The mission was completed.
The training camp's warships turned and began their return voyage.
Yuno had originally considered asking Zephyr for leave to return to Donzik Island, but after some thought, he decided to postpone the trip. With the villagers looking after Xena, there was no need for immediate concern.
Navy warships were unique: seastone was embedded beneath their hulls, allowing them to travel freely across the seas without being detected by the Sea Kings lurking below.
Through a special passage, they reentered the Grand Line.
After a stretch of calm sailing, Yuno and the others finally returned to the Navy Headquarters and their Elite Camp.
The remaining tasks—recording merits and casualties—were handled by other officers.
Once the ship docked, Zephyr dismissed everyone.
Yuno went back to his quarters and collapsed into bed.
The next day.
Training resumed on the grounds.
Yuno never slacked on the Six Styles or his Haki practice.
After one such session, Hina approached him.
"Yuno, I heard your achievements have already qualified you for the rank of Major."
Ian joined in, adding, "Smoker and Drake are in the same boat. Once you graduate, you can jump straight to Rear Admiral!"
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Yuno asked, "Is that so? What exactly are the graduation requirements?"
Hina answered, "It's said that you must master all six styles and then pass the graduation examination."
"Graduation examination?" Yuno frowned.
Ian nodded. "The Six Styles are relatively easy—most people learn them within a year or two. But the examination is tougher. You need recognition from a colonel-level officer or higher."
Ian, who had been listening, added, "Smoker and Drake both passed their tests under colonel-level officers and were promoted straight to lieutenant commander."
Yuno now understood.
As the Navy's most elite training force, the Elite Camp demanded extremely high standards.
Those who graduated almost always became officers—comparable to the top graduates of boot camp.
This reputation made the camp highly sought after, but entry itself was notoriously difficult.
Time passed.
Yuno's physical training finally reached the camp's standard.
As for Armament Haki, he had yet to achieve hardening, but his overall progress was substantial. He knew he was just one step away from the breakthrough.
One day, Yuno knocked on the door of Zephyr's office.
"Come in," came the voice.
Yuno entered.
Zephyr looked up, smiling. "What is it, Yuno?"
Yuno saluted seriously. "Teacher Zephyr, I'd like to apply for graduation from the Elite Camp."
Zephyr was taken aback, his expression turning solemn.
"Are you certain? At your age, another year or two of training here would do you wonders. With my guidance, you'd surely master Armament Hardening within that time."
Yuno had been here less than five months, and already he wanted to graduate?
Cultivating Haki required endurance and patience. Zephyr firmly believed Yuno's best option was to remain.
But Yuno nodded without hesitation. "I've made up my mind, Teacher Zephyr."
The Elite Camp offered him little now, aside from physical conditioning.
He had already learned all six styles, though only to a functional level rather than true mastery.
He was even experimenting with combining Shave and Moon Step to push his speed to new limits, though he hadn't cracked the technique yet.
As for Iron Body, Yuno barely cared for it. Were it not for graduation requirements, he might have ignored it altogether.
A voice from his past life echoed in his mind: "Iron Body is a trap—delete it from the Six Styles lineup!"
Of course, he didn't truly dismiss it; Iron Body could serve as the foundation for Life Return, and mastery of all six styles was essential for unlocking derivatives like Rokuogan (Six Kings Spear).
Still, Yuno knew that once he achieved Armament Haki, Iron Body's relevance would fade—especially for someone like him, whose true path lay in swordsmanship.
Zephyr studied him for a moment, then finally nodded.
"Very well. I approve. There will be an assessment, but for you, it won't be difficult."
Graduation wasn't merely about mastering the Six Styles—it required an instructor's approval.
The assessment varied in difficulty depending on the officer overseeing it: colonel, vice admiral, even admiral.
Most chose colonel-level assessments. A select few challenged higher ranks, though most failed. Smoker and Drake, for example, tested under colonels and earned the rank of lieutenant commander.
Yuno bowed. "Thank you, Teacher Zephyr."
After he left, Zephyr smacked his forehead.
"Ah—I forgot to ask what level of assessment he wanted."
He paused, then grinned.
"Commander or Rear Admiral…? Heh, let's push him a little."
Filling out the form, Zephyr wrote down the application for the Rear Admiral-level assessment.
"Let's see how you handle a Rear Admiral's strength, brat. Don't think graduation means you can relax!"
A low chuckle escaped him. Yuno's calm, unshaken attitude had always made him want to see the boy flustered.
...
In the afternoon, the news that Yuno had applied for the graduation assessment quickly spread throughout the training camp.
Whether in the boot camp or the elite camp, everyone soon heard about it.
Ian looked at Yuno in surprise and asked, "You really applied for the graduation exam? How long have you even been here?"
Yuno nodded. "I've gained a lot during this time. The concentration of Armament Haki requires actual combat to improve faster."
Hina exclaimed, "It's been less than half a year! You're a real monster! Even Smoker and Drake needed over a year before they graduated!"
"Not bad," Yuno replied with a calm smile. His reputation as a "monster" had already spread throughout the training camp. Many were even saying he might be another candidate for admiral in the future!
In other words, he had the potential to become a Marine admiral!
At this moment, Hina added, "Then I'll apply for graduation after you. I can't let myself fall too far behind."
"Then keep pushing forward," Yuno encouraged.
Ian, however, frowned. "I'm still far behind. It'll take me a while... besides, I don't even know how to train my ability properly."
"The Rewind Fruit..." Yuno thought highly of its potential. If developed well, it would definitely become a terrifying ability.
He said seriously, "I haven't eaten a Devil Fruit myself, so I can't say much about developing one. But if you can really rewind people or objects by decades, then a single touch could be a guaranteed victory."
"Another possible route is projection. Like how Armament Haki can be attached to weapons, maybe you can attach your flames to firearms."
Ian shook his head bitterly. "I've tried, but nothing can withstand my flames. Anything I touch gets rewound and pushed back..."
Clearly, he had already tested that method.
Yuno thought for a moment before suggesting, "Then try coating a weapon with Armament Haki first, and only then layering your flames over it."
After all, Armament Haki was meant to seize hold of even intangible elements—naturally, it could resist Ian's rewind flames. That was one of the fundamentals of this world.
It was as if Armament Haki had been born specifically to counter Devil Fruits! Especially those rule-type abilities.
Ian curled his lips. "Armament Haki... I still don't know how to use it."
Yuno patted his shoulder encouragingly. "Work hard, little sister!"
...
At the boot camp, Lafer, who was still in training, proudly announced to everyone, "Did you hear? That's my brother! He's already going to graduate from the Elite Camp!"
Although some still felt uneasy about Lafer's unusual appearance, after spending time with him they realized he was actually very easy to get along with.
Someone teased, "He's already graduating, and you're just entering the Elite Camp. You'll never catch up at this rate."
Lafer's face fell for a moment, but he quickly straightened his back and declared, "I'll definitely catch up to him one day!"
...
The boot camp instructors also caught wind of the news.
Rear Admiral Cage was particularly surprised. "See? I told you this kid wasn't ordinary. It hasn't even been that long, and now he's already ready for graduation! Heh, I suddenly feel like being his exam instructor myself..."
Normally, instructors for graduation exams were chosen from within the training camp, but sometimes free-spirited rear admirals joined in just for fun.
Maynard laughed. "You just want to meddle."
Layton added, "Be careful not to get humiliated. I heard that kid killed a pirate with a bounty of over 100 million on the last mission."
Mandel teased Cage further. "If I remember right, defeating a pirate with a 100 million bounty is the highlight of your career too, isn't it? Didn't you get promoted to rear admiral for that?"
"That's different!" Cage protested. "I defeated an entire pirate crew fair and square to earn my rank!" He rolled his eyes at his colleagues' laughter. Who were they looking down on?
Still, he was genuinely interested. He wanted to see for himself how much Yuno had grown under Zephyr's tutelage.
After all, Yuno's attacks had once nearly embarrassed him. By now, the kid might even be a real threat!
...
"Patino Yuno? That brat who stole my credit? He's actually graduating?"
Stoloberg, who had just returned to Marine Headquarters, sneered as soon as he heard the news.
The requirements for graduation examiners weren't strict. Anyone with the rank of colonel or above could do it.
That meant he was more than qualified.
"Hmph... graduation won't be that easy. Even if I can't stop you, I'll make sure you're humiliated in public."
Stoloberg hadn't forgotten his grudge. His prey had been snatched, wasting nearly a month of effort. How could he not be furious?
Originally, he had planned to deal with Yuno later, but now the opportunity had come right to him.
With that thought, Stoloberg headed straight for Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office, intending to request the role of Yuno's exam instructor.
But when he arrived, someone else was already there—Rear Admiral Cage.
The two appeared almost at the same time.
When Stoloberg saw him, his eyes narrowed. Why is this guy here?
Cage frowned as well. What's this guy doing here?
The two men knew each other well.
Not only were they from opposing factions—Stoloberg a hawk, Cage a dove—but they also clashed constantly during their own training camp days, leaving a deep-seated dislike for one another.
Sengoku raised his brows when he heard their requests. "You two... both want to be the instructor for Patino Yuno's graduation exam?"
Even he was surprised. He had been struggling over who to assign for Yuno's assessment, but suddenly two major generals showed up on their own.
He also recalled Zephyr mentioning this young recruit before, saying he had great talent.
But for two major generals to volunteer like this... the kid must truly be something special.
Upon hearing Sengoku's words, Cage and Stoloberg exchanged glances, thoughts flashing through their minds.
Cage scowled inwardly. So this guy came just to oppose me...
Stoloberg sneered in his heart. Could it be that Patino Yuno has ties with that idiot Cage? If so, then he won't pass so easily...
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