Chapter 19

"Ow! Did someone bring a cannon or what?"

"Ah, my butt! Who kicked me?!"

Loya groaned, sprawled on the sand and blinking in confusion. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Xueba and the others. "Hey, you guys stabbed me in the back, didn't you?!"

Silence fell over the group.

While the assessment had been cut short because of Loya's antics, most recruits were still in the dark about why. Only Xueba and a few others who'd been with Loya earlier knew the full story.

A mischievous glint appeared in Loya's eyes.

"Ice Make: Clothes Pole!"

There was a sharp crack followed by startled yelps.

Loya jumped to his feet, brushing sand off his clothes. He cracked his neck with a satisfied grin. Behind him, recruits dangled from ice coat hangers, swinging in the breeze like human laundry.

With a smirk, he swaggered over to Xueba and threw an arm around his shoulders. "So, buddy... how would you like to die?"

When the search and rescue team arrived, they found a bizarre scene:

Loya sat at the center, munching on scavenged dry food. Around him, clusters of shivering recruits huddled together. Behind Loya loomed an ice tree, its branches adorned with frozen recruits swaying in the breeze like macabre ornaments.

The wind made them clink together, creating an eerie wind chime effect.

"Loya!"

Lieutenant General Mole didn't hesitate, charging forward with a roar. Before Loya could react, Mole tackled him from behind.

"That's a dirty move! Using Rokushiki is cheating!" Loya protested.

He rolled to his feet and calmly resumed nibbling his snack. Mole's eye twitched, but he gave up on teaching Loya a lesson. Instead, he turned to organize the rescue of the frozen recruits.

From the warship window, Zephyr watched the chaos with a growing headache.

"Kuzan, if we start the assessment again tomorrow, should we just... get rid of him?"

"Oh?" Kuzan raised an eyebrow, not bothering to sit up from his reclined position. "Planning to let Loya pass directly, Teacher? Aren't you worried about what the other recruits might say?"

He paused, then added dryly, "Though I think that's... highly unlikely."

Zephyr scanned the beach and sighed deeply. This year's recruits were particularly unimpressive. Loya had taken out more than half of them without breaking a sweat.

Kuzan fell silent, rolling over to continue his nap. "It's your call... the elite camp is your domain."

A sly smile spread across Zephyr's face. "Hey now, I've just had a brilliant idea."

The rescue operation wrapped up, and Zephyr received the report.

Good news: everyone survived the beast stampede. Bad news: several recruits were too injured to continue and had to be disqualified.

Given the island's size, even with advance patrols and generals rushing in at full speed, it was impossible to save everyone immediately.

Some recruits had broken legs, others were knocked out cold, and one unfortunate soul fell into quicksand with grim results.

But no matter what, Loya refused to take the blame.

Standing on the deck, Zephyr looked down at the neatly assembled recruits. Several lieutenants and instructors stood before them, looking stern.

The crowd quickly fell silent. Zephyr cleared his throat. "I'm sure you're all aware that today's assessment was suspended due to... unexpected events. But! This doesn't mean we're done here! You'll resume the assessment tomorrow. Same rules, same three-day timeframe. Got it?"

The recruits roared in unison: "Yes, sir!"

"Good!" Zephyr nodded, satisfied. At least they still had some fight left in them.

He continued, "After careful consideration, I've made a decision! Seventh team, Christopher Loya!"

"Present!"

"Step out of line!"

"...Yes, sir."

Loya scratched his head as he stepped forward. Why did he suddenly feel like he was in hot water?

Once Loya was standing in front, Zephyr continued. "To avoid any more... incidents, Loya won't participate in tomorrow's assessment. But to keep things fair, he'll face challenges from all recruits. If he wins, he's in the elite battalion!"

Zephyr's grin was a bit too cheerful. "Got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

In that moment, the recruits and old General Zephyr reached an unspoken agreement.

So you think you're tough? Let's see how you handle all of us!

Feeling the hostile stares from every direction, Loya muttered, "I've got something to say, but I don't know if I should. This is fairness? Really? Isn't this just payback? Was it really necessary to get so worked up over me swiping two boxes of cigars?"

That night, Loya leaned against his igloo, tending a bonfire.

Sizzle!

A drop of fat hit the fire, sending up a spark. Loya took a deep whiff, sprinkled salt and pepper on his roasting fish, and inhaled the aroma. "Ah, perfect!"

The ship had plenty of food, but this was a survival test. Foraging was part of the assessment, so recruits had to fend for themselves. That's why they only got one day's worth of rations.

Moonlight shimmered on the waves. A sea breeze washed away the day's fatigue. All along the beach, recruits huddled around small fires, quietly making dinner.

Loya's igloo drew curious looks. On this cold, windy island, it looked pretty cozy. But after today's chaos, no one dared approach him.

Loya didn't mind the solitude. He had a frozen bear outside for later.

As he enjoyed his fish, a tall figure appeared. Without a word, Kuzan stuck his hand into the ice wall, effortlessly slicing through it and tossing chunks into the sea. He gave Loya a flat look. "Surprised to see me?"

"Nah," Loya shook his head. "Just sad you started demolishing my house without even saying hi. Used to be in the wrecking business?"

Kuzan said nothing.

The smell of grilled fish filled the air. Loya offered Kuzan a skewer. "Try this, Mr. Kuzan. My secret recipe!"

If it were anyone else, Kuzan might have accepted. But with Loya, he hesitated. "You... didn't put laxatives on it, did you?"

Loya's temper flared. He yanked back his hand and gnawed the fish down to the bone. "Fine, don't eat it! You think I'm that petty?"

Kuzan remained silent. "Last time, you put laxatives in the water tank. The recruits had stomachaches all day. You said it was because the infirmary's laxatives were about to expire."

Loya was speechless.

After finishing his fish, Loya grabbed a chunk of ice to quench his thirst. "So, Mr. Kuzan, what brings you here?"

"Nothing much," Kuzan leaned against the ice wall, gazing out at the sea with a distant look. "I just realized today... Teacher Zephyr is really getting on in years."

Loya's chewing slowed as memories stirred. Kuzan was right – Zephyr was old now. And his life... well, it was a pretty tragic tale.

Zephyr had idolized heroes, joined the navy, fought countless pirates without killing a single one. They'd even called him "the general who doesn't kill." But man, did he suffer for it. Pirates murdered his wife and son. Heartbroken, he became the chief instructor for recruits, only staying in the navy because the higher-ups begged him to.

Twenty years later, disaster struck again. Edward Weevil attacked Zephyr's trainee ship. Only two students survived, and Zephyr lost a hand. Watching his beloved students die, powerless to save them - that left some deep scars. Hatred kept him going after that. The cruel reality changed him. The Zephyr of today might be a very different man from who he once was.

When they fitted Zephyr's arm with that shredder, it was like watching him set off down a path of revenge.

Loya sighed, tossing his ice chunk into the fire. "Life's been rough on the old man, huh?"