The biting chill of spring lingered, with the first light of dawn faintly appearing.
It was March, and Marineford still retained the remnants of winter's chill.
Before the sun had risen, Yoriichi Tsugikuni walked out of his room, letting out a soft breath as he looked at the empty courtyard.
Just yesterday, under the recommendation of Garp, he had become the disciple of Marine Headquarters Admiral Zephyr. However, due to his age, Yoriichi Tsugikuni could not directly join the Marine School and instead moved directly into Zephyr's house, residing there.
Zephyr, now 47, suffered a great tragedy five years ago when his family was murdered by pirates he had previously pursued. After that incident, the "Non-Killing" Admiral stepped down from the front lines.
Zephyr's original intention was to quit the Marines altogether, but under the persuasion of Fleet Admiral Sora the Steel Bone and his friend Garp, Zephyr remained in the Marines. He merely retreated to a secondary role, becoming the chief instructor of the Marine School, responsible for guiding and nurturing the new generation of Marines.
Marineford is a massive, comprehensive island. It is not only the Marine Headquarters but also serves as a residential area for the families of Marine Headquarters flag officers while undertaking important military duties.
At the center of the island is the Marine family residential area.
As an Headquarters Admiral, Zephyr was allocated a sizeable compound. However, after the tragedy involving his family, Zephyr mostly slept in the Marine School dormitories. It was only yesterday that he brought Yoriichi Tsugikuni back to this "long-lost" home, the home that held his cherished memories.
But now, this "home," or rather, this house, felt utterly desolate.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was well aware of Zephyr's tragedy. Even after living in the Demon Slayer World (鬼灭世界) for so many years, his old memories became clearer after meeting Zephyr yesterday.
Yoriichi deeply admired this righteous and Non-Killing Admiral, and he felt regret for Zephyr's misfortune. At the same time, it gave him the most direct and clearest understanding of the cruelty of this world.
The ultimate fate of such a righteous Marine officer was...
Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked back at the room he had just exited. This room was originally meant for Zephyr's child; there were still many baby toys left unsorted on the table.
Zephyr rarely stayed at home, yet the room was clean, without a speck of dust. It was evident that Zephyr frequently tended to it, showing he had never moved on from the death of his wife and child.
"Oh! You're up this early, good. It saves me the trouble of calling you."
"Your habit of getting up early is excellent. Good routines are indispensable if you want to become an outstanding Marine!"
"Did you sleep well yesterday? The room hasn't been tidied up and is a bit messy, so please don't mind."
While Yoriichi was lost in thought, Zephyr walked through the corridor and approached Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Seeing Yoriichi Tsugikuni awake early, he said with a smile.
"Teacher Zephyr." Yoriichi turned his head to look at Zephyr and greeted him with a smile. Hearing Zephyr's caring inquiry, he slightly shook his head.
"Teacher, you jest. A savage like me has never lived in such a nice place."
"The room is clean and tidy, I like it very much. Thank you for the arrangements, Teacher Zephyr."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's words were somewhat polite. Upon hearing them suddenly, Zephyr felt a subtle sense of distance.
However, Zephyr didn't mind. For a child, a degree of subconscious alertness and detachment is normal when suddenly placed in an unfamiliar environment.
"As long as you like it, you can live here from now on."
"That fellow Garp is often on missions and is rarely at Headquarters. You'll live with me from now on, and I'll take care of you."
"Come on, let's go eat breakfast first."
"I have to go to the Marine School later. Come with me. Although you can't enroll directly yet, you can do some training on your own when you have time."
"All the facilities are open, and you can use them when no one else is around."
Zephyr came alongside Yoriichi Tsugikuni and placed a hand on Yoriichi's shoulder. The warmth from his palm dispelled the chill of the early morning.
"Yes, Teacher."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni felt the care in Zephyr's words and actions—a feeling he had not experienced for decades.
Yoriichi, having been sent to a monastery as a child, had long forgotten what it felt like to be cared for. In his previous life, his mother died young, his father was a mercenary man, and his foolish older brother was utterly incapable of expressing such emotions.
All Yoriichi had were endless demons and the relentlessly pursued path of the sword.
Zephyr, watching the compliant Yoriichi Tsugikuni, turned back and gave a deep look at the room where his child once lived. After a moment of silence, Zephyr suddenly said in a low voice:
"Yoriichi."
"Today, come with me to see the Marine School first."
"If you don't like it, you don't actually have to join the Marines."
Zephyr looked back at Yoriichi Tsugikuni. That young face made Zephyr feel a little lost in thought.
If his child hadn't died, he would be eight years old now. Garp said that Yoriichi Tsugikuni was exceptionally talented, but the youthful face before him constantly reminded Zephyr that this person was just a child.
There are many choices in the future! Becoming a Marine might not be the best choice!
Wouldn't living a peaceful, ordinary life be a kind of happiness? If only his child could have...
Yoriichi Tsugikuni heard Zephyr's words and wondered why the other party suddenly brought this up.
A Marine Admiral was actually trying to persuade a young man who wanted to become a Marine not to join the Marines?
"Is he testing me?"
Thinking this, Yoriichi Tsugikuni shook his head decisively and said:
"I won't dislike it; I've already made up my mind."
"I really dislike this world. No matter what others think, I am determined to make some efforts to change this kind of era."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's gaze was firm. Zephyr looked at the child beside him, his expression momentarily stunned. He couldn't understand how someone so young could possess such resolve.
"Has this kind of world forced even a child like this to harbor such thoughts?"
"We Marines are truly falling far short of what we should be doing!"
"Damn it!"
A sudden feeling of guilt welled up in Zephyr's heart, but in front of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Good, very ambitious!"
"Come on, let's go to the Marine School. I'll show you how excellent Marines are trained!"
Zephyr clapped Yoriichi Tsugikuni on the back and said happily.
When Zephyr and Yoriichi Tsugikuni arrived at the Marine School in Marineford, the Marine cadets had already begun their daily training.
On the drill ground, the morning chill had not yet dissipated, but the Marines in training were already covered in sweat.
"Listen, Yoriichi, these guys are the elites from the Four Seas."
"The Marine School is not a place just anyone can join casually."
"Everyone training here is a genius who stood out from the branch bases."
"And those who successfully graduate from here will be directly assigned as flag officers."
As he spoke, Zephyr led Yoriichi Tsugikuni closer to the drill ground, pointing to the cadets running laps around the perimeter, his face full of pride.
"Running, huh? It's a bit different from what I expected. I thought the training at the Marine School would be a bit different."
"Teacher Zephyr, if it's just running, I think I could join too."
Zephyr heard Yoriichi's words, smiled noncommittally, and casually summoned an instructor responsible for supervising the training, asking loudly:
"Report! How long have they been training!"
The questioned instructor saluted Zephyr and straightened his chest, reporting: "Reporting, Chief Instructor Zephyr."
"They have been training for one hour and forty minutes."
"There are twenty minutes left until the warm-up is over!"
Listening to his subordinate's report, Zephyr turned to Yoriichi Tsugikuni with a smile and explained:
"Running is just a simple warm-up."
"It's hardly considered training."
"One lap around the drill ground is one thousand meters."
"Their daily warm-up is forty kilometers!"
"After the simple warm-up, the cadets will have other training, including but not limited to learning navigation knowledge, firearms usage, combat, Marine history, and so on."
"What you are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg."
Zephyr spoke with a chuckle, his tone brimming with pride.
In the earlier years, the Marine School was far from being as well-developed as it is now. Back then, cadets would be assigned to fight pirates after learning a few combat or sword techniques. But ever since Zephyr became the Chief Instructor of the Marine School, the training curriculum has become more detailed and comprehensive.
And many excellent officers have graduated from every cohort.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and feel greatly surprised as he listened to Zephyr's introduction.
This Marine School was more mature and complete than he had imagined. He had thought it was merely a place where the Marines taught the subordinates the Six Powers (Rokushiki) and Haki. But now it seemed that it was much more than that—it truly was a school dedicated to cultivating flag officers.
"Yoriichi, the entrance requirements for the Marine School are very strict."
"Only those with a Doriki (Power Level) of 80 or more are eligible to study and advance at the Marine School."
"Do you know what 80 means? An ordinary adult male Marine who has received some training only has a Doriki of 10!"
(End of Chapter)