Attracting Attention

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Plumes of smoke continuously drifted into the sky. At the very center was a massive crater ten meters across and three to four meters deep, a shocking sight for everyone present.

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

Standing at the perimeter, Momonga and the others gaped. The shockwave had sent them flying, leaving them somewhat disheveled, but they had no time to straighten themselves out. They could only stare at the figure flickering in and out of view through the smoke at the edge of the crater.

The explosion had come far too suddenly and bizarrely. Their ears rang faintly, while those more seriously affected were left dazed.

"Cough, cough."

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

Sakazuki was covered in blood, looking utterly miserable. In truth, his injuries were not severe; the attack had simply come too abruptly, leaving him no time to react before he was caught in the blast.

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

"What is your name?"

His tone was now level. That explosion had made Sakazuki acknowledge the guy before him. He was proud, but only toward the weak. He respected the strong. In other words, Sakazuki now recognized Ye Chen.

Anyone who could become an admiral was no fool. Only after getting to know someone more deeply could one understand their true nature.

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

This time, Ye Chen answered Sakazuki's question.

"Ye Chen."

"Very good. You are stronger than those two. You are worthy of my full strength."

Magma erupted from Sakazuki's body again. 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 on the field. Ye Chen's gaze sharpened, because neither his Observation Haki nor his eyesight had detected how they had appeared.

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

Once the people around them recognized the trio, they all saluted, their expressions turning solemn.

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

"Yes, sir."

Momonga and the others let out a breath of relief. It seemed they would not be punished this time.

After Sengoku gave the order, Ye Chen walked over to Vergo and Smoker, directly helping the two up as he headed for the infirmary. Meanwhile, Hina supported Shu and Very Good.

"What is your name?"

After he had taken only a few steps, Sengoku asked. Although he already knew, he still asked the question.

"Ye Chen."

Supporting Vergo and Very Good, Ye Chen looked at Sengoku with calm, black eyes. His manner could be called extremely rude.

Yet Sengoku felt no displeasure and instead smiled and nodded. After all, Sakazuki and the other two were right there, and Zephyr had also told him that this guy rarely spoke and was rather withdrawn.

Besides, given Sengoku's 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, people with strange tempers were rarely weak.

Simply put, the two sides were not on the same level at all. Moreover, the potential Ye Chen had displayed was excellent—enough to draw Sengoku's attention.

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

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

"This kid has excellent talent and determination. He is just too withdrawn." Zephyr smiled. Ye Chen's displayed strength today had truly caught his attention.

"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 kid has the potential to become a vice admiral, perhaps even an admiral. He needs special attention. 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 government affairs. The recent turmoil at sea had given him a terrible headache.

For instance, Roger and Whitebeard had met, Golden Lion was aggressively recruiting subordinates, and while there had been no news from Red the Aloof, rumors occasionally surfaced across the seas about some kind of vampire.

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

"Fleet Admiral Kong."

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

"What rare visitors. The three of you actually came together today." Kong set down his paperwork and looked at Zephyr in surprise. When there was nothing important, Zephyr rarely came here.

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

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

"What is it that needed to be recorded?" Kong raised an eyebrow, looking suspiciously at his three subordinates.

The Den Den Mushi was activated. At first, Kong did not pay much attention—until Sakazuki appeared.

"Sakazuki? Did that kid cause trouble?"

It was rare for Kong, the Marines' highest-ranking fleet admiral, to be so busy that his feet barely touched the ground, yet he immediately called Sakazuki by name. Clearly, he had long been keeping an eye on Sakazuki.

Then Ye Chen appeared, followed by the battle between the two. As it slowly unfolded, Kong frowned. Although their fight was full of openings in his eyes, one had to consider their age.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Not only is this Ye Chen impressive, 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 is Garp?"

"His son seems to have become somewhat rebellious lately, so Garp took him back to East Blue for some discipline."

"You mean Dragon? Didn't he graduate long ago? He became a rear admiral and has been carrying out missions outside."

"The details are unclear. 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 for discipline."

"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 in front of me."

Zephyr seemed to remember something, and his face darkened. Whenever he recalled the smug look on Garp's face back then, with his nose practically pointed at the sky, the corners of his mouth twitched.

"The father is a monster, and the son is a monster too."

"Haha."