Zephyr's Attention

Just as Kage was about to charge forward again, he heard Yun Ye's words and couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth. This brat...

But seeing Yun Ye lower his head, he, as the instructor, couldn't very well attack again. He could only let it go, placing his trembling right arm behind his back as he said calmly to everyone:

"You must remember that this world is vast. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have a little strength. There are countless people stronger than you! The strong are as numerous as fish in a river! You are all the future pillars of the Navy, so you must not harbor such arrogance!"

"Alright, that's all for today. Dismissed!"

With that, Kage left without looking back, seemingly trying to hide something...

Watching Kage depart, Yun Ye muttered inwardly, Tsk. Without using my sword or any trump cards, I can't even deal with a Navy Rear Admiral. I couldn't even injure him...

Even when he had unleashed Instant Burst for a brief explosion of power, he had only barely managed to force Kage back. This gave Yun Ye a rough understanding of his current strength.

If he went all out with Instant Burst, he could probably defeat Kage. But crushing him with ease? That would be difficult!

What Yun Ye didn't know, however, was that his strike had in fact inflicted some damage on Kage's right arm.

It wasn't a serious injury, but for someone Yun Ye's age, it was already exceedingly impressive.

At the very least, in Kage's eyes, Yun Ye was already a genius.

Meanwhile, all the new recruits stared at Yun Ye with wide eyes, as though looking at an idol.

Yun Ye had driven back the instructor yet again!

Although Yun Ye appeared to have been at a disadvantage, being able to force back a Navy Rear Admiral was enough to prove how strong he was!

A cute-looking female recruit gazed at Yun Ye with admiration. "Y-you... how did you train? Why are you so strong?"

Another person said, "Are you really only seventeen? That's unbelievable! When I was seventeen, I couldn't even fight!"

"Do you have any tricks you can teach us?"

Yun Ye instantly became the center of attention. Many of the new recruits were extremely curious about him.

Possessing such strength at such a young age, he was certain to rise high in the future. Before Yun Ye truly became somebody, they might as well make friends with him first.

Yun Ye smiled and responded to them one by one, not slighting anyone.

The Navy was unlike other organizations; it had factions within it.

For instance, take the current Three Admirals.

Aokiji and Akainu had formed different factions because of their differing ideals.

The Dove Faction and the Hawk Faction!

Oh, right. There was also the Soy Sauce Faction...

In the future, an earth-shaking war would even break out over the position of Fleet Admiral!

Therefore, if Yun Ye wanted to attain a high position in the future, he would also need his own faction supporting him from behind.

Yun Ye had understood this principle deeply in his previous life. Thus, from the moment he decided to join the Navy, he had already begun making all sorts of plans.

Winning over colleagues, suppressing other factions...

Yun Ye had considered all of it in his heart.

Never fighting a battle without certainty was Yun Ye's motto in his previous life, and he had carried that habit into this world as well.

Meanwhile, the departing Kage happened to run into Zephyr. He quickly stopped and greeted him, "Teacher Zephyr."

He had been one of Zephyr's students in a previous class and held Zephyr in great respect.

Zephyr's senses were extremely sharp. Looking at Kage's arm, he frowned and asked, "What happened to your arm? Did you cause that commotion just now?"

Kage's old face suddenly reddened as he stammered, "Uh, well... Teacher, I..."

He still had some pride. He couldn't exactly say that he had been injured by a new recruit, could he?

That would be far too embarrassing!

But he couldn't brush off Zephyr's question either, so he could only stammer awkwardly.

Seeing Kage like this, Zephyr's frown deepened. "Why are you hemming and hawing? What exactly happened over there?"

Left with no choice, Kage could only grit his teeth and recount what had just happened.

"What? You're saying your arm was injured while fighting a new recruit?"

Zephyr was greatly surprised. He understood Kage's strength well; even among Rear Admirals, Kage was among the stronger ones.

Yet Kage was now saying that a new recruit had been able to exchange blows with him briefly, and that the power he erupted with in the end had even injured Kage's arm!

"Yes, Teacher."

Kage could only nod with a red face. He didn't dare mention that he had used Armament Haki during the fight. Though it had only been the simplest form of coating, it was still not something an ordinary new recruit could withstand!

And yet, even so, his arm had still been injured in that clash...

Saying it out loud would only make it more humiliating!

A new recruit? I wonder if he can compare to those people from back then...

Zephyr suddenly smiled, his interest thoroughly piqued. But when he saw Kage's appearance, he snapped irritably, "Did you become lazy and stop training after graduation? You let a new recruit injure you? What kind of disgrace is this? Run three thousand laps around Navy Headquarters. Don't stop until you've finished!"

At Zephyr's shout, Kage's body reflexively trembled, as if he had returned to those days when Instructor Zephyr had tormented him. His mouth twitched as he gave an awkward smile. "Teacher, I'm at least a Rear Admiral now. Isn't this a bit...?"

"So I can't order you around anymore, is that it?"

Zephyr glared. "Why aren't you moving?"

"Yes, Instructor!"

Kage snapped into a salute by reflex, then lifted his legs and ran off.

But the moment he turned around, his face fell. This was... such a scam!

Three thousand laps—he would not finish before tomorrow... and he could forget about sleeping tonight!

"Hmph!"

Zephyr snorted in dissatisfaction. As a Rear Admiral, Kage had actually suffered at the hands of a new recruit. He clearly had not trained enough!

But there was such a promising prospect among this batch of new recruits? Now that has piqued this old man's curiosity!

However, by the time he got there, the new recruits had already dispersed.

Zephyr had come up empty-handed.

Still, he did not care. The Training Camp was his territory. As long as that new recruit was still here, he could not get away!

And just as that brat Kage had said, the new recruit would soon join the Elite Camp through an exception!

Only the Elite Camp could properly train a genius like that!

Thinking this, Zephyr smiled and turned to leave, returning to the Elite Camp.

All the Elite Camp students looked at Zephyr with great curiosity. They also wanted to know what had happened over at the Recruit Camp.

But since Zephyr did not bring it up, they did not dare ask.

The next day.

Recruit Training Camp.

Yun Ye's batch of new recruits was in the midst of intense basic physical training.

While they were training—

A huge crowd poured in through the entrance of the Training Camp, a dense mass of at least a thousand people.

When they saw Yun Ye and the others training, they were all briefly stunned before realizing what was going on.

Among them, a pockmarked young man grinned. "Yo, this batch of new recruits has already arrived? Pretty fast!"

"Now this should be interesting."

"This is always the liveliest time of year in the Recruit Camp!"

"Tell me, do you think any of the new recruits will resist this time?"

"Hahaha, wouldn't it be even more fun if they did?"

These people were another group of Recruit Camp trainees.

Some had already trained here for several months, or even several years!

They were the so-called Senior Recruits!