Aokiji lowered his head slightly and said nothing.He had been both witness and participant in the tragedy that unfolded more than four months ago in O'Hara—a massacre that wiped out an entire island of scholars under the Navy's flag.
The "burning justice" that had once blazed so fiercely in his heart had dimmed ever since. The fire was gone, leaving only the dull embers of doubt. Even his entire presence had changed—from spirited and ambitious to weary, almost lethargic.
Zefa could feel the shift in his former student. But comforting him was something he didn't know how to do.What could he say to justify the Buster Call?From what position could he explain the cruelty behind that so-called justice?
Like Aokiji, Zefa too could barely stand the things the higher-ups had done. But with the iron weight of Mary Joa's authority pressing down on them all, he'd long understood there were things no one—neither a vice admiral nor even the Navy's youngest former admiral—could ever change.
"...Haaah."Zefa let out a long sigh before speaking softly again."There are lessons I can't teach you, Aokiji. All I can hope is that, whatever others do—whatever your superiors have done—you'll still hold fast to the justice in your own heart."
He paused, then added with a small smile, "There haven't been many missions around headquarters lately. I doubt you're eager to jump back into major battles anyway, right?"
He studied Aokiji's expression for a moment, then nodded to himself."Good. It's about time for the batch of new recruits I've been training to undergo their practical assessment."
"Originally, I planned to lead them myself," he continued, clapping a broad hand on his student's shoulder. "But since you're back… I'll leave it to you this time. I could use a little rest myself. How about it?"
"Leave it… to me?" Aokiji finally looked up, clearly taken aback.
"That's right!"Zefa laughed heartily and gave his shoulder another friendly pat."Don't overthink it. Just take it as a small vacation. Though to be honest, you've had so much time off lately that some of the others might start to envy you."
Aokiji's lips twitched. He hesitated, then finally nodded under Zefa's encouraging gaze. He wasn't a fool—he understood what his mentor was doing.
This wasn't about delegation.It was Zefa's way of giving him time—to relax, to be among young cadets still burning with passion for justice and dreams of the future.Maybe, just maybe, their optimism could help him rediscover his own purpose and climb out of this long, cold shadow of doubt.
But still...Aokiji's eyes drifted toward the window. Outside, the white flag of Marineford fluttered in the salty wind.Could something as simple as that really melt the ice in his heart?
The Elite Training Grounds
In the wide, echoing indoor arena, over two hundred new recruits from the Navy's elite training camp were gathered in groups, sparring and practicing close-quarters combat.
It was already nine in the morning. The daily drills had been underway for some time. As chief instructor, Zefa hadn't shown up yet, but a messenger had come running with an unexpected announcement.
"Tomorrow's assessment has been cancelled!"
"What? Cancelled?"Aisaka Noya, who had been sparring with Shiryu using Rokushiki forms, blinked in confusion."What's going on? Did Instructor Zefa take a few days off or something?"
"To be exact," Shiryu corrected, lazily flicking away his cigarette smoke as he dodged Noya's bamboo sword with a Soru step, "it's not cancelled—just postponed. I heard during breakfast that Instructor Zefa was discussing something with Admiral Sengoku. Word is, he's planning a real-world exercise to give us rookies a taste of live combat. Probably been setting it up these last few days."
"I see…"Noya nodded thoughtfully. They'd been training at headquarters for almost a year now—doing endless drills, routine assessments, and simulated battles. It was all starting to feel repetitive.A real deployment sounded exciting.
"Any rumors about who the target might be?" he asked. "Which pirate crew? Someone from the New World or just the first half of the Grand Line?"
Shiryu gave him a flat look. "You think too big. No way we're touching the New World. Even if it's called 'practical assessment,' it's still just an exercise. With our level of strength, if we went there—even under an instructor's protection—half of us wouldn't make it back alive. Zefa-sensei wouldn't risk that."
He took another drag from his cigarette and exhaled."Most likely, we'll be sent against pirates in the first half of the Grand Line. Maybe even one of the Four Seas. There are plenty of small fry out there to practice on. Of course…" He smirked. "Except your precious Higashi Umi."
Noya groaned. "You had to bring that up…"
Everyone knew it—the East Sea had the weakest pirates of the four. The rest of the seas were crawling with captains whose bounties soared past fifty or sixty million. But the East Sea? The highest bounty there was barely over ten million Berries.
"The truth hurts, huh?" Shiryu teased.
Noya sighed dramatically. "You should really work on your bedside manner, Shiryu. And besides, from the Navy's point of view, a sea without dangerous pirates isn't a bad thing."
Shiryu snorted but didn't argue. Instead, he tilted his head. "By the way, you looked pretty disappointed when you heard about the postponement. You've been looking forward to this assessment since morning, haven't you? Feeling confident? Planning to climb up the rankings this time?"
Noya froze."Was I that obvious?" he muttered under his breath.
Unfortunately, Shiryu's guess was spot on.Ever since he'd awakened his mysterious system yesterday, Noya had been itching to test himself.
With the intermediate "Paper Art" mastery he'd gained, plus a small boost to his endurance stats, he might not win outright—but cracking the top twenty was definitely within reach.After spending so long stuck in the fifties, he was ready to move up.
He'd already imagined the perfect scene: deliberately holding back at first, then unleashing his full strength mid-match to shock everyone—a classic "hidden ace" moment.But now?The test was postponed.
He groaned inwardly."Figures. The universe always finds a way to ruin a good plan…"
"Still spacing out?"A calm voice sounded right behind his ear. Noya jolted in surprise—Shiryu, who'd been standing in front of him a second ago, had vanished, reappearing at his right rear flank.
"Finger Gun—!"
Shiryu's finger shot forward like a bullet toward Noya's shoulder. He'd dialed down the strength, so even a direct hit would only sting, but the speed was still blistering—mere inches from impact.
Got you, Shiryu thought with quiet satisfaction.Noya's guard was down. He'd never be able to dodge that.
But just as the blow was about to land—
Noya's body twisted in an unnatural arc, fluid and weightless. He bent backward, letting the attack pass a hair's breadth from his skin, as though the air itself had guided his movement.
"...Huh!?"
Shiryu inhaled sharply.That wasn't just reflex—he could feel it in the way the airflow shifted around his fingertips.That was Kami-e, the Paper Art—one of the Six Powers.
"Incredible…" he murmured.As Noya straightened up, Shiryu stared at him like he was some kind of alien. "All right, who are you and what have you done with Aisaka Noya? When the hell did you get that good at Paper Art?"
Noya rubbed his neck and sighed."Shiryu… you know, sometimes the truth really does hurt."
And that was how the day began for the cadets of the elite camp—under the thick morning fog of Marineford, with rivalry, banter, and the faint scent of ambition in the air.