As Ōru raced toward Fleet Admiral Kong's office, Ōru shouted at the Marine patrol soldiers blocking the way.
"Out of the way! Out of the way!"
Ōru became a blur of wind, rushing past the patrolling Marines...
The Marines watched Ōru disappear into the distance, bewildered.
"Hey, what's wrong with Officer Ōru? Acting like he's gone crazy. Did he get dumped?"
"No idea. Maybe it's that time of the month," one soldier reasoned with a shrewd expression.
"Uh..."
After Ōru told Fleet Admiral Kong what the giant instructor had said and handed him the photograph of "purgatory on earth"...
Fleet Admiral Kong's cold expression changed!
Kong stared at the photograph in his hand, his face full of shock. After a long moment, he still hadn't recovered, and he muttered to himself.
"Th-this... This was actually done by a ten-year-old child!!"
Once Kong recovered from his shock, he acted decisively! He ordered Ōru to summon Garp and Sengoku for an emergency...
When Sengoku and Garp arrived in a great hurry...
"Kong, what happened? Why did you summon us so urgently?" Sengoku asked, his expression serious.
Kong didn't answer. He simply handed Garp and Sengoku the photograph of "purgatory on earth" and said,
"Take a look at this photograph first."
Garp and Sengoku took the photograph and looked closely. Their expressions abruptly changed. Sengoku looked deadly serious as he said in a low voice,
"Kong, what's going on? Could the recruits and the Human Mimics have wiped each other out in this life-and-death test? But that can't be right. There aren't any recruits' bodies here. What on earth happened?"
"Hehe, Sengoku, you're both right and wrong. You're right that something went wrong with this life-and-death test, because it wasn't a life-and-death test at all. It was a one-sided slaughter!"
"Slaughter?" Garp and Sengoku asked in unison, puzzled.
Kong then repeated Ōru's account to Garp and Sengoku word for word.
When Garp and Sengoku heard Kong out, they were petrified!
Shock! Sengoku was utterly shocked. He would never have imagined that the scene in this photograph, resembling the depths of hell, had been created by a ten-year-old boy. The normally composed Sengoku instantly lost his composure.
Garp, meanwhile, stood petrified for a while before bursting into laughter. He bragged to Sengoku,
"Hahahaha! Well, Sengoku? The person I recommended is pretty good, isn't he? Hahahaha!"
This time, Sengoku uncharacteristically didn't argue with Garp. Instead, he agreed.
"More than good. He's simply outstanding. After our Marines' three 'monsters,' Sakazuki (Akainu), Borsalino (Kizaru), and Kuzan (Aokiji), we've gained another monster. Hehe, excellent, excellent."
Hearing Sengoku's words, Garp nodded in agreement and said,
"Kong, you didn't summon us just to see the shocked looks on our faces, did you?"
At that, black lines appeared all over Kong's face. He laughed and chided him.
"Of course not. I wanted to discuss something with you. I think Ages has met the standard-no, he's surpassed it. Zephyr should take full responsibility for teaching him. What do you think?"
Garp laughed heartily and clapped Kong on the shoulder.
"Hahaha, so that's what you meant. Even if you hadn't brought it up, I was going to. Ever since I heard Ōru's report, I've wanted Zeda to take full responsibility for teaching that kid Ages. What do you think, Sengoku?"
Sengoku shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Garp, isn't that obvious? How could we not have Zephyr teach someone so talented? Hehe."
Seeing that the two had reached the same conclusion as he had, Kong said,
"All right, it's settled. Garp, go find Zephyr. Once Ages arrives at Marineford, he'll begin training under Zephyr."
Time flew by...
Ages and the others finally returned to Marineford.
Just as the warship was preparing to dock...
A recruit standing on deck, gazing boredly at Marineford's harbor, suddenly looked on in disbelief. After rubbing their eyes, the recruit looked at the harbor again. Upon clearly seeing the two sturdily built figures standing there in Marine Justice Coats, the recruit shouted in shock to the others on deck.
"Look! It's Vice Admiral Marine Garp the Hero, and former Marine Admiral Instructor Zephyr!"
The recruit's words were like a stone dropped into a still lake, instantly stirring up huge waves. The recruits all looked toward Marineford's harbor.
"Wow!! It really is Vice Admiral Garp and Instructor Zephyr!"
"Wow!!"
"Vice Admiral Garp and Instructor Zephyr are so handsome! So handsome!"
The recruits excitedly gazed at the idols they had admired for so long, talking over one another as they praised and marveled at them.
Just then...
A female recruit suddenly said, "Why do you think Vice Admiral Garp and Instructor Zephyr are standing at the harbor? It looks like they're waiting for someone."
"Ours is the only warship returning right now. Could they be waiting for us? Oh my god! What an honor!"
"You're overthinking it. Waiting for us? Even if Vice Admiral Garp and Instructor Zephyr are waiting for someone, it's that person. Sigh..." another recruit said, interrupting her starry-eyed musings.
At those words, respect and envy flashed in every recruit's eyes, and they looked toward a room inside the warship.
That room was Ages's room.
After the ship docked, Garp and Zephyr leaped straight onto the deck, boarding the warship in an utterly imposing fashion.
The giant instructor had already been notified in advance. As soon as Garp and Zephyr landed, the instructor hurriedly said, "Greetings, Vice Admiral Garp, Instructor Zephyr!"
Zephyr waved a hand and smiled.
"Hehe, no need to be so formal, Xiao Han. You should already know why we're here, right? Come on, take us to Ages."
"All right. Vice Admiral Garp, Instructor Zephyr, this way, please."
The giant instructor then led Garp and Zephyr toward Ages's room.
"Oh my god! Vice Admiral Garp and Instructor Zephyr really did come for Ages!"
"I can't believe Vice Admiral Garp and Instructor Zephyr really came for Ages. What treatment! I'm... so jealous!"
"Ahhh! I'm so jealous! The Marine hero and a former Marine Admiral personally waited for him and came especially to find him. That kind of treatment!! Ahhh! I'm so jealous. I want to be treated like that too!!"
"Sigh... Comparing yourself to others can drive you mad!!"
"Ages is so cool! He actually got Vice Admiral Garp and Instructor Zephyr to come in person. I hereby declare Ages my idol from now on!"
After everyone had voiced their envy and admiration, the recruit captain spoke up.
"Come on, come on, let's go over and see when Vice Admiral Garp and Instructor Zephyr meet Ages."
At that, everyone got up and hurried after Vice Admiral Garp and the others.