Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The Naval Academy at Marine HQ—often called the cradle of future Admirals—was under the guidance of none other than the legendary instructor, Zephyr, known throughout the world as "Black Arm Zephyr," a retired Admiral who had once stood at the front lines.
During his years as chief instructor, Zephyr had trained the likes of Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan… a whole generation of powerful marines now serving as the backbone of the Navy.
Today, however, Zephyr found himself visited by an old friend who never failed to give him a headache.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"Zephyr! This brat's yours now!"
"The Roger Pirates just entered the New World—I've got no time to babysit. This guy's your problem now."
"Oh, by the way, I brought back some new tea from the East Blue. Come on, bring out the rice crackers—let's try it together!"
In the instructor's office, Zephyr had been going over the next day's training regimen for the cadets. At that very moment, Vice Admiral Garp—who didn't bother knocking—burst through the door with a red-haired boy in tow, greeting Zephyr with his usual thunderous energy.
Zephyr glanced up from his chair and immediately saw Garp, one hand draped casually over the shoulder of the boy beside him, the other holding a small pouch of tea as they strolled in.
Zephyr's eyes narrowed at the "gift." That was it? Just a tiny bag?
"I don't have any rice crackers lying around. I'm not a kid, you know."
Zephyr set down his pen, folded his arms, and turned to face Garp with a wry smile. His eyes naturally drifted toward the red-haired boy standing next to the boisterous Vice Admiral.
"Eh?!"
"Haha! Don't worry—I brought my own!"
Garp handed the tea to the boy and then, without missing a beat, pulled out a half-eaten bag of rice crackers from his coat, tossing a handful into his mouth.
The boy standing beside him was none other than Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Ever since that day on Dragon Roar Island—when Garp had knocked him out cold—he had become Garp's so-called "spoils of war." When he came to, he was already aboard Garp's ship, leaving the island far behind.
Upon investigating the "temporary shelter" Yoriichi had built on the island, Garp's subordinates quickly uncovered where he'd been living. Seeing the environment of the cave and Yoriichi's unfamiliar attire, Garp jumped to his own conclusion:
A gifted youth, raised in the wild, whose untapped potential exploded after witnessing the cruelty of pirates firsthand.
As for the other oddities—like Yoriichi's unfamiliar sword style and finely crafted blade—Garp conveniently ignored them.
The Grand Line was full of secret sword styles and inherited legacies. Geniuses were hardly rare in Garp's eyes.
But what truly impressed him was the boy's raw power.
Before Garp's very eyes, Yoriichi had single-handedly wiped out an entire pirate crew whose combined bounty totaled eleven million Berries.
In the East Blue—still unshaken by Roger's coming storm—that was no small feat.
That day, half the sky had been dyed red by fire.
The way the boy carved his way through the pirates, the brilliance of his blade techniques, his near-demonic aura—left a deep impression on Garp.
More importantly, the boy didn't resist the idea of joining the Navy. That, Garp thought, was crucial. Yoriichi didn't even seem to mind being knocked out and dragged aboard.
He was, after all, a grown man—at least in thought. He judged things by their consequences, not personal slights. Although, to be fair, Garp's methods were a bit crude.
As the tea pouch landed in Yoriichi's hands, he glanced sideways at Garp, clearly unamused, then turned his eyes to Zephyr.
Out of respect for Garp's recommendation, Yoriichi had long since let go of the incident on the island. Over the past few days, he'd even grown somewhat familiar with the eccentric Vice Admiral. He no longer refused Garp's occasional "orders."
Still, this was Zephyr's territory. Yoriichi knew when to mind his manners.
"There's hot water over there," Zephyr said, smiling as he pointed to the tea set on the side table. As Yoriichi walked past him, Zephyr took the opportunity to study the boy from head to toe before asking Garp:
"Is this the kid you picked up in the East Blue?"
The Dragon Roar Island incident hadn't gone unnoticed. A whole Marine branch had been wiped out. While the Navy kept it under wraps, within HQ it had already caused quite a stir.
The defeated pirate crew might've only had a combined bounty of 11 million, but that was only because the bounty hadn't been updated. Had it been, they'd easily have crossed the hundred-million mark.
Publicly, it was "Iron Fist Garp" who dealt with the pirates. But a handful of high-ranking officers knew the truth—the one who obliterated that pirate crew was this red-haired boy.
Zephyr was one of the few who'd been informed. The Fleet Admiral, Kong, had told him just the night before.
"Yeah! That's the one."
"Name's Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
"Hey, kid! Come greet your future teacher—Admiral Zephyr of the Navy!"
Garp waved Yoriichi over. By now, the boy had finished brewing the tea and was carrying the tray to the desk. Placing a cup on each side, he stood up straight and introduced himself:
"Hello, Instructor Zephyr. My name is Yoriichi Tsugikuni. It's an honor."
He wore a standard navy recruit's uniform. A long blade hung at his waist. He stood tall and composed. On his otherwise handsome face, a flame-shaped birthmark spread across one cheek.
Zephyr eyed him in silence, resting one hand on his teacup and tapping the table with the other, deep in thought.
Garp raised an eyebrow at Zephyr's silence, then barked at Yoriichi:
"Oi, kid! Louder!"
"Can't hear you!"
"You think you can command a warship mumbling like that?!"
Yoriichi turned his head, not because he was startled, but because Garp's line sounded eerily familiar—like something he'd once read on the internet.
He blinked.
"Hello, Instructor Zephyr. My name is Yoriichi Tsugikuni," he repeated, louder this time.
Zephyr finally nodded slightly, as if reaching a decision. He took a small sip of tea.
"Heh!"
"Zephyr, I'll leave him to you."
"Oi, kid! When I get back, you'd better be ready to taste my fists again—don't disappoint me!"
"Oh, and this tea and the half-eaten bag of rice crackers—that's my thanks."
Garp tossed the half-empty snack bag onto the desk, grabbed his cup, and strode out without another word.
Zephyr stared at the leftover crackers, the small tea pouch, and the now-missing teacup.
A vein popped on his forehead.
After a long pause, he finally turned to Yoriichi, his face softening.
"From this day on, you are my disciple."
"And from this day on, you are a member of the Navy."
"I don't care what you were before, or what you've been through. Now that you've joined the Navy—now that you're my student…"
"Your goal is to become a great naval officer."
"How old are you?"
Zephyr looked at the boy's youthful face, momentarily dazed.
"About… thirteen?" Yoriichi answered, unsure.
For some reason, he had a hazy sense of his own age.
"I see."
Zephyr nodded thoughtfully.
"You're still too young to join the Naval Academy."
"The cadets there are all elite—handpicked from the four seas."
"And we don't send children to the battlefield."
Yoriichi was visibly surprised. From what he'd overheard earlier, he assumed Zephyr already knew of his capabilities.
He wasn't bragging, but after spending a few days at HQ, he had a decent sense—using his spiritual awareness—of the general strength of the officers here. Barring Haki or Devil Fruits, he was confident that he outclassed most so-called "elite" recruits.
And now he was being told he couldn't join the Academy… because of his age?
"Don't give me that look," Zephyr said, reading his face. "No matter how strong you are, you're still a child."
"Until you come of age, you'll stay by my side. I'll train you personally."
"From this day forward, you are my disciple, Yoriichi."
(End of Chapter)