Back at the Navy Headquarters, Yoriichi Tsugikuni once again found himself staying at Zephyr's house.
Although Yoriichi had only interacted with Zephyr for a brief half-month, his attitude towards the man had completely changed the moment Zephyr appeared on Garp's ship, just as Yoriichi was returning "home."
Previously, Yoriichi had been reserved in Zephyr's presence, and while they weren't exactly distant, there had always been an invisible barrier between them that kept them from connecting on a deeper level.
Yoriichi had never truly felt a sense of belonging to the Navy. But after that day, his outlook had shifted. At the very least, his attitude towards Zephyr had changed.
Zephyr had treated Yoriichi as though he were a close family member, and Yoriichi's calling him "Teacher" was no empty gesture.
From the moment Garp had introduced the boy with the "birthmark" to him, Zephyr had taken a liking to Yoriichi. When Yoriichi had addressed him as "Teacher" in front of Garp, it hadn't been without significance.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's talent was extraordinary, and his polite nature endeared him to Zephyr. It was out of genuine fondness that Zephyr had allowed Yoriichi to stay in his home. Furthermore, after Yoriichi's arrival, Zephyr had even gone so far as to have a dojo built for him to train in, ensuring that he had a place to hone his skills.
Yoriichi had thought that their brief half-month connection wasn't enough to establish a solid bond between them. However, from Zephyr's perspective, the moment he had accepted Yoriichi's "Teacher" call, they had already become the closest of teacher and disciple.
In the early morning, just as the sky was lightening, a faint mist covered the entire Marineford.
In Yoriichi's room, the room was still dim, with only the weak light of dawn filtering through the window, barely brightening the space.
Since Yoriichi had returned to this room, some changes had occurred in its furnishings.
Where the room had previously been empty, with only a tatami mat and a wardrobe by the window, there was now a brand-new sword rack beside the wardrobe.
On the sword rack, three long swords were displayed. At the top was Yoriichi's own sword, the "black blade Break of Dawn(Dawnbringer)" while beneath it, two sharp blades without scabbards were placed in succession.
These two swords were once the swords of Kozuki Oden, both renowned Great Grade swords, Enma and Tenguyama(Crafter), Ame no Habakiri(Sword)
These two swords had been spoils of war from Garp.
However, Garp had no use for them. He wasn't skilled with a sword, and apart from Bogart, there was no swordsman on his ship who could wield such weapons.
Rather than let these fine swords go to waste, Garp had decided to give them to Yoriichi. As he put it, these famous swords were of no use to him, and if they were to be given to a mediocre swordsman, it would be better to just put them away.
At first, Garp had planned to give Yoriichi only Tenguyama, intending to keep Enma to himself because of its "demonic" nature, he's worried Yoriichi might hurt himself.
But after watching Yoriichi wield Enma with such skill, Garp had relented and given him both swords. As far as Garp was concerned, once the swords were given away, they belonged to Yoriichi, and he had no intention of interfering further.
Yoriichi, recognizing the kindness in Garp's gesture, hadn't refused the swords. Though he wasn't a "three-sword style" swordsman, he appreciated the value of fine blades and gladly accepted them.
As for how to repay Garp, Yoriichi had already made up his mind.
He planned to join the Navy once he came of age. He would never become a pirate, nor join the Revolutionary Army or rebel. When the time came for battle, he would never flee. Garp, the King of the Marines, deserved his protection.
As the mist covering Marineford began to dissipate, the first rays of sunlight filtered into Yoriichi's room.
Awoken by his own "diligence," Yoriichi slowly opened his eyes.
Sitting up, he gazed around the unfamiliar surroundings with a momentary sense of confusion. After sitting for a while, a faint smile appeared on his face. He stood, picked out a loose white training outfit from the wardrobe, grabbed Break of Dawn from the sword rack, and walked out of the room.
Even now, Yoriichi felt a slight disorientation. His time at sea had made him accustomed to the constant rocking of the ship and the snug feeling of his hammock. Suddenly changing his sleeping environment made him feel a little out of place.
Rubbing his neck, he stepped outside into the yard. He washed his face at the small pool and, with his sword in hand, turned towards the dojo.
Just then, Zephyr's voice called from behind him:
"Hey! Yoriichi, you're up early!"
"How did you sleep?"
Turning around, Yoriichi saw Zephyr walking slowly down the corridor toward him, and he smiled warmly, replying, "I slept well. Sleeping on the ship wasn't nearly as comfortable as here."
"You wouldn't believe it, but Kuzan's feet stink terribly."
"The whole ship reeks of his 'manly' scent."
Zephyr, hearing Yoriichi "complain" about Kuzan, couldn't help but laugh. "Kuzan, eh? His feet stink, huh? Hahaha!"
"Speaking of which, his rotation just ended, and he's about to be promoted to Rear Admiral."
"I haven't figured out how to congratulate him yet, but hearing you mention it, I think I'll get him a good pair of boots."
"Save him from going barefoot and stinking up the place. Hahaha!"
Zephyr and Yoriichi had found common ground, and the conversation quickly became more lively.
Just as Zephyr was about to share more about Kuzan's foot odor, he noticed the long sword in Yoriichi's hand. It reminded him that Yoriichi was probably heading to the dojo.
"Yoriichi, getting up this early to start training already?" Zephyr asked with a smile, though he already had his answer, hoping to hear a confirmation from Yoriichi himself.
"Mm. I don't want to waste the morning hours."
"I learned a few things aboard Vice Admiral Garp's ship—I'd like to keep honing and strengthening them."
Hearing Yoriichi's reply, Zephyr nodded, pleased.
Now that's what I call a worthy disciple.
This kind of dedication, that's what qualifies someone to be my student!
As he looked at Yoriichi, Zephyr couldn't help but recall a certain lazy idiot he had once trained. Even though that fool had become a Vice Admiral now… An idiot's still an idiot.
(Hey, don't try to dodge the blame. I'm talking about you, Borsalino.)
Amused and gratified as he was, Zephyr also grew curious about the "few things" Yoriichi claimed to have learned.
He'd like to see for himself whether Yoriichi had truly improved during those three months at sea.
If not, well, he'd have a bone to pick with Garp!
"Yoriichi. Spar with me."
"Let me see how far you've come."
Yoriichi nodded and followed Zephyr into the training hall. He set his long katana aside and picked up a bamboo sword leaning against the wall, stepping in front of his teacher.
Zephyr didn't reach for a weapon. Standing unarmed, he faced Yoriichi head-on. When he saw his student take position, bamboo blade in hand, Zephyr chuckled and casually waved him forward.
"Come, Yoriichi. Go all out, no need to hold back."
"Understood. I'm starting now, Master Zephyr. Please be careful."
Yoriichi dipped his head in acknowledgment, then raised the bamboo sword upright before him in both hands.
The moment his words fell-
Yoriichi Tsugikuni vanished from Zephyr's sight.
"Hm?!"
Zephyr let out a surprised grunt. To the naked eye, Yoriichi had completely disappeared. Zephyr quickly activated Observation Haki to track his student's presence.
A heartbeat later, Yoriichi reappeared behind him.
The bamboo sword in his hands was sheathed in flowing Armament Haki. With a sharp whistle through the air, he slashed toward Zephyr's waist with incredible speed.
"Good one, kid!"
Zephyr gave an appreciative shout, swinging his left arm to shield his side. His body instantly hardened under the full force of Armament Haki.
CLANG!!!
A thunderous crack rang out. After the strike, Yoriichi sprang backward, putting distance between them once again.
Zephyr stood unmoving. But his arm stung faintly, and his eyes widened with astonishment.
"He didn't just master Soru, he's fused it with Armament Haki?"
"He coated not just his legs, but his arms and even the bamboo blade?"
"That's an incredible range of coverage!"
"And the power behind that strike… I felt it."
"Three months… and the kid's improved this much?!"
Zephyr fell silent for a long moment, stunned as he looked at Yoriichi.
This was Zephyr, the former Admiral of Navy Headquarters. Unlike those future "three animals" who rose to Admiral with the help of Devil Fruits, Zephyr had earned his rank through sheer mastery of physical combat and unparalleled Haki.
And now, in his prime, his strength was at its absolute peak.
There were only a handful of people in all of Navy HQ who could even hope to pierce his defenses with pure technique. Pain? That was something he hadn't felt in years—not since he became the Navy's chief instructor.
And yet now… with a bamboo sword no less…
Yoriichi Tsugikuni had made him feel pain.
Three months ago, Zephyr could block Yoriichi's strikes with Tekkai alone. Now? Even using Haki, he couldn't brush aside the boy's blow.
This growth was nothing short of terrifying and completely beyond Zephyr's expectations.
"Are you alright, Master Zephyr?"
"Shall we continue?"
Yoriichi had landed a hit. Through his Transparent World, he could see the exact spot he had struck, Zephyr's skin was reddening. It wasn't a wound by any means, but to have made this much of an impact already thrilled Yoriichi.
If he'd used his own sword… it wouldn't have ended with just a red mark.
He broke through. Even without his weapon, even with a bamboo sword, he could now breach Zephyr's defenses.
To Yoriichi, this was a massive breakthrough.
Even in the film, when the supposedly invincible Straw Hats first faced Zephyr, they couldn't manage something like this.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"You're full of surprises, Yoriichi!"
"Let's keep going!"
"Now it's starting to get interesting!"
"You really shocked me there! Hahaha!"
"But still… I can't let my student look down on me. I'd better show a little effort myself!"
As Zephyr spoke, he bent his knees slightly and moved first. In the blink of an eye, he appeared directly in front of Yoriichi Tsugikuni. His fist, as large as a sandbag, hurtled toward Yoriichi's head at a speed that seemed to tear through the air like a bolt of lightning.
Zephyr moved so fast that, in Yoriichi's eyes, it was as if a flash of light had burst forth—it was utterly unavoidable. Even though his Transparent World and Observation Haki accurately tracked Zephyr's trajectory, his body couldn't respond with any effective evasive motion.
All he could do was raise his bamboo sword with full strength to shield his head.
In the next instant, Zephyr's fist slammed into the bamboo blade. The weapon, reinforced with Armament Haki, shattered with a sharp crack. Yoriichi's pupils narrowed. He immediately shifted the Armament Haki to his forehead, bracing to take the full brunt of Zephyr's blow.
Witnessing Zephyr's incredible speed, Yoriichi could only sigh inwardly, "As expected of a top-tier powerhouse who can keep up with Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit..."
But just as Zephyr's fist was about to crash into Yoriichi's skull, it stopped.
Instead of striking, Zephyr's heavy punch transformed into an open palm and gently pressed down on Yoriichi's head.
"Not bad! Not bad at all!"
"To be able to react under my attack, you've trained your Observation Haki well!"
"Yoriichi, in just these past few months, you've grown tremendously. Not only have you mastered Soru, but you've also grasped both Armament and Observation Haki! Your rate of progress has far exceeded my expectations."
"You little rascal... you're a real genius! Hahahahaha!"
Zephyr burst into hearty laughter as he ruffled Yoriichi's hair. Though their clash had lasted barely an instant, Zephyr had already gauged the boy's development. Soru, both forms of Haki...
For Yoriichi to reach this level in just three months had gone far beyond what Zephyr had hoped for. He had originally thought that, under Garp's training, mastering even one of the Six Powers would've been remarkable.
After all, even among Vice Admirals renowned for their hand-to-hand combat, many had only managed to master a single technique. Some high-ranking officers only ever managed three or four. For most, learning just one style could take six months—or even a year.
There were even those who couldn't master a single technique in years, spending their careers scraping by to eventually become a Branch Colonel at best.
But Yoriichi, as he stood now, could likely defeat the majority of Vice Admirals at Marineford Headquarters.
And the kid was only twelve.
More importantly, with talent like his, this current strength was just the beginning of his potential.
"Yoriichi, I have a fairly clear grasp of where you stand now."
"I didn't expect you to master so much in such a short time."
"As expected of my disciple."
"From here on, your next step should be expanding your Haki's coverage, work toward coating your entire body. Once you've achieved that, focus on strengthening its intensity."
"Haki isn't just about quantity. Quality defines its strength, and quantity determines how long you can maintain it in battle."
"Yoriichi, if you keep outputting Haki at the level you just showed, how long do you think you could last in a fight?"
Zephyr's tone shifted subtly, curiosity flickering across his face.
"I'm not entirely sure," Yoriichi replied, "since I haven't fought for real using it yet... but based on what I can estimate, maybe half an hour shouldn't be a problem."
Zephyr nodded at the answer, a flash of satisfaction crossing his face. Then he clapped Yoriichi on the shoulder and spoke with solemn weight:
"A true powerhouse, when going all out, can fight for five to ten days without faltering."
"You've still got a long way to go. Never grow complacent. And never stop moving forward."
Hearing that, Yoriichi nodded seriously.
He didn't doubt Zephyr's words for a second. After all, in the world of One Piece, there truly were terrifying monsters with inhuman stamina and strength.
He had never really considered the issue of endurance before. But now, with Zephyr bringing it up, Yoriichi realized that he still had a long road ahead. He couldn't even fight for a single full day with his current energy output.
There was no helping it, his Haki reserves weren't enough, and neither was his stamina.
"Yoriichi, did Garp ever tell you about something called Life Return?"
Zephyr noticed the thoughtful look on Yoriichi's face and suddenly seemed to remember something. He grinned and asked the question.
Yoriichi's pupils shrank slightly.
He had heard of the term before but Life Return wasn't one of the Six Powers. And truthfully, Garp had never taught him anything about it.
Yoriichi had been so immersed in his Haki training that he'd never stopped to consider it.
He shook his head and looked up at Zephyr.
"Heh... Looks like that fool Garp forgot to teach you the most critical piece!"
"You've made this much progress purely because of your extraordinary talent."
"But Life Return, that's the true foundation of physical enhancement."
"Yoriichi, from now on, mastering that will be your top priority!"
"I'll teach you myself."
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