Zephyr's Anticipation

Leon, his bandages freshly rewrapped, hobbled to the Marine training ground on crutches the day after his fight with Garp.

"Leon-kun!!"

Finally seeing the Leon he had longed for day and night, Rosinante was so moved he nearly teared up.

Without Leon to back him up... or motivate him, Rosinante—who had scraped into the Marine Elite Training Camp on sheer reliance—was crushed daily by the monsters around him.

Brother Leon was back. Now someone would share his suffering...

"Leon-kun, I missed you~"

As soon as break time came, Rosinante, who had been itching for it, dashed toward Leon with wild gesticulations.

Leon was happy to see a familiar face too. He tossed aside his crutches and spread his arms wide, stepping forward to meet him.

"Good to see you again, Hina-chan!!!"

Leon bypassed the eagerly approaching Rosinante entirely, aiming to give Hina a warm, long-lost hug between friends.

Hina lit a cigarette, watching Leon calmly with a stern, unsmiling expression.

Caught up in the moment, Leon realized Hina had no intention of dodging, so he had to steel himself and press on.

But the expected scene didn't happen. Leon's arms passed straight through Hina's body!

A black iron ring materialized out of nowhere, locking Leon firmly in place.

"Huh?"

Watching Leon struggle in vain, Hina slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Anything that passes over or through my body gets bound."

"That's the power of my Cage-Cage Fruit."

"Heh heh..."

Smoker, who had watched the whole thing, looked rather smug at Leon's predicament and pulled out a treasured cigar to savor.

Rosinante, undeterred by the cold shoulder, immediately turned around to help Leon break the iron ring.

After a few futile attempts, he could only look back at Hina, who seemed utterly unconcerned.

"Hina, you wicked woman, undo your ability right now."

T Bone, who looked like a zombie, was steadier by nature, merely flashing a grim smile and chuckling at the commotion.

"Hey! Are you lot planning to throw a party in my training camp?"

"Zephyr Instructor!"

The group snapped to attention, their expressions solemn as they faced Admiral Zephyr, who had appeared there without warning.

The iron ring on Leon vanished silently. Showing no sign of embarrassment, Leon spoke in a deep, resonant voice: "Admiral Zephyr! Marine Headquarters Chief Petty Officer Leon, reporting for duty!"

"Hmm, good."

Zephyr, in a white suit and rimless glasses, carried an air of authority without trying. He gave Leon a once-over.

"Your injuries—are they fine?"

Leon immediately tossed aside his crutches and replied loudly, "I can join training anytime!"

"Good. Fall in!"

"Yes, sir!"

Zephyr turned and left. During the brief moment of falling in, Rosinante sidled up to Leon, worried. "Leon, the training here is dozens of times tougher than the recruit camp. Can your body handle it?"

"Maybe you should rest a few days, heal up first. I'm sure Zephyr Instructor would understand."

Leon shook his head. "I'll do my best to keep up..."

"But you, Rosinante—I heard you're not doing so well in the Elite Training Camp?"

"Ah..."

Rosinante's face instantly soured. He let out a long sigh, wanting to confide in Leon but not knowing where to start.

"Rosinante-kun has been working very hard!"

T Bone offered timely encouragement.

"Especially after seeing in the newspaper how Leon-kun single-handedly faced Bullet—from that day on, Rosinante-kun has been training late into the night every day..."

Rosinante, slumped in dejection, waved a hand weakly.

What's the use of hard work? The gap between me and those monsters just keeps growing...

"Cheer up, Rosinante."

Leon, knowing Rosinante's nature well, patted him on the shoulder.

"You don't want to disappoint your father, do you?"

"If hard work doesn't pay off, it means you haven't worked hard enough!"

"As long as you put in ten times, a hundred times, even two hundred times the effort! One day, the title 'Hero of the Marines' will belong to you, Rosinante!"

"Really, Leon?"

Rosinante's eyes gradually lit up.

It was lit!

Leon nodded firmly.

Two hundred times the effort.

Whether he could become a Hero of the Marines, Leon wouldn't guarantee—after all, Rosinante wasn't Koby...

But at least this would keep Rosinante from being completely defenseless when he faced Doflamingo later.

Elite Training Camp.

Zephyr crossed his arms, his presence radiating a towering, mountain-like aura. Gazing at the orderly formation before him, he gave the order without any hesitation.

"Begin training!"

At Zephyr's command, shouts instantly pierced the skies.

Rosinante hadn't been wrong—the training in the Elite Training Camp was far more brutal than in the recruit camp.

Just moments later, Leon spotted several marines injured during sparring, and the instructors acting as referees showed no sign of calling a halt.