The next day.
When Rosen awoke, the first thing he did was focus his mind slightly—just a nudge of intent.
And suddenly, a glowing line of text materialized before his eyes:
[Senbonzakura (Exclusive Skill): You possess extraordinary comprehension. By visualizing your Zanpakutō and combining it with the Arms-Arms Fruit, you have manifested this unique skill.]
With a single thought, the blade becomes a thousand.
(Requires Arms-Arms Fruit)
…
Rosen's gaze dropped.
For the first time, he felt just how worth it it was to transmigrate into this world—and arrive with his own Arms-Arms Fruit in tow.
Without the Arms-Arms Fruit—even with god-tier comprehension—he would've been able to perceive and visualize Senbonzakura, yes… but he wouldn't have been able to use it.
This skill depended on the Arms-Arms Fruit.
Without it, he would never have been able to manifest Senbonzakura with his own two hands.
"Arms-Arms Fruit…"
"Delicious."
Rosen couldn't help but praise it again—what a fruit.
Then, following the instructions buried in his memory, he exited the dormitory and made his way toward the Naval Academy cafeteria for breakfast.
To his surprise, the place was fairly crowded.
Naval staff. Military cadets. Students like him. The full spectrum.
Ten minutes later.
Rosen stepped out of the cafeteria and headed toward the main teaching building. Along the way, he was joined by other students who had just finished their meals, walking side by side for a while.
But soon, they began to split.
The Naval Academy wasn't divided into numerical classes like 1, 2, and 3. Rather, it was split between standard classes and special classes.
And the highest of those special classes—was known by a name all its own:
The ZephyrClass.
So named for its instructor—Chief Trainer of the Navy, former Admiral Zephyr.
"Everyone in there is either a genius or a Devil Fruit user."
"Same world, different destinies."
Watching Rosen head in that direction, several students from the standard classes couldn't help but cast envious glances.
That's the ZephyrClass!
It didn't boast any external frills, but was taught by Zephyrpersonally… That was the real prize.
Because that came with a guarantee.
Anyone who graduates from the ZephyrClass is guaranteed, at minimum, the rank of Captain within Navy Headquarters—barring an untimely death on the battlefield.
That's the baseline.
There was no "lower."
Meanwhile, Rosen arrived at the entrance of the Zephyrclassroom.
Peering inside, he found it already half full.
Among the familiar-yet-unfamiliar faces, two stood out immediately—
One man with two cigars clamped between his lips, arrogance and ferocity etched into every line of his face.
A woman with short pink hair, cool confidence gleaming in her eyes.
"Smoker."
"Hina."
"…And that's not all."
Before he could scan the room further, two towering figures—one male, one female—entered behind him like human mountains.
The man had a capybara-like face and narrow, constantly squinting eyes, exuding a lazy disgust on par with Borsalino.
The woman was strikingly beautiful. Voluptuous. A beauty mark glinting at the corner of her lips. But most noticeable of all—legs longer than Hina's entire height, and yet perfectly proportioned.
(Side note: Hina's barefoot height was a solid 1.9 meters.)
"TokiTokikake."
"Gion."
"Future Admiral candidates."
Rosen quickly looked away, a subtle thought forming in his mind.
He hadn't expected his class to be this stacked.
Two Admiral candidates.
A Logia user.
Others whose names he couldn't yet place.
This class alone—on its own—could easily sweep away every pirate crew in the world short of the Four Emperors.
It wasn't just Rosen.
Inside the room, Gion, TokiTokikake, Smoker, and others were all quietly observing their classmates.
After all, they'd be spending the next year together—day and night.
Whether out of curiosity, vigilance, or pure instinct—they were each sizing up the room.
Soon, Rosen took his seat. One after another, more students arrived until every desk was filled.
Then—
BOOM—!
A deafening bell reverberated through the room.
The entire classroom snapped to attention.
And then—the sound of approaching footsteps.
Measured. Heavy.
Drawing closer.
All eyes turned to the doorway.
There, a man appeared. Towering, muscle-bound, cloaked in the white coat of Justice. His presence was like steel. His eyes sparked like lightning, scanning every corner of the room.
A general inspecting his army.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Zephyr."
"You may call me Mr. Zephyr—or Instructor Zephyr."
"For the next year, I will train you to become elite naval officers."
Zephyrstrode confidently to the podium. His voice was deep, calm, and unshakable. And then—
He dropped a bomb:
"But first—"
"You must understand what it truly means to be 'elite.'"
"You must possess the body of a monster…"
"…the will of iron…"
"…and an aura that transcends everything."
"Regardless of your race, or whether you're a Devil Fruit user or not—only if you meet these conditions…"
"…can you bear the weight of absolute Justice?"
Without turning, he grabbed a piece of chalk and scrawled four massive characters across the blackboard:
Absolute Justice.
Then, he slammed the board with a thunderous BANG.
His eyes widened. The air around him exploded.
An aura like a battlefield soaked in blood swept through the classroom.
Dozens of students went pale. Their muscles tensed instinctively.
"So this… is what a former Admiral is like?"
Rosen's pupils shrank.
At that moment, the man before him didn't feel human.
He felt like a living force of nature—a monster atop the sea.
And somehow, that monster was staring directly at him.
"Strength and will aren't gained overnight."
"They're forged through relentless training and day-and-night battle."
"That's why—"
"Today's first lesson… is Haki."
As a legendary Admiral who rose to power with nothing but raw physique and Haki, Zephyrnaturally prioritized it above all.
And so, the first lesson began:
"What is Haki?"
"Haki means that—when you face a Logia user who's turned into an element—you can still grab his real body."
"Haki means that—when you face a Paramecia user with bizarre powers—you can suppress those abilities."
"Haki means that—when you fight a Zoan with a monster's body—you can match him with fists and kicks alone."
"This power—this aura—is called Armament Haki."
"It lies dormant inside each of you. You were born with it. You just haven't awakened it."
"Now—all you must do is become aware of it."
"Find it."
"Use it."
"Just like you use your hands and feet—let your Haki flow into your limbs."
As he spoke, Zephyrlifted his arm.
A stream of purple light coiled around his fist—like a current of raw energy.
CLANG—
The sound of metal echoed.
His fist turned black. Hardened. As if encased in solid steel.
Some students furrowed their brows.
Some looked uncertain.
Others fell into deep thought.
Zephyrdidn't elaborate further. After describing how to awaken Haki—and recounting his personal experiences—he folded his arms across his chest and simply watched.
He stood at the podium in silence, observing how each student processed what they had just seen.
"Become aware of it."
"Find it."
"Use it."
Rosen murmured to himself, mind replaying Zephyr's demonstration over and over—like a film stuck on repeat.
Then—
[You possess extraordinary comprehension. Through Zephyr's explanation of Haki, combined with insights from your past and present lives, you have awakened a unique skill: Haki Ultimate Intention.]
[Haki Ultimate Intention: Infuse your will into Haki, enabling you to manipulate it freely throughout your body. Your control reaches a subtle, seamless level.]
(Requires extraordinary comprehension.)
All at once—
A stream of knowledge unfurled in his mind.