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"Useless! Your sword strikes need to be steady. Reserve three-tenths of your strength on the thrust, and withdraw your blade quickly. Otherwise, if your first attack misses, you're dead." Zephyr reprimanded the new recruit, his tone a mix of anger and disappointment.
Zephyr was known for his strictness. Almost everyone in the recruit camp had been chewed out by him, and even Smoker had received numerous harsh scoldings. But despite this, the recruits still eagerly sought Zephyr's guidance.
However, there was one exception in the recruit camp: no one had ever seen Admiral Zephyr scold Law. Some said it was because Admiral Zephyr was too fond of this student, while others claimed Law's performance was too perfect, leaving Zephyr with no room for criticism. Regardless of the reason, even when Law was often not in the recruit camp, he remained its focal point.
For instance, at this moment, Law's entry into the recruit camp naturally made him the center of attention. Zephyr, who had just been scolding a recruit with a dark face, couldn't help but break into a relieved and satisfied smile upon seeing Law approach. At this, the recruits could only give a bitter smile; who could blame them for not being as good?
"Law? Is there anything you don't understand in your training?" Zephyr asked, even looking at Law with a hint of anticipation. It had been almost two years since he took Law as a disciple, and in those two years, Zephyr found he had very few opportunities to instruct Law. It wasn't that he lacked time, but that Law could perfectly accomplish many things without any teaching at all, which left Zephyr, the teacher, quite frustrated. Everyone else loved his guidance, but Law, uniquely, didn't need it.
"Law, I was just about to inform you. Tomorrow, the recruits will be going out on a mission, accompanying the fleet to carry out duties."
"Sensei Zephyr." Law nodded, indicating he understood, then added, "I've reached it!"
"Reached it?" Zephyr looked at Law, puzzled. Reached what? A moment later, he realized, staring at Law in shock: "Did you actually do it?"
Law nodded. After two years of extreme training, three months ago, Law could already cleanly sever a three-inch iron plate with a single, continuous sword stroke, and shatter a ten-ton boulder without scattering fragments. But three months ago, Law hadn't immediately sought out Zephyr, because he had only just met the requirement. So he continued his extreme training. It was only now that Law had come! He was even stronger than three months ago.
"You all continue training." Zephyr suppressed the shock in his heart and led Law towards the deserted training ground at the back. Law followed closely, and behind them, naturally, was a group of recruits with envious gazes.
...
"Law, can you really do it?" Zephyr found it hard to believe. His requirements were not low, especially considering Law's strength wasn't formidable two years ago. To improve to this extent, in Zephyr's eyes, reaching it before twenty would be impressive. It had only been two years, and Law was just a little over fifteen.
Law didn't make grand declarations that he could; he disliked proving himself with words, preferring to use actions to show others.
"Law, don't push yourself too hard. Even if you've just met the requirements, it's best to train for a while first." Zephyr kindly reminded him. In his mind, Law was never one to boast. Since he dared to come, he must have a certain level of confidence, but Zephyr believed that even if Law could do it, he would only just barely pass, perhaps needing an extraordinary performance.
Law smiled. He had already arrived at the back training ground, drew a common longsword, and without charging, he swung it at the three-inch iron plate.
"Clang!"
With just one sound, and not many sparks, the sword neatly sliced through the iron plate, without any hesitation.
"This?"
Zephyr took the sword and examined the blade, his eyes narrowing. The blade was untarnished, and the cut was smooth! This clearly far exceeded the goal he had set.
"Law, he...?" Zephyr looked at Law's back in shock. The latter had already struck the ten-ton boulder with a single punch. A loud bang, but no shattered rock fragments. The boulder was left without a mark or movement, but as Zephyr stepped onto the ground, a slight tremor, and the boulder collapsed, disintegrating into countless fragments scattered across the earth. The largest fragment was no bigger than half a palm.
Zephyr's pupils involuntarily dilated. Although it was far from comparable to his own ability to turn it to powder with a single palm, he was an experienced Admiral, and Law was merely a fifteen-year-old boy.
"All of this?" Zephyr stared blankly at everything. "These two years, you must have undergone hellish training, haven't you?"
Zephyr never believed in talent alone. Even though many Devil Fruit abilities greatly enhanced strength, even the owners of those top-tier abilities couldn't reach the pinnacle without their own hard work. Even his least favorite student, Kizaru, Zephyr knew that his ascension to Admiral, while largely due to his Glint-Glint Fruit, was also inseparable from his diligent training. Zephyr believed that to grow to this extent in two years was absolutely not due to talent. To summarize it as mere talent or genius, he felt, would be the greatest insult to Law.
"This old man admits, it surpassed my expectations," Zephyr said in shock. "With such a growth rate, if you, Law, don't rise, this old man would consider it impossible." Zephyr didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment. Happiness? It seemed far from sufficient to describe it. Even though he had once trained top-tier powerhouses like Akainu and Kizaru, when he taught Akainu and the others in the recruit camp, Zephyr knew he was far less happy than he was now. At that time, they were already very strong, already in their twenties, some even nearing thirty. Looking at Law, in Zephyr's eyes, he was a raw jade that had just begun to be carved.
"This old man will absolutely not tolerate anyone obstructing Law's path forward." Zephyr vowed inwardly. Nearing seventy, he knew he didn't have many more years left to train new recruits. Law, in his eyes, would be the most splendid teacher's journey in the final stretch of his life. Law would bring his teaching career to a perfect conclusion.
"Law, since you have achieved your goal, this old man has no reason left to refuse. I will now impart the Haki training methods to you."