What Zephyr said wasn't wrong.
In this world, the importance of physical strength went without saying.
Just look at Kaido—barehandedly snapping Seastone cuffs, tanking Kaido's double Haki-coated kanabo straight to the face and only getting a nosebleed.
What kind of monstrous physique was that?
Compare that to Ashura Doji, one of the Akazaya Nine—blown up by a bomb despite all those bulging muscles. What a waste.
Even Gear Fourth Luffy got hammered so hard by Kaido that his eyes rolled back, yet Kaido took it head-on with his face, shrugged it off, and even stabbed Kaido right back.
From this alone, it was obvious—
A strong body was everything.
But here was the problem.
Karl didn't need training to improve his physique at all.
Just by slacking off every day, he could use Attribute Enhancement Cards to gain growth far beyond normal training.
Sure, he could train after work… but honestly?
That sounded boring.
Karl was a man—
a handsome, strong man!
How could he possibly waste his precious nightlife on dull training?
As Lu Xun once said: "A man is handsome because he works hard; a woman is beautiful because she suffers."
Karl firmly believed in this profound truth.
"Cough—cough. Instructor Zephyr, don't worry!"
As for what exactly Zephyr was supposed to be reassured about—
Karl didn't say.
And you shouldn't ask.
Zephyr nodded in satisfaction.
This kid can be taught.
He patted Karl on the shoulder and said,
"Come back to the training grounds after you've recovered in a couple of days. Otherwise, you'll just affect the others."
"Great—uh, I mean, yes. Right."
Then Karl remembered something and quickly added,
"Oh! Instructor Zephyr, if it weren't for Ain today, I probably wouldn't have gone out to buy fruit, and I definitely wouldn't have accidentally eaten that Devil Fruit."
"So… I hope you can go easy on her and not make things difficult."
Zephyr laughed.
"I'm not that unreasonable. That said, before the training camp ends, it's best not to expose your ability. Otherwise, it'll bring unnecessary trouble."
"Mhm, got it! Then I'll be off, Instructor Zephyr!"
Karl nodded vigorously.
If that monkey—no, that old six Kizaru—hadn't discovered him by accident, he definitely wouldn't have revealed his ability so early.
Feeling the jealous, bitter gazes around him, Karl scurried away from the training grounds before the sour lemons tore him apart.
Fleet Admiral's Office
In addition to Kizaru, Staff Officer Tsuru was also present.
If Garp hadn't been on vacation, he would've definitely come over to join the fun.
"Tsuru," Sengoku asked, "did you bring Karl's full file?"
Tsuru nodded.
"Of course. Everything since he joined the Marines is here. Sengoku… is his ability really as miraculous as you say?"
Before Sengoku could answer, Kizaru spoke up lazily.
"Ooooh~ Staff Officer Tsuru, Karl-kun's ability really is amazing. Even now, I can still feel its effects~"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, once Karl graduates, how about letting him be my adjutant?"
"I'm quite fond of him, you know~"
Sengoku frowned and pushed up his round glasses.
"You're being far too impatient. Karl won't graduate for at least another three months."
"But once Karl's ability becomes public, he'll be very popular," Kizaru replied slowly.
"After all, who wouldn't want a teammate like Karl on missions?"
His tone was still as casual as ever—
But his expression was unusually serious, completely different from his usual "I-don't-care-about-anything" demeanor.
What he was really thinking…
No one could tell.
Not even Sengoku, the so-called Strategist of the Marines.
Only Kizaru himself knew the truth.
In Karl, he saw something familiar—
a certain shared quality.
And since Karl was someone Zephyr valued so highly, if he could guide Karl down the right path…
Teacher Zephyr would surely be happy.
"Kizaru," Sengoku said calmly,
"I guarantee you that before Karl graduates, his ability will not be made public."
"As for whether he's willing to follow you—that's not up to me. It'll be Karl's decision."
Kizaru pursed his lips slightly, clearly thinking up something devious. After a casual farewell, he turned and left the Fleet Admiral's office.
Elsewhere — Marineford
After leaving the training grounds, Karl wandered aimlessly around Marineford, familiarizing himself with the area.
Along the way, he saw many places he recognized—
The future main battlefield of the Summit War, Marineford Plaza.
Crescent Bay.
Looking at the lively Marine family residential district, Karl couldn't help sighing.
"I heard that once you become a Headquarters Colonel, you can get a house here. Sigh… wonder when I'll get one."
"For you, that should be pretty easy, don't you think—little guy?"
That familiar voice nearly made Karl jump out of his skin.
Damn it—Kizaru, that old six!
Does this man make zero sound when he walks?!
Does he know he scares people to death?!
"A–Admiral Kizaru!"
"Karl-kun, no need to be so stiff~"
"I heard you say you wanted a house here?"
Kizaru's slow, drawn-out tone nearly made Karl anxious—but that wasn't the main issue.
Right now, Karl was in his teenage body, barely around 1.5 meters tall.
Kizaru, on the other hand, stood close to three meters.
Almost twice his height.
Even standing close, Karl had to tilt his head at a forty-five-degree angle—and still couldn't quite meet his gaze.
"Uh… yes, Admiral Kizaru."
"That's easy, then~"
"Once you graduate, come be my adjutant. You won't even have to ask—the logistics department will handle the house for you."
Karl's heart skipped a beat.
This wasn't subtle at all.
Kizaru was straight-up recruiting him.
Normally, recruits who graduated from the training camp would be assigned across the Four Seas and the Grand Line. Only the most outstanding would stay at Marine Headquarters, following a Vice Admiral—or even an Admiral—for further growth.
Case in point: Aokiji, who'd once been Garp's sidekick and loyal fanboy.
Kizaru making a move on him this early was clearly because he valued Karl's ability.
And Karl was confident about one thing—
What ADC doesn't want a reliable support?
But Zephyr had literally just warned him to stay away from Kizaru.
And now Kizaru came knocking immediately.
It made Karl suspicious.
Were these two old enemies secretly competing?
He, a clueless newbie, was stuck right in the middle.
That said—
If he had to choose freely…
He'd probably choose Kizaru.
The reason was simple.
Aokiji, at this stage, was basically lying flat already. If he was slacking, how was Karl supposed to slack?
Akainu, on the other hand, was far too hardworking. With that iron-fisted personality, there was no way he'd tolerate Karl slacking off—he'd only raise expectations higher.
So Karl's options weren't many.
One was Garp—monstrous strength, lots of vacation time.
The other was Kizaru—absurd speed, insane efficiency.
With Karl buffing him at Headquarters, Kizaru could zip out and delete enemies in seconds.
"Hahaha, Admiral Kizaru," Karl laughed,
"graduation's still far away. No need to rush."
"But don't worry—if I'm given the choice, I'll definitely prioritize becoming your adjutant."
Kizaru's lips curled slightly. He seemed quite satisfied.
Without another word, he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them to Karl.
"These are the keys to my old place. If you don't mind, you can live there for now~ Consider it a gift."
With that, Kizaru turned into a streak of golden light and vanished on the spot—
not giving Karl even the slightest chance to refuse.
Karl stared at the keys in his hand, stunned.
"…Man. Today was really something."
"House secured. Career secured."
"And the slacking? Absolutely top-tier."
"Tsk tsk tsk~"
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