Remember My Name!

Inside the steel and wooden cabin, Conrad's words lingered, their echoes seemingly refusing to fade even after he had finished speaking.

Few dared to meet Zephyr's gaze, whether due to his status as an Admiral or his formidable physique.

Or perhaps it was because of those weathered eyes, deep with experience, capable of reading the most subtle expressions of a man.

Even if their eyes met for a fleeting second, juniors would often lower their heads immediately, forced to look away by the overwhelming Haki contained within him.

But Conrad stood tall and proud, his black eyes clear, his actions and tone perfectly synchronized; his words were like bullets, and he himself was the gun that fired them.

The boy's intent was as clear as a marksman hitting a target, and Zephyr felt as though he were the target the boy had just shot.

And so, he laughed, finding it somewhat amusing, his mouth stretching wide until it reached his ears.

The heavy sound shook the furniture in the cabin, forcing Hina to quickly steady a plate that was about to slide off the floor.

Conrad's eardrums buzzed from the noise, but to ensure his voice wasn't drowned out, he gathered his strength and shouted, "Right now! I only need you to help me release Baby-5 and return her to me. This is an absolutely fair trade!"

The laughter stopped abruptly, and Zephyr's large hand clamped down on the top of Conrad's head. Unlike other parts of his body covered in rough scars, his hand was clean and unmarked.

Because his hands were rarely injured and he never killed, his moniker was "Black Arm"—the strongest and hardest part of him, the hands capable of concentrating all his Haki for Armament.

"This old man doesn't like beating around the bush. You have courage, but there are rules for everything. If you want to be my student, first prove yourself by graduating from the recruit training camp! Let me see if your character is as hard as your words!"

"It's only going to get harder!" Conrad replied decisively, his eyes shining like twin beams of light.

The sun rose over the sea, its brilliance filling the room through the windows and bathing the four of them in light, yet the brightest things remained the boy's eyes, gleaming with intensity.

Zephyr turned away, his memories drifting back to his youth—to the version of himself wearing a crude Hero of Justice Z helmet and a white cape, rescuing a girl his age from a group of thugs.

He had been full of spirit back then, waving his arms and striking poses while declaring, "I am the Hero of Justice Z." How dashing he had been!

"Sigh..." Zephyr suddenly sighed, resting his hands on the railing and gazing at the blue sky. "So, you didn't want to join the Marines earlier just so you could bargain with me?"

"No, I really didn't want to join." Conrad also walked to the railing. This was his first time seeing the sea from a warship; the scent of the ocean mixed with the steel felt as if it could broaden a man's heart.

"Reason." Zephyr looked into the distance, sounding a bit puzzled, as if asking himself, "When I was a kid, I yearned to join the Marines. Protecting justice—how cool that was, haha~"

But in the next second, Conrad's words pierced his heart like a knife, catching him completely off guard.

"I cannot be a dog for the Celestial Dragons."

The tone was flat, yet piercingly harsh.

Hina covered her mouth in silence, and Smoker even forgot to inhale his cigar.

Before Zephyr could crush the railing, he pulled back his iron arm, clasped his hands behind his back, and clenched his fists.

"I don't want to hear that a second time. Don't say it in front of others again. Both of you, act as if you never heard it. That is an order! Acknowledge!"

"Yes! Instructor Zephyr!" Smoker and Hina saluted in response.

"You, come with me." Zephyr's heavy strides made the deck boom. "A boy is a man; since you're awake, don't stay in the infirmary."

Conrad followed closely. He was still a wounded man wrapped in bandages, his steps labored, but Baby-5 was surely still waiting for him, and he had to find her quickly.

Along the way, every crew member they passed stood at attention and saluted. Even the lowest-ranking among them were Warrant Officers; once they graduated, they would become the backbone of the new generation of officers.

They were either elites selected from the four seas or geniuses from the Headquarters, each possessing superior physical fitness and outstanding abilities.

Their gazes, too, carried a distinct weight.

Conrad felt their focus, their scrutiny.

It reminded him of Qin Wuyang, who had been so terrified that he lost his nerve while attempting to assassinate the First Emperor of Qin.

But he was not Qin Wuyang. He was the White-Haired Man who followed the Hell Commander to inspect the Heavenly Kingdom, and even if the White-Haired Man's legs might tremble, he would not!

Conrad suddenly stopped in his tracks, for an indomitable spirit rose from his spine, ready to clash with the stern atmosphere of the formation.

Slap!

Zephyr reached back and patted Conrad on the shoulder. "A master swordsman keeps his blade hidden, waiting for the right moment. A true powerhouse does not explode with energy at every turn."

"I understand." Conrad understood the logic, but he had his own interpretation.

He turned his head, scanned the faces of every man and woman looking at him, and took a deep breath.

"I am Conrad! 'Con' for healthy, 'Rad' for to contain, and 'D' for winning people over with virtue!"

He didn't use a shred of Haki, relying purely on the volume of his voice, yet the Marines fell silent—not because of how powerful he was, but because of discipline and the presence of Zephyr beside him.

But everyone heard his strange self-introduction and waited for his next words.

"Remember my name!" Conrad gasped for air, his voice cracking. "Two years! Listen for it to ring throughout the Marines!"

The Marines finally stirred. To them, this felt like a challenge; in a system built on seniority, respecting one's seniors was the most basic etiquette.

Moreover, they were no ordinary people; they all had their own pride.

Conrad neither looked at nor listened to their reactions, continuing to follow Zephyr toward the gangplank that extended to Tsuru's warship on the other side.

Beside the iron stairs on the opposite ship, Drake, who had been rescued alongside Conrad, leaned on a mop, his timid face filled with envy.

"If only I could be that confident."

Slap!

"Drake! Get back to work!"

A blonde girl wearing a hat with an "M" printed on it flicked her long leather whip, cracking it against the floor.

"Yes! Miss Kujaku!" Drake dared not talk back, for the other party was the granddaughter of Vice Admiral Tsuru.

Kujaku's eyes were large, the corners curving downward as she stared at Conrad, who was crossing the gangplank, with a wickedly mischievous gaze: "Arrogant brat, let me properly discipline you."

She was fourteen years old this year and already stood 1.65 meters tall, her cheeks still retaining two rosy flushes like undeveloped baby fat.

Yet, she had been arranged by her grandmother to be responsible for monitoring Drake and Baby-5 until the ship reached Marine Headquarters.

This was simply because she was also a Devil Fruit user, having eaten the Whip-Whip Fruit, which allowed her to command anything she struck with her whip, making her well-suited for guarding prisoners.

As Zephyr walked down the gangplank, Kujaku stepped forward to greet him, smiling sweetly: "Grandpa Zephyr, is this a newly delivered prisoner? Just leave him to me!"

As she spoke, she puffed out her budding chest and patted it firmly, her strawberry-patterned dress quivering like jelly.

"Haha! Kujaku is such a good girl!" Zephyr's eyes were full of doting affection, as she was, after all, the granddaughter of a comrade-in-arms, "It's a pity he isn't; he has no criminal record."

Kujaku's smile turned into a pout, deeply disappointed: "Ah! How could that be! Isn't he with that Baby-5! They should both be locked up!"

"Locking you up... you silly bird! Shut your mouth!" Conrad suppressed his temper, trying to speak reasonably.