"What's the matter?" Smoker, still feeling pleased with his easy victory, looked at Zephyr in surprise at his words. "Instructor Zephyr, I won," he emphasized.
"Of course I know you won. Do you think I can't tell who wins or loses?" Zephyr's expression was grave as he stared at Smoker. "From the result of the fight, yes, you won. But I saw the progress Tina made over the past month of training. And you… I saw nothing. All I saw was your overreliance on your Devil Fruit ability and unnecessary arrogance."
"I " Smoker struggled to accept Zephyr's assessment.
He didn't understand. How could he, who clearly defeated his opponent, be criticized by such an important figure, while Tina, who lost, received praise?
He refused to accept it, unwilling to take such criticism.
"But I still won, didn't I, Instructor Zephyr?" Smoker's disbelief was obvious.
"Logia-type abilities do provide a natural advantage early in training, but relying too much on them will only lead you astray on your path to improvement. Smoker, you should understand that Logia users are not invincible, right?" Zephyr spoke calmly but with absolute seriousness.
Smoker, hearing this, realized he had made a tactical misstep. He was about to lower his head in acknowledgment when a slightly mocking, almost lewd voice interrupted from behind.
"Oh? Instructor Zephyr, I don't quite agree with your point of view."
The voice came from the second floor of the teaching building behind Zephyr. Everyone turned toward it and saw a man in a yellow-and-white striped suit perched casually on the railing of the upper corridor, chin resting on his hand.
"Borsalino!" Rayfa recognized the sudden intruder immediately, slightly startled. "One of the future Three Admirals, a top-tier Logia user." But how did he appear here all of a sudden?
Rayfa vaguely remembered that Borsalino had also been Zephyr's student, though their relationship had always been tense. Now it seemed her memory was correct.
"However, at this point, Admiral Kong had not yet been promoted, and Rayk's father, Sengoku, had not yet become Fleet Admiral, so this Borsalino should only be a Vice Admiral for now," Rayfa thought.
As Rayfa recalled this information, Zephyr finally spoke.
"Borsalino, what are you doing here?" Zephyr's expression darkened.
Even when Smoker had spoken out of turn, Zephyr had never shown such displeasure. But this time, in front of everyone, he was visibly annoyed.
"I heard that Instructor Zephyr was invited by little Dalmatian to teach these young recruits. I happened to be free, so I came to watch. I didn't expect to arrive and immediately hear you criticizing this smoky little brat," Borsalino said in his slow, measured drawl, clearly enjoying the effect of his words.
"And what do you think about that?" Zephyr asked coldly.
"I wouldn't dare. How could I have an opinion against you, Instructor Zephyr? You are, after all, my teacher," Borsalino said, waving his hands as if to appear completely intimidated.
Rayfa was momentarily speechless. She knew Borsalino had a habit of pretending to be afraid or shocked, but it was never genuine. His claim of fear toward Zephyr likely had a deeper meaning.
"You actually remember I am your teacher. That is rare," Zephyr scoffed.
"How could I forget?" Borsalino said slowly. "However, Instructor Zephyr, while I do not forget the debt I owe you, I must say that your reasoning seems a bit outdated. Why can't Logia users rely on their Devil Fruit abilities?"
"Your opinion is irrelevant. Do not interrupt my lesson," Zephyr replied.
"You cannot say that. As your student, I believe it is my duty to correct your mistakes. That is the greatest respect I can show you, isn't it?" Borsalino pressed, his words sharp and challenging.
Even a fool could see that Borsalino had no intention of being polite.
"Borsalino, show some restraint. Enough," Dalmatian said, looking helpless. One was his teacher, the other his senior student. Though he knew the two did not get along, he found himself caught in a dilemma. But this was the training camp; he could not ignore the tension.
"I'm not here to give you trouble, little brat," Borsalino said, spreading his hands. "This training camp was set up by headquarters to cultivate the next generation of Navy elites. I'm sure everyone wants it to work well. But Instructor Zephyr's misguided guidance could mislead a highly talented Logia user. Isn't that a problem?"
"Enough! Shut your mouth!" Zephyr roared, glaring at Borsalino. "Borsalino, I don't care what opinion you have of me as a teacher, but this is not the place for your nonsense!"
"Instructor Zephyr, don't be angry. Anger isn't good for your health," Borsalino said, still in his casual, almost sly manner. "I'm not attacking you, Zephyr. I'm merely correcting flawed guidance. Are you not willing to admit when you're wrong?"
"You keep saying 'flawed guidance,' then 'mistakes.' You're just upset that I criticized your poor physical training before. Don't try to play the righteous one here!" Zephyr snapped.
"Instructor Zephyr, I am not blaming you. I just think your viewpoint is outdated. You told me the same thing before, yet now you tell this smoky brat not to over-rely on his Logia ability. I do not agree. I reached where I am today by walking my own path," Borsalino said calmly. "The truth is, if you develop your Logia abilities to their full potential, you can become powerful without being distracted by mundane physical training."
"You !!"
Zephyr's veins bulged in anger as Borsalino's words struck him.