May 17, 1511, sunny, 24°C, perfect weather for outdoor activities.
At Marine Headquarters in Marineford, Jake and Monet stood together, their faces unable to conceal their smiles.
Today marked their graduation from the Marine Elite Training Camp—and the fulfillment of their promise to Sakazuki.
Originally, they shouldn't have graduated this early.
However, due to the "Great Purge" policy implemented by Sengoku, Jake was frequently required to step in for various tasks.
Since missions in the Elite Training Camp often spanned months, it became difficult for Jake to manage his time effectively.
After thorough discussions, it was unanimously decided that Jake and Monet would graduate ahead of schedule.
After all, their strength had already far surpassed the graduation standards.
Jake, of course, was one of the most prodigious talents the Marines had ever seen, wielding an incredibly rare Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
Over the past year, his combat prowess had already exceeded the rank of captain.
Though he hadn't accumulated many military merits due to spending most of his time training in the camp, Sengoku had still promoted him to the rank of commodore—albeit reluctantly, to avoid stirring discontent among others.
But everyone knew that Jake's strength wasn't just at the commodore level—he could easily qualify as a vice admiral.
While he might not yet match the veteran vice admirals, his abilities were already monstrous enough to stand on his own.
As for Monet, her rapid growth had a simple explanation.
First, Jake had been continuously casting Healing Prayer on her, allowing her to push her body to the limit without worrying about physical strain—though this also required Monet to possess extraordinary willpower.
With such unrestrained training, her strength naturally skyrocketed at an almost unreasonable pace.
Additionally, her mentor was Aokiji, the world's foremost expert in ice-based powers.
Though Aokiji was notoriously lazy—often dragging his feet on missions—whenever he returned, Jake and Monet would immediately pester him for guidance.
Under Sengoku's intimidating glare, Aokiji had no choice but to instruct them during his rest periods.
Fortunately, Jake and Monet were considerate students.
They always compensated him generously, cooked delicious meals, and—given their exceptional talent—made his teaching experience quite enjoyable.
Moreover, Sengoku wasn't entirely heartless.
After noticing Aokiji's dedication to their training, he assigned him simpler, more relaxed missions.
Realizing this, Aokiji was naturally in high spirits and became even more committed to teaching them.
With the world's greatest mentor, relentless training beyond ordinary limits, and Jake's hands-on guidance, Monet's strength had no choice but to soar.
Although she didn't possess Jake's monstrously terrifying talent, Monet's strength had already reached the level of a Marine Headquarters rear admiral under these circumstances.
And to think, this was only their first year after joining the Marines—their total training time barely exceeded a year.
Going from ordinary civilians to possessing combat power equivalent to a Marine Headquarters vice admiral in just one year—such a feat would be hard for most people to believe if told.
Monet was fine—ever since she ate the Logia-type Devil Fruit, her baseline strength had already been set quite high.
But Jake was different.
His strength was genuinely honed through relentless training, which made traditionalists like Zephyr and Garp extremely pleased with him.
Especially Zephyr, that old man practically treated Jake like his own son.
After his wife and child were killed by the very Pirate he had once spared, Zephyr remained outwardly strong, but the sorrow and isolation in his heart couldn't escape Sengoku's notice.
Even his disciples, Binz and Ain, hadn't been able to pull him out of that abyss.
But Jake was different.
He truly seemed like an angel sent by heaven to mend the wounds of this "Non-Killing Admiral."
During these days, Jake hardly missed a single visit to Zephyr's home—not just to help heal his wounds, but also to fill the once-empty house with life.
Ain and Binz had good personalities, but they lacked Jake's casual closeness with Zephyr, treating him more like a revered teacher rather than family.
Their loyalty was unquestionable, but there was still a faint distance and respect between them, and they never dared to barge into Zephyr's home as boldly as Jake did.
Yet… looking at the cold, desolate atmosphere that used to linger in Zephyr's house, Sengoku knew Jake was the one who truly understood his heart.
Since Jake's return, Zephyr's home had never been quiet or empty again.
The kitchen, which had barely been used before, now echoed with explosions almost daily—mostly caused by Smoker and Binz.
The two of them always had some absurd cooking ideas, and being competitive young men, they constantly tried to outdo each other in front of Zephyr.
This led to the creation of abominations like "fried oil," "Berry-stewed oil," "pumpkin chocolate pie," and "spicy pepper pie."
The kitchen still bore the scorch marks from Smoker's latest mishap.
The living room was littered with students' slippers, the coffee table piled high with their favorite snacks and fruits, and the TV always played whatever they wanted to watch.
The previously vacant rooms had been forcibly claimed by those little troublemakers—turned into chess corners or drinking spots.
Though Zephyr would roar and scold them for their antics, anyone could see how much he truly loved this life.
He'd punch the two idiots the moment the kitchen exploded, but he'd also be the first to check if they were hurt.
He'd chase Jake all over the house when an experiment accidentally blew up the bathroom, only to later grumble while applying ointment to his burns.
He'd whack Ain and Monet when they froze a room by accident, but he'd also immediately fetch them thick coats—even though he knew they wouldn't catch a cold.
With Jake and the others around, Zephyr's house was never quiet.
Sengoku had never imagined that Zephyr could truly emerge from that shadow.
But now, the old man smiled more than ever.
Whenever Sengoku thought about this, he would secretly wipe away his tears.
That damn old man should have had this kind of life long ago.
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