Seeing Zephyr arrive, Kai was surprised.
Then, after hearing what Zephyr said, his eyes widened even more.
"A plan?" Kai asked. "What plan?"
Just imagining a method that could make his strength leap forward already filled him with anticipation.
He knew his current growth rate was terrifying compared to normal people—but if he wanted to become a true top-tier powerhouse of the sea, he still didn't know how long it would take by brute-force grinding alone.
If there really was a reasonable, tailored training plan…
It would help him tremendously.
So the moment Zephyr mentioned it, Kai's curiosity surged.
"Come with me first," Zephyr said. "This isn't something I can explain in a few sentences."
"I need to take you to the exact location. Only then can I make it clear."
"So complicated?" Kai's expression turned strange.
From that alone, he could tell—
The Marine top brass hadn't been perfunctory at all.
They had genuinely discussed this seriously over the past few days. Otherwise, Zephyr wouldn't be talking like this.
Soon, Kai followed Zephyr out of his residence.
Along the way, under countless curious and admiring gazes, Kai walked farther and farther with Zephyr—so far that they even left Marineford's core area.
As the number of passersby dwindled, Kai grew more confused.
"Instructor Zephyr… where are we going?"
Zephyr gave a brief explanation.
"A best-possible training location."
"From today on, that place will be your training ground."
"To put it simply, you may need to move out of your current residence for a while and live inside the training facility."
Live inside the training facility?
Kai's curiosity flared even harder.
What kind of place is secretive enough that you have to live there?
With excitement and questions in his heart, Kai followed Zephyr to the destination.
When he finally saw it, Kai froze.
"This is…"
"The Marines' Weapons Research Institute?"
Yes.
He was standing in front of the Marine Headquarters' Weapons Research Institute.
Over the last few days, Kai had already familiarized himself with most of Marineford's basics.
So he recognized it at a glance—
A massive, white, tightly guarded complex: the institute responsible for researching Marine weaponry and technology.
Inside were the Marines' top researchers—each one an elite talent.
In some ways, compared to raw combat power, researchers like these were even rarer.
And that only made Kai more lost.
Why bring him here?
This was clearly a place for technology and weapons.
What did it have to do with training?
Kai felt like he was walking through fog.
"Let's go," Zephyr said, offering no further explanation as he led Kai inside.
As a Marine Admiral, Zephyr didn't need to undergo any inspection.
And naturally, Kai was waved through along with him.
The moment Kai stepped inside, a solemn atmosphere hit him head-on.
Strict.
Quiet.
Clean to an almost obsessive degree—no stains anywhere.
White walls. White floor tiles.
Even the air carried a crisp scent that strangely cleared the mind.
In short…
Kai's first impression was:
Serious. Neat. Orderly.
Exactly what a research institute should feel like.
A place like this wasn't meant to be decorated in flashy colors. A pure, sterile environment kept researchers calm and focused.
Not long after, with Kai still puzzled, Zephyr guided him straight across the institute.
After about five minutes of walking, Zephyr stopped in front of a bronze door that radiated an unmistakable "high-tech" vibe.
Just crossing the institute had already opened Kai's eyes to pirate-world technology.
So many devices looked fresh and novel to him.
All kinds of strange technological products were arranged throughout the building.
"So this is where the Marines research and produce weapons?" Kai clicked his tongue in amazement.
The technology level of this world…
Wasn't low.
It just felt… skewed.
They didn't develop the kind of mass-destruction weapons you'd expect—
Yet they had high-tech creations so weird that even Kai couldn't grasp the principles behind them.
That "crooked" development path was exactly what made it fascinating.
But then again…
In a world with Devil Fruits, maybe it made sense they weren't obsessed with pure destructive firepower.
Or maybe—
The people above simply wouldn't allow that kind of research.
After all, if ordinary people held overwhelming power in their hands…
How would the rulers control the sea?
Either way, Kai felt there were many reasons for "tech drifting sideways" in this world—most of them impossible to reverse.
Under such a huge environment, weapons of extreme, widespread destruction simply wouldn't be allowed to exist.
At the door, Zephyr spoke calmly.
"Zephyr."
After confirming his identity—
Beep.
With a crisp electronic sound, the bronze door slowly opened, revealing the interior.
Colorful lights flickered inside, casting shifting hues outward.
Kai looked in.
He saw many researchers in white coats and white gloves.
They looked toward Zephyr with stiff respect, their expressions cautious.
Even as elite Marine researchers, facing a Headquarters Admiral still made them nervous.
The status gap was too great.
Of course—
Dr. Vegapunk was an exception.
But Vegapunk wasn't someone the Marines could "command" at will.
He belonged to the World Government.
In the eyes of the World Government's highest ranks…
Vegapunk alone was worth more than ten Marine Admirals.
But how many Vegapunks existed in this world?
Only one.
The single genius hailed as being five hundred years ahead of current technology.
"Admiral Zephyr, you're here."
A research team leader jogged up to Zephyr, respectful and tense.
"Yesterday, Fleet Admiral Kong should've already notified you," Zephyr said.
"Yes, Admiral Zephyr."
The team leader nodded and reported honestly.
"The item you requested has been completed."
"The technology involved isn't complicated."
"And after multiple tests, we can basically guarantee that there will be no accidents during use."
That item had taken the entire institute—every researcher—two full days to produce.
Even if the "technical difficulty" wasn't considered high, it still took enormous effort to mobilize everyone and finish it.
"Good. Take me to it," Zephyr said, pleased.
"Yes."
Led by the team leader, Kai followed Zephyr—still confused—into another wide sealed chamber.
It was a room of at least two hundred square meters.
The walls and panels had sleek, futuristic design.
Colored indicator lights blinked everywhere, and various devices were arranged around the edges.
And in the center of the room—
Kai saw a massive technological construct.
It looked like…
Some kind of sci-fi capsule.
Its shell was made of special metal, and a transparent "liquid-glass" barrier ran through the center.
The whole thing was silver.
At its base, cables and pipes connected into it from multiple directions.
About five meters tall, four meters wide.
A strong "high-tech" aesthetic.
Just one glance grabbed Kai's attention.
He couldn't help thinking—
This did not look like something "simple" at all, no matter what the team leader had claimed.
"I can't believe I'm seeing something this sci-fi in the One Piece world," Kai thought, stunned.
The capsule looked like something meant to seal someone into suspended sleep.
Pipes ran into it—some carrying different colored liquids.
Dense wiring also connected into the body of the machine.
After a moment, Zephyr nodded in satisfaction.
"You did well. You've worked hard."
"It's nothing," the team leader replied modestly.
"Has it been tested?" Zephyr asked.
"It has been started one hundred times," the team leader said confidently.
"The records show perfect operation every time."
"No accidents occurred."
"So you can rest assured, Admiral Zephyr."
"Good!" Zephyr laughed.
Then he slowly turned his head, looking at Kai with a complex, almost emotional expression.
He raised his hand and pointed at the capsule.
"I'm sure you've been dying to ask questions."
"Now I'll give you the answer."
"This… is where you'll train from now on."
"And this is exactly why I brought you here today."
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