The next day, everyone woke up early again, but this time when they arrived at the training ground, they found Zephyr was already waiting for them.
"Not bad, you didn't make me wait too long." Zephyr stood with his arms crossed, looking at the cadets below as if they were a flock of docile lambs.
"Then I won't say much today, let's start training directly. Now, line up and run fifty laps around the training ground first! Both men and women!"
Everyone gasped. The training ground at Marine Headquarters was practically a giant plaza, with each lap easily over a thousand meters. However, since Zephyr had given the order, no one dared to complain. They all put their heads down and started running.
Chiga was the first to run out. He knew the importance of physical fitness. Most battles in Naruto were actually centered around taijutsu, and even later when everyone was piloting giant mechs, the ultimate result was still close-quarters combat.
One lap… ten laps… twenty laps… Although people in the world of One Piece had outstanding physiques, they were still human. Gradually, some people started to fall behind, creating distance from the group.
By the thirtieth lap, some people had already collapsed from exhaustion halfway through. A group of medical personnel immediately rushed over to the side of the track, placed the unconscious cadets on stretchers, and carried them away.
"Hmph… Hmph…"
Ain gritted her teeth and persevered. As the only female cadet still going on the training ground, she was already at a disadvantage in terms of physique compared to most cadets. Being able to last until the thirtieth lap was already quite remarkable, and even Zephyr noticed this persistent girl.
"That girl's name is Ain, isn't it? Putting everything else aside, just looking at her willpower, she will be an excellent Marine in the future."
Zephyr praised her inwardly and told the medical personnel nearby to pay attention, and to immediately provide treatment when Ain could no longer hold on.
"No, there's less than half the distance left, I must keep going!" Ain was a very determined girl. She didn't want to comfortably run a few less laps than others just because she was a girl.
Finally, her stamina reached its limit. She stumbled, and just as she was about to fall, a hand steadied her. She turned her head with difficulty, wanting to thank the person, and then she realized she knew the person who had helped her, though that person might not know her.
The person who helped her was Uchiha Chiga. He was only two laps away from completing his fifty-lap task. Seeing a girl whose steps were already faltering but still persevering, he couldn't help but feel admiration.
No one would disrespect someone who worked hard. Seeing that she was about to give up, he quickly came up and supported her.
"Are you alright? Don't push yourself anymore. Everyone saw your effort. Since you've reached your limit, go rest. Harming your body would be a huge loss."
Chiga's words of concern made a warm current flow through Ain's heart.
"Thank you. I understand. You're Uchiha Chiga, right? You're amazing. You've been running for so long, but you don't look tired at all."
"Haha, no, I'm exhausted too. But with the title of first place in the entrance exam, I have to keep going even if I can't. I've been wanting to faint and go to the infirmary to see pretty nurses for a while now."
Chiga deliberately covered his mouth, like a mischievous thief who had done something bad.
Ain chuckled, a smile gracing her lips, and some of her fatigue subsided. She knew Chiga was comforting her by being playful, but she didn't dislike it; in fact, she quite liked it.
"Thank you, Chiga." Ain sincerely thanked Chiga, then stopped pushing herself and went to rest.
Chiga waved his hand and continued to run his remaining two laps.
Below, Ain, sitting on the ground resting, stared blankly at Chiga running on the training ground. Suddenly, someone patted her shoulder. It was her roommate who had come to find her.
"Don't look, Ain. He's a hot commodity; you won't be able to handle him, you know." Her roommate teased Ain with a smile.
Ain's face flushed. She slapped her roommate, then stood up and prepared to leave with her. As she left, she looked back at Chiga on the track. Chiga noticed her and waved to her while running. She quickly turned her head away and left with her roommate.
On the way back, thinking about everything that had happened today, Ain's lips curved upward unconsciously, and she murmured,
"Uchiha Chiga, huh?"
"He's really a very good person…"
Her roommate next to her saw her muttering to herself and didn't quite hear what she said, so she asked,
"Ain, are you feeling unwell? Did you overtrain just now?"
Ain waved her hand, indicating she was fine, then gave a playful smile and pulled her roommate's hand, speeding up.
Her roommate was pulled along, looking bewildered, and said,
"Hey, hey, what's gotten into you, little girl? You've really gone crazy from running!"