The chill of early spring lingered in the air as the first light of dawn crept across the sky.
It was already March, yet the bitter touch of winter still clung to Marineford.
Before the sun had even risen, Yoriichi Tsugikuni stepped out of his room. He looked out at the empty courtyard and let out a quiet breath.
Just yesterday, thanks to Garp's recommendation, he had become the disciple of Admiral Zephyr of the Navy Headquarters. However, due to his age, Yoriichi couldn't enroll directly into the Naval Academy. Instead, he moved into Zephyr's home—now his new place of residence.
Zephyr, now forty-seven years old, had suffered a great tragedy five years prior. Pirates—ones he had once pursued—had taken the lives of his family. Since then, the once-renowned "No-Kill Admiral" had stepped away from the front lines.
At first, Zephyr had intended to leave the Navy for good. But at the urging of Fleet Admiral Kong and his old friend Garp, he decided to stay—albeit behind the scenes—as an instructor at the Naval Academy, dedicating himself to training and guiding the next generation of marines.
Marineford was a vast, multifaceted island. Beyond being the Navy's central headquarters, it also served as a residence for high-ranking officers and their families.
At the heart of the island lay the naval residential compound.
As a former admiral, Zephyr had been assigned a large estate. But after the death of his family, he rarely returned home, choosing instead to sleep in the academy dormitories. It was only yesterday that he brought Yoriichi back to this long-abandoned house—one that still held his fondest memories.
Yet now, this "home"—or rather, this house—felt cold and hollow.
Yoriichi knew well what had happened to Zephyr. Even after so many years in the Demon Slayer world, seeing Zephyr had awakened those buried memories once again.
He held deep respect for this righteous man—the admiral who refused to kill. And he grieved for Zephyr's pain. It also gave him his clearest, most visceral understanding of this world's cruelty.
Such a just and principled man… and this was the fate he had been given.
Yoriichi turned to glance back at the room he had just left. It had once belonged to Zephyr's child. The desk still held scattered baby toys, untouched and undisturbed.
Zephyr rarely stayed here, but the room was spotless—no dust in sight. It was clear he kept it tidy himself, never allowing himself to forget his wife and child.
"You're up already? Good—saves me the trouble of waking you."
"That's a good habit, rising early. Anyone who wants to be an outstanding marine must maintain a strict routine."
"Did you sleep well? The room hasn't been used in a while, might be a bit messy—hope you didn't mind."
While Yoriichi was still lost in thought, Zephyr stepped out of the corridor, walked up beside him, and smiled upon seeing the boy already awake.
"Good morning, Master Zephyr," Yoriichi turned with a smile and bowed slightly in greeting. Hearing the concern in Zephyr's voice, he gently shook his head.
"You flatter me, sir. Someone like me, a wildling, has never lived in a place this fine."
"The room is clean and tidy. I like it very much. Thank you for the arrangements, Master Zephyr."
His words were a little formal, and Zephyr could sense a faint distance in them.
But he didn't mind. Children, after all, often reacted with caution and detachment when faced with unfamiliar surroundings.
"As long as you like it. From now on, this will be your home."
"Garp's usually out on missions and rarely stationed here. So, you'll be staying with me. I'll look after you."
"Come on, let's get breakfast."
"I have to head to the academy afterward. You can come with me. You may not be able to enroll just yet, but you can still use the training facilities when they're available."
"They're open to use when not occupied."
Zephyr walked over and placed a firm hand on Yoriichi's shoulder. The warmth of his palm dispelled the morning's lingering cold.
"Understood, Master."
Yoriichi felt a deep sense of care in Zephyr's words and actions—something he hadn't experienced in decades.
He had entered the monastic life as a child and long since forgotten what it meant to be cared for. His mother had died young. His father was a man of ambition. And his foolish older brother… had never known how to express such things.
All Yoriichi had ever known was the endless pursuit of demons and the solitary climb along the path of the sword.
Zephyr watched the obedient boy beside him, then turned his gaze toward the room that once belonged to his child. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice:
"Yoriichi."
"Come to the Naval Academy with me today."
"But remember—if you don't like it, you don't have to become a marine."
He turned to look at the boy. That tender, young face made Zephyr's heart stir.
If his own child were still alive, he—or she—would be around eight years old now.
Garp had told him Yoriichi possessed extraordinary talent. Yet the youthful face before him was a constant reminder: no matter how exceptional, he was still just a child.
There were many paths in life. Becoming a marine wasn't necessarily the best one.
A quiet, peaceful life—was that not a kind of happiness too? If only his child had…
Yoriichi tilted his head in confusion. Why would a navy admiral—of all people—discourage someone from joining the navy?
"Is he testing me?"
With that thought, Yoriichi shook his head firmly.
"I won't dislike it. I've already made my decision."
"I don't like this world. No matter what others may think, I've decided to try… to change it."
His eyes shone with resolve.
Zephyr stared at the boy, momentarily stunned. How could someone so young possess such conviction?
"Even a child has come to this conclusion…"
"We, the navy—we truly haven't done enough."
"Damn it!"
A pang of guilt stirred in Zephyr's chest. But in front of Yoriichi, he suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Good. That's the spirit!"
"Come on then. Let me show you how great marines are made!"
He gave Yoriichi a hearty slap on the back and led the way, beaming.
By the time the two arrived at the Naval Academy of Marineford, training was already underway.
In the training field, the morning chill had yet to fade, but the recruits were already drenched in sweat.
"Look, Yoriichi—these guys are elites, handpicked from across all four seas."
"Not just anyone can join the academy."
"Every single one of them rose through the ranks in their respective branches before qualifying for this."
"And those who graduate? They'll be assigned directly as officers."
As he spoke, Zephyr led Yoriichi closer to the field. He pointed toward the recruits running laps along the perimeter, pride gleaming on his face.
"Running, huh… It's a little different from what I expected. I thought the training would be more… unique."
"Master Zephyr, if it's just running, I think I could join right now."
Zephyr chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He casually waved over one of the training supervisors and asked loudly:
"Report! How long has training been underway?"
The instructor saluted sharply, chest out, and replied:
"Reporting, Chief Instructor Zephyr!"
"Training has been going on for one hour and forty minutes."
"Twenty more minutes remain before warm-ups are over!"
Zephyr turned back to Yoriichi, smiling.
"Running's just a warm-up."
"Hardly counts as real training."
"A single lap around this field is one kilometer."
"And their warm-up? Forty kilometers, every day."
"After that, they go on to more specialized training—navigation, firearms, combat techniques, naval history, and much more."
"What you're seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg."
Zephyr spoke with unhidden pride in his voice.
Back in the early days, the Naval Academy had nothing like this. Back then, cadets would learn some hand-to-hand combat or swordplay and be sent off to fight pirates.
But ever since Zephyr took over as Chief Instructor, the curriculum had grown richer, more refined.
Many exceptional officers had since graduated under his guidance.
Hearing this, Yoriichi raised an eyebrow in surprise.
The academy was far more complete and rigorous than he had imagined. He had assumed it was merely a place to learn Haki and the Six Powers—but it was so much more.
A true institution for forging future leaders.
"Yoriichi, the admission standards here are strict."
"You need a 'Combat Power Score' of at least 80 just to qualify."
"Do you know what that means? A trained adult marine typically has a score of only 10."
(End of Chapter)