Marine Academy Enrollment Requirements!

Marine Academy Enrollment Requirements!

The spring chill still lingered, and the morning light was faint.

It was March, yet Marineford still retained traces of winter.

Before the sun rose, Tsugikuni Yoriichi stepped out of his room. Looking at the empty courtyard before him, he let out a soft breath.

Just yesterday, through Garp's introduction, he had become the disciple of Marine Admiral Zephyr at Marine Headquarters. However, because of his age, Tsugikuni Yoriichi could not directly enroll in the Marine Academy. Instead, he moved straight into Zephyr's home.

Now forty-seven years old, Zephyr had suffered a devastating change five years ago. His family had been killed by pirates he had once pursued. After that, the "No-Kill" Admiral stepped down from the front lines.

Zephyr had originally intended to give up being a Marine altogether. However, persuaded by Fleet Admiral Kong, his friend Garp, and others, Zephyr remained with the Marines. He merely moved to the second line, becoming an instructor at the Marine Academy, responsible for teaching and cultivating the new generation of Marines.

Marineford was a massive, multifaceted island. It was not merely Marine Headquarters; while undertaking vital military duties, Marineford was also where the families of Marine Headquarters officers lived.

At the center of the island was the Marines' family housing district.

As a Headquarters Admiral, Zephyr had been assigned a sizable residence. Yet after what happened to his family, Zephyr had mostly slept in the Marine Academy dormitories. Only yesterday had he brought Tsugikuni Yoriichi back to this home he had been "away from for so long," the home that carried his beautiful memories.

But now, this "home"—or rather, this house—was truly rather desolate.

Tsugikuni Yoriichi knew Zephyr's story well. Even though he had lived in the Demon Slayer World for so many years, upon meeting Zephyr yesterday, his past memories had become clear again.

Yoriichi greatly admired this righteous No-Kill Admiral, and he also felt regret over Zephyr's misfortune. At the same time, it gave him the most direct and clearest understanding of this world's cruelty.

The ending received by such a righteous Marine officer was...

Tsugikuni Yoriichi turned back to look at the room he had just left. The room he was staying in should originally have belonged to Zephyr's child. Quite a few baby toys still lay unput away on the table.

Zephyr rarely stayed at home, yet this room was spotless, without a speck of dust. It was clear that Zephyr often cleaned it. He had never truly let go of the deaths of his wife and child.

"Oh! You're up so early. Not bad, saves me the trouble of waking you."

"Your habit of getting up early is very good. If you want to become an outstanding Marine, a proper routine is essential!"

"Did you sleep well yesterday? I never got around to tidying up, so the room's a little messy. I hope you don't mind."

As Yoriichi was lost in thought, Zephyr came through the corridor and arrived beside him. Seeing that Tsugikuni Yoriichi was already up, he spoke with a smile.

"Teacher Zephyr." Yoriichi turned to Zephyr and greeted him with a smile. Hearing Zephyr's concerned questions, he gently shook his head.

"You're joking, Teacher. A wild man like me has never lived in a place this nice."

"The room is neat and clean. I like it very much. Thank you for arranging it, Teacher Zephyr."

Tsugikuni Yoriichi spoke somewhat formally, and upon hearing those words, Zephyr suddenly sensed a faint distance between them.

But Zephyr did not mind. He was just a child, after all. Being suddenly brought to an unfamiliar place, it was normal for him to be instinctively wary and distant.

"As long as you like it. You can live here from now on."

"That guy Garp is always off on missions and rarely stays at Headquarters. From now on, you'll live with me. I'll take care of you."

"Come on, let's eat breakfast first."

"I'm going to the Marine Academy later. Come with me. Although you can't enroll directly right now, you can do some training on your own when you have time."

"All the facilities are open. You can use them when no one else is around."

Zephyr came to Tsugikuni Yoriichi's side and placed one hand on Yoriichi's shoulder. The warmth of his palm dispelled the faint chill of the morning.

"Yes, Teacher."

Tsugikuni Yoriichi could feel Zephyr's care from his words and actions. It was a feeling he had not experienced in decades.

Yoriichi, who had left home as a child, had long forgotten what it felt like to be cared for. In his previous life, his mother had died early, while his father was a snobbish man. As for his foolish older brother, he simply was not good at expressing such emotions.

All Yoriichi had were endless Demons and a sword path he continued to climb.

Looking at the agreeable Tsugikuni Yoriichi, Zephyr turned and deeply glanced at the room where his child had once lived. After a brief silence, Zephyr suddenly said in a low voice:

"Yoriichi."

"Come to the Marine Academy with me today and take a look first."

"If you don't like it, you don't actually have to join the Marines."

Zephyr turned to look at Tsugikuni Yoriichi. That childish face made him feel somewhat dazed.

If his child had not died, they should be eight years old now, right? Garp had said that Tsugikuni Yoriichi was exceptionally talented, but the childish face before him constantly reminded Zephyr that this person was only a child.

There were many choices in the future! Becoming a Marine was not necessarily a good choice!

Wouldn't living out an ordinary, peaceful life be a kind of happiness? If his child could have...

Tsugikuni Yoriichi was somewhat puzzled when he heard Zephyr suddenly say this.

A Marine Admiral was actually persuading a young person who wanted to become a Marine not to join the Marines?

Is he testing me?

Thinking that, Tsugikuni Yoriichi decisively shook his head and said:

"I won't dislike it. I've already made my decision."

"I really dislike this world. No matter what others think, I've decided to make an effort to change this kind of world."

Tsugikuni Yoriichi's gaze was firm. Zephyr looked at the child beside him, momentarily stunned. He did not understand how someone so young could possess such determination.

Has this kind of world made even a child like this think such thoughts?

What our Marines have done is truly far, far from enough!

Damn it!

A feeling of guilt suddenly rose in Zephyr's heart, but in front of Tsugikuni Yoriichi, he abruptly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

"Good! You've got ambition!"

"Come on, go to the Marine Academy with me. I'll show you how outstanding Marines are trained!"

Zephyr happily said as he slapped Tsugikuni Yoriichi on the back.

By the time Zephyr and Tsugikuni Yoriichi arrived at the Marine Academy in Marineford, the Marine cadets had already begun their training for the day.

The morning chill had yet to fade from the training grounds, but every Marine soldier training there was already drenched in sweat.

"Yoriichi, these people are all elites from the Four Blues."

"The Marine Academy isn't somewhere just anyone can join."

"Everyone training here is an exceptional talent who stood out from their branch."

"And those who successfully graduate from here will become officers directly once they are assigned elsewhere."

As he spoke, Zephyr led Tsugikuni Yoriichi closer to the training grounds. Pointing at the cadets running laps around the perimeter, his face was full of pride.

"Running... this is a little different from what I expected. I thought Marine Academy training would be somewhat different."

"Teacher Zephyr, if it's only running, then I think I could join too."

Hearing Yoriichi's words, Zephyr merely smiled noncommittally. He casually called over an instructor responsible for supervising the training and asked loudly:

"Report! How long have they been training?"

After saluting Zephyr, the instructor being questioned straightened his chest and reported, "Reporting to Head Instructor Zephyr!"

"They have been training for one hour and forty minutes."

"There are twenty minutes left before the warm-up ends!"

Only after hearing his subordinate's report did Zephyr look at Tsugikuni Yoriichi with a smile and explain:

"Running is merely a simple warm-up."

"It hardly counts as training."

"One lap around the training grounds is one thousand meters."

"Their daily warm-up is forty kilometers!"

"After the simple warm-up, the cadets undergo other training! This includes, but is not limited to, studying navigation, firearm use, combat, Marine history, and so on."

"What you're seeing now is only the tip of the iceberg."

Zephyr spoke with a chuckle, his tone brimming with pride.

The Marine Academy of earlier years had been nowhere near as comprehensive as it was now. Back then, after cadets learned a few combat techniques or some swordsmanship, they would be assigned out to fight pirates. But ever since Zephyr became the head instructor of the Marine Academy, the training curriculum had become more detailed and complete.

And among the officers sent out from every class, quite a few had been exceptional.

Listening to Zephyr's introduction, Tsugikuni Yoriichi could not help raising an eyebrow in surprise.

This Marine Academy was even more mature and comprehensive than he had imagined. He had thought this was merely a place where Marines taught their subordinates the Marine Six Styles and Haki. But now it seemed that was not all. This truly was a school dedicated to cultivating officers.

"Yoriichi, the Marine Academy's admission requirements are very strict."

"Only those with a Doriki Value above eighty are qualified to study and train at the Marine Academy."

"Do you know what eighty means? An ordinary adult man, even an ordinary Marine who has received some training, only has a Doriki Value of ten!"

(End of Chapter)