A Young School Tyrant!

A Young School Tyrant!

Under the watchful eyes of the Marines, Tsugikuni Yoriichi and Kyros exchanged dozens of moves. At last, Yoriichi seized upon a mistake in Kyros's attack, tapped the hilt of his sword against Kyros's wrist, disarmed him, and narrowly claimed victory.

At that moment, rather than feeling disappointed or lamenting Kyros's defeat, the other Marines erupted into cheers.

Kibin, who had urged Kyros on earlier, quickly stepped out from the crowd and eagerly said to Zephyr and the instructors, "Next! I'm next!"

"Me, Teacher Zephyr! I'll go next!"

But just as Kibin finished speaking, Ensign Shuen, who had been saying, "I'll leave the opportunity to you guys," hurried out as well. Grabbing Kibin with both hands, he said excitedly, "Teacher Zephyr, I'll do it!"

At the same time, he said to Kibin, "Kibin, do this ensign a favor. Once I get promoted, I'll make sure to give you a good boost too!"

"Get lost! This is the Marine Academy. There are only students here, so quit throwing around your ensign rank. Move, move, move! Don't get in my way!"

"Teacher Zephyr, me! Me!"

Kibin refused to yield an inch, tossing Shuen's pride to the ground and stomping on it twice. It was not just the two of them. Some Marines who considered themselves far stronger than Kyros eagerly put their names forward as well, afraid of falling even half a step behind the others.

Seeing the Marine Academy students, who had been timid and hesitant just moments ago, become so enthusiastic after Tsugikuni Yoriichi's "hard-fought" victory, Zephyr was already delighted inside and ready to enjoy the show. Yet he deliberately put on a stern face.

"Hmph!"

"Every last one of you looks like an idiot!"

"Don't say I didn't give you a chance. Even if you all attack together, you still won't be Yoriichi's match."

"Since you still want to challenge him, then go ahead."

Zephyr spoke coldly, his expression displeased.

Seeing Zephyr like this, one particularly sharp-minded Marine rolled his eyes and immediately asked with a grin, "Teacher Zephyr, if we all go together, who gets promoted?"

Zephyr was visibly taken aback. Clearly, he had not expected one of his students to be so shameless. He had only said it casually, yet this fellow had actually taken it seriously.

"Hm?!"

Turning his head, he saw a tall young Marine in his early twenties waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Momonga, you brat, how can you say something so shameless?!"

"You have the highest rank among this class, don't you?! You're a lieutenant. How can you be this shameless?!"

Momonga was one of the faster-rising Marines of the new generation. He had joined the Marines at sixteen and spent the past few years fighting on the Grand Line, earning no small amount of merit. He had once personally captured a notorious pirate with a bounty of thirty million.

Just a year ago, Momonga, still under twenty years old and already a lieutenant, had been transferred to the Marine Academy at Marine Headquarters. Admiral Sengoku thought highly of the young man and had long spoken with Zephyr. After Momonga graduated, he would be assigned directly to Sengoku's ship and granted the rank of lieutenant commander.

For Momonga, who had no family background or connections, becoming a lieutenant commander in his early twenties was an astonishingly rapid rise.

Momonga had already mastered Soru and Geppo from the Marine Six Styles, and his swordsmanship was exceptional as well. In terms of strength, he was likely the strongest student there, without question.

Unlike Aokiji, whose formidable strength had earned him the favor of the Marine higher-ups at sixteen or seventeen, allowing him to rise smoothly until he was nearly granted the rank of brigadier general in his early twenties, Momonga was a representative of the Marines' commoner faction.

"Hehe, Teacher Zephyr, don't be angry."

"You said it yourself just now. I was only asking casually. Don't mind it, haha, don't mind it."

Seeing Zephyr's unhappy expression, Momonga assumed Zephyr was angry and immediately apologized. His slick manner made him seem like a completely different person from the decisive and stern man he would become in the future.

Zephyr glanced at Momonga, pretended to consider it for a moment, then suddenly announced loudly:

"Don't say I don't keep my word!"

"I, Zephyr, have always meant what I said!"

"If you all attack together and manage to win, every single one of you will be promoted by one rank!"

Zephyr's words immediately sent the Marine officers and soldiers into a frenzy. They thought Zephyr had been backed into a corner by Momonga's words and had no choice but to grudgingly honor what he had said earlier. Without thinking much further, they immediately cheered.

With a rush, the Marines instantly surrounded Tsugikuni Yoriichi in layers, all staring at him hungrily as they waited to share the "meat" before them.

Seeing everyone's enthusiasm stirred up, Zephyr smiled and slowly walked to Yoriichi's side. Bending down, he quietly said into Yoriichi's ear:

"Yoriichi, strictly speaking, this is your first appearance at Marine Headquarters."

"You don't need to hide anything. The stronger you are, the more respect you'll earn. The stronger you are, the more freedom you'll have in the future."

"Don't hold back. Teach them a lesson."

"Just don't cripple or kill anyone."

After saying that, Zephyr patted Yoriichi on the shoulder and silently stepped back.

Yoriichi nodded. Even if Zephyr had not said anything, he already knew what to do.

Hide his strength and lie low? There was really no need for that. Although Kong was currently in charge of the Marines, the true backbone of the organization was Zephyr, Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru's generation.

Both Zephyr and Garp had high hopes for Yoriichi. The stronger Yoriichi was, the happier they would be. As for Sengoku and Tsuru, though Yoriichi had not personally interacted with them, he knew they would not hinder a young person from standing out either.

This was the Marines, not Konoha. There were twists and turns here too, but not that many.

Having thought it through, Yoriichi tightened his grip on his sword and slid the scabbard back over the blade.

The Marine Academy students around him were all stunned by the sight. Kyros, who had already lost to Yoriichi, hurriedly picked up his longsword and retreated behind the crowd, with no intention of joining the siege.

"You may begin!" At Zephyr's announcement, no one paid attention to Kyros slipping away. Their eyes held only Tsugikuni Yoriichi and promotion!

"No need to talk about honor among fighters. We Marines are used to fighting as a team."

"Though I feel sorry for this young man, since he stepped forward, he must have been prepared. Everyone, get him!"

After Zephyr gave the signal, the Marines were still somewhat restrained. Though Tsugikuni Yoriichi was already 170 centimeters tall, anyone could tell from his face that he was still a child, and the Marines could not quite bring themselves to go all out.

Someone noticed his companions' hesitation and quickly shouted before slipping back into the crowd. No one knew who had yelled.

But Yoriichi instantly found the Marine who had shouted. His figure suddenly vanished from where he stood.

Amid the cries of alarm from the Marines, he suddenly appeared in the center of the crowd. His scabbard smashed directly into the leg of the young Marine who had just shouted, knocking him to the ground.

"In that case, I won't bother with honor among fighters either."

"Get ready. Here I come!"

After knocking down a student with a single strike, a brilliant smile appeared on Yoriichi's face. Yoriichi suddenly understood why, back when he had been on Garp's ship, Garp would spar with him whenever he had time.

This feeling of "nurturing" others and helping them grow was truly satisfying!

The moment his words fell, Tsugikuni Yoriichi's figure suddenly became a streak of light, swiftly passing through the center of the Marines. The next second, the Marines around that "streak of light" seemed to suffer heavy blows and were sent flying, crashing onto the floor.

Only then did Momonga and the others, watching Tsugikuni Yoriichi freely attack the Marines in the field, realize that they had fallen into Zephyr's trap!

"S-So strong!"

"Who the hell is this guy?"

"Don't spread out! Gather together! This kid isn't ordinary!"

In a single exchange, Tsugikuni Yoriichi had directly knocked down more than twenty Marines. Momonga came to his senses and hurriedly shouted. At that moment, he truly intended to have his companions attack "together."

Yet the next second, Tsugikuni Yoriichi suddenly appeared before him, his scabbard swinging straight at Momonga's waist.

So fast!!!

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the scabbard slammed into Momonga's waist. He was sent flying by the tremendous force and crashed into the ground with a dull bang.

Three minutes. In just three short minutes, the students who had originally been standing and preparing for morning training were now all sprawled across the ground, groaning in pain.

After such an "intense battle," Tsugikuni Yoriichi's breathing remained steady. He swept his gaze over all the Marines lying on the ground and declared loudly:

"My name is Tsugikuni Yoriichi. Starting today, I am also a student of the Marine Academy."

"I hope my seniors will do me the honor of offering me plenty of guidance in the future."

(End of Chapter)