Chapter 38 — The Heart of a Strong Man
"Zephyr-sensei, weren't you planning to recruit that guy back to Marine Headquarters? Why did you give up so easily?"
Only after Eiger's silhouette vanished up the mountain path did Binz and Ain appear behind their teacher.
"Give up?"
Zephyr rolled his eyes.
"Who said anything about giving up? I'm still here, aren't I?"
"..." ×2
Both students stared at him, completely confused.
They really couldn't understand what their teacher was thinking.
"Zephyr-sensei, why do you value him so much?" Binz asked curiously. "Sure, he's good—works hard, trains even after resigning—but he's not actually that strong."
For a 28-year-old Ensign, yes, Eiger was a genius.
But Marine Headquarters had no shortage of geniuses.
He wasn't at the level where people called you a monster.
"That kid may not be strong yet," Zephyr said, lips curling into a small smile, "but I have a feeling that one day, he'll become a powerhouse who'll shake the world."
"He has… the heart of a strong man."
"The heart of a strong man?"
Binz blinked. Even Ain looked puzzled.
The heart of a strong man?
Did he mean the desire to become stronger?
If so—they also had that desire.
Before they could voice the question, Zephyr continued, chuckling:
"That brat dared swing an axe at me.
You two dare?"
"..." ×2
So that was the heart of a strong man?
Binz and Ain both stared at their teacher with dark lines running down their faces.
Binz puffed out his chest in protest.
"We didn't attack you because we respect you, Zephyr-sensei! You're our teacher. But that guy isn't."
Zephyr shook his head.
"Even if that brat were my student, he'd still swing that axe without hesitation. No matter when, no matter where—he'd strike if he felt he should."
He turned his gaze toward the forested mountains where Eiger had disappeared.
"When you two truly understand what that means… you'll know what a strong man's heart is."
Back when that kid was still weak, he had already set 'Marine Admiral' as his goal.
Yet for some reason, he resigned.
Spent fifteen cautious years hidden away in the West Blue.
A mystery.
But now?
He dared clash head-on with him, Zephyr—the Chief Instructor.
That contradiction was what he couldn't understand.
Just what happened in those fifteen years?
"Fine, fine. A 'strong man's heart.'"
Binz muttered, clearly unconvinced.
"But honestly, I just don't see it. The guy retired, got married, turned down your offer, and looks like he wants nothing more than a peaceful life. He doesn't seem like someone obsessed with getting stronger."
"If he didn't have a strong man's heart, how could he possibly marry that woman?"
"???"
…What was that supposed to mean?!
Before either student could ask, Zephyr burst out laughing and waved it off.
"Alright, enough questions. We're staying here for a while, so prepare yourselves. And you two—don't slack off. Train properly."
…
After that, Eiger simply returned to his usual routine.
The arrival of the Chief Instructor of Marine Headquarters didn't change life on the Sibia River Archipelago at all.
Everyone was still busy with the long-awaited launch of the winery.
Now that the factory was built and the machinery had arrived, it was finally time to try real large-scale brewing.
Summer had faded, autumn had come, and the green grapes of the island were perfectly ripe.
They had brewed a successful test batch before—and everyone had enjoyed it at the celebration—but that was hand-made.
No one knew what would happen with mass production.
Would the machines change the taste?
Would new problems arise?
So under Chief Marin's lead, the villagers began harvesting grapes and preparing the first official batch of wine.
Of course… none of that involved Eiger.
He kept to his training.
Especially after hearing Zephyr's words, he gained a spark of inspiration—and began experimenting with developing his Devil Fruit abilities, as well as combining them with Haki.
Until now, he had treated the Light-Light Fruit as nothing more than a physical booster and training accelerator.
His plan was simple: Train his body until he could split enemies in half with raw strength alone.
He hardly used the fruit's abilities for anything else.
But he couldn't deny one thing—developing his fruit was much easier and faster than pure physical growth.
And truth be told… he was curious.
What would the awakened ability be?
Absorb more light?
Store sunlight?
Create new light sources?
So he practiced.
Absorbing light.
Feeling light.
Guiding light.
Using it alongside Armament Haki, he continued splitting mountains—first needing two or three months for one mountain… then one month… then half a month.
He could feel himself growing stronger.
Today, Eiger was once again cleaving a mountain.
But something was different.
It was as if he had touched upon some hidden rhythm.
His right hand gripping the axe moved with a steady cadence—slow yet too fast for the naked eye to track.
And with each swing, a new fissure ripped through the mountainside.
Twist the waist.
Extend the arm.
Bring down the axe.
BOOM!
A new crack.
Twist—extend—cleave!
Again and again, the simple movement repeated. It was the same motion he had practiced countless times, yet today his brows were furrowed—caught between difficulty and enlightenment.
He swung once more.
BOOM!
The mountain split.
Another entire peak bisected cleanly in two.
But instead of celebrating, Eiger remained standing in the center of the massive crevice, eyes closed, breathing steady—quietly absorbing something intangible.
The sun climbed higher in the sky.
Dawn faded into morning, morning into noon.
By the time the sun reached its zenith, shining its fiercest rays, Eiger's body glowed under the brilliance—muscles bulging, heat radiating off him as if he were forged from light itself.
His eyes snapped open.
His lean yet powerful waist twisted slightly; his right arm drew back higher than usual; his entire being hummed with power.
For a moment, the air itself seemed to tighten around him.
Then—
He struck.
Forward.
Downward.
The moment the axe fell, the ground trembled violently.
The light gathered on the blade burst forth like a condensed sun.
And—
CRACK—RUMBLE!!
The world shook.
A whole mountain—complete and intact—split down the middle in a single, perfect cut.
From peak to base.
A flawless division.
Eiger exhaled softly, sunlight gleaming on his skin, the axe still warm in his grip.
His lips curled upward.
"Did… I succeed?"