"A Paramecia-type Heal-Heal Fruit?"
Tsuru's eyes immediately lit up.
This was a Devil Fruit capable of healing all biological injuries and illnesses, restoring living beings to perfect health.
"Is the information reliable?"
Hammer nodded firmly.
He was absolutely certain that the Heal-Heal Fruit was among the Tontatta Tribe.
After all, he had used both his abilities and Observation Haki to investigate the Tontatta Kingdom.
From what he sensed, although ManShirley was still young, the life force within her body was extraordinarily abundant.
That was unmistakably a sign of someone who had already eaten the Heal-Heal Fruit.
"Hmph. At least you still have some conscience, you brat."
"Fine. I won't interfere."
"But the Headquarters training camp must not be neglected."
"As for how you're going to arrange it, discuss it with Zephyr yourself."
Kong naturally understood Zephyr's condition.
Although Sakazuki and the others already possessed sufficient strength, they still lacked experience and needed time to grow.
Furthermore, the training camp was critically important. It was the cradle of Marine talent.
The burden Zephyr carried was enormous.
"Relax, I know."
"If necessary, I'll come back to Headquarters regularly and teach classes myself."
"After all, I used to be Old Man Zephyr's assistant instructor."
"With my current abilities, training a bunch of rookies won't be a problem."
Having received Kong's approval, Hammer immediately left the conference room.
After he departed, the three old veterans exchanged glances.
"Tsuru. Sengoku. Do you think what Hammer said could actually happen?"
Kong leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.
Recently, there had simply been too many troublesome matters.
Even the aging Fleet Admiral was beginning to feel exhausted.
"Probably not. After all, we've never seen a pirate surrender himself before."
"Especially not someone who just became Pirate King."
"But there is one thing Hammer said that I agree with."
"That Garp can't catch Roger."
"Hahaha!"
The moment Garp was mentioned, Sengoku couldn't help laughing.
Kong also shook his head helplessly.
Then Tsuru spoke, leaving both men stunned.
"I think Hammer's theory may sound outrageous, but that doesn't mean it's wrong."
"The Roger Pirates have indeed been acting very strangely over the past year."
"And Roger himself... how should I put it?"
"He's an extremely self-centered person."
"Back then, someone insulted one of his crewmates."
"He responded by wiping out an entire nation's military."
"A man like that could do anything without surprising me."
Both Kong and Sengoku fell silent after hearing Tsuru support Hammer's theory.
"Tsuru, even if Hammer is right..."
"What's Roger's reason for surrendering?"
"Surely it's not because he's satisfied with his accomplishments?"
Although Sengoku didn't want to admit it, since Tsuru had spoken, he held back his objections.
Tsuru rubbed her forehead.
"If I had to answer honestly, I don't know."
"But I have a feeling Hammer has guessed something."
"That's why he brought it up during the meeting."
"With Hammer's personality, unless something directly affects him, he can't be bothered to get involved."
"In any case, I think we should remain cautious."
"It's always better to be prepared."
....
Marine Elite Training Camp
"No!"
"I'm perfectly comfortable staying at Headquarters!"
"Why should I go to your G-88 Branch?"
Hammer looked helplessly at Zephyr, who was glaring at him while puffing his beard in anger.
All he wanted was for Zephyr to spend some time relaxing at Green Bit.
Instead, the old man had rejected him without hesitation.
"Come on, old man."
"I'm only asking you to relax for a while."
"I'm not telling you to stop being an instructor."
"Your Fist of Tekko can fly now."
"The two of us can travel back and forth whenever we want."
Hammer continued trying to persuade him for the sake of his health.
Zephyr shook his head like a rattle drum.
No matter what Hammer said, he refused.
Left with no choice, Hammer finally pulled out his trump card.
"Old man."
"What if I told you I found fifty Kung Fu Dugongs capable of training Armament Haki?"
"Interested?"
"And that's not all."
"I've got the Tontatta Tribe over there too."
"Let me tell you, those little guys are insanely fast and ridiculously strong."
"They're perfect soldier material."
What did Zephyr care about most?
In the past, it had been justice.
Now, it was nurturing talent.
The moment he heard about exceptionally gifted individuals, he couldn't help becoming interested.
As expected, the instant Hammer mentioned those two races, Zephyr's eyes lit up.
"You're serious?"
"I know about Kung Fu Dugongs. Those creatures can really learn Armament Haki?"
"You're not messing with me, are you?"
"As for the Tontatta Tribe, I don't know much about them."
"How strong are they?"
"How fast are they?"
'Finally took the bait... That wasn't easy.'
"Absolutely."
"I personally found those Kung Fu Dugongs in Alabasta. They're the real deal."
"As for the Tontatta Tribe, they're ridiculously fast."
"Their small size makes them hard to detect unless you're using Observation Haki."
"And their strength? That's the crazy part."
"They handle precision work for me."
"That requires incredible control and power."
Now Zephyr was even more interested.
Seeing the growing excitement in his eyes, Hammer immediately pressed the advantage.
"If you come to Green Bit with me, I'll let you personally train both groups."
"As for Headquarters, let Shuzo handle things for a while."
"Later, we can even bring the trainees to G-88 for training."
"Having them spar against my troops is far better than keeping them locked up here practicing theory."
At this point, Zephyr had no arguments left.
Hammer had already planned everything out. What else could he say?
All he could do was glare at his foolish adopted son.
"You little brat."
"You really went to a lot of trouble just to get me to visit G-88, didn't you?"
Hammer grinned, "Oh, I'm not finished yet."
"What if I told you Lance is currently handling trade negotiations with the Skypiea on my behalf?"
"There's a good chance Skypieans will join my branch in the future."
"Surprised? And let me tell you something else."
"My ambitions don't stop there. Before long, I'll set out to find the Mink Tribe."
"Warriors like them absolutely belong in G-88."
This time Zephyr was genuinely shocked.
Was Hammer trying to turn G-88 into some kind of gathering place for elite special forces?
Kung Fu Dugongs.
Tontattas.
Skypieans and eventually Minks?
This kid's ambitions were enormous.
But he had to admit... the idea was becoming more and more attractive.
Every one of those races possessed tremendous potential.
If trained properly, they could all become exceptional Marines.
'Fine.'
He really did need to see this G-88 Branch for himself.
Even if only the Kung Fu Dugongs and Tontattas were there for now, that was already enough.
Having made up his mind, Zephyr picked up the Den Den Mushi on his desk and dialed a number.
Purururu... Purururu...
"Hello? Shuzo!"
"I'm taking a vacation for a while."
"You're in charge of the training camp."
"How long?"
"No idea. At least a few months, probably."
"Don't worry."
"I trust you!"
"Huh?"
"Fine, fine. I'll find a couple of people to help you later."
"That's all!"
Click.
The moment the call ended, Zephyr smiled.
Hammer smiled.
Shuzo cried.