69 Unexpected Encounter #69

Marineford

The Training Ground

Zephyr's residence

Cedric smiled as he walked into the room and spotted his teacher, only for his expression to falter as he tripped on something and fell face-first into the ground, much to Zephyr's amusement.

"What the...?" The young marine said, barely resisting the urge to curse as he turned around to see what made him trip and fall, only to freeze at the sight of an incredibly tall and slim man sleeping on the floor.

"Excuse me, young man, but can't you see I'm sleeping here?" The man said as he removed the blindfold over his eyes to look at Cedric and slowly sat straight, only to pause as he seemed to recognize the young marine.

"Arara... and what do we have here...?" The man added, slowly standing up and revealing his impressive height. "You must be the kid Vice Admiral Garp spoke so much about..." He went on as he gave Cedric an appraising look.

The man cut an imposing figure, standing tall at over 3 meters with a muscular build and broad shoulders. He wore the standard Marine uniform, a white suit with a purple shirt and a yellow tie. His coat was adorned with several medals, marking his achievements and rank within the Marines.

His face was sharp and defined, with a strong jawline and piercing blue eyes holding a hint of mischief. He has black, curly hair cut to chin length that fans out at the tips and tanned skin, and he seemed to wear an ever-present lethargic expression that contrasted the extraordinary aura of strength radiating off his body.

"Admiral Aokiji..." Cedric said as he quickly got to his feet and saluted the admiral. He spoke calmly, but everyone present could clearly tell he was uncomfortable. "Please pardon me... I wasn't paying attention..." He added, trailing at the end of his sentence.

"There's no need for formalities here..." Admiral Aokiji lazily replied. "I'm here to see what got everyone so riled up and ask you one question..." He calmly added, hesitantly pausing at the end of his sentence.

"Umm... you know. Erm, what was it again...?" Aokiji seemingly muttered to himself rather than anyone else as he scratched his head. "I forgot... well, never mind..." He added, giving up with a shrug as he turned around and walked.

Cedric slowly blinked as he watched the admiral exit the room before turning toward his teacher. "What was that about...?" He asked, his expression that of genuine confusion.

"Don't mind it, kiddo. That's just how Kuzan is.." Zephyr said with a grin as he shook his head. "No one knows what goes on in that head of his," He added with a light chuckle, sounding genuinely amused.

"Still, he's a good marine and an even better friend to have," Zephyr said, his tone reflecting his respect for the admiral. "Which is more than I can say for the other two..." He added, muttering in a faint tone that Cedric only heard thanks to his improved hearing.

"Anyway... first things first, take a seat..." Zephyr said, promptly changing the subject as he smiled. "Did you get what I asked you?" He asked with an expectant expression.

"Of course... one case of the best Jerez bottles," Cedric said, mirroring his teacher's smile. "It's still on the ship, but I'll send it your way once it gets past the usual inspections," He added, causing Zephyr to nod in satisfaction and appreciation.

"That's a good kid," Zephyr said, giving his students a thumbs up. "Now tell me about your first deployment, and don't spare any details," He added, his expression and tone turned solemn.

...

"You did well..." Z-sense said, having spent the last thirty-something minutes listening to me talking about my first deployment. "I'm most pleased you took the time to help the civilians... however..."He added, trailing at the end of his sentence.

"You've played around too much during your fight with Gasparde..." Z-sensei said with a frown, causing me to sigh. "Wanting to test and push your limits is only natural, considering your talent and young age, but you might throw away your life if you're not careful," He added in a firm tone that brokered no argument.

"Yeah... I have to admit I got a little carried away..." I said as I awkwardly scratched my head in embarrassment. "But I was close to a breakthrough. I really needed that push..." I added with a shrug.

"As I've said, testing and pushing your limits is natural... but I want you to be more careful in the future, that is all..." Z-sense replied with a smile as he shook his head. "You're one of the most promising students I got to train... It'd be a shame if you failed to live up to your potential due to a moment of carelessness..." He concluded.

"Then I'll endeavor to do just that, Z-sensei," I replied with a nod.

"It gladdens an old man's heart that you're willing to listen to reason, kiddo," Z-sense remarked, sounding satisfied as he looked at me with an appreciative expression. "On another note..." He added, trailing at the end of his sentence.

"As a marine officer, it's not only your right to utilize your subordinates, but also your duty..." Z-sense said, putting on a neutral look. "It's your job to guide the men and women serving under you in many ways and show them their full potential..." He explained.

"The soldiers who accompanied you were HQ elites, each and every one of them..." Z-sensei said, his tone growing more solemn the more he spoke. "Any one of them might achieve a high rank in a few years and lead other soldiers to battle... in other words.. they are the future of the Marines..." He stated in a confident tone.

"As their superior, you must show them what it means to be a competent leader capable of leading his subordinates to victory and bringing out the best in them," Z-sensei continued. "That said... you're still young and inexperience, so it's natural that you would fumble such a task on your first mission," He added with a careless shrug.

"Luckily, you have a retired marine admiral to show you the ropes, so it's not looking too grim for you..." Z-sensei said with the biggest grin as he left his seat and approached me. "Now get off your ass, and let's get back to training..." He added as he messed up my hair with his hand and walked past me, heading for the exit.

...

Four Clover Island

"You've sure gotten used to this devil fruit quickly..." Killer said, raising an eyebrow as he watched Kid levitate a dozen crates and stack them neatly in the corner of his workshop.

"I did get a lot of practice... those gang bosses from the other towns were more stubborn than I thought," Kid replied with a chuckle as he turned to his friend and shrugged. "How're those 'Punishers' I made fitting you so far?" He asked as he looked at the gauntlets equipped with scythe-like blades on Killer's wrists.

"They already feel like an extension of my arm..." Killer calmly replied as he rotated the scythe blades. "But more importantly..." He added as he retrieved a rolled-up newspaper from his back pocket. "I think you need to see this..."

"Hm? What's this?" Kid said as he took the newspaper and unrolled it, only to freeze as he saw the headline on the first page. "New marine recruit takes down an infamous Grand Line pirate..." He muttered as he read the title aloud, seemingly unable to process it or the picture of a tall, blonde young man wearing a long marine coat beneath it.

"That's fucking Rick, isn't it?!" Kid exclaimed, realization dawning on him as he turned to Killer for confirmation, and the latter merely nodded in response. "What the fuck?! First, he gets a bounty, and now he joins the Marines?! The hell is going on with this guy?!" He added, his tone a strange mixture of confusion, amusement, and disapproval as he spoke.

"Who knows...? Getting a read on Rick was never easy. Even when he was still here..." Killer replied in a neutral tone as he shrugged his shoulders to show his confusion. "Still... looks like he's one step ahead of us again," He added, causing a ven to bulge on Kid's forehead.

"You know what? I'm suddenly bored of this island..." Kid said through gritted teeth as he looked at Killer. "How much money do we have? Is it enough to build or buy a ship?" He asked, looking his friend in the eye.

"Not by a long shot..." Killer said with a sigh. "Unless you want to use the money Rick sent us some time ago..." He added, trailing at the end of his sentence as he gave the redhead a meaningful look.

"No fucking way I'm using that bastard's money... I'll shove it down his throat when I see him again..." Kid replied with a scowl, firmly shaking his head, much to Killer's silent amusement.

"Tell everyone to start saving money!

...

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