Marineford's Logistics Blacksmith

Marine Headquarters – Marineford.

Recently, this steel fortress had been shrouded in an oppressive aura.

The suffocating atmosphere was so heavy that even the guards on duty dared not speak carelessly.

Fleet Admiral's Office

Kong had lost count of how many desks he'd destroyed. Sengoku wasn't faring any better.

"Damn the World Government! That's HAMMER we're talking about! HAMMER!"

"Do they not understand how vital he is to the Navy?!"

"Even the Celestial Dragons issued a bounty on Whitebeard! How could they recall you?!"

Fury burned in Kong's chest. Before him stood the top brass, Sengoku, Garp, Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.

Everyone's expressions were grim, especially Sakazuki, who looked like a volcano on the verge of erupting.

"The World Government wants balance. They don't want to see the Navy making a major move into the New World."

Sengoku's voice was bitter as he collapsed into the sofa, eyes filled with helplessness.

Garp raised a rice cracker to his mouth several times but couldn't bring himself to take a bite.

"I'll go look for Hammer again! I'm only a Vice Admiral, they can't recall me!"

Sakazuki's words were like sulfur burning in the air, aggravating the room's already tense atmosphere.

"Sakazuki…" Kong looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped. If it weren't for pressure from above, he never would've ordered everyone back.

"I'll go. I'm stationed at Punk Hazard anyway, and it's not like taking a detour to look for Hammer is a big deal."

Borsalino, usually sleazy and aloof, spoke up in a rare serious tone… Well, he still looked sleazy, but that sliver of sternness on his face was a strange sight indeed.

"Garp! You bastard, we're having a serious discussion and you're still eating?!"

Kong's anger shifted, now directed at Garp.

Garp blinked in confusion, then rolled his eyes.

"Oi oi oi, Kong! Clearly, it's those Five upstairs who are giving you grief, why take it out on me?"

"I did have a great fight with Whitebeard, though. Knocked his hat clean off, hah!"

BOOM!!

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang out from behind Marineford.

Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound. Sengoku and Kong both sighed heavily.

"Zephyr…"

The explosion came from none other than Zephyr, the Chief Instructor of the Marine Elite Training Camp.

"Ever since Hammer went missing, Zephyr's been going off like that every single day. Poor fifth term recruits… Thank god the fourth term has already graduated. Otherwise, they'd be suffering under that terrifying temper too."

The room fell into awkward silence as they imagined the hell those recruits must be enduring.

Right now, Zephyr was like a furious lion, lashing out at everyone around him.

purupuru puru

"It's Kong… Alright, let them dock at the shipyard for repairs."

"I'll be over soon. That's all."

Click.

Kong's face darkened even further.

"Lance is back. The Warhammer is heavily damaged."

Silence fell over the room.

"Alright, enough moping. Instead of sitting around, why not figure out how to take down Whitebeard and avenge Hammer?!"

"Hmph. I'm heading to the docks to check on Lance and the others. Who's coming?"

Sakazuki was the first to nod. Borsalino followed.

Borsalino, who had originally been with Lance, was still fuming after being called back mid-mission. He felt guilty for abandoning Lance and Shirley in the New World.

"Hammer, are you sure about this? Not telling them you're back?"

"What's there to tell? I was doing just fine in Dressrosa… if it wasn't for, ugh, never mind."

Just the thought of Scarlett gave Hammer a headache.

He only forged a weapon, and now he had a derranged admirer. How did it come to this?!

"I'm going to check on Zephyr-sensei. Don't tell anyone I'm back, I want to surprise them."

With a mischievous grin, Hammer didn't even wait for the ship to dock. He threw on his invisibility cloak and leaped off, sprinting toward the recruit training camp.

The soldiers left behind could only sigh in despair.

They thought Vice Admiral Garp was already eccentric enough.

Now it seemed their own superior was evolving along the same path...

Marine Elite Training Camp

"You bunch of wimps! What's this?! Just 1,000 laps and none of you can finish?!"

"You're the worst batch I've ever trained!"

"If Hammer were here, I'd have him smash every single one of you into the ground!"

"Shuzo! What are you staring at?! Fire that Gatling gun at them!!"

Cough cough cough…

Zephyr was a raging lion, furious at the sight of the gasping, stumbling recruits.

This was the fifth batch of elite trainees.

Unlucky for them, they arrived right when Zephyr was grieving the loss of both his best disciple and his adopted son.

"Yes, Instructor Zephyr!"

Shuzo, a graduate of the fourth batch and a powerful fighter, had decided to stay behind to help train the next generation.

Zephyr eventually gave in and let him stay.

"RUN! It's only 1,000 laps, you softies!"

RATATATATAT!!

"See that black room down there?! Anyone who doesn't finish is going in there! And don't blame me, it's filled with leftover poison gas from Magellan of the previous batch!"

Shuzo winced.

He knew how terrifying that gas was. Once was more than enough in a lifetime.

As soon as Zephyr mentioned Magellan, the recruits turned pale with fear.

Everyone had heard of Magellan, the user of the Venom-Venom Fruit, now a guard at Impel Down.

His leftover poison gas? Death was a mercy.

Cough cough cough…

Zephyr's coughing worsened from all the yelling. But as he watched the recruits finally pick up their pace, his eyes filled with red heat.

"Damn brats… cough cough…"

"Hey, pops, if you keep this up, your body won't last."

"Shut up! Who are you calling pops?! Who the hell are y—"

Zephyr turned, thinking some recruit was cracking wise.

But when he saw who it was… he froze.

His eyes reddened. The coughing stopped.

Then, he charged forward.

"Hammer!! Cough cough cough cough!!"

Overcome with emotion, Zephyr doubled over mid-run, coughing violently.

Hammer immediately pulled out an asthma inhaler from his coat. he had prepared it long ago, just in case Zephyr ever fell ill.

But never did he imagine...

It would be his own disappearance that triggered Zephyr's asthma.

.....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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