Conrad had a hundred ways to train.
But limited by the available conditions and facilities, when he used to train Iron Sand Palm, he could only go to construction sites at noon during the hottest days of summer and jab his hands into scorching yellow sand.
Even in a year, he could only train for those two months when the sun blazed at its fiercest. What a pity.
Now, however, Marine Headquarters offered exceptionally ample conditions, giving his ingenuity plenty of room to shine.
But before training, Conrad first needed to make a trip to the Sabaody Archipelago to pick up Robin.
And to leave Marineford, he had to pass through the Gate of Justice, carved with the emblem of the World Government.
Without a travel permit, no ship was allowed through.
Just as Conrad was considering whose ship he could hitch a ride on, Kujaku came to find him and told him that Zephyr had returned to headquarters.
The moment he heard the news, Conrad knew that the most important moment of his time in the Marines had arrived—a moment that would directly determine his future path.
He made his way to the officers' residences. The old gatekeeper opened the gate for him immediately; someone had clearly authorized his entry beforehand.
Conrad walked inside. Zephyr's home was an old house at the very deepest part of the residential district, a terribly lonely house.
Amid the surrounding mansions, all bright and dignified and steeped in the festive bustle of the New Year, this two-story building without even a garden stood out sharply.
Its roof tiles were blackish purple, and ivy covered its walls.
Conrad stepped onto the creaking stairs before the door and knocked from the threshold. But the door was unlocked, and it swung open with a bang.
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