Surging undercurrents

Another harbor in Marineford served ships carrying supplies.

Before docking, Lofan had notified Zephyr by Den Den Mushi, then used the credentials Kong had given him to dock at one side of the harbor.

Three years earlier, Zephyr had been his instructor at the elite training camp.

Zephyr had taught him both forms of Haki, though he had learned them after watching just one demonstration.

But the experience Zephyr had passed on and the training during that period had indeed allowed him to grow rapidly.

So Lofan felt considerable affection for elders like Tsuru and Zephyr.

After all, they were benefactors who had helped him through hardship.

Yet during his earlier conversation with Zephyr, he had sensed not only the man's joy, but also his weariness.

Even a hint of age.

Lofan adjusted his glasses, thinking he might have been mistaken.

That old man who had thrashed him just over three years ago was no pushover. He was probably overthinking things.

A massive iron chain trailed behind the pirate ship, with Jack submerged beneath the water, unable to breathe.

Without Seastone Handcuffs, Lofan could only resort to this method.

As for whether Jack would die, he did not care.

Jack himself was not the point of the gift.

It was the fact that Jack the Drought, one of the All-Stars under Kaido of the Four Emperors, had been defeated by a young Marine just starting out.

That fact alone was enough to shake the existing balance of the Four Emperors in the New World and puncture their myth.

Striking at the heart was the best strategy.

Zephyr was in high spirits that day, eagerly leading Ain and Binz toward the harbor.

"That brat you've always been curious about is back. You'll join his warship from now on. He'll at least do this old man that favor."

Lofan saw that familiar, powerfully built figure, but the old man's right sleeve was now empty.

The sea breeze swept through it, with nothing there to support it.

The appearance of Ain and Binz also made him understand the reason for the change in Zephyr.

He instantly understood what had happened.

Kong had kept him under strict training for the past three years, leaving him no time to consider how the plot was progressing. He had never expected to let the same thing happen again.

Lofan frowned, his expression grim. "Old man, what exactly happened?"

At that moment, Lofan blamed himself for his oversight.

He also needed to find out whether, as in the original plot, it had been severed by Weevil, who called himself Whitebeard Jr.

Zephyr patted his student, who was now almost as tall as he was, feeling gratified.

When he had first arrived three years earlier, his frail body had barely reached Zephyr's waist.

But now, he had grown into a strapping young man. Zephyr felt deeply gratified, but also a little forlorn.

He laughed heartily. "It's nothing. Just getting old. It's those young soldiers I feel sorry for..."

But Lofan could not let it go. His expression was ugly, the gentle smile that always graced his face gone:

"Teacher! I'll make him pay the price he deserves."

Lofan had always spoken irreverently, but that was because he was close to Zephyr and the others.

Now, however, he had to step forward as Zephyr's student.

He did not know why Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji, and the others-

why those outstanding students had not stepped forward to avenge Zephyr. But he could not do the same. He would make the culprit pay!

Yet Zephyr had actually changed. He had not gone to extremes as he had in the original plot.

Although the blow had hit him hard, he had instead retreated behind the scenes and taken up clerical work.

Perhaps because Lofan had arrived, Zephyr's originally tragic end ought to change from this point on.

"He called himself Edward Weevil and claimed to be Whitebeard's son.

"But that's certainly nonsense. I've never heard of him. You'll learn the rest later. Let's not talk about it today."

Zephyr did not want to bring up those stories steeped in blood and hatred on the day of their reunion.

Instead, he rallied his spirits and introduced the two young Marines behind him to Lofan.

"Lofan, these two are your juniors.

"The blue-haired girl is Ain, and the flashy-looking brat is Binz.

"I was hoping... could you, could you let them follow you and serve aboard your warship?"

Both were survivors of the attack and held Zephyr in the deepest respect and affection.

So even though Zephyr now did clerical work, the two young, able-bodied Marines still stayed by his side.

That was why Zephyr wanted to do everything he could to help these two young people climb higher.

And Lofan was the candidate he favored most.

Hailed as the most gifted man in the Marines' eight-hundred-year history, he had even been personally taken away by Kong for training. Everyone knew he had a bright future.

Looking at Zephyr, whose age now showed so plainly, and hearing that almost pleading tone,

Lofan felt a pang of sadness. Although the attack had not driven Zephyr to extremes, it had still changed him profoundly.

So much so that this man, who had been strong-willed all his life and worn justice upon his shoulders, now spoke with a hint of pleading.

Ain and Binz were only ordinary Marines at headquarters at the time.

Facing this renowned genius, they felt somewhat nervous and instinctively stiffened, standing ramrod straight.

It was midsummer, and Ain's long, beautiful legs were bare beneath her short shorts.

Her taut muscles were full of youth and strength, proof that she had never once neglected her training because she was doing clerical work.

The two studied this refined young man with some curiosity.

After all, not only did their teacher Zephyr praise him unstintingly, but even Garp the Hero, who occasionally visited Zephyr, spoke exceedingly highly of Lofan.

Their first impression of Lofan was that he was as gentle as jade.

He had the bearing of a scholarly commander, something they had never seen in a Marine, but they did not quite believe his declaration that he would take revenge.

The despair their attacker had brought them during that incident had yet to fade.

Although he had not even taken up a post, everyone in Marineford knew Lofan's name, from the Fleet Admiral down to the recruits in the training camp.

Of course, at Kong's express insistence, his fame had spread only within Marineford.

"Of course. Let's put that aside, Teacher. First, take a look at the gift I brought."

Lofan took the Seastone Handcuffs from Binz. He had asked for them earlier over the Den Den Mushi.

Then, under the three's puzzled, curious gazes, Lofan hauled up the enormous iron chain beside the ship in one pull, dragging Jack's massive body onto the ground.

With a thunderous crash, an unbelievable face appeared before the three of them.

"This is?!"

All three stared wide-eyed. Jack the Drought! Who in the New World did not know his fearsome reputation and appearance?

"I happened to run into him, and I happened to be able to catch him."

In contrast to Lofan, who calmly fastened the cuffs around Jack's wrists,

the three stood frozen in shock. This was one of Kaido's All-Stars! A ferocious figure who had made his name long ago.

And Lofan? He was merely an eighteen-year-old Marine recruit who had trained for three years.

"Teacher, I'll prove you weren't wrong about me. The Marines' era has arrived."

"From now on, wherever our warships sail, justice will reign!"

With Jack's enormous body behind him, they saw Lofan's modest smile and his resolute, solemn gaze.

Only then did Ain and Binz truly understand what it meant to live up to one's reputation, and what it meant to be the most gifted man in the Marines' eight-hundred-year history.

Perhaps in just a few years, Lofan would exchange the word "gifted" for "powerful" and become the strongest fighting force in the Marines' eight-hundred-year history.

Marineford erupted into a commotion, a bustle rarely seen.

Because the legendary genius had returned.

They heard he had even happened upon Jack the Drought on the way and captured him, bringing him straight to headquarters!

And if they worked out his age, he was only eighteen, damn it?!

Marines poured into the streets, but did not see the man at the center of the rumors.

Meanwhile, Zephyr grinned from ear to ear as he strode briskly along with Ain and Binz.

Behind them was Jack, restrained by other Marines. He had now regained consciousness.

Although extremely weak, he still struggled furiously against his bonds, all to no avail.

Zephyr had truly never expected the so-called gift to be so valuable. It swept away all the gloom that had hung over him.

He had once believed Lofan could change the era, but now he could already see the curtain rising.

"I thought I'd already set my estimate as high as it could go, figuring this brat would come back as a Rear Admiral.

"But now, it looks like we're about to see the youngest Admiral in history."

After his sigh of admiration, Zephyr glared at the two behind him. Ignoring the shock his words had caused, he sternly lectured them:

"You two had better give this everything you've got!

"During these next few days while this brat's appointment is being settled, I'll put you through your paces again! You'd better not disgrace this old man!"

Ain and Binz suddenly brimmed with tears of excitement.

It had been a long time since Zephyr had trained anyone.

Perhaps he had been unable to overcome the hurdle in his heart. Now, at last, they once again saw their teacher's long-absent sternness.

"Remember, the people standing beside him should be adjutants worthy of him!

"Not juniors seeking protection! If you can't meet my standards this time, don't board his ship.

"I won't allow a single blemish on his record!"

Zephyr's words were already excessively harsh, placing immense pressure on them both.

With their abilities, they would ordinarily have been perfectly qualified to serve aboard a Rear Admiral's warship, but that was no longer enough.

The strength Lofan had shown already exceeded his expectations. But that was good!

So he could not become a burden to Lofan. Zephyr wanted to remain worthy of being called his teacher until the day he died.

The Fleet Admiral's Office.

Sengoku looked at the refined young man before him, feeling somewhat troubled.

He occasionally asked about Lofan's progress, but Kong always acted secretive and evasive.

He truly had not expected just over three years to turn that genius into a monster.

But deciding what position to give Lofan was a real headache.

He was strong enough, and with Jack as a military achievement, there would be no problem making him an Admiral candidate directly.

But he was too young and lacked seniority. It could easily spark internal conflict, making matters difficult.

Yet failing to reward him adequately would not only dishearten the young soldiers, but might also leave Lofan resentful.

And if people with ulterior motives fanned the flames, the Marines' image might suffer as well.

"If this gamble pays off, the Marines may regain control of the Grand Line in this era.

"If it fails, heh, at worst this old man will resign to take responsibility."

The heavy atmosphere made the white goat bleat a few times.

"Baa~ baa~"

Sengoku's eyes behind his round glasses suddenly grew sharp as blades. Stubborn and inflexible though he was,

in an era of tremendous change, everyone needed to take risks.

It was time to stir these seas once more, but the leading players would not, and could not, be pirates again!

Sengoku immediately made his decision, and Lofan accepted his appointment and left the Fleet Admiral's Office.

He knew his name would spread throughout the Grand Line within a single day.

Everywhere the World Government's influence reached. And immediately afterward, he would have to face Kaido of the Four Emperors.

Whether an early Paramount War would unfold remained unknown.

"Extra! Extra! The youngest Admiral candidate in history!"

The very next day after Sengoku approved the documents, the Seagull Newspaper's front page carried a photograph from Lofan's appointment ceremony:

The refined young man wore a white suit with a coat of justice draped over his shoulders, overlooking all of Marineford from the platform with a gentle smile.

His gentle image overturned everyone's impression of the Marines.

A gentle man, extraordinarily young, yet extraordinarily powerful!

Because he had captured Jack the Drought alive!