By this point, several days had passed since Roy's conquest of the Demon Slayer World.
Inside the training camp at Marine Headquarters, the air was thick with a solemn atmosphere.
Zephyr stood at the front with both hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the rows of neatly lined-up young people below like the eyes of a hawk.
His figure was tall and imposing, and though he had stepped back from the front lines for many years, the powerful presence that belonged to "Black Arm" Zephyr still inspired awe in all who felt it.
"Hmph, so these are the 'good seedlings' that Garp and that Roy boy spoke of?" Zephyr gave a cold snort, his voice carrying disdain and severity.
"They don't look like much to me."
His gaze swept over Mikasa, Armin, Tanjiro, and the others standing in the front row.
Mikasa tightened her fists and, sensing the invisible pressure emanating from Zephyr, felt a silent shock in her heart.
'This old man... is incredibly strong. Just standing there makes it feel impossible to breathe.'
Tanjiro was also astonished, for he could clearly sense the unfathomable power radiating from Zephyr.
It was far more terrifying than Muzan had ever been.
He murmured quietly, "So this is the training that Mr. Roy and Mr. Garp spoke of. Indeed... we still have a very long road ahead."
Wind Pillar Shinazugawa Sanemi gritted his teeth, fighting spirit burning in his eyes.
He cried out inwardly, 'No matter how hard it gets, I will become stronger. I absolutely will not be intimidated by this kind of pressure!'
Zephyr looked at the varied expressions on these young people's faces, and the corner of his mouth curved into a cold smirk.
He stepped down from the platform, his voice reverberating through the training camp like thunder.
"Listen up, you brats! The fact that you've been sent here means you have no way back. Your one and only goal here is to become stronger! If you don't even have that much resolve, get out of my sight right now!"
Armin couldn't help but swallow hard, but remained resolute nonetheless.
Mikasa gave a firm nod, her gaze unwavering.
"This is also our chance. Only by becoming stronger here can we protect the people we want to protect."
Zephyr walked to stand before Tanjiro, looked down at him, and said coldly, "You. What is your name?"
Tanjiro raised his head and met Zephyr's gaze without fear.
"My name is Tanjiro Kamado!"
"Tanjiro Kamado?" Zephyr raised an eyebrow.
"I heard you once cut down some strange creatures?"
"Hmph, enemies of that level wouldn't even count as a warm-up here. If you think that level of strength is enough to stand your ground here, you are gravely mistaken!"
Tanjiro clenched his fists and said with firm resolve, "I understand! I will work hard to become stronger and will absolutely not hold anyone back!"
Zephyr gave a cold laugh, said nothing more, and turned to walk toward the others.
His gaze swept over each person in turn, his tone full of severity and pressure.
"Every single one of you, remember this! Here, there is no place for the weak to survive! If you don't want to be eliminated, then give everything you have to become stronger! Is that understood?"
"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.
Zephyr gave a nod, turned and walked back to the platform, and waved his hand.
"Training begins now! First up, a physical fitness test! Let me see where your limits lie!"
With Zephyr's command, the atmosphere inside the training camp instantly grew tense.
Tanjiro, Mikasa, and the others all sprang into action and began their training.
On the training ground, sweat fell like rain as Mikasa, Tanjiro, and the Pillars trained under Zephyr's strict instruction at high intensity.
Even with their talent and tenacity, they were now gasping for breath, their physical strength nearly at its limit.
"Too slow! Your movements are like snails crawling!"
Zephyr's voice boomed across the training ground like thunder.
"With this level of ability, you still want to become stronger? Keep dreaming!"
Mikasa gritted her teeth, braced her hands against the ground, and struggled to complete one set of push-ups.
Her arms ached so badly they could barely lift, but her eyes remained resolute, and she silently repeated to herself, 'Eren... I will become stronger. I will be able to protect you!'
Tanjiro was drenched in sweat, and the wooden sword in his hand swung more and more slowly.
'Nezuko, everyone... I have to become even stronger so I can protect all of you!'
Tanjiro had come to this world both to see a broader world and to gain the power to protect others.
The Pillars, for their part, were driven both by the desire to become stronger and by the will to survive.
Though they had unlocked their Marks and suffered severe losses to their life force, in the One Piece world such a problem was not without a solution.
They trained with extraordinary ferocity, for they knew that only by growing stronger could they stay alive.
"Not enough! Your strength is far too weak!" Zephyr looked at them coldly.
"The way you are now, you can't even match a Marine recruit!"
Yet anyone who knew Zephyr well would have been able to detect a trace of approval in his eyes.
Though his words belittled these young people, his heart was filled with recognition of them.
'No wonder they are the good seedlings that Garp and that Roy boy praised.'
Zephyr gave a silent inward nod.
'Their strength is still very weak, but their willpower is unyielding. That kind of mentality is precisely the key to becoming strong.'
On the training ground, Mikasa, Tanjiro, and the Pillars were exhausted, yet their eyes still burned with an indomitable fighting spirit.
They were all protagonists in their own worlds, or battle-hardened warriors with powerful mindsets and unshakeable resolve.
"One more set!" Mikasa growled, forcing her exhausted body upright and pushing through to complete the training.
"I will not give up!" Tanjiro gritted his teeth, and his wooden sword swung again, and though his movements had grown sluggish, his spirit did not diminish in the slightest.
The Pillars encouraged one another even as their bodies approached their limits.
Zephyr watched these young people, inwardly moved.
'These brats... though they are still very weak right now, after training, their future will surely be boundless.'
He stepped down from the platform and walked to stand before Mikasa, speaking coldly.
"You. What is your name?"
Mikasa raised her head, her gaze firm.
"Mikasa Ackerman."
Zephyr gave a nod, his tone still severe.
"Mikasa Ackerman, your willpower is commendable, but your strength is far from sufficient. The training ahead will be far more painful. If you cannot endure it, withdraw now."
Mikasa did not flinch, and met Zephyr's eyes directly.
"I will not withdraw. No matter how hard it gets, I will persist."
Zephyr gave a cold laugh and turned to walk toward Tanjiro.
"And you? Tanjiro Kamado, your physical strength is nearly at its limit. Do you wish to continue?"
Tanjiro was breathing hard, yet his eyes remained resolute.
"I will continue! Until I have become stronger!"
Zephyr gave a nod and said nothing more, turning to walk back to the platform, his voice ringing out once again.
"Listen up, brats! The training ahead will be even more brutal! If you cannot endure it, get out of my sight right now! Is that understood?"
"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.
Zephyr waved his hand, and training began again.
Mikasa, Tanjiro, and the Pillars gritted their teeth and threw themselves back into the high-intensity training.
Zephyr stood on the platform, watching these young people push with every ounce of their strength, and gave a silent inward nod.
'These brats... they really are something.'
These young people from different worlds would, under Zephyr's rigorous training, gradually transform into truly powerful fighters.
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