The Marine Academy was located not within Marineford itself, but on a nearby isolated islet. The reason was simple, Z wasn't teaching military theory. His curriculum focused on combat training, intense physical drills, and frequent sparring sessions. The sheer destructiveness of such training, especially considering there were two Logia-type monsters enrolled, meant the academy needed to be far from any civilian infrastructure.
If they were to fight seriously, they could easily reduce all of Marineford to rubble.
Thus, the islet was the perfect solution. Apart from a single Marine Academy dormitory, the entire island was barren—no buildings, no wildlife, just wide-open land. And with Marineford only a thirty-minute trip away, resupply was never an issue. The cadets never had to worry about going hungry.
But today, the Marine Academy was eerily different. Normally filled with the roars of drills and sparring, the training grounds now sat in complete silence. You could hear a pin drop.
All cadets of the first class stood in perfect formation on the plaza, waiting to be reviewed by some of the highest-ranking figures in the Navy.
That's right, some of the top brass were coming today.
Fleet Admiral Kong, Admiral Sengoku the Buddha, and Hero of the Marines Garp himself were all scheduled to inspect the academy.
Sengoku came out of concern for his son, wanting to witness Rosinante face Z's entrance exam before setting off for the New World.
Garp? As usual, he'd heard there was action and came along just for the fun of it.
But somehow, their plans reached Fleet Admiral Kong, who, curious himself, decided to take half a day off from global affairs and join the visit.
So Z was suddenly informed: Today, Fleet Admiral Kong, accompanied by Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp, will be inspecting and encouraging the academy cadets.
Just like that, this was no longer a mere entrance exam. It had become an official military inspection. Z had no choice but to halt all training for half the day and prepare the cadets to receive their superiors.
In private, Z even called Kong via Radio Snail to complain. "Fleet Admiral, you're being far too willful! What are you doing here disrupting my training schedule?!"
Kong could only apologize, somewhat sheepishly.
Still, for the cadets, the visit was a monumental event. These men weren't just commanders, they were icons. Many of the cadets had joined the Navy after hearing tales of their heroics.
"They're here!"
The training ground faced the sea. In the distance, three warships sailed in formation toward the dock. The ships soon anchored, and Fleet Admiral Kong, Admiral Sengoku, and Vice Admiral Garp disembarked in order, flanked by a contingent of Marines.
"Look! That's Fleet Admiral Kong!"
"Whoa, it's Admiral Sengoku! It's really him!"
"OMG, that guy with the dog-hat, that's Garp the Hero, right?! He's so cool!"
…
"Shut your mouths, you rookies!" Z bellowed, face dark with irritation. "How many times have I told you? They're just a bunch of veterans! What's there to shout about?!"
The cadets immediately fell silent.
Except one.
A tall, lanky cadet with a perpetually smug, punchable face puckered his lips and whined in a nasal tone, "So scary. Master Z is so strict~"
"Shut it, Borsalino, unless you want to get punished!"
Another cadet, a stone-faced man with a perpetually serious look snapped at him.
"Nu-nuh~ Sakazuki, don't be such a stiff. And whispering a bit can't hurt anyone, yeah?"
"Silence, Borsalino. One more word and I'll knock you out ."
"What a monster. He's actually threatening to hit me…"
"I said shut it, Borsalino!!"
Borsalino opened his mouth to throw out another snide remark, but one stern glare from Z shut him right up. Hands raised in surrender, he backed down.
Not worth it. Of all the people in the academy, Z was the only one Borsalino truly feared.
Z was relentless, strict to the core, and absolutely loathed Borsalino's lazy and irreverent attitude. He was constantly giving him extra drills as punishment.
Sakazuki, on the other hand, was Z's favorite.
Disciplined, serious, and unwavering, Sakazuki never cut corners in his training. He even added extra practice on his own.
Still, Z couldn't ignore one concern—Sakazuki's extreme sense of justice. But that came from his childhood.
Sakazuki had been born in the North Blue, in a family of Marines. His father, a Major in a local base, instilled the Navy's ideals into him from a young age. Sakazuki had idolized justice.
But one day, while pursuing a group of pirates, his father cornered them on an island. The pirates disguised themselves as civilians, blending in with a group of refugees boarding a merchant ship. Not wanting to harm innocents, his father let the ship go.
But those pirates later returned with reinforcements, captured his father, and beheaded him. The Navy rescued young Sakazuki and took him in as an orphan.
That event forever warped his worldview.
Even civilians… if they're associated with pirates, they're guilty. They must be eliminated.
Borsalino's personality was just as much a product of his upbringing.
He came from a decent background, his parents were minor officials in the World Government. They led a laid-back life, clocking in and out of work, collecting salaries, playing mahjong, and enjoying a carefree existence.
Raised in that environment, Borsalino developed his own brand of "public servant justice."
"If the pay's low, I can't beat anyone. Double the salary? I'll take on Four Emperors. Add a bonus? I'll even smack a Five Elders. I say the weakest stuff, but fire the hardest lasers."
That's our Yellow Monkey, a man whose power level is entirely dependent on his paycheck.
"Fleet Admiral Kong!"
Z approached and saluted. Kong let out a hearty laugh.
"Ha ha ha! No need to be so stiff, Z. I just came to see the future of our Navy. Let them show me what they've got!"
"Yes, sir!"
Z gave the order. Assistant instructors stepped in and had the cadets begin demonstrations of what they'd learned so far.
Kong watched intently, clearly impressed. This class was exceptional. And those two—Sakazuki and Borsalino, already possessed terrifying power. They might even be able to go toe-to-toe with some current Rear Admirals.
"Excellent work, Z. They're top-class. Oh, and I brought you another promising recruit today—Rosinante!"
"Present!"
Rosinante jogged up to the platform, wearing a slightly undersized standard Navy uniform. All the cadets below stared in confusion.
"Who's this brat?"
"What's he doing on the stage?"
"Fleet Admiral Kong!"
Rosinante saluted. Kong turned to Z and smiled.
"Z, this kid went all-out to honor a promise he made to you. He's earned his shot."
"Oh?" Z raised an eyebrow. "Then show me the results of your training."
His gaze sharpened as he looked at Rosinante, evaluating him like a drill sergeant inspecting a raw recruit.
(End of Chapter)
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