Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

  At the heart of Marineford stood the Marine Academy, famously known as the cradle of future admirals. The one overseeing the academy as its Chief Instructor was none other than the retired admiral known as Bck Arm Zephyr.

  Over the years, Zephyr had trained an entire generation of elite marines, including the likes of Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan—figures who now dominated the frontlines of the Navy.

  But today, Chief Instructor Zephyr was facing a particurly troublesome visitor—an old friend.

  “Hahahaha!”

  “Zephyr, I’m leaving this brat in your care!”

  “The Roger Pirates have entered the New World. I’ve got no time to babysit—I’m counting on you!”

  “Oh, and here, I brought some fresh tea leaves from the East Blue. Now hurry up and bring out the senbei—let’s have a taste of this tea together!”

  Inside Zephyr’s office, he was in the middle of drafting tomorrow’s training regimen when Garp suddenly barged in without so much as a knock. With one hand on the shoulder of a red-haired kid and the other holding a tiny packet of tea, he grinned like it was just another day.

  Zephyr turned in his chair, eyeing the tea in Garp’s hand. That really was… just a tiny packet!

  “I don’t have senbei lying around here—I’m not a kid, you know.”

  Setting down his pen, Zephyr crossed his arms and turned to face Garp with a smile. His gaze naturally drifted to the red-haired boy at Garp’s side.

  “Huh?”

  “Haha! No worries, I brought my own!” Garp chuckled and handed the tea to the boy beside him, pulling a half-full bag of senbei from his coat and tossing a handful into his mouth.

  The boy with him was none other than Yoriichi Tsugikuni.

  After being knocked out by Garp back on Dragon Roar Isnd, Yoriichi had ended up as Garp’s “spoils of war.” By the time he regained consciousness, he was already on a ship, far away from the isnd.

  It hadn’t taken long for Garp’s subordinates to discover Yoriichi’s makeshift dwelling on the isnd. From the cave’s spartan yout to Yoriichi’s traditional garb, Garp came to his own conclusions.

  A young prodigy who grew up in the wilderness. After witnessing the horrors of piracy, he awakened a power unlike anything seen before.

  As for the more suspicious details—like Yoriichi’s swordsmanship or his exquisitely forged bde—Garp simply waved them off.

  There were plenty of people in the world with inherited techniques and rare talents. Garp had seen too many to be surprised anymore.

  But what truly left an impression on him was how this kid had annihited an entire pirate crew with a combined bounty of 11 million berries—single-handedly.

  In the East Blue, where the Navy’s control was strong and the Great Age of Pirates had yet to begin, that bounty was no small matter.

  That day, the sky had been lit afme.

  The sword technique Yoriichi used as he cut through the pirates was dazzling. The sight of that lone boy wading through blood and fire, like a demon god, was burned into Garp’s memory.

  More importantly, the kid hadn’t resisted the idea of joining the Navy. That mattered. Yoriichi didn’t even hold a grudge over Garp sucker-punching him unconscious. Compared to what he could gain from following Garp, a little humiliation was a minor price.

  He was an adult now—judging situations no longer through petty emotions, even if Garp’s style was… irritating.

  Yoriichi wordlessly gnced at Garp as the tea packet was shoved into his hands, then turned to look at Zephyr.

  Since Garp intended to recommend him to the Navy, Yoriichi had long let go of that punch. Over the past few days, he’d grown somewhat familiar with Garp. He no longer minded the old man’s occasional “requests.”

  Still, this was Zephyr’s territory. Yoriichi wasn’t clueless about social graces.

  “There’s hot water over there,” Zephyr said with a nod, pointing to a tea set near the desk. As Yoriichi walked past him, Zephyr gave the boy a long, thoughtful once-over before asking:

  “This the kid you brought from the East Blue?”

  The Dragon Roar Isnd incident hadn’t gone unnoticed. A marine branch had been completely wiped out. Though the details were cssified, the event had caused quite a stir within Navy ranks.

  The pirates’ bounty had only been listed at 11 million, but that was simply due to slow updates. Had the bounties been current, that crew easily would’ve surpassed 100 million.

  Officially, it was “Iron Fist” Garp who had taken down the culprits—but a handful of higher-ups knew the truth. The real destroyer of that pirate crew was standing in front of them right now: this red-haired boy.

  Zephyr was one of those who’d been briefed. Fleet Admiral Kong had filled him in just the night before.

  “Yeah! That’s the one!” Garp said cheerfully. “His name’s Yoriichi Tsugikuni.”

  “Come on, kid, introduce yourself to your future teacher—Admiral Zephyr!”

  While Garp spoke, Yoriichi had already brewed the tea and carried the tray over to the desk, pcing two cups before them. Then he stood up straight, facing Zephyr.

  “Nice to meet you, Instructor Zephyr. My name is Yoriichi Tsugikuni. I look forward to your guidance.”

  He wore a standard marine recruit’s uniform, a longsword at his hip. His posture was upright, his face handsome, marred only by a distinctive fme-shaped birthmark.

  Zephyr stared at him, one hand resting on his teacup, the other tapping lightly on the table—deep in thought.

  Garp, seeing this, raised an eyebrow and barked, “Oi, kid! Louder!”

  “I can’t hear you!”

  “You wanna captain a battleship with a voice like that?!”

  Yoriichi turned his head at the sudden outburst—not because Garp was loud, but because those words sounded oddly familiar. Was this guy quoting memes now?

  “Nice to meet you, Instructor Zephyr. My name is Yoriichi Tsugikuni,” he repeated, this time in a clearer, firmer voice.

  At st, Zephyr seemed to come to a decision. He gave a small nod and took a sip of tea.

  “Heh!” Garp grinned. “I’ll leave this kid to you, Zephyr.”

  “Oi, brat—when I come back, I’ll test you with my fists again. Don’t disappoint me!”

  “Zephyr, I’m off—got work to do. The tea and senbei are my thanks!”

  And with that, Garp tossed the half-finished bag of senbei onto the desk, grabbed his tea, and strode out of the office.

  Zephyr looked down at the half-eaten senbei, the tiny packet of tea, and the now one-cup-short tea set. A vein pulsed visibly on his forehead.

  After a long silence, he turned back to Yoriichi. His expression softened.

  “From today onward, you’re my disciple.”

  “And from today onward, you’re officially part of the Navy.”

  “I don’t care who you used to be, or what kind of life you’ve lived. Now that you’re my student, now that you’ve joined the Marines…”

  “Your goal is to become a distinguished marine officer.”

  “How old are you?”

  Zephyr looked at the young boy in front of him. For a moment, the youthful, almost delicate face made him feel a strange sense of disorientation.

  “About… thirteen, I think.”

  For some reason, Yoriichi himself wasn’t entirely sure.

  “I see.”

  Zephyr nodded and continued.

  “You’re too young right now. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to enroll in the Marine Academy just yet.”

  “The students there are older—battle-tested elites hand-picked from all four seas.”

  “And the Navy doesn’t send kids your age onto the battlefield.”

  Hearing that, a flicker of surprise crossed Yoriichi’s face. From the earlier conversation between Zephyr and Garp, he’d gathered that Zephyr knew exactly what he was capable of.

  Not to brag, but in the few days he’d been here, Yoriichi had quietly used his heightened perception to assess the strength of various marine officers. Setting aside Haki and Devil Fruits, he was confident he could outmatch most so-called “elites.”

  And yet, the reason he couldn’t enter the academy… was his age?

  “Don’t make that face,” Zephyr said, his tone calm.

  “No matter how strong you are, you’re still just a child.”

  “Until you’re of age, you’ll stay with me. I’ll train you personally.”

  “From today forward, you’re my disciple, Yoriichi.”