Drawing Attention

Plumes of smoke continuously drifted into the sky. At the center was a massive crater ten meters across and three or four meters deep, a shocking sight that came into everyone's view.

The surrounding area was a complete mess, littered with debris and crisscrossed by fissures and flattened ground.

Standing at the perimeter, Momonga and the others gaped. The blast had sent them flying and left them somewhat disheveled, but they had no time to straighten themselves out. Their eyes were fixed on the figure faintly visible through the smoke at the crater's edge.

The explosion had come too suddenly and too inexplicably. Some of them had a slight ringing in their ears, while the worse-off ones looked completely dazed.

"Cough, cough."

On the other side of the crater, a large mass of magma gathered and gradually returned to its original form.

Sakazuki's face was covered in blood, making him look utterly miserable. In truth, his injuries were not serious; everything had happened too abruptly for him to react, and he had merely taken some of the impact.

Once everything settled, Sakazuki rose to his feet and spat out a mouthful of clotted blood. Across the ten-meter crater, his previously lofty expression was gone, replaced by gravity.

"What is your name?"

Those were equal words. That explosion had made Sakazuki recognize the person before him. He was proud, but only toward the weak. If faced with the strong, he would show respect. In other words, Sakazuki now acknowledged Ye Chen.

No one who became an admiral was a fool. Only after getting to know someone in depth could one understand their true nature.

Standing opposite him, smoke still rose from Ye Chen's right foot, with sparks crackling around it, though the lower part of his trouser leg had vanished.

This time, Ye Chen answered Sakazuki's question.

"Ye Chen."

"Very good. You're stronger than those two. You're worth my full strength."

Magma erupted from Sakazuki's body once more. He actually still wanted to fight.

Ye Chen said nothing, merely assuming an attacking stance.

"That's enough."

At that moment, three people suddenly appeared in the training ground, making Ye Chen's gaze narrow. Whether through Observation Haki or his eyesight, he had not seen how these three had appeared.

"Admiral Zephyr, Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru."

Once the surrounding people recognized the three, they all saluted, their expressions turning solemn.

"Take the injured students to the infirmary," Sengoku said first.

"Yes, sir."

Momonga and the others breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed they would not be punished this time.

After Sengoku gave the order, Ye Chen walked over to Vergo and Smoker, helped them up, and headed toward the infirmary. Hina, meanwhile, supported Shu and Very Good.

"What is your name?"

After taking only a few steps, Sengoku asked. Though he already knew, he still asked the question.

"Ye Chen."

Supporting Vergo and Very Good, Ye Chen looked at Sengoku with his dark, indifferent eyes. He could not have been more disrespectful.

However, Sengoku did not feel offended. Instead, he smiled and nodded. Sakazuki and the other two were right there, and Zephyr had also told him that this fellow rarely spoke and was rather withdrawn.

Besides, given his status, there was no need for him to get angry. Otherwise, Sakazuki, Kuzan, and the others would have died countless times already. Ye Chen's expression even made Sengoku think more highly of him; after all, those with strange tempers were rarely weak.

To put it plainly, their statuses were not even on the same level. Moreover, the future Ye Chen had displayed was quite promising, enough to draw Sengoku's attention.

Watching Ye Chen leave while supporting Vergo and Smoker, Sengoku showed a faint smile behind him.

"Zephyr, your eye for talent is as sharp as ever."

"This fellow has great talent and perseverance. He's just too withdrawn." Zephyr smiled. The strength Ye Chen had displayed today had truly impressed him.

"That's normal. Weren't you two the same when you were young?" Tsuru rolled her eyes at her two old friends.

"Ah, those reckless days of youth..."

"If nothing unexpected happens, this fellow has the potential to become a Vice Admiral, perhaps even an admiral. He needs to be watched closely. Also, report this matter to Fleet Admiral Kong!"

"The sea is becoming increasingly turbulent. It is time for the Marines to bring in fresh blood. Let's go together!"

In the Fleet Admiral's office, Kong sat at the head of the room, handling official matters. The recent turmoil across the seas had left him overwhelmed.

For example, Roger and Whitebeard had met. Golden Lion was once again recruiting subordinates on a large scale. As for Red the Aloof, there had been no news, but rumors occasionally surfaced across the seas about some Vampire.

Kong was not afraid of those pirates. What worried him was the possibility that they might join forces. If all four of them, or even just two of them, allied, the Marines would be in for a serious headache.

"Fleet Admiral Kong."

Before long, Sengoku and the other two arrived at the office.

"What rare guests. The three of you actually came together today." Setting aside his work, Kong looked at Zephyr with some surprise. Zephyr rarely came here unless there was something important.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, take a look at this."

Tsuru had the foresight to record Ye Chen's battle with Sakazuki using a Visual Den Den Mushi.

"What happened that it had to be recorded?" Kong raised an eyebrow and looked suspiciously at his three subordinates.

The Den Den Mushi was activated. At first, Kong paid it little attention, until Sakazuki appeared.

"Sakazuki? Did that fellow cause trouble again?"

It was rare that Kong, the highest-ranking Fleet Admiral of the Marines, was so busy every day that his feet barely touched the ground, yet he immediately called out Sakazuki's name. Clearly, Kong had been keeping an eye on Sakazuki for some time.

Then Ye Chen appeared, followed by the battle between the two. As it gradually unfolded, Kong frowned. Though their fight was riddled with openings in his eyes, one had to consider their current age.

When the final explosion sounded, Kong's expression immediately turned serious, followed by delight.

"What is the name of the fellow who fought Sakazuki?"

After watching it, Kong looked at Zephyr. Zephyr spent the most time at the Marine Academy, and it was obvious at a glance that this fellow was a student.

"Ye Chen." Zephyr sat in a chair, drinking coffee.

"Bring me the records of a Marine Academy student named Ye Chen." Kong immediately called a Den Den Mushi on his desk.

"Zephyr, this prospect is quite good." After ending the call, Kong looked very pleased.

"Not only is Ye Chen good, but Vergo is as well."

"It seems the next generation of Marines may surpass us by far." It was rare for Sengoku to crack a joke.

"By the way, where's Garp?"

"His son has apparently been somewhat rebellious lately, so Garp took him back to East Blue to straighten him out."

"You mean Dragon? Didn't he graduate long ago and become a Rear Admiral, carrying out missions outside?"

"The details aren't clear. It seems that after Garp finished a mission this time, he went to see Dragon. For some reason, he flew into a rage, called me directly, and then took his son back to Foosha Village to discipline him."

"That old fellow brought Dragon to the academy back then and asked me to teach him. But I found that he had already mastered Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and the Six Powers. What was there for me to teach? That old bastard definitely came just to show off."

Zephyr seemed to recall something, and his face darkened. Whenever he remembered the smug way Garp had flaunted himself with his nose in the air, the corners of his mouth twitched.

"The father's a monster, and so is the son..."

"Hahaha."