Zephyr's eyes lit up with curiosity.
Though he had already trained outstanding talents like Sakazuki—who had become a pillar of the Marines and shone brilliantly across various posts—deep down, Zephyr had never been fully satisfied with any of them.
Sakazuki's personality was too rigid, his methods brutal. To accomplish a mission, he'd stop at nothing, harsh not only on himself but just as unforgiving toward his subordinates. On the battlefield, he frequently resorted to extreme tactics, ruthlessly eradicating pirates and criminals without hesitation.
This clashed directly with Zephyr's belief in "justice without killing."
Precisely because of Sakazuki's bloodthirsty nature, Zephyr had handpicked him as his adjutant after his graduation from the Officer Training Camp, hoping to temper his mindset through mentorship and lead him toward a more balanced concept of justice.
Unfortunately, that effort fell flat.
Sakazuki remained set in his ways—"never repenting," as he proudly claimed.
In the end, Zephyr had no choice but to let him be.
Dragon, on the other hand, was Sakazuki's complete opposite.
Easygoing, compassionate, tolerant, and charismatic—he was the textbook "son of a hero." With remarkable personal charm and leadership skills, he was widely admired among Marine Headquarters' mid- and lower-ranking officers and soldiers, a true rising star under the banner of justice.
But while he inherited Garp's trait of protecting civilians and his subordinates, Dragon also inherited Garp's flaws.
He was careless, often giving off the impression that he wasn't doing anything productive, and had a habit of "freelancing" when it came to orders from above.
To Zephyr, that was a red flag.
In the Marines, orders were absolute. Discipline was a soldier's first duty.
Acting on personal whim rather than following commands was unacceptable.
Because of their polar opposite personalities and views on justice, Dragon and Sakazuki clashed frequently.
Dragon couldn't stand Sakazuki's harsh and merciless execution of justice, while Sakazuki despised Dragon's indecisive and sloppy approach to work.
As for the last supposed "pillar" of Marine Headquarters—Borsalino?
Well, there really wasn't much to say.
That pillar had long since grown crooked.
Every time Zephyr saw Borsalino's sleazy grin or heard that infuriatingly lazy drawl, he felt like his entire legacy had been ruined by this damned brat.
And to top it off, Borsalino had been the first senior disciple in Zephyr's very first Officer Training Camp...
Thinking about all that, Zephyr turned to Sengoku, eyes brimming with urgency and anticipation.
"Sengoku, tell me more about this kid named Kuzan."
Sengoku looked at him with a smirk and teased, "You're not even trying to hide it... Are you really that disappointed in those three?"
Zephyr paused, then chuckled sheepishly.
"Not exactly. You know me—I'm always hopeful when it comes to new students..."
He couldn't exactly admit those three brats were already beyond salvaging...
Sengoku didn't bother poking holes in the excuse. He knew Zephyr too well.
Even with the most unruly recruits, once they came under Zephyr's wing, he would give them everything he had—no holding back, always patient.
"I've met Kuzan. He's from the South Blue. His talent is definitely on par with Sakazuki and the others. He's got a real passion for justice. Apparently, that's why he joined the Marines in the first place."
Zephyr nodded along eagerly, then asked, "And the other one?"
"There's one more standout in this year's Officer Training Camp..."
Sengoku's expression suddenly shifted, becoming a bit hesitant.
"Well, there's another—he's from the North Blue. Name's Rogers Daren." Check latest chapters at novel fire.net
Zephyr's eyes immediately lit up.
"Rogers Daren? That name sounds familiar... Wait, isn't he the rising star people at HQ have been talking about lately? The one who went toe-to-toe with Roger and even forced him to take a loss!?"
Having stepped away from active duty, Zephyr had long stopped involving himself in military affairs, focusing solely on training the next generation of Marines. He only attended major meetings out of respect from Kong and Sengoku, so he wasn't up to date on most internal events.
"Yeah, that's the one," Sengoku confirmed with a nod.
Zephyr's excitement grew.
Not even a graduate of the Officer Training Camp yet, and already capable of dealing a blow to a pirate like Roger?
If he could personally teach and guide this young man named Daren... just how far could he go?
The potential was staggering—Zephyr felt like he'd struck gold.
One thing was clear: Daren wouldn't be any less capable than Sakazuki and the others—he might even surpass them.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Sengoku warned with a chuckle as he saw Zephyr's face light up. "Daren's not exactly a simple one."
Zephyr waved it off with a laugh. "What could be worse than Sakazuki? Don't scare me."
Sengoku's eye twitched slightly as he mumbled, "Well... Daren's from the North Blue, and he used to be Sakazuki's adjutant."
Zephyr froze, his grin fading a little—but he still smiled.
"That's fine. Just because he served under Sakazuki doesn't mean he shares the same ideology."
Sengoku blinked. "True, he doesn't."
But for some reason, seeing Zephyr so confident made Sengoku feel like messing with him a bit.
Zephyr smiled again, reassured. "Told you."
"He's even more ruthless than Sakazuki."
"The North Blue under his command runs like a steel fortress. Dozens of affiliated and unaffiliated nations obey his every word. He's eradicated over a hundred pirate crews and criminal factions, large and small. The blood on his hands is immeasurable."
Zephyr's smile froze.
Still forcing a grin, he said stiffly, "Even so... if he's managed to bring order to the North Blue, that at least proves he's capable, right?"
Sengoku nodded with a grin. "That's true."
Zephyr let out a sigh of relief and smiled again.
"Well, as long as he's got the skills and decent character, I'm confident I can get him on the right track."
"Oh, I believe in your teaching ability, Zephyr..." Sengoku said cheerfully. "But... in the North Blue, he's notorious as the 'Scum of the Marines.' Greedy, lecherous, a drunk, a gambler, power-hungry—he's got every vice you can think of."
"Can you please finish your sentences all at once? You really make people want to punch you. You remind me of someone."
"Your adjutant. Borsalino."
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