Does this kid not need to rest?
No, this kid doesn't really get tired at all!
Thinking that, Garp sped up even more.
One after another, cannonballs that leave afterimages hurtle toward Ian.
Above them, the sun continued to move.
From the early morning when they started, the once warm sunlight gradually turned hotter until it blazed overhead; noon was almost upon them.
Garp's eyelids twitched again. The excitement on his face faded, replaced by a darker look.
Then, while staring at Ian, his hand froze mid-motion as he muttered, "Kid, do you not know what it means to get tired?"
With a bang, Ian split another cannonball in half.
Seeing that there were no more cannonballs around him, he stopped, lifted his head, and looked at Garp expressionlessly.
"Continue."
Feeling the blazing sunlight on his body, especially the fierce heat of noon, he was filled with energy.
With a confident expression, Ian looked at Garp and said, "I can fight with you all day!"
…
On the other side, Zephyr, who was leisurely lying on a recliner, looked toward the back mountain and said cheerfully: "Hahaha, looks like their training went well…"
After saying that, he hummed lightly and was about to lie back down when…
"Zephyr-sensei, we're back!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Zephyr, who was about to lie down, sat up.
Looking at the two students approaching, he burst out laughing: "Are you all back?"
"Zephyr-sensei."
Binz and Ain seemed happy to see Zephyr, but after calling out Zephyr-sensei again, their expressions darkened. Then, they both lowered their heads, as if filled with shame.
Seeing this, Zephyr's smile faded. How could he not understand what these two children were thinking?
"Why are you looking so downcast?"
Zephyr sighed, looking at the two with a serene smile. "I have already heard the situation from Ian."
"Sorry, Zephyr-sensei, did we disappoint you?"
"Not really!"
Zephyr shook his head while still looking at the two with a smile. "I'm already very happy that you two are alive."
Hearing Zephyr's words, the two didn't feel happy, but instead felt even more ashamed.
"Zephyr-sensei."
Binz said with a wry smile while looking at Zephyr.
"If you hadn't let Ian go, we might have died."
"To be honest, I didn't expect things to turn out like that either. I sent Ian only because I didn't feel like going myself, and I figured it'd be a good chance for him to build some ties with Marine Headquarters, maybe even convince him to come back someday."
Zephyr said cheerfully. "I didn't expect this unexpected result."
He then looked up at the two: "But don't put too much pressure on yourself. You've only just graduated, and this time... The mission truly exceeds your capabilities."
"It's normal to be caught off guard when faced with something like this. Just learn from your mistakes and avoid repeating them next time!"
"But that guy, Ian..."
"Don't compare yourself to that kid. He joined the Marines at eleven and met an unreliable captain."
Hearing Binz's words, Zephyr shook his head and said, "He relied on his own abilities to train step by step. Even his axe techniques, he learned them himself by studying swordsmanship from the 315th Branch and books."
Thinking of the information he had obtained from the 315th Branch, he couldn't help but sigh.
No wonder that kid's axe techniques had some resemblance to swordsmanship.
"To grow up in that kind of environment, he's no ordinary kid. If that base commander hadn't held him back from going to headquarters, he might have been in your same class."
At this point, he let out another wry smile, his face even darkening a little as he shook his head.
"I don't know if this is considered lucky or unlucky?"
Binz: "..."
Ain: "..."
After hearing Zephyr's words, Binz and Ain fell silent. They also understood what Zephyr was saying.
If he were in their class... Who knows if Ian would have encountered that disaster, or even survived it?
"So, it's normal that a kid has more experience than you and knows how to handle it. Speaking of which..."
Zephyr stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and muttered to himself: "I still can't figure out where that kid got that information. Could it be an accident?"
He then looked up at Ain and Binz, who were biting their lower lips. "So, don't be disappointed in yourselves. It's fine to take things slowly, as long as you don't slack off and keep improving little by little. And let me tell you a secret!"
Zephyr winked at Ain and Binz, acting furtively even though no one else was around.
"My talent wasn't great back then, not even as good as that kid's. But no matter what problem I faced, I refused to give up and made it this far. As your teacher, I believe you two can do it!"
"Zephyr-sensei."
"Zephyr-sensei."
Binz and Ain looked at Zephyr-sensei with emotion. "Alright, cheer up. Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's talk about something happy."
Zephyr waved cheerfully, then stroked his chin with his left hand, and looked at Binz and Ain curiously.
"Although there was a little mishap this time, you still successfully completed the mission and caught the spy. Didn't the Marine Headquarters give you rewards?"
"Yes, they did!"
At the mention of rewards, Binz broke into a wide grin, waving his arms excitedly. "I got a Devil Fruit!"
As he spoke, Binz lightly snapped his fingers, and his body seemed to twist to the rhythm.
Just as Zephyr was watching this scene with some confusion, a vine suddenly emerged from the ground and continued to grow in rhythm with Binz's twisting movements. "Mine is the Paramecia Grow-Grow Fruit, which controls nearby plants and accelerates their growth."
"Grow-Grow Fruit? Not bad!"
Zephyr nodded with a smile as he gazed at the ever-growing vines. Then, looking at Ain, he said: "What about you, Ain?"
"I..."
However, Ain fell silent in response to Zephyr's question, as if unsure how to answer.
"I'll answer that."
Just as Zephyr looked puzzled, Binz came over and said cheerfully, "Ain was supposed to get a Devil Fruit too, but she turned it down."
"Turned it down?"
Zephyr looked at Ain in surprise, seemingly confused as to why Ain refused.
Even if she didn't want to eat it, she could still accept it. There was no need to save money for the Marine Headquarters!
At this thought, Zephyr's expression darkened. "You refused it, and that old guy, Sengoku, just let it go? That's bullying! I'll go take it back for you; it's yours."