Victor returned to the wooden cabin with the two girls. His body was riddled with severe internal injuries, and the fastest way to recover was to hunt Sea Kings. Of course, Victor wouldn't tolerate staying injured for long—so the Sea Kings would just have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
The next day was the official assessment for the recruits, but Victor didn't attend. Instead, he sat cross-legged in front of the cabin, focusing on healing.
Rebecca and Wendy went to take their exams—they didn't have Victor's reputation or strength to skip the process.
Victor wasn't worried about whether they'd pass. Rebecca, a swordsman who had awakened Observation Haki, already had combat skills on par with a Marine Captain. The test wouldn't be an issue for her.
As for Wendy, after months of rigorous training and real combat experience, her reflexes had reached Kami-e (Paper Drawing) levels. Getting into the Elite Training Camp wouldn't be difficult.
By the afternoon, the two girls returned. With so few examinees, the assessments had wrapped up quickly.
"Victor, both you and Sakazuki got punished!" Rebecca announced.
"Oh? Let's hear it. What did Fleet Admiral Sengoku decide?" Victor asked curiously.
"Your allowance is suspended, and Sakazuki's salary is frozen—until the training grounds are fully repaired! That bastard broke the rules first, so why are you being punished too?" Rebecca grumbled.
"Oh, and the buildings you sliced apart also need to be rebuilt," Wendy added with a giggle.
"Eh, whatever. I don't care about that pocket change anyway." Victor shrugged. He had raided an entire pirate treasure vault—money was the least of his concerns.
"Andrew said we've officially graduated. We get two days off, then we report directly to the Elite Training Camp. Oh, and you're the acting instructor now," Rebecca said, eyeing Victor.
"Yeah, Instructor Zephyr mentioned that to me before." Victor nodded.
"I heard Sakazuki left the Marineford right after the fight yesterday—took a warship and sailed off," Wendy chimed in.
"Good riddance. He can't touch me now, and I'll only get stronger from here. Next time, I'll be the one causing him trouble." Victor smirked.
---
Two days passed quickly. Victor didn't leave the cabin, focusing entirely on his recovery.
"My body's healing faster after being tempered by Void Lightning. Combined with the life essence in Sea King meat, this synergy is perfect." He clenched his fist, impressed by his own resilience.
"Let's go, Rebecca. Today's the first day of Elite Training, right?"
"Mhm! Let's go!"
Soon, the two arrived at the Elite Training Camp. Since it was the first day, everyone was present—including familiar faces. Wendy, of course, was there, but to Victor's surprise, Barnett had also made it into the program.
Then there was Kevin, the former lookout, along with Victor's old combat squad vice-captain and several other former squad members.
The moment Victor walked in, the lively chatter died down.
Barnett's eyes practically sparkled when he saw Victor. He had joined the Elite Camp for one reason—Victor. And after witnessing Victor's battle against Sakazuki, his resolve had only hardened.
"Barnett, now that you're in the Elite Camp, train hard. Once you're ready, you'll join my crew." Victor walked over and clapped him on the shoulder.
He was more than satisfied with the idea of Barnett as his chief officer. Even if Victor wasn't on the ship, Barnett could manage things efficiently—leaving Victor free to focus on strategy.
"R-Really?! You're letting me on your b—I mean, your ship?!" Barnett stammered, his usual composure shattered by excitement.
"Ahem. Of course. But you've gotta train hard. My future missions won't be easy—you'll need to be strong."
"Victor, let us join your crew too!"
"Yeah! We all want to serve under you!"
"Please!"
"Alright, settle down!" Victor raised his hands, silencing the eager crowd. "If you want a spot on my ship, you'll need to master the Six Powers. That's the bare minimum."
"Like I told Barnett, my missions will be high-risk. Weakness means death. So if you're serious, train like your life depends on it—because it will."
"HELL YEAH!"
"I'll train like a demon!"
"Good. Now, as you all know, I'm temporarily taking over as instructor until Zephyr returns. I expect your full cooperation."
"We'll follow your lead!"
"You got it!"
"Damn right!"
---
Victor quickly integrated his own insights into the training regimen. Most of the recruits were older than him—in their twenties—while Victor, Wendy (17), and Rebecca (16) were among the youngest.
But age didn't matter now. Every Elite trainee was physically capable of learning the Six Powers.
With Victor's deep understanding of the techniques, combined with targeted conditioning, he believed mastery was within everyone's reach.
---
A week later, Victor was still acting as instructor. Instead of directly teaching the Six Powers, he focused on preparatory physical training—laying the foundation to make learning the techniques easier.
Meanwhile, at Marineford's harbor, Zephyr and the Elite trainees he had taken for field assessments finally returned.
These graduates would remain at HQ for about a week before receiving their assignments—their destinations determined by their performance.
After dismissing the group at the central plaza, Zephyr headed straight for the Fleet Admiral's office.
A few minutes later, he stood outside Sengoku's door.
Two knocks. Then he entered.
"Zephyr! You're back!"
"Yes, I'm back."
"You just returned—why not rest first? The debrief could've waited." Sengoku's tone carried genuine concern for his old comrade.
"It's not about them. It's about this year's recruits—Victor's batch." Zephyr's expression turned grave.
"Oh? What about them?" Sengoku frowned.
"During the field assessment, I discovered a fatal flaw in our new recruits." Zephyr's voice hardened.
"A fatal flaw? What is it?" Sengoku straightened in his seat.
"We encountered a pirate crew mid-voyage. Some recruits froze in terror—even though they were stronger, they couldn't bring themselves to attack. The pirates' bloodlust paralyzed them." Zephyr's fist clenched. "If we assign such trainees to the field, how long will they last? This is the downside of HQ training—drills without life-or-death combat."
"What's your solution?" Sengoku stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"This year's Elite Camp will train at sea—honing skills while gaining real experience. We'll hunt pirates directly, with the recruits leading the assaults." Zephyr's eyes gleamed. "With Victor aboard, we can afford this experiment. These are future officers—if they break in the field after deployment, all our training investments go to waste."
"At sea, fear won't matter. After enough battles, they'll adapt. Even the most timid will learn to fight. Exposure breeds courage."
Sengoku lowered his head, weighing the risks. Many recruits indeed lacked pirate combat experience—some relied solely on Devil Fruits, family connections, or raw talent. Most pirates were bloodthirsty killers whose aura alone could terrify greenhorns.
Without proper conditioning, throwing recruits against such foes was dangerous. But this year was different. With Victor—a monster—and Zephyr himself supervising, failures could be minimized. Battle-tested soldiers had higher potential—just like him, Garp, and Sengoku in their youth.
After careful consideration, Sengoku nodded. "Approved. I'll prioritize the logistics—fully equipped ship, authority to mobilize branch bases along your route. If this batch shows marked improvement, we'll institutionalize the method."
"Good. I'll start preparations immediately." Zephyr turned to leave without ceremony.
---
What Zephyr didn't know: This very proposal would plant the seeds of his tragedy.
In another timeline, this approach cost him an arm, all but two students, and ultimately—his loyalty to the Marines.
But in this world? Fate might yet rewrite itself.