"A brand new instructor?!"
The youths who were running laps and warming up on the massive training ground instantly stopped their steps and quickly gathered around York and Zephyr. The young monsters, varying significantly in age and size, intensely scrutinized the towering man standing beside their Captain.
They were not unfamiliar with Zephyr's face.
After all, he was a legendary former Admiral, and his "retirement" from the front lines had only officially happened at the beginning of this year. Zephyr's imposing visage had appeared frequently in global newspapers in previous years, not to mention that these very youths had recently fought a chaotic battle right under his nose during the Pirate Expo on Firedrop Island.
"A former Marine Admiral is going to be our actual instructor?! Hee-Ha!!"
Emporio Ivankov's incredibly large face—which was comparable in sheer volume to his entire upper body—beamed with massive excitement. He dramatically struck a flawless martial arts pose resembling the 'Golden Rooster Standing on One Leg.'
"Rumor in the Underworld has it that Admiral Zephyr holds the terrifying title 'Black Arm' Zephyr! What pirates fear most about him is his absolute, overpowering physical combat techniques and his peerless Armament Haki! Hee-Ha!!"
Ivankov looked at Zephyr, his large eyes full of intense martial anticipation.
"Former Admiral! How knowledgeable are you specifically about Kicking Techniques? I've always felt my high-speed kicks lack a bit of raw, penetrative power. Could you give me some expert guidance right now?!"
Ivankov's loud, enthusiastic introduction instantly made the eyes of the surrounding youths light up with fierce competitive fire.
Although they weren't unfamiliar with Zephyr's rank, that familiarity only extended to his face and reputation; none of them really understood Zephyr's actual, practical combat abilities up close. Now, after Ivankov's hype, they were all eager to test themselves against a legend.
The Three Masters of the Crimson Empire—York, Kaido, and Dragon—as well as several of the female executives, had all technically served as their teachers at some point. However, York and the others mostly taught them by having them ruthlessly train their basic, foundational abilities: physical fitness, raw strength, endless stamina, and survival reflexes.
Only when the children reached at least thirteen years old would formal, specialized instruction in advanced Combat Techniques and Haki truly begin.
Most of the youths currently present had reached or surpassed thirteen years old, except for Marshall D. Teach, Enel, and Olga. Olga's physical development was permanently, bizarrely slowed by hundreds of years of wearing the legendary Pure Gold ring, causing her to only grow from the appearance of a six-year-old to an eight-year-old over the last five actual years.
Theoretically, the older Vanguard interns should all be actively receiving professional, daily instruction. But unfortunately, York was simply too busy building an empire, Dragon had been frequently deployed for covert intelligence, Kaido was a terrible teacher who only knew how to beat people with a club, and the executives were swamped with logistics. This meant the youths had precious few opportunities for deep, advanced instruction.
Now, finally, a proper, dedicated instructor had arrived—and a former Marine Admiral at that! Someone who had both received and designed the most systematic and professional training in the world!
If he was truly willing to teach them without prejudice, they firmly believed their strength would absolutely skyrocket!!
Zephyr clearly saw the intense, bloodthirsty excitement in the youths' eyes, but he didn't give them a chance to excitedly chatter. He extended his massive, scarred hand forward and pressed down slightly, the sheer weight of his aura silently signaling the children to calm down.
Zephyr spoke in a deep, commanding voice that echoed across the field: "I have formally promised Captain York that I would serve as your instructor. Barring any unforeseen, extreme circumstances, I will become your Full-Time Chief Instructor. So, those of you who desperately wish to learn from me don't need to rush and aggressively urge me right now. You will have plenty of time to bleed."
This heavy statement instantly calmed the youths' anxious, eager hearts.
Zephyr then casually took off his outer garment, tossing it aside and revealing a massive, heavily scarred, solid physique with muscles defined like blocks of tempered steel. Dressed only in a tight black vest and trousers, Zephyr squeezed through the ring of children and walked confidently to the exact center of the open training ground.
"This is my first day formally meeting you, so I am still entirely unclear about your respective foundational strengths, weaknesses, and Devil Fruit abilities. Captain York confidently told me you are all exceptionally talented geniuses."
Zephyr cracked his knuckles, a terrifying grin appearing on his face.
"Let's have a fight!"
"Actual, brutal combat is the best measure of true strength!"
"Only after we physically fight can I properly formulate a precise, customized training plan to break each of you down and build you back up."
Zephyr's voice wasn't particularly loud, but it was exactly like a heavy stone dropped into boiling water, instantly making the atmosphere of the training ground fiery hot.
The youths looked at each other, their eyes first showing surprise, then igniting with even greater, feral excitement. Sparring against a legendary former Marine Admiral in actual, sanctioned combat was a rarer, more valuable opportunity than any theoretical training!
Douglas Bullet was naturally the very first to violently jump out from the crowd.
He was the most aggressive, combat-hungry fighter among them; he had already carelessly let Ivankov get ahead of him with the talking just now, and he absolutely wouldn't allow himself to be second in a fight.
"Admiral! I'll go first!" Bullet roared.
A pair of still-tender but massive fists clenched incredibly tight. Under the passive, terrifying enhancement of his Paramecia ability, the muscles in his arms swelled, making it feel as if he could physically crush the air itself just by flexing.
Zephyr narrowed his eyes, instantly noticing the distinct, unnatural physical abnormality in Bullet's aura. He asked, "Are you a Devil Fruit User?!"
Bullet nodded slightly, grinding his teeth. "Paramecia-type: Riki Riki no Mi (Strength-Strength Fruit)!"
"A fruit that purely, fundamentally amplifies raw physical strength!" Zephyr sighed softly.
This specific kind of Devil Fruit might seem incredibly plain and lacking in flashiness compared to Logias, but in the hands of a brawler, it provided the most direct and terrifyingly effective help in close-quarters combat.
Zephyr had originally intended to arrogantly let the little monsters attack him all at once to establish dominance, but now he suddenly changed his mind.
It wasn't that he was afraid of being overwhelmed by the little ones fighting together and losing face; a dignified Marine Admiral, even an aging one, could still easily defeat these children in a matter of seconds. Rather, it seemed most of these little monsters possessed highly potent, world-class Devil Fruit abilities.
In this situation, if he held a chaotic, large-scale melee, he might not be able to accurately, clinically gauge the true foundational strength and current training progress of every single individual child.
Therefore, Zephyr adopted a swift change in teaching strategy.
"As you wish, kid. You will be the first."
Zephyr pointed at the crowd. "The same rule goes for everyone else. I will give each of you a chance to spar with me individually, but you need to discuss and politely decide the queue order yourselves."
Hearing this, King instantly and silently stepped directly behind Bullet, firmly claiming the second spot.
Seeing this blatant line-cutting, the other youths collectively shouted, "King! You're too cunning!!"
King replied in a cold, calm tone beneath his mask, "You are the ones who are too foolish to move fast."
During the brief squabble, Ivankov cleverly positioned himself directly behind King. "Hee-Ha!! The early bird gets the worm! Those who hesitate stand in the back!"
"Ah! Iva-chan! You snuck ahead too!!" Ginny let out an unhappy, piercing scream, but while she was screaming, Enel, utilizing the blinding swiftness of the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit), instantly flashed into existence behind Ivankov.
"Mortals! Line up behind the God and eat my dust!!" Eneru laughed arrogantly.
"ENEL!!" Ginny rushed forward furiously and punched Enel ruthlessly on the top of his head.
The afro-haired Skypiean was hit so hard a massive, comical bump instantly popped up on his head. "Damn it, woman! You dare hit a God?!"
Ginny stood behind Enel, menacingly waving her small fist, which was completely wrapped in dense, black Armament Haki. "So what if I hit you, sparky?!"
Enel pouted, rubbing his head. "Forget it... I won't stoop to the lowly level of a mortal like you."
After the small, chaotic farce, the remaining people quickly and respectfully arranged themselves into a queue.
Behind Ginny was Olga. Teach could have easily rushed ahead and used his size to push in, but he deliberately, politely gave the spot to Olga. Olga put her small hands on her hips and patted his shoulder approvingly. "You're a very sensible kid, Teach!"
Then, Kuma politely yielded the spot he could have taken to Teach. "Teach, you go first."
Little Teach chuckled heartily and thanked Kuma. "Zehahaha! Thanks, Brother Kuma."
At this point, the core Vanguard interns had perfectly sorted out their fighting order, but two older pirates were watching eagerly from nearby.
Hanafuda boldly looked up and asked York, "Captain York... can we join in?"
York lightly raised his chin, gesturing casually toward Zephyr. "You'll have to ask the Chief Instructor for his professional opinion."
"You two men can come along too," Zephyr's deep voice drifted over from the center of the field, and Hanafuda and Magha were immediately overjoyed.
Personal, physical combat guidance from a legendary former Marine Admiral! Although they intensely hated and rejected the Marines on a geopolitical level, that was only when they were enemies on the battlefield. As allies, the martial benefits of receiving personal, systematic instruction from an Admiral were simply mouth-watering!
Zephyr paid no mind to their excitement. After all, there were only so many people in this elite squad; adding these two older cadres wouldn't be too many to handle, and subtracting them wouldn't be too few.
However, Kuma—the boy whom Zephyr was most concerned about due to his terrifying Nikyu Nikyu no Mi ability—was ranked dead last in the queue. Zephyr's sharp gaze swept over Kuma at the very end, but he said no more, refocusing his attention on Bullet.
"If you're completely ready, attack. Do not hold back."
The exact instant the words fell, a massive, terrifying black surge of invisible Haki spread seamlessly over the entire training ground from not far away.
It was York; the Emperor was silently, casually protecting the physical bedrock of the Sky Island with advanced Armament Haki to prevent it from being shattered by the incoming impacts.
Bullet didn't even notice this subtle detail. He took a deep, roaring breath and stomped incredibly heavily on the ground, cracking the surface slightly.
Under the passive, terrifying augmentation of the Riki Riki no Mi, he lunged at Zephyr like a massive cannonball shot from a barrel.
His right hand clenched into a devastating fist, the muscles in his arm swelled grotesquely, and the thick cuff of his formerly fitting training uniform instantly ripped open from the sheer expansion. His right fist charged straight toward Zephyr's scarred face, generating a sharp, high-pitched sound of tearing air.
To Zephyr, the raw, kinetic power of this punch was in no way physically inferior to that of the current Sakazuki! One must know that Sakazuki was already twenty-three years old and a fully grown adult monster! Even if Sakazuki hadn't fully mastered Haki or gained Logia Devil Fruit abilities yet, his current physical conditioning was not something the still-developing, teenage Bullet should logically match.
The only explanation was that the Riki Riki no Mi's conceptual enhancement allowed the teenager Bullet to possess the exact same raw strength as the adult Sakazuki.
Zephyr's eyes narrowed slightly. He did not block. He waited patiently and observed carefully.
Only when the devastating fist was less than an inch from touching his nose did Zephyr suddenly, flawlessly shift his massive body sideways. His right hand shot out like blinding lightning to precisely, effortlessly grip Bullet's thick wrist.
The physical force Zephyr used seemed incredibly light, yet it was exactly like an impenetrable iron clamp. No matter how much Bullet furiously roared and tried to activate his Devil Fruit power, his wrist remained completely, absolutely immobile in the Admiral's grip.
"The raw strength is more than sufficient... but it's entirely concentrated in the fist. Your body is like a massive tree without deep roots."
Zephyr's voice was perfectly calm, like tempered ice. His free left hand gently pressed against Bullet's exposed waist.
"When punching with such force, your core must be tight, and the kinetic power from your legs needs to flow fluidly upward. The way you are currently striking, if I slightly divert your forward force, you won't be able to stand steady."
Before his voice even faded, Zephyr lightly twisted Bullet's wrist using a master's leverage.
Bullet felt a subtle, impossible skillful force travel rapidly up his arm. Most of his tightly coiled, destructive power instantly dissipated, and his heavy body involuntarily stumbled violently forward.
He hurriedly tried to adjust his balance, but the hand Zephyr had lightly placed on his waist gave a simple push, causing the massive teenager to stagger and fall completely. His knee slammed heavily onto the invisible Haki York had used to protect the ground, making Bullet grimace in agonizing pain.
"Get up." Zephyr withdrew his hand, his tone completely flat and unyielding. "Try again. Remember to actively use your core for power. Don't just stubbornly rely on your arms."
Bullet gritted his teeth, rubbed his bruising knee, and stood firm again, his eyes burning. This time, he didn't blindly rush to punch. Instead, following Zephyr's reminder, he subtly tightened his core muscles and adjusted his wide stance slightly into a stable, front-back open Bow Stance.
When Bullet punched again, the speed of the fist was slightly slower, but it gained a terrifying, massive amount of physical stability. The force of the punch no longer contained just explosive 'brute strength,' but also a highly dangerous, consistent flow of kinetic power.
A subtle, genuine hint of approval flashed deep in Zephyr's eyes. This time, he didn't casually meet the punch head-on. After smoothly sidestepping the strike, he gently patted Bullet's extended arm with his palm to guide the momentum.
"That's right, just like that. Physical power should flow like a raging river—from your feet anchored to the ground, to your twisting waist, then through your arm, finally violently gathering in your fist, instead of just inefficiently 'bottling up' the raw strength strictly in your arm."
Bullet instantly stopped moving, pondering Zephyr's words repeatedly in his head, his thick fingers unconsciously rubbing the surface of his knuckles. The feeling of that second punch just now was incredibly strange; although he hadn't consciously added more physical force via his Devil Fruit, it felt significantly much more solid and devastating than before.
He looked up at Zephyr, his eyes showing far less arrogant stubbornness and much more profound conviction.
"Next."
Zephyr casually waved his hand, signaling Bullet to step aside, and his sharp gaze fell upon King, who was second in the queue.
King walked forward entirely expressionlessly, his long legs moving silently. His hands hung naturally by his sides, but his fingertips subtly, dangerously glowed with pale blue fire.
"I am a Zoan-type Devil Fruit User," King stated coldly. "Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix! (Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Phoenix Form!)"
"A Mythical Zoan?" A trace of clinical surprise flashed in Zephyr's eyes. His gaze then narrowed, focusing heavily on King's dark complexion, his black wings, and his long, snow-white hair.
"Not only are you an incredibly rare Mythical Zoan... but if I'm not mistaken, you should also be a surviving member of the legendary Lunarians."
King's pupils violently contracted behind his mask.
Even now, he still felt incredibly defensive and uncomfortable when outsiders casually referred to his hunted race by name. However, the current him would at least no longer become blindly enraged and attack because of it.
"Do you think a mere human can actually teach me anything?!" King lightly raised his chin, a heavy hint of racial arrogance showing in his tone.
A Lunarian combined with a highly lethal, flight-capable Mythical Zoan—at least in King's memory, such a devastating combination had never existed before. Could Zephyr, merely an ordinary human Admiral without a Devil Fruit, really teach him well?!
Facing King's slight, defensive arrogance, Zephyr simply smiled faintly.
"Raw strength and combat technique training ultimately lead to the exact same destination, regardless of your race or bloodline."
Zephyr crossed his arms. "And the Lunarians, as far as I know from the classified archives, possess extremely strong, near-invincible physical defense talent, exceptional speed and agility talent, and also have the innate, terrifying power to manipulate fire."
"Such biological talent is indeed heaven-sent," Zephyr noted. "But correspondingly, because you have so many gifts, you need to learn far more things than ordinary others."
Zephyr's sharp gaze noticed the long, slender, jagged machete tucked securely at King's waist. "You seem to be a Swordsman as well?"
"That's right! Captain York is the one who personally taught me Swordsmanship!" King nodded proudly.
Zephyr merely chuckled deeply upon hearing this.
"Then you must be a truly, exhaustingly hardworking kid." Zephyr held up his fingers, counting them off. "Swordsmanship! Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit abilities! Haki mastery! And your Lunarian Racial Talents!"
"While ordinary humans only need to learn two, or at most three, specific skills... you logically need to master at least four completely different disciplines! Furthermore, your racial talent can be further subdivided into two entirely separate abilities: Fire manipulation and Agility forms."
Zephyr looked at him sternly. "A person's capacity for learning and time in a day is physically limited. Even if you are a Lunarian, it's impossible to efficiently learn and master everything simultaneously."
"Therefore, you must make a choice."
Zephyr lowered his hand. "Which discipline to major in, which one to minor in. First, you must ruthlessly elevate one specific ability to the pinnacle of the world, and only then critically consider addressing your other shortcomings."
Zephyr's highly logical words made King frown slightly beneath his mask. It had to be said, what the Admiral said made perfect, terrifying sense.
When he first ate the Phoenix Fruit, he hadn't really noticed this time-management issue. But after these months of grueling training, he had vaguely sensed that wanting to flawlessly master everything at once might be completely unrealistic. After all, every single type of training consumes a massive amount of time, and yet the time available each day is rigidly limited. He still needed to eat, drink, and sleep, in addition to attending Ginny's cultural classes. It was simply impossible for all of his monstrous abilities to advance to the Emperor level simultaneously.
"So... how exactly should I make my choice?" King's tone softened significantly, finally carrying a genuine hint of respect for the teacher.
Zephyr curved his lip into a terrifying smile and beckoned the Lunarian over with his hand.
"That requires finding the bloody truth through actual combat!"
Zephyr cracked his neck. "Come at me! We will prioritize your strongest aspect as the main training focus, while treating your other abilities as necessary supplementary training!"
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