At that moment, Ages had no idea what was happening outside. He was simply continuing his daily task: drawing his sword 4,000 times and swinging it 4,000 times.
Swish... swish...
The sound of the blade cutting through the air rang out again and again.
"3,988."
Swish...
"3,995."
Swish...
"4,000!"
"Phew..."
After completing his 4,000 swings, Ages let out a long breath, picked up a towel, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He glanced at the timer and murmured to himself.
"I can't believe I've managed 4,000 swings in under fifteen minutes. Looks like I need to increase the number again. I'll add another 200 next time..."
Just as Ages was murmuring to himself...
Knock... knock... knock...
A gentle knock came from the door...
Creak.
Ages opened the door and looked at Garp and Zephyr standing outside. Surprise appeared in his eyes as he spoke.
"Huh? Vice Admiral Garp? Did you need something?"
After speaking, Ages glanced at the man beside Vice Admiral Garp. He was middle-aged, with short, choppy purple hair, some stubble on his chin, a somewhat weathered face, and piercing eyes. Ages thought in surprise, This man is definitely a powerhouse.
Seeing Ages look at Zephyr, Garp laughed heartily.
"Hahaha, Ages, you've got it wrong. I'm not here to see you. He's the one who wants something from you. I'm just showing him the way."
"Come, let me introduce you. This is Zephyr, a former Marine Admiral and the current chief instructor of the Ferocious Beast Training Camp."
Ages raised an eyebrow. Although he knew the man was definitely very powerful, he hadn't expected him to have such an impressive background. He asked,
"What did you want to see me about, Instructor Zephyr?"
Zephyr stepped forward, a gentle smile on his face, and said,
"Well, I heard about your life-and-death test. Your performance surprised me tremendously, and it made me want to teach you personally. That's why I came to see you."
As soon as Zephyr said those words...
A commotion broke out!
The new recruits behind them erupted in an uproar. They all looked at Ages, their eyes full of admiration and envy.
When Ages heard Zephyr's words, the corners of his mouth curved up almost imperceptibly. He thought,
Hehe, I really did get the higher-ups' attention. Wiping out all the Human Mimics took a lot of effort, but it wasn't for nothing.
Ages rubbed his chin, his expression calm and composed, and asked,
"Is there a difference between training at the Ferocious Beast Training Camp and training under you?"
Zephyr was taken aback. Ages hadn't excitedly accepted his offer of personal instruction. Instead, he had remained true to himself and calmly asked a question. Zephyr couldn't help but think even more highly of him.
Off to the side, a flicker of surprise also passed through Garp's eyes. He thought,
Hahaha, good lad. He can actually resist the temptation. If it were anyone else, they'd probably be desperate to agree right away. Not bad, not bad, hahahaha!
Zephyr cleared his throat and spoke.
"Ages, of course there's a difference. Although you can receive comprehensive training at the Ferocious Beast Training Camp..."
"An instructor there only teaches everyone as a group. But if you accept my instruction, it'll be different. You could say I'll be teaching you one-on-one. I can devise a more perfect training method based on your strength, allowing you to improve faster."
"So, Ages, are you willing to accept my instruction?"
As Zephyr extended his offer, the new recruits' hearts rose into their throats. Seeing that Ages still hadn't agreed, they were practically grinding their teeth in frustration. They wished they could answer for him: "I'm willing!"
Ages didn't agree immediately. After giving it some thought, he broke into a sunny smile and said,
"Hehe, if I can get stronger faster, then of course I'm willing."
When Ages agreed, the new recruits looked at him with mixed emotions, their hearts full of envy and resentment. After all, those who received Zephyr's instruction went on to become extraordinary figures, such as Sakazuki and Jango.
Seeing Ages agree, Zephyr laughed and said to the giant instructor,
"Giant, I'm taking Ages with me now. You'll be in charge of the remaining formalities. Also, the gap between Ages's strength and everyone else's was too great, which caused a problem with this life-and-death test. So I've decided to have the other new recruits take the test again, for the sake of fairness."
"Yeah! Long live Instructor Zephyr!!"
The new recruits, who had been worried all along about being eliminated, felt hope flare up the moment they heard this. They all began shouting excitedly and happily...
A few hours later...
Marine Headquarters was in an uproar!
All the higher-ups were shocked. The completion rate for this life-and-death test was unexpectedly low, while the death rate was also the lowest ever. And the one responsible for it all was actually a ten-year-old boy.
In the end, the higher-ups at the Ferocious Beast Training Camp were forced to have the new recruits take the life-and-death test again.
It would be the first time in history!
At the same time, the results of Ages, the only one to pass this life-and-death test, were announced. He had wiped out all the Human Mimics in half a day, setting a new record for the test that was engraved on the Ferocious Beast List stele!
The higher-ups all committed Ages's name to memory.
For a time, Ages's name spread throughout Marine Headquarters. Some said he would become one of the future pillars of the Marines. Others said he would be one of the Marines' top combatants in the future. Still others said...
All kinds of praise for Ages swept through Marine Headquarters...
When Ages learned how famous he had become, he merely smiled faintly, without a hint of pride. He continued to humbly and diligently receive Zephyr's training and instruction, intent on becoming a true powerhouse as soon as possible.
Seeing how free Ages was of arrogance and pride, Zephyr was immensely satisfied and devoted himself even more fully to teaching him.