After a good night's rest, Wright recovered some of the mental energy he had spent fighting the Sea Kings. The next day, he arrived at the New Marine Recruit Camp on time with his transfer orders.
"Knock, knock, knock." Wright knocked on the door to the instructors' office.
He had read the recruit handbook several times. As a mature young man... he naturally knew what sort of attitude to adopt in what setting.
"Come in!"
A gentle voice sounded. Wright pushed open the door and saw a bald... nearly bald fat man seated behind a desk, reviewing a pile of documents.
"Reporting! Newly commissioned Ensign Wright, reporting to the New Marine Recruit Camp! Awaiting your orders!"
"Oh?" The fat man behind the desk looked up at Wright. Wright stepped forward, placed his transfer order on the desk, and stood to one side to await instructions.
"You're Wright, the specially approved transfer recruit this year?" The bald... nearly bald fat man picked up the coffee beside him and took a sip.
"Ugh... so bitter..." The bald fat man sat there blankly, his large face scrunched up like a bitter melon.
Wright: "...Yes, Instructor!"
Damn, that's bitter. Couldn't you add some sugar? What kind of bald fat man likes coffee this bitter...
"I'm Commodore Gumil. Uh... I'm currently an instructor at the Marine Headquarters New Recruit Camp." The bald... nearly bald fat man put down his coffee and said seriously, "Since you're already a week behind the others, you'll need to work even harder to catch up. You must not slack off. The New Marine Recruit Camp is the cradle of countless outstanding officers at Marine Headquarters!"
"Yes, Instructor! Please give your orders!" Wright said solemnly. Precisely because he understood the New Marine Recruit Camp's status within Marine Headquarters, he would cherish this opportunity even more.
"Hmm..." Instructor Gumir was quite satisfied with Wright's attitude. He carefully reviewed Wright's file. "You were already an ensign the moment you joined the Marines? Two-Color Haki, Devil Fruit abilities, and swordsman-level swordsmanship. No wonder... You really are an exceptionally outstanding recruit."
"Combat strength at the colonel level, perhaps even higher..." Instructor Gumir pondered. "It seems the recruit camp's daily training will have limited effect on you. The Elite Test a week from now should probably give you a suitable amount of pressure."
"Now then, Ensign Wright, come with me and meet your fellow recruits at the New Marine Recruit Camp." Instructor Gumir rose to his feet. "You're all the future backbone of the Marines, so make sure you get along well! Hahaha!"
This bald guy... he should become a vice admiral in the future. He's really hiding his depth. I never expected him to have been an instructor at the New Marine Recruit Camp. His connections at Headquarters must be terrifying. Wright silently followed behind Gumir.
I might run into some famous officers from the future at the New Marine Recruit Camp. I'm really looking forward to it. It'd be so much fun to beat them into pig heads!
Upon arriving at the New Marine Recruit Camp's grounds, Wright's eyes were opened wide. The recruits were engaged in sparring practice across the vast training field, pairing off and fighting under the guidance of a dark-skinned Longarm Tribe instructor with braided hair. Their fighting was truly...
"Like a bunch of rookies pecking at each other!"
Wright smiled faintly as he spotted several interesting targets. "Oh, isn't that Smoker? And that's... Donquixote Rosinante?! They were actually recruits in the same class?"
"Wait, that's..."
Wright's gaze was quickly drawn to a burly figure at the edge of the field. The man had short purple hair, a resolute face, and rimless glasses. Draped in a Justice Coat, he looked rather old, but the explosive muscles beneath his suit seemed on the verge of bursting through it.
A Marine Admiral, chief instructor of the Marine New Recruit Camp, Black Arm Zephyr!
Wright held his breath. This admiral, known as "Not Killing," had joined the Marines in the same generation as Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru. Like Garp, he possessed no Devil Fruit ability and had risen to the rank of admiral through powerful Armament Haki and peerless physical prowess. He had once fought countless pirates, yet never killed a single one. As the chief instructor of the Marine New Recruit Camp, he had trained countless outstanding Marine officers. It could be said that he was the very foundation of the Marines!
Yet fate had been so cruel to a man who practiced his own justice so faithfully...
Instructor Gumir walked over and greeted the Longarm Tribe instructor. "Shuzo, it seems the testing here is going smoothly. I've brought this transfer recruit for Teacher Zephyr to inspect."
"Hahaha, there's a transfer recruit this year too? Every transfer recruit at the camp has been an elite; there have never been exceptions. Looks like another remarkable figure has appeared this time!"
The Longarm Tribe instructor—Commodore Shuzo of Headquarters—laughed. "Teacher Zephyr is over there. Senior Brother Gumir, I heard you applied to be posted to guard a branch base after this group of recruits graduates? That's really impressive..."
"Hehehe, Squirrel has already been promoted to vice admiral. As his senior brother, I can't fall too far behind. Since the Great Pirate Era began, pressure in the New World has only grown greater. It's time for me to leave Headquarters and put my own justice into practice. But you..." Gumir glanced at Zephyr. "You should have had a bright future. With your strength, becoming a vice admiral would have been more than easy. Teacher Zephyr also hopes you can forge your own path."
Shuzo waved his arm dismissively. "Senior Brother, Teacher Zephyr has shown me immense kindness. Even if the Marines... I once swore that wherever Teacher Zephyr was, I, Shuzo, would serve at his side! I only accepted the rank of commodore to help Teacher Zephyr take on the instructors' duties. Otherwise, what meaning would rank have to me?"
"Let's save the reminiscing for later, Senior Brother. Don't keep Teacher waiting. I also want to see what kind of young man could earn this year's transfer recruit slot!"
Gumir sighed inwardly, patted Shuzo on the shoulder, and walked toward Zephyr.
"Chief Instructor!" Gumir saluted. "The new recruit, Ensign Wright, has been brought here! Awaiting the Chief Instructor's orders!"
"..." Zephyr withdrew his gaze from the training field and nodded to Gumir. "You've worked hard, Gumir. Sengoku already spoke to me. I was wondering what kind of talent could catch Sengoku's attention. After all, since Kuzan, no outstanding talent has received such praise from Sengoku for many years."
"I'm sure he won't disappoint you. Admiral Sengoku's wisdom and insight have always been admirable," Gumir said with a smile.
Seeing Gumir beckon to him, Wright hurried forward and saluted. "Instructor! Chief Instructor!"
Zephyr and Gumir nodded. Gumir introduced him, "Chief Instructor, this is Ensign Wright, a Paramecia Holy Light Fruit user, a swordsman capable of Flying Slashes, and one who has awakened Observation Haki and Armament Haki."
"Wright, this is a Marine Admiral from Headquarters, the chief instructor of the New Marine Recruit Camp, Black Arm Zephyr. The backbone officers of Marine Headquarters all came from under his tutelage. Instructor Shuzo over there and I are the same."
"Greetings, Admiral!" Wright saluted again. As a veteran One Piece fan, Wright had always held great goodwill toward Zephyr. Zephyr nodded and said, "From now on, just call me Chief Instructor."
"Next, you'll spend an unforgettable period of time at the Training Camp."
Before you continue