"He's awake."
Just as Patrick Redfield woke from his coma caused by poisoning, dozens of kilometers away, on the coastline at the edge of the island, a warship lurked like a sea beast.
At this time, high-ranking Marine officials — led by Admiral Sengoku, Zephyr, Borsalino, and others — gathered on the deck, keeping an eye on Rosen and Redfield's movements through the images projected by the Video Den Den Mushi not far away.
"Zephyr, aren't you making too big a fuss?"
"We just need to keep an eye on it from here."
"Is it really necessary to film the entire fight between Rosen and Redfield and broadcast it live to the Naval Academy?"
Sengoku withdrew his gaze from the video screen and turned to Zephyr beside him.
"You're just an Admiral, how can you teach? This is very valuable teaching material," Zephyr replied.
"The reason I'm doing this is to wake up that kid named Smoker in our class.
"And, by the way, let all the students in the Naval Academy see clearly — through this live feed — what the true strength of the Marines is, and recognize the real terror of pirates."
Zephyr snorted coldly, his voice revealing his dissatisfaction with Smoker, while at the same time shooting a vague glance at Borsalino.
In his opinion, Smoker was just a low-end version of Borsalino.
It would be fine if he just relied on his Devil Fruit power, but his development of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit was average, and his Haki, swordsmanship, and physical skills were all equally mediocre.
What made Zephyr even more frustrated was that Rosen, Gion, and Tokikake had already formed their own group, while Smoker relied on being a Logia user — able to transform into smoke — to become a thorn in the entire Zephyr class, one that no one dared to provoke.
When there is no tiger in the mountain, the monkey becomes king.
This only fueled Smoker's arrogance.
"Zephyr.
"What on earth did this Smoker do to make you so angry?"
Sengoku, intrigued, spoke up.
He remembered Smoker was the only Logia user in Zephyr's class.
Although the Smoke-Smoke Fruit wasn't on the same level as advanced Logia like magma, ice, or light, it was still a Logia.
If developed properly — combined with swordsmanship, physical skills, and Haki — Smoker could easily reach a Shichibukai-level combat force in the future.
"What else could he have done?"
"He's a weakling with a bad temper. Thinks he can be arrogant after eating the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, and neglects training his Haki and physical skills.
"If that was all, fine — but he hasn't even learned Armament Haki Hardening, yet he dares run up to me and yell about graduating early.
"Hmph! Does he deserve to graduate early?"
Zephyr glared at Borsalino while cursing Smoker.
"Teacher Zephyr.
"If you want to scold Smoker, then scold Smoker. Why are you staring at me while you do it?
"You can say I rely on the Glint-Glint Fruit, I admit that. But you can't say I'm bad at swordsmanship, Haki, or physical skills, right?"
Borsalino always felt Zephyr's look was a little too sharp.
"Snort!"
Upon hearing this, Zephyr just snorted coldly without refuting.
He had always disagreed with Borsalino's philosophy, often scolding him for relying too much on his Devil Fruit. Zephyr believed in Haki above all — swordsmanship, physical skills, and fruit abilities should all serve to enhance Haki.
Borsalino was different. He built everything around the Glint-Glint Fruit, with swordsmanship, physical skills, and Haki serving its use. But that didn't mean his other abilities were weak.
On the contrary — even without the Glint-Glint Fruit, Borsalino's swordsmanship, physical skills, and Haki would each still be top-notch.
Take swordsmanship, for example — on the Sabaody Archipelago, he once suppressed the elderly Silvers Rayleigh, leaving him breathless, using only his 'health-preserving' sword style.
But Smoker was different.
Without his Devil Fruit, he had no Haki, no physical skills, and even less swordsmanship.
"Stop arguing," Sengoku said, trying to smooth things over.
"The two of them… it's time to take action."
As soon as he said this —
Before Zephyr and Borsalino could even turn their eyes back to the video feed, a deafening roar like thunder erupted.
Boom!
They both looked at the screen. Rosen and Redfield's eyes were glowing scarlet, their bodies bursting with visible Haki — like two massive, still-growing spheres of energy colliding, exploding into black and red lightning that shot into the sky.
Even without the Video Den Den Mushi, they wouldn't have needed Observation Haki — just standing on the warship and looking toward the island, they could clearly see the hideous black and red lightning, like a flying dragon soaring into the heavens.
Click!
What was even more terrifying was that with the violent clash of their Conqueror's Haki, the sea of clouds above the island was torn apart, revealing a yawning chasm in the sky.
These horrifying scenes were captured by the cameras on the uninhabited island and broadcast live to every student at the Naval Academy.
"The sky… it's cracked."
"Before the fight even began, the sky couldn't take it!"
"Is this what Mr. Zephyr called Conqueror's Haki?"
"Rosen… he's actually reached this level."
"He's a monster."
"He's in the same year as us, and he hasn't even graduated yet."
"He's more terrifying than the three Admiral candidates were at school!"
…
Through the classroom screen, students like Gion, Kake, and Smoker watched the full impact of Rosen and Redfield's Haki clash, as if they were standing right there.
Even Gion, who already knew Rosen's strength, was stunned into silence by the sight of the sky cracking in the live feed.
Not to mention the others.
In fact, not only the students, but even several legendary Marines at the scene were astonished.
"The boy I once chased down to teach him Haki… is now a man who can stand as a great general on his own."
Looking at the sky shattered by Conqueror's Haki, Sengoku couldn't help but recall the months before, when he had pursued Rosen at the Naval Academy to teach him the ability. A look of relief crossed his face.
He was old now.
Nothing would make him happier than seeing, with his own eyes, another Marine King appear at Headquarters after himself and Garp — one who, in the future, could surpass even the Admirals and Heroes.
"It's only been a little over three months."
"That junior… is already my equal," Borsalino sighed.
"It won't be long," Zephyr said, pride in his voice.
"Before even the Admirals will have to look up to him."
Neither Sengoku nor Borsalino questioned his words.
…
On the other side —
At the center of the violent clash of Haki, Rosen stared at Redfield before him, his scarlet eyes revealing a trace of disappointment.