On the deck of the Zephyr warship.
"Hahahahaha! Binz! Pathetic! Seriously pathetic! You've still got a long way to go!"
"You bastard Shuzo! You perverted freak, you always bully me so casually!" Binz, dressed in a ridiculous ninja outfit, sat up on the deck and glared at the long-armed, broad-chested man laughing not far away, cursing,
"I'm still a student who hasn't even graduated from the elite training camp! If you've got the guts, go and spar with someone from the SWORD Secret Special Force! Like the 'Empress' or the 'Singer,' or people like Crocodile!"
"Don't think that because I'm big and burly you can assume I'm stupid." After laughing, Shuzo wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and then strode forward to yank Binz to his feet.
"Everyone who comes out from under the Chief Inspector is a weirdo. I'm well aware of my limits — I can't compare to them… So I hope you lot are self-aware too, know your place. Your aptitude is pretty good, but compared to the perverts in the Secret Special Force, you're light-years behind."
"I know that." Binz sighed, wiped his nose, and bled from the punch he'd just taken. "If nothing unexpected happens, future Admiral candidates — maybe even Fleet Admiral candidates — will likely come from internal competition within the SWORD Secret Special Force. There's no point comparing with people who are destined to be stronger and to shoulder more responsibility… For me, being able to follow Zephyr-sensei to wipe out pirates who threaten civilians is more than enough."
"If you can think like that, you're on the right track."
Shuzo patted Binz on the shoulder, then ran toward the ship's interior.
"Hey! You hit me and ran! Don't you have any decency, damn you!" Binz was about to chase after Shuzo when a hand suddenly grabbed his collar.
"Cough cough cough! Who is it? Trying to strangle me… Ain? What's up?"
"I was about to ask you the same — what are you doing here? Fighting with Shuzo again?" Ain looked at Binz with a face full of disdain. "And you lost, too."
"Cough cough! If only my Devil Fruit power were a bit stronger…"
"Zephyr-sensei already told you to sort out your attitude recently! How can you rely on your fruit ability so excessively!?"
"Wait, Zephyr-sensei said that?" Binz swallowed. "Ain, let's make a deal. Why don't you use your fruit power to shrink me down to twelve years old for a bit? Maybe if Zephyr-sensei saw me as I was twelve years ago, he'd hesitate to hit me."
"Are you kidding me?" Ain's mouth twitched. "You think I don't remember what you looked like twelve years ago? I do. Probably better than now, actually."
Even if he really looked like a kid, Zephyr-sensei would still scold him.
After all, a strict teacher like Zephyr wouldn't let you off just because you were small.
"Alright, Binz, stop clowning. Notify everyone — assemble on the deck."
When Ain finished speaking, Binz's expression turned serious.
He nodded at Ain and then headed into the cabin.
Before long, a large group of soldiers in identical Navy uniforms streamed out of the cabin.
The gender ratio was an astonishing six to four.
In the past, a training camp with two or three women would have been considered a lot.
What caused the current situation was the presence of Amazon Lily.
For example, in this graduating class of the Navy's elite rookie training camp, aside from Ain, all the other female sailors came from Amazon Lily.
When everyone had assembled, Ain spoke: "About fifty kilometers ahead is an uninhabited island. The pirate Gulagas and his Barrel Pirates — bounty 75 million — are located there! Our mission is to surround and eradicate them! Everyone participates in the battle!"
"Yes!"
They all answered in unison, accustomed to taking orders from Ain as their leader.
There was no arguing — Ain was the best in this class, both in personal combat strength and in command ability.
"Good! Once we make landfall, launch the attack immediately! Give the enemy no time to breathe!"
...
"Sigh… this trip is really boring."
Yamato lay on the prow of the Archangel, wearing a look of utter boredom.
"To me, this is way more fun than being stuck at Navy Headquarters or confined to Amazon Lily's training grounds… They never let me do anything big on the training field! It's so frustrating!"
Jack, sitting beside him, looked around excitedly.
"And apart from Alabasta, Amazon Lily, and Navy Headquarters, I haven't really been anywhere else!"
After leaving Navy Headquarters with Michael, the two had started out enthusiastic.
But enthusiasm remained only in Jack, the big simpleton.
"Honestly, could you two stop living at Navy Headquarters all the time?" Michael walked up from behind and gave Yamato a look of indescribable exasperation.
"Especially you — besides rolling around on that beloved ship of yours, you only go to Fish-Man Island to stock up… and what do you do with all the merch you buy?"
"Not all of it's for me!" Yamato did a backflip off the prow and landed in front of Michael. "You have no idea. I discovered there are a lot of like-minded people inside the Navy! I'm currently vice president of Chief Inspector Michael's Support Club!"
"…Yamato, are you still speaking human language? Why does this sound so alien to me?"
Michael's mouth twitched; he was speechless.
There are really people in the Navy with this much free time!?
"You really don't understand Navy entertainment, do you!"
"This is beyond entertainment!"
The ship continued onward in that atmosphere.
...
Thirty minutes later…
Michael spotted a small sailing boat.
There were only two people on board.
A short, shriveled old woman who looked like a potato.
And a hulking, muscular odd-looking man.
"Ma—mom, what are we going to do now?"
"You foolish son! Of course we're about to do something big, to make your name known on the sea! That way your father will finally see you!"
"Is—is that so?"
"Exactly! I've already checked — the ones leading those new recruits are that old bastard Zephyr… He's strong, but he has no Devil Fruit ability. If we surprise-attack him at full force, we could injure him! After gaining fame and becoming a Shichibukai… that's when the benefits really show up!"
Michael sighed.
Miss Buckin?
This world… it really is small.
But from what they said, they were planning to ambush Zephyr?
Michael smirked and then looked at the two loiterers nearby. An idea formed in his mind.
"Yamato, Jack, see that boat ahead?"
"When they land, rush up and beat that big idiot up for me!"
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