From start to finish, Michael had never intended for Charloss to carry out a suicide bombing...
But neither had he expected the man's fanatical devotion to reach such extremes.
Initially, it was just for convenience—to plant a somewhat useful spy among the Celestial Dragons.
Yet, in the process of cultivating a spy, they ended up creating a devout follower...
But for Charloss, this might not necessarily be a bad thing.
After all, having witnessed the hellish scene of Celestial Dragons being executed by Rayleigh and others, he desperately needed something to anchor his spirit.
And Michael was clearly the perfect figure to worship.
Over the years, Charloss had subjected himself to all kinds of brainwashing self-hypnosis, ultimately transforming Michael into the angelic deity who would save everything in his mind.
However, Michael had merely used him as a one-way conduit for information about the Celestial Dragons.
From any perspective, Michael never expected Charloss to develop to this extent.
Still...
Death extinguishes all.
To Michael, Charloss was ultimately an enemy—merely a tool turned against his own kind.
After a brief, quiet sigh, Michael immediately threw himself into the establishment of the youth training program.
This time, Sengoku and he weren't just planning to create something similar to the elite training camp...
Instead, they were formally establishing a dedicated department within the Marines to take in and educate these youths, preparing them to officially join the Marines upon adulthood and be deployed across the seas.
In essence, a "military academy."
It wasn't just about having instructors like Zephyr teach them combat and guide them onto the path of strength...
More importantly, there were academic subjects.
Michael had specifically recruited over a dozen scholars from Alabasta, each proficient in different fields, to serve as the youth program's academic instructors.
Violence was unavoidable, but in the future, they would need to govern this capricious sea.
Thus, academic knowledge was their best way to understand the world.
"Michael, so this is where you were." Zephyr approached from behind, eyeing the bottle in Michael's hand with mild surprise.
"Hm? you drink? That's not a cheap bottle."
"I have little interest in alcohol." Michael raised the bottle slightly.
"I'm just here to pay respects to the dead."
"Pay respects?" Zephyr paused. "To Saint Charloss? If I recall, you were the one who saved him from Rayleigh back then."
"I'm paying respects to the dead—but not Charloss. It's for those who were killed by the Celestial Dragons..."
With a flick of his wrist, Michael sent the bottle flying into the sea.
"I wanted to tell them that another Celestial Dragon has gone to meet them below. Another part of their blood debt has been repaid."
Michael's gaze was so resolute it gave Zephyr pause.
While he held no fondness for the Celestial Dragons himself, Michael's attitude...
Was something else.
As one of the highest-ranking decision-makers in the Marines, such open and vehement hatred for the Celestial Dragons was... unusual.
"What is it, Instructor Zephyr?" Michael noticed Zephyr staring intently at his face and instinctively touched his cheek.
"Is there something on my face?"
"Ah... no, nothing."
In the end, Zephyr could only let out a sigh, leaving all his questions unspoken.
After all, he had already stepped back from the frontlines for so long—the Marine was no longer his era!
The current Marine is the era of the Three Admirals and Michael!
The era of the SWORD Classified Special Forces members!
The future belongs to the youth training program being built right now!
His task was to ensure that this new generation wouldn't fall short compared to the SWORD Classified Special Forces.
It was no small challenge, after all—not every talent was perfectly suited for direct combat.
"By the way, Instructor Zephyr, was there something you needed from me?" Michael twitched his lips slightly as he asked.
"The topic completely derailed once we started talking about alcohol."
"Ah, right—look at my memory… Getting old does make one a bit slow." Zephyr patted his head before straightening his expression.
"It's about the youth training program… The prodigies gathered from all over the world have already started arriving at Marine Headquarters."
"Oh? They're here already?" Michael was surprised.
"The dedicated campus and dormitories for the youth program aren't even fully completed yet. Why are they arriving so soon?"
"Probably… the reckless enthusiasm unique to the young?" Zephyr sighed helplessly.
"I specifically had Marine liaisons inform them that there was no need to rush—they just had to arrive sometime this month."
"Hahaha, in that case, you really can't blame them." Michael laughed.
"After all, they technically are meeting your condition of 'arriving within this month.'"
"True. I'm just a little taken aback by how quickly these youngsters act." Zephyr sighed again, looking exasperated.
"But since they're here, we can't just let them run wild all over Marineford…"
"Of course not, Instructor Zephyr!" Michael nodded firmly.
"These so-called prodigies are just a bunch of hyperactive troublemakers with way too much energy. If we leave them unsupervised, who knows what kind of mess they'll cause? Here's an idea—let's gather them up and meet them first. What do you think?"
"At this point… that might be the only option."
...
Michael and Zephyr's orders were quickly relayed to all units within Marine Headquarters.
Everyone began directing any youth program members they spotted toward the plaza in front of the main building.
Soon, the vast square was packed with a sea of young faces.
They ranged from children as young as five or six to teenagers up to seventeen or eighteen—every age was represented.
But what most of them shared was the same restless excitement and eager energy.
Of course… not everyone was like that.
Among the crowd, there was a group that seemed already accustomed to life at Marine Headquarters.
Unsurprisingly, these were the current Marine dependents—led by Garp's three little brats and Michael's five little brats.
So… Michael decided to make an example out of them.
"Hey! Ace! Ichiji! Reiju! What are you brats muttering about over there!? Are you ignoring me!? If you've got something to say, say it out loud!"
"Uh, nothing. We weren't saying anything." Reiju shot the others a glare before forcing an awkward smile.
"I told you to speak up—so speak up!"
"Uncle Michael! Your front door seems to be open!"
The one who raised his hand and loudly reported this was none other than the impulsive Luffy.
Michael nodded in acknowledgment.
"See that! This is honesty and immediate obedience to orders! Everyone except Luffy, run five laps around Marineford!"
"...Luffy, you run ten laps!"
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