Kyle knew full well he couldn't defeat Admiral Zephyr—not yet. The man wasn't just any Marine. Right now, Zephyr was in his prime, hailed as one of the strongest fighters in the entire Marine Headquarters. Even if Fleet Admiral Sengoku personally stepped into the arena, the battle's outcome would still be uncertain. The current admirals—Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru—had yet to reach Zephyr's level during this era.
But Kyle didn't come here to win.
He came to show.
There was no point in hiding his strength—not if he aimed to stand at the top of the world one day. This was his chance to grab attention, prove he belonged among the strongest.
Around the training square, the onlookers could all see it—Zephyr wasn't using his full strength. But shockingly, neither was Kyle. And yet, the younger man was keeping up.
"Have you awakened Haki already?" Zephyr asked mid-swing, voice calm, but curious.
Instead of blocking with his dual blades like before, Kyle sidestepped the attack with ease, his movements smooth and precise.
"Observation Haki?" Kyle smirked. "Yeah. I've been working on it."
Zephyr's sharp eyes narrowed.
"It's more than that," he said. "You've already reached a solid level."
That alone was a revelation. Across the seas, fewer than 5% of Marines could use even one type of Haki. And of those, only a handful ever mastered it to a high level. Yet Kyle—still new to Marineford—was demonstrating expert control over Observation Haki.
Zephyr let out a rare chuckle, eyes glowing with approval.
"Gravity powers, swordsmanship, and now Haki... Kyle, you're shaping up to be quite the disciple."
He didn't say the words lightly. Zephyr, the famed trainer of elite Marines, saw potential in many... but this was different.
Suddenly, Zephyr tossed aside his blade and clenched his fists. A dark, shimmering shine coated his hands.
"Black Arm Fist!" he roared.
The air thundered as a shockwave tore through the square, the force rippling outward like a seaquake.
Gasps echoed among the crowd.
"He dropped his sword?!"
"He's switching to fists?! That's Zephyr's specialty—his true strength!"
"He's not holding back anymore!"
"Wait—does this mean Kyle's that strong?!"
"I heard Vice Admirals like Momousagi and Kake are already elite—but this guy might actually surpass them…"
In the crowd, Momousagi tightened her grip on her blade, then slowly sheathed it. The danger had shifted—now that Zephyr had switched to hand-to-hand combat, he could better control the collateral damage. But the fight had only grown more intense.
She stared at Kyle, her sharp eyes troubled.
He wasn't supposed to be this strong. All reports had said he only had Devil Fruit powers and decent physical abilities—not this. Not high-level swordsmanship, not Haki. But he had them. And he was using them like a seasoned warrior.
As Zephyr and Kyle clashed once more in the plaza, fists meeting blades, sparks and shockwaves lit the battlefield.
Zephyr's knuckles crashed into Kyle's twin swords—Sakura—but the young Marine didn't waver.
The older man's grin widened.
This wasn't some uncut stone. This kid was already refined—polished jade. Ready to shine.
He was the real deal.
If Kyle could bring his Devil Fruit power into complete harmony with his swordsmanship and Haki, he'd reach a whole new tier—one capable of pulling meteorites from the sky.
Zephyr saw it now: Kyle wasn't just a promising soldier.
He was a future pillar of the Marines.
"I hope you're not going soft on me, teacher," Kyle said calmly, eyes gleaming. "If you don't go all out... I won't even need to use the Gravity Fruit."
Zephyr let out a booming laugh and shrugged off his Marine cloak. His muscular arms, coated in thick layers of hardened Armament Haki, gleamed like volcanic steel.
"Hmph! You're cocky, kid," he said with a wild grin. "Reminds me of myself when I was your age."
He cracked his fists together, the sound echoing like a cannon blast.
"Alright then… Let's see what the future Admiral of the Marines is made of!"