Striving for the Future, Taking Control of Your Own Destiny

The Marine Academy was located in the mountains behind Marineford and was one of the places the Navy valued most. After all, it was where the Navy's future was cultivated.

It was simple. The academy was divided into two levels. One was the regular class. Barring any surprises, trainees who graduated from there and possessed sufficient strength would become the Navy's future officers.

No matter what position they held in the future, strength was indispensable.

If you were strong, you could become an ensign or captain, perhaps even a major, colonel, commodore, or rear admiral.

If you were weak, your rank would be much lower. You might have to start as a warrant officer.

Besides the regular class, there was the elite class, also known as the monster class. For instance, the elite academy currently had three outstanding students. Though they had not yet graduated, they already wore the rank of commodore and were pursuing pirates in the New World under the leadership of the Navy hero, Garp.

Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan—the future Navy admirals, men of immense authority and ridiculously powerful strength.

But for now, they were still trainees and had not graduated.

Besides those three monsters, there were other monsters as well, such as the future Navy vice admirals Hōshō, Onigumo, Momonga, Gion, and others. They were all in the elite class.

Unfortunately, Ye Chen had entered the regular class this time and had not met those legendary figures.

To Ye Chen, it did not matter whether he met them or not. All he wanted now was to survive, grow stronger, and take his destiny into his own hands. He swore that everything from before would never be allowed to happen again.

Ye Chen had been in the regular class for a month, but he had gained nothing he wanted during that time. For the entire month, they had talked about the Navy's justice, its system, the evil of pirates, and loyalty to the Navy and the World Government. It was nothing but brainwashing.

Ye Chen had no reaction to any of it. It went in one ear and out the other. They wanted him to be loyal to the Navy and the World Government? How laughable. He was loyal only to himself.

Over that month or so, Ye Chen had come to understand everything. He was no longer the ignorant shut-in he had once been. He wanted to live, to live freely.

At last, more than a month of brainwashing came to an end.

Now, over half the trainees were filled with fanatical devotion toward the Navy and the World Government. Only a few still had their own thoughts, but they were smart enough to hide them.

It was clear that those with minds of their own either truly understood the rules by which this world operated or had suffered painful experiences beyond anyone's imagination.

As it happened, Ye Chen was one of them.

During that month, Ye Chen had also gotten to know several people: Smoker, who had eaten the Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit; Hina, who had eaten the Cage-Cage Fruit; Shu, who had eaten the Rust-Rust Fruit; Very Good, who had eaten the Berry-Berry Fruit; and Vergo, who was as taciturn as Ye Chen. No one knew Vergo's ability, but he was stronger than the other children.

Together with Ye Chen, they had all received special attention from the Navy, either because they were Devil Fruit users or because they possessed exceptional talent.

In addition, many children had been sent away from the academy during that month. Clearly, they had been eliminated.

"Very good. There are a few promising seedlings in this class."

In the academy's great square, all sorts of training equipment and weapons had been placed nearby. At that moment, a powerful man with purple hair stared sternly at Ye Chen and the others.

This man was a legend: Black Arm Zephyr, a Navy admiral and one of the highest combat powers on the seas. He stood among the very few at the pinnacle, capable of taking control of his own destiny. Yet he was deeply tragic, bound by so-called justice.

In the end, it had led to the destruction of his family and a miserable later life.

Ye Chen neither admired nor mocked him. He had neither the qualifications nor the time, and his heart remained utterly calm. That so-called admiration and excitement had long since been worn away.

This was a real world, a cruel world where strength reigned supreme. Ye Chen would no longer dream of saving anyone, nor would he dream of fairness or equality.

Thus, Ye Chen felt neither admiration nor fear. He merely looked at Zephyr with calm, unruffled eyes.

"You were supposed to have other instructors, but I'm on leave recently, so I came to train you new recruits. For justice, you must endure. Anyone who fails to meet my standards will be eliminated immediately. There will be no second chance."

After delivering a long string of threats and encouragements, Zephyr spoke at length. From time to time, a trace of his imposing aura pressed down on them, forcing Ye Chen to grit his teeth as if a mountain had settled onto his shoulders, trying to make him bow.

That feeling again. That feeling of being unable to resist. Ye Chen clenched his fists so tightly that his nails pierced his flesh. His face was pale, and though his legs trembled, he forcibly straightened his body. There was no visible expression on his face, but his heart was filled with ruthless resolve.

Ye Chen was not the only one who endured. Not far away, Smoker and Vergo also straightened up, proud and unyielding.

Hina, Shu, and Very Good were somewhat worse off, but they were still far better than everyone else.

Ye Chen could clearly sense that Zephyr's gaze had swept over him, Smoker, Vergo, Hina, Shu, and Very Good. Clearly, enduring that aura had been one of Zephyr's tests.

"Now, everyone turn around. Run ten laps around the track."

Without any preparation whatsoever, Zephyr began the training directly—or perhaps it could not even be called training.

One lap was two kilometers, two thousand meters. Ten laps meant twenty kilometers. For Ye Chen's current body, that was somewhat difficult.

But this world was just that strange. Even children possessed terrifying physical constitutions. In his former world, aside from athletes, try running twenty kilometers in one go. If you could get out of bed the next day, he would jump into the sea.

Most importantly, Ye Chen and the others ranged from eight or nine to sixteen or seventeen years old. They were still children. Twenty kilometers was torture, no matter how strong their physiques were.

There was no problem during the first lap, only a little sweating. By the third lap, some people were drenched in sweat, their breathing pounding like drums as they gasped heavily.

By the fifth lap, some had begun to slow down.

By the seventh lap, some had already stopped.

By the eighth lap, only six or seven people were still holding on.

Unable to catch his breath, Ye Chen felt as though his body had become incredibly heavy. His feet especially seemed filled with lead. Every time he lifted one, it felt as if a stone were tied to it, sending sharp pain through him.

His clothes were soaked through with sweat, as though he had been pulled from the water.

"Haah... haah..."

Amid the rapid panting, Smoker caught up beside Ye Chen. He glanced at Ye Chen without saying anything, merely staring ahead and gritting his teeth.

Ye Chen said nothing either. Neither of them had the strength to speak anymore. More importantly, there was always one person leading at the very front: Vergo.

It was hard to imagine why that guy could keep going for so long without having eaten a Devil Fruit. Smoker's face was not only pale, but filled with unwillingness.

As for Ye Chen, he felt no resentment. What others did had nothing to do with him. He did not compare himself to anyone else. The only person he cared about was himself.

If he could not even endure this, then his future would remain the same—tormented by others, killed by others.

Absolutely not. He would never be a slave again. He would become someone above others. He would change all of this.