Chapter 69: Request
After Axel's unexpectedly earnest words, Zephyr had no intention of letting him off the hook.
"You brat, today's training still isn't over," Zephyr said, veins almost popping on his forehead. "You already took enough breaks while you were here before. Just remembering how lazy you looked when you left this place annoys me."
Axel let out a miserable cry in protest.
Unfortunately for him, Zephyr's enthusiasm for education was as terrifying as ever.
By the time the day's training finally ended, the sky had already darkened. Axel dragged himself out of the facility one step at a time, each foot feeling heavier than the last.
"Axel."
A voice called from the distance.
He was too exhausted to even lift his head properly, but he recognized it at once. Ain.
When he forced himself to look over, he saw two figures in the same recruit uniform. Judging from their builds, it was Ain and Binz.
Ain walked up first and frowned. "What happened to you?"
Since Zephyr's training camp operated under closed management, Ain and Binz usually waited for Axel after training so the three of them could go eat together. Today had been no different. But compared to usual, Axel looked far worse than normal.
"Nothing," Axel said weakly. "Old man Zephyr just went crazy today."
Ain and Binz looked at each other, then smiled.
To them, the answer was obvious. Axel had probably offended Zephyr again. That sort of thing was hardly new.
"Oh? What did you just say?"
The sudden voice from behind them made Ain and Binz straighten immediately.
Axel, whose back was facing Zephyr, stuck out his tongue in silent regret. He had not expected to get caught speaking ill of him on the spot.
Zephyr walked over with a dark face and crossed his arms. "I came out here to see you off out of kindness, and from far away all I hear is you badmouthing me."
"See him off?" Ain caught the strange phrasing at once.
Zephyr glanced at her and said flatly, "Axel officially left the training camp today."
Ain froze.
"Why..." The word slipped out before she could stop it. She quickly corrected herself. "I mean... why so soon?"
Zephyr raised his chin slightly and answered in a calm voice, "Because his strength has already reached the required standard."
He only said that much, but it was enough.
A simple answer often carried the most weight.
Zephyr saw it clearly. The moment those words were spoken, a faint fire stirred again in Ain and Binz's eyes. Desire. Urgency. The will to grow stronger.
That was enough for him.
Ain lowered her gaze slightly and gave a bitter smile. "Because of strength..."
Only a few months had passed.
She still remembered the first day they met, when she had mistaken Axel for a girl. Later, the more time she spent with him, the more she realized he was unlike anyone else she knew. Strange, sharp tongued, careless on the surface, yet somehow impossible to ignore.
Before she realized it, he had already left a mark on her heart.
And now he was leaving.
So fast.
Ain clenched her fists and looked up at him again.
"Axel, the next time we meet, I'll catch up to you. No, I'll become even stronger than you."
She hesitated after saying that, and her voice softened.
"And... what do you think of me?"
Axel blinked.
That question came so suddenly that even his brain, which normally turned fast enough to deal with all sorts of trouble, stalled for a moment.
He thought about it seriously.
Then, a little uncertainly, he answered, "You're... a good girl?"
His tone rose slightly at the end, almost like he was testing the answer instead of giving one with confidence.
It was clear that this was not the answer Ain had really wanted.
She lowered her head, muttered something, then said, "You're a pretty good guy too."
Before Axel could respond, she turned and ran.
"Uh...?"
Axel stood there in a daze.
What was that supposed to mean?
Was that a compliment?
Was that rejection?
Was that... something else?
His mind was a mess.
Binz walked over after Ain left. He was never good with emotional words, so in the end, he just patted Axel on the shoulder as a farewell and gave him a nod.
That was enough.
As for Axel, he was still standing there trying to process what had just happened.
After a long pause, he muttered to himself, "Did she just hand me a friend card?"
Zephyr sighed beside him.
"Ah, youth."
He shook his head and walked away.
Only after a while did Axel finally drag his worn out body home.
What weighed on him was not just fatigue.
It was dread.
That morning, he had mocked Garp right to his face. And now he had to go back.
Just imagining it made his scalp tingle.
When he arrived, he reluctantly knocked on the door and pushed it open.
The room was quiet.
He scanned it once.
No one.
"Looks like Garp isn't here... Ouch!"
A giant fist smashed down onto his head before he could finish the sentence.
Garp stood behind him, fist still raised.
"You little brat," Garp said, grinning. "Sneaking around the house the moment you get back?"
Axel clutched his head in pain. "Why were you behind me?!"
"Why do I need to stay inside?" Garp snorted. Then he added, "And weren't you supposed to be training under that Zephyr guy? Why are you back already?"
Axel rubbed the huge bump on his head and answered, "Teacher Zephyr said I'd already completed all the training. He said I was too talented, so he had no choice but to let me go early."
Without a word, Garp punched him again.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
Garp dug at his nose with one finger and said flatly, "If you're going to lie, at least make it believable. Do you think I'm stupid? That old Zephyr would never say something like that."
Axel's face twitched.
With no other choice, he told Garp what had happened. Of course, he carefully avoided mentioning Vergo's true identity.
After hearing the explanation, Garp burst out laughing.
"Bwahahaha! So Vergo wants you on his ship for training? But in the end, you still think I'm better and don't want to go. Good! Very good! Next, I'll personally train you into the strongest Marine!"
Axel's expression changed instantly.
"No way!"
Going to Vergo was dangerous.
But going with Garp was not much better.
At least Vergo would kill him with intent.
Garp might just train him to death out of enthusiasm.
"What?" Garp's expression darkened. "You're refusing?"
The fist the size of a sandbag rose again.
Axel immediately raised both hands. "No, no, that's not what I meant!"
Garp kept glaring at him.
Axel hurriedly continued, "It's just... you'll be going back to work soon. You probably won't have the time to properly look after me. And besides... I've already got a better candidate."
"A better candidate?" Garp asked suspiciously.
Axel nodded. "The person I want is Vice Admiral Tsuru."
That answer actually made Garp pause.
Among the Marines, Tsuru was the chief strategist, a vice admiral of immense experience, strength, and judgment. More importantly, Doflamingo himself treated her with caution. If Axel had to choose someone safe and useful, she was nearly perfect.
Garp scratched his cheek.
"Oh, Tsuru, huh. She did just come back to Headquarters recently." He thought for a moment, then said, "Fine. I'll find a chance to ask her for you."
Then he narrowed his eyes.
"But why Tsuru?"
In Garp's mind, Tsuru's greatest strength was her brain. She was the Navy's master strategist. And judging by Axel's usual behavior, he did not seem like someone who enjoyed playing mind games.
Axel immediately felt a headache coming on.
If he explained honestly, he would have to start lying again. He certainly could not say, Because if I go near Vergo, Doflamingo will probably have me killed.
Just as he was wondering how to answer, a snore suddenly echoed through the room.
Axel turned to look.
Garp had already fallen asleep standing there.
For a second, Axel could only stare.
Then his face twitched, and he let out a long sigh.
"Truly worthy of being Garp…"
.....
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