"Zephyr, for my sake… train him to death!!!"
"..."
Zephyr showed a trace of surprise as he looked at his old comrade.
"Some kind of grudge?"
Garp squeezed out three words through his teeth.
"Biological grandson."
"???"
Zephyr's astonishment deepened. Biological grandson, and he wanted him trained to death?
"He keeps making a fuss about becoming Pirate King."
"..."
Zephyr was silent for a moment. Then he patted Garp on the shoulder.
"Leave him to me!"
Pirate King?
In this current "Era of the Grand Navy," led by Sengoku and enforced by iron-blooded figures like Hawke and Sakazuki…
A clueless brat shouting about becoming Pirate King?
That wasn't a dream.
That was an epitaph on the way to the gallows!
"Zephyr, I'll trouble you with this."
Garp gave a heavy nod. He turned away, striding up onto the dog-headed warship.
The anchor rose, and the ship cut through the waves.
...
G-3 Branch, Central Training Grounds.
The training of nearly ten thousand Marine soldiers continued as usual.
Zephyr led Luffy, Koby, and several hundred Marine recruits to a remote corner of the grounds.
"From this day forward…"
Zephyr's roar, like that of a lion, cut across the noise of the distant drills, ringing sharp in every recruit's ears.
"Your identity is only one—that of a Marine!"
"Now! All of you, prostrate yourselves, and use your bodies to feel the land beneath you!"
"You'll stay down until I tell you otherwise!"
"Yes, sir!"
None dared hesitate. They immediately pressed themselves flat against the scorching ground.
Only Luffy, lying unconscious where he had been tossed, remained still.
Zephyr ignored him. Training had officially begun.
The first test—pure obedience.
Time ticked by, second by second.
"Uuuh—"
Luffy slowly came to.
What flooded into his brain first wasn't pain, but hunger.
A terrible, gnawing hunger…
He shook his head, sat up with effort, and let his gaze focus.
Then he froze.
Before him sat a great bucket of clear drinking water, and a massive tray.
On the tray—piled high—was roasted meat, steaming and fragrant.
"Gulp—"
Luffy's throat convulsed violently on its own.
Saliva gushed forth like a flood, spilling from the corners of his mouth.
He reached out, trembling, hand stretching for the meat within arm's reach.
But his hand stopped midair.
No…
He couldn't eat it…
If he ate, he'd have to become a Marine.
If he ate, he'd be surrendering to his grandfather.
If he ate, he'd be betraying his dream!
"Grumbleee—!!!"
His stomach roared thunderously, as if accusing him of foolish stubbornness.
Dane, watching the recruits' training from not far off, noticed the commotion.
He walked over slowly.
"Eat."
"Even if you eat, you won't have to join the Marines."
Luffy hesitantly lifted his head to look at the man in a Marine Commodore's uniform, steady and composed.
"Really?"
"Mm."
Dane nodded.
"Only when you're full will you have the strength to think about anything else."
"Grumbleee—!!!"
His stomach gave its final ultimatum.
Luffy's will collapsed instantly.
He no longer hesitated. He lunged at the tray, both hands sweeping, devouring the food like a storm until everything was gone.
"Burp—"
In just a few minutes, the tray was empty, and the water bucket was dry.
Luffy let out a satisfied belch, feeling alive again.
At that moment, a towering shadow fell over him.
"Full now, Straw Hat boy?"
Zephyr stood before him.
Luffy wiped his mouth, stood up, and asked,
"Where's my grandpa?"
"Gone."
"From now on, your training will be entirely under my command."
"I don't want training!"
Luffy instantly stuck his neck out in defiance.
"I'm going to sea!"
"I'm going to be—"
"Pirate King?"
Zephyr cut him off.
"Heh—"
He chuckled, the sound dripping with disdain and mockery.
"On these seas, there will be no Pirate King."
"The only true king is down the path of the Marine King."
"I don't want to be a Marine!"
"Oh?"
Zephyr's lips curved with a meaningful smile. He gestured toward Dane."I can let you go!"
"Your grandpa and I are old men. Beating you down won't convince you."
"But he—Dane, Marine Headquarters Commodore—is of your generation."
"Among the new blood of the Marines, his strength ranks about fifth."
"Defeat him, and I'll personally persuade your grandpa."
"But if you can't even beat Dane, then you'll train obediently under me."
Zephyr turned to Dane, his voice hardening.
"Dane, give him a proper lesson."
"Let him understand that between dreams and reality lies a chasm called despair."
Dane's calm gaze fell on Luffy.
"Yes, sir."
He drew the sword from his waist.
"You gonna fight me?"
Luffy lit up instantly, clenching his fists.
"I'm really strong!"
He'd beaten the Sea King of the East Blue—how could this Marine, who looked hardly older than him, be stronger?
If he beat this guy, he could go back to being a pirate!
"Gum-Gum—"
Luffy's right arm shot backward.
"Pistol!"
The fist, charged with explosive force, blasted forward like a cannon shell, aimed straight at Dane's face.
Dane didn't move.
At the instant the fist was about to touch his cheek—
"Chaaaang—"
A sharp, ringing blade-sound split the air.
Dane had drawn his sword.
No one saw his draw. They only saw a dazzling silver flash, flicker and vanish.
Fast!
Unbelievably fast!
"Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!"
Dozens of blood sprays erupted across Luffy's body in an instant. Each cut avoided vital spots with precision, but brought searing pain.
The massive impact hurled him away, tumbling him across the ground more than ten times before he came to a stop.
"..."
Before he could even process it, a cold blade was already pressed to his neck.
"If you were a pirate, you'd already be dead."
"..."
Luffy stared dumbly at the sword on his throat, his mind blank.
What had just happened?
Had he… been defeated in one move?
"Straw Hat boy."
Zephyr's voice rang out, cold and merciless.
"Dreams, in the face of absolute strength, are worthless."
Step by step, he walked to stand over Luffy, looking down.
"Now—tell me!"
"What king do you want to be?"