Chapter 3

"No matter what, your pursuit was a bit too extreme. Even if she beat you into the hospital afterward, she wouldn't face any punishment. Do you understand?" Zephyr said.

"I understand, Teacher Zephyr. Even if she beats me up, takes off her shoes and steps on my face, or even forces me to lick her feet, I'll have absolutely no regrets."

What reassured Lin Qi somewhat was that relations between men and women in this world were still relatively open.

If this had been his previous life, Lin Qi would probably have been thrown in jail long ago for this behavior.

Zephyr had been fine at first, but the more he listened, the more something felt off. He looked at Lin Qi strangely. "I hope you truly understand."

"See you tonight, Teacher Zephyr~"

After seeing Zephyr off, Lin Qi found a secluded corner and began practicing Geppo.

At five-thirty, after the dinner rush had just passed, Lin Qi quickly went to take care of his meal.

As for the dormitory, he did not dare go back for now. There was definitely a group of "flower protectors" guarding the entrance.

At six o'clock, the four of them arrived punctually in the forest behind Training Ground No. 3.

"The reason I called the three of you here tonight is because you are all geniuses."

Zephyr spoke earnestly. "Geniuses should not receive the same treatment as ordinary people. That would only bury your talents. From now on, gather here every evening at six. I will personally train you."

The three of them were overjoyed at those words.

Having a former Marine Admiral willing to give them personal instruction was an incredible opportunity.

"The others in the Elite Camp would only harm themselves by learning new Six Powers techniques before mastering Geppo."

"You are different. Hina and Lin Qi, you have both already learned Geppo. If Smoker works a little harder, he will get there soon as well. You can begin learning the next Six Powers technique."

"Since ancient times, Geppo and Shave have been inseparable. Though they take different paths, they lead to the same destination. Next, I will explain the techniques of Shave to you."

The three stood straight and attentive, afraid of missing even a single word.

At that moment, Zephyr glanced at Smoker. "Listen along for now, but don't try to learn it yet. Later, come into the forest with me and master Geppo first before learning this."

"Yes." Smoker nodded.

Zephyr continued, "Both rely on the strength of the legs to accelerate. The only difference is that Geppo requires you to kick the air at a speed exceeding a certain threshold in a single motion, generating a shockwave that propels a person through the air. Shave, on the other hand, increases one's speed through the reaction force created by rapidly kicking the ground dozens of times within a second..."

Having mastered peak-level Geppo, Lin Qi found this knowledge easy to grasp.

Even without the system appearing this time, Lin Qi quickly mastered Shave.

Meanwhile, Smoker and Hina had yet to even get started.

Zephyr was very satisfied at the sight. This kid truly was a genius.

But Lin Qi soon discovered a fatal problem: beginner-level Shave could not turn!

If he failed to time it properly in combat, wouldn't he just be charging straight into someone else's blade?

Just as the three were practicing, a burst of hurried footsteps approached from the distance, along with fragments of conversation that reached Lin Qi's ears.

"Quick, faster! If we get there sooner, we might still be able to save some people!"

"Those damned beasts, how dare they do something like this!"

Zephyr frowned and reached out to stop one of them.

"Ad-Admiral Zephyr!"

The middle-aged Marine jumped in fright and hurriedly saluted.

"What happened? And I am no longer an admiral," Zephyr said.

"We received word that a fairly powerful Pirate crew is massacring a village. We were ordered to pursue and eliminate them. Before this, they had already slaughtered ten villages and towns."

"So it's Pirates again." Zephyr made almost no effort to hide the disgust on his face.

"As long as those scum exist, who knows how many people will lose their homes and families because of them? Pirates should not exist!"

"Teacher Zephyr..."

Hina looked at Zephyr worriedly. The Teacher Zephyr before her was completely different from the kind and generous elder he usually was.

Under the moonlight, he even looked somewhat ferocious.

"You three go back first." After saying this to Lin Qi and the others, Zephyr turned to the middle-aged Marine. "I'm going with you!"

"Huh?!" The middle-aged Marine stared at Zephyr in stunned disbelief, before an ecstatic expression appeared on his face. "Please follow me."

That Pirate crew was exceptionally brutal, but with the legendary Black Arm Zephyr stepping in, wouldn't capturing them be effortless? They would surely be able to save more Villagers.

Watching the two men's retreating figures as they spoke, Lin Qi fell into a daze.

Because the system's voice rang out at that moment.

A new Life Choice has been activated.

Choice One: Follow Zephyr's instructions and return to the dormitory. Reward: Paramecia · Corrosion Fruit.

Choice Two: Lust and martial prowess—stay behind and defeat Smoker, or ask Hina for her worn stockings. Reward: Randomly raise one already possessed ability to its limit.

Choice Three: Voluntarily request to follow Teacher Zephyr to exterminate the Pirates. Reward: Unlock the system shop.

After hesitating slightly, Lin Qi called out to Zephyr. "Teacher Zephyr."

He dismissed Option One without a second thought. If he was going to eat one, he would eat the highest-grade Devil Fruit—otherwise, he might as well not eat one at all.

Although the reward for Option Two was generous as well, he apparently still could not beat Smoker.

Asking Hina for her unwashed stockings would be courting death. He could already picture himself being hunted down afterward.

Compared with Options One and Two, Option Three was clearly far more tempting. He was looking forward to seeing what might appear in the System Mall.

"What is it?" Zephyr asked in a deep voice.

"Can I go with you, Teacher Zephyr?" Lin Qi pleaded.

"Why?" Zephyr's expression turned serious. "Give me a reason. A battle of that level is far too dangerous for you."

"Because I want to fight alongside Teacher Zephyr." Lin Qi answered decisively. "Besides, you said it yourself—geniuses shouldn't receive the same treatment as ordinary people. I think this will be excellent training."

"You brat..." Zephyr felt both gratified and conflicted.

The matter of exterminating Pirates had nothing to do with Lin Qi.

In his eyes, the only reason the boy wanted to go to the battlefield was because he was worried about him.

Was he being underestimated?

It seemed he had stepped down from the position of Admiral for so many years that many Marines had forgotten he still bore the Title of Black Wrist.

Even at the age of fifty-eight, his combat strength had not diminished in the slightest.

"If you want to come, then come. This truly will be good training."

Zephyr's towering figure strode straight toward the harbor. At the same time, his supremely confident voice rang out, "You two come as well. No one under my command will be able to harm my students!"

"Yes, Teacher Zephyr!" The three replied in unison, each seeing the delight in the others' eyes.