Chapter 37

Loya realized Tempest Kick had a similar weakness to Moonwalk - both extensions of Shave, but with different focuses. The problem was that when using Tempest Kick, all the force went to the legs, making it impossible to move at that instant.

Against a Haki user, no matter how fast you moved before, that moment of stillness was enough for them to counter. This explained why both Zephyr and Garp had nicknames like "Black Arm" and "Fist" - they kept moving and attacked with their hands.

But Tempest Kick's power and efficiency made it hard to give up. After an hour of brainstorming, Loya found a solution.

Relying on his inhuman toughness, Loya combined Tempest Kick with Shave. He didn't slow down or use tricks - he just launched kicks at full speed, ignoring the muscle strain. So far, he could do this three times in a row without losing effectiveness.

He called it "Three Moons" - it sounded cool, even if the meaning was vague. It was similar to Crocodile's "Sables: Pesado" move, but less predictable.

Of course, the other techniques had room for improvement too, but Loya was most familiar with Finger Pistol and Shave, so he started there.

Zephyr's punch, even at four-tenths strength, would've floored Loya before. But now, Loya dodged it with Paper Art - a technique he'd barely grasped.

Zephyr covered his face and sighed. "I don't know how much longer I can teach you."

"Aw, are you sad your student's so awesome?" Loya grinned. "Great! Then you can cancel next month's combat mission, right? No need to prove myself anymore!"

Zephyr's smile turned ominous. "Cancel? Impossible. It's an elite camp rule - no exceptions." He patted Loya's shoulder. "Just pack your seasickness meds. Don't worry, I'll get you the fastest warship."

Thanks to the Six Powers' intense training, Loya had grown taller. He was only a head shorter than Zephyr now - no more looking down to talk.

But at that moment, to Loya, Zephyr's smile looked as terrifying as a demon's grin.

As master and apprentice walked out of the training room, they joked and laughed down the corridor. Suddenly, Zephyr's eyes swept across the distant town, and he stopped in his tracks.

Loya knew of the large town where Navy families lived. Jerome, the sweet-toothed Moonwalk expert, often snuck in to buy cookies, cakes, and candies to share. But all Loya really knew was where the candy shop was.

Zephyr's face was calm, but his eyes held a trace of sadness.

"Maybe he's thinking of his family," Loya thought.

Trying to lighten the mood, Loya grinned. "Hey, Teacher, craving something sweet? I've still got some of Jerome's fruit fudge. Want some?"

From where Zephyr stood, the most eye-catching thing was a massive three-story pink building shaped like a giant piece of candy.

BOOM! CRASH!

A massive explosion rocked the lower area of headquarters. The shockwave reached all the way to Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office.

A panicked Navy soldier rushed over, gun drawn, only to find Zephyr in his purple suit.

In front of Zephyr was a gaping hole in the corridor wall. Rubble and stones teetered on the edge, cracks spiderwebbing outward.

Zephyr's face was thunderous, his fists still crackling with Haki. His whole being radiated a terrifying aura.

Hearing footsteps, Zephyr turned, his glare nearly making the soldiers wet themselves.

"What are you gawking at? Never seen a teacher disciplining his student?"

"S-sorry, sir!" The soldiers saluted like startled quails and ran without looking back.

They weren't stupid. One more word and Zephyr would probably knock them into next week.

As for the wall? Let the higher-ups deal with that. Normally, vandalism meant a month of toilet duty, but Zephyr was... special. Way above their paygrade.

Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Zephyr, munching on senbei crackers. He poked his head through the hole, plastic bag swinging. "Yo! Look at that, Zephyr! That brat of yours sure ran fast!"

Through the hole, they watched a figure tumbling through the air, adjusting mid-fall. He stepped on thin air, then dashed towards the recruit camp in a blur.

Since mastering Moonwalk, Loya's aerial speed had skyrocketed. He could combine it with his ability to create ice steps out of thin air. First, he'd use Shave to accelerate, then Moonwalk for a second boost.

Almost as soon as Garp finished speaking, Loya vanished into the recruit camp's complex.

Garp, surprised at the lack of reaction, asked, "Huh? Zephyr, aren't you going after him? The kid's getting away!"

"Shut up!" Zephyr roared, his face turning purple.

Chase? What was the point? Sure, Zephyr was faster on the ground and at low altitudes. But up high? No chance. Especially with Loya's dragon scale flight ability. The kid had poured so much energy into perfecting Shave, his speed was on another level now.

Besides, Zephyr thought, I'm not stupid enough to give you a show.

Zephyr shot Garp a sidelong glance, snorted, and stalked off.

Behind him, Garp blinked, then grinned and munched another senbei. "Aw, the old dog's getting shy!"

Garp hadn't seen what happened, but he understood Zephyr's expression. Beneath the anger was a sense of fulfillment. For years after losing his family, Zephyr had never shown such eyes. Sure, he considered the Navy his home, the elite squad his children. But this... this was different.

Garp muttered, "If his son hadn't died, he'd probably be Loya's age now."

"If that brat Dragon hadn't left the Navy, I'd probably look like that too..."

Meanwhile, at the Marineford boot camp cafeteria:

Ms. S slammed a basin in front of Loya, disgust on her face. The basin overflowed with food, mouthwatering aromas filling the air.

"Kid, can't you eat at the elite camp? You've already eaten tomorrow's stock!"

"Aw, what's the big deal?" Loya grinned, cheeks bulging. He sucked down a whole grilled fish in seconds.

Spitting out the bones, he smiled sheepishly. "Besides, the elite camp food's too 'nutritious.' Bland as cardboard. Your cooking's the best, Ms. S!"

"By the way... got any more of that lobster?"

Ms. S's eye twitched. She opened her mouth, closed it, then just glared silently.

I'll revise this to sound more natural and human-centric:

Ms. S sighed, turned around, and headed back to the kitchen.

"Scram after you're done eating! I swear, you're bad luck for my pantry."

"Yes, ma'am!" Loya saluted with a grin, then shoveled food into his mouth even faster.

Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi in Loya's pocket started ringing.

Buru buru buru... buru buru buru

Zephyr had given it to him for training coordination. Usually, if someone wanted Loya, they'd check the cafeteria first. But this saved time.

Wiping his hands on the tablecloth, Loya fished out the snail phone.

Ka-cha!

"Hey, Loya here."

The snail's yellow skin paled, its large eyes mimicking tired, wary ones.

Loya froze, then grinned. "Bibi Hansa! Thought you'd forgotten our duel!"

"Cough... cough cough!"

Loya heard coughing, even the sound of someone spitting up blood. Before Hansa could speak, Loya cut in: "Hey... you sure you want to fight me like this? It could kill you!"

Hansa had been sickly since childhood, like Simon. But unlike Simon, who'd had access to the best doctors and supplements, Hansa hadn't been so lucky.

His frail body couldn't hide his talent, though. He'd risen quickly in the Navy ranks, from nobody to his current position.

But pushing his potential so hard had come at a cost. He was dying now, having traded his lifespan for power. This past month, he'd trained relentlessly for his fight with Loya. Even Zephyr had shaken his head at the sight.

As an outsider, Loya didn't feel right judging Hansa's choices.

Hansa wasn't like Tony, driven by a blood feud. He wasn't like Minnie, fighting to prove herself against the odds. He wasn't like Simon, battling for family honor.