Although Leon Fang didn't know exactly what would happen next, he could roughly guess that someone would be dissatisfied with his sudden departure from the recruitment line.
However, he didn't care much about that.
What truly interested him was Rear Admiral Ochiai's intention.
Not long after, Leon Fang was led into a simple yet solemn conference room, where Ochiai was meticulously reviewing official documents.
"Report!"
"Come in."
"Yes!"
The Marine stepped aside and reported,
"Rear Admiral, the new recruit Leon Fang has been brought here. Awaiting your instructions."
Leon Fang's expression remained calm, but inwardly he felt a strange sense of unease.
Why does this feel like a criminal being escorted in for questioning?
Ochiai looked up, his gaze steady as he fixed it on Leon Fang.
"I'll have someone take you to see Colonel Otran. He's very interested in you."
Leon Fang was momentarily puzzled, but he nodded without asking questions.
Soon after, he was escorted to another office.
"Colonel, the new recruit Leon Fang has arrived."
Colonel Otran abruptly raised his head. A trace of emotion flickered across his sharply contoured face.
"So young…" he muttered. "Just as Rear Admiral Ochiai said."
He waved his hand.
"You may leave."
"Yes, sir!"
Once the room was empty, Colonel Otran forced a smile.
"Sit down first. I imagine you're feeling confused right now. You're probably thinking that what you did shouldn't have caused such a stir—certainly not enough for a colonel to personally summon you, right?"
"That's correct," Leon Fang replied calmly.
"Rear Admiral Ochiai already made his stance clear. That should have been my greatest reward."
Colonel Otran nodded.
"I called you here for two reasons—one public, and one private."
His voice grew heavy.
"Because of my incompetence, the Jack Pirates repeatedly slipped through the Navy's net. Several villages were annihilated because of them. They even nearly succeeded in assassinating Louis."
He clenched his fists tightly.
"Every day, every night, my heart was tormented. I even considered taking off this uniform and hunting Jacks down as a nameless adventurer."
"When I learned that you had killed him… the emptiness in my heart was finally filled."
"That's why I wanted to meet you in person—to express my sincere gratitude."
Leon Fang shook his head, his voice firm.
"A scum like Jacks—anyone with a conscience and the ability to act would never let him escape."
Colonel Otran laughed softly.
"I knew you'd say that. No wonder the Rear Admiral praised you as a rising star… the pride of the Navy."
His tone then became solemn.
"What I'm about to discuss next concerns your future."
"My future?" Leon Fang's heart stirred slightly, a hint of curiosity surfacing.
"Naval Recruit Training Camp," Colonel Otran said slowly.
"Don't let the plain name fool you. It is the cradle of Marine officers and generals."
"In recent years, every Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral who rose at lightning speed came from there."
He took a deep breath, his expression filled with reverence.
"The head instructor of that training camp is a former Marine Admiral—
'Black Arm' Zephyr."
"A hero who once stood shoulder to shoulder with Vice Admiral Garp."
"…Admiral Zephyr," Leon Fang murmured.
In his previous world, he knew very well—
Zephyr was a man wrapped in tragedy.
"Admiral Zephyr retired eight years ago," Colonel Otran continued.
"It's normal that your generation doesn't know much about him."
"Just understand this—if you can graduate smoothly from that training camp, you'll start at Major, at the very least."
"With your talent, Lieutenant Colonel or even Colonel isn't impossible. You could complete most of a Marine's career path within three years."
Leon Fang nodded, then deliberately showed hesitation.
"Colonel Otran… why are you telling me this?"
"I hope to recommend you to that training camp," Otran said directly.
"Both for personal reasons—and for the Navy."
"I wanted to hear your opinion first."
"Only by becoming stronger can I better uphold justice," Leon Fang replied without hesitation.
"Of course I wish to temper myself further. But a training camp of this level must be extremely difficult to enter."
"That's right," Otran sighed.
"I'm just a colonel—not some influential big shot. I can't simply send you to Headquarters on a whim."
"Each year, we receive one hundred recommendation candidates."
"After two full years of evaluation, only nine are selected and sent to the main training camp."
"One reason is to eliminate potential threats," he said seriously.
"And don't laugh—there have been real cases where pirates infiltrated the Navy's upper ranks and caused catastrophic damage."
"Another reason is that the training camp itself is still relatively new. Too many eyes are on it."
"The descendants of martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the Navy naturally receive priority."
"Two years?" Leon Fang smiled.
"I'll only be nineteen by then. I can wait."
He wasn't surprised in the least.
Akainu and Kizaru from the first camp were already in their twenties.
Even Aokiji from the third camp was nineteen.
More importantly—
After two years, his identity would be fully recognized.
He would become a true elite of the Navy, not someone halfway recruited.
The difference was simple.
Permanent officer.
Versus contract labor.
Seeing that Leon Fang showed no impatience or resentment, Colonel Otran finally relaxed.
He had been worried Leon Fang might be too young and impulsive—mistaking the assessment for distrust.
In truth, Otran genuinely believed in him.
He even believed Leon Fang might someday stand among the Vice Admirals.
That was why he had spoken so frankly.
"Actually… the World Government is also involved," Colonel Otran said hesitantly.
His expression stiffened.
"Ahem—" He waved his hand dismissively.
"You probably still have things to do. I'll have someone show you around the camp first."
After leaving the room, Leon Fang's thoughts flowed steadily.
Is it because the Navy produced three monsters in succession… that the World Government is growing uneasy?
Perhaps after power struggles at the top, the Navy leadership chose to give the government two years—using the assessment period as a buffer.
But those high-ranking officials clearly underestimated their own people.
They never expected that the ones they worked so hard to infiltrate into the training camp would turn out to be such dead weight… creating a massive gap between the top tier and the middle ranks.
In other words—
Two years from now…
The next training camp class might usher in a terrifying surge after years of silence.
Leon Fang's lips curved slightly.
I hope there'll be a few people… at least interesting enough to catch my attention.
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