"Running, huh? It's a bit different than I imagined. I thought the Marine Academy's training would be more unique somehow."
"Teacher Zephyr, if it's just running, I think I'd be able to join too."
Hearing Yoriichi's words, Zephyr gave a noncommittal smile. He casually waved over a drill instructor and called out in a loud voice.
"Report! How long have they been training?"
The instructor snapped to attention and saluted Zephyr, his chest puffed out as he responded crisply.
"Reporting, Chief Instructor Zephyr!"
"They've been training for one hour and forty minutes!"
"There's twenty minutes left before the warm-up ends!"
Hearing the report, Zephyr turned back to Yoriichi with a grin and explained.
"Running is just the warm-up."
"It hardly counts as real training."
"One lap around the training grounds is one kilometer."
"Their daily warm-up alone covers forty kilometers."
"After this simple warm-up, they'll move on to other training sessions including, but not limited to, navigation skills, firearms handling, hand-to-hand combat, Marine history, and more."
"What you're seeing now is only the tip of the iceberg."
Zephyr spoke with an unmistakable pride in his voice.
Back in the early days, the Marine Academy wasn't nearly as organized as it was now. Back then, cadets would learn a bit of hand-to-hand combat or swordsmanship before being assigned to fight pirates. But ever since Zephyr had become the Chief Instructor, the training curriculum had grown far more comprehensive and detailed.
And many of the officers produced by each graduating class had turned out to be outstanding Marines.
Listening to Zephyr's explanation, Yoriichi couldn't help raising his brows in surprise.
This Marine Academy was far more advanced and well-developed than he'd imagined. He had assumed it was merely a place for Marines to teach the Six Styles and Haki. But it turned out to be much more than that a true academy for training officers.
"Yoriichi, the entrance requirements for the Marine Academy are very strict."
"Only those whose Doriki level reaches at least 80 are eligible to study here."
"Do you know what a level of 80 means? An ordinary adult male Marine, even one who's received some basic training, only has a Doriki level of 10!"