One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

"Zephyr-sensei, why didn't you let me cut down that old hag?" Wright asked, watching the small boat fade into the horizon.

"That old woman isn't simple," Zephyr replied with a frown. "There's something oddly familiar about her, but I can't place it…"

"Still, my instincts tell me she's far from as harmless as she appears," he added. "Our top priority now is ensuring the cadets' safety. The warship is already damaged, and if that peculiar woman has hidden tricks up her sleeve, it could spell trouble."

Wright nodded silently. Of course, Zephyr-sensei must've encountered Miss Buckin before. Being on the same ship as Whitebeard is proof enough of her strength.

"Zephyr-sensei, Vice Admiral Wright!"

A sad-faced Ain approached them. "The casualty report is in…"

"There were… deaths, weren't there?"

Zephyr sighed deeply. "It seems… I truly am getting old…"

"In this incident, although Vice Admiral Wright healed the injured, thirteen cadets were killed during the enemy's initial attack and couldn't hold out until your arrival," Ain said softly.

"Zephyr-sensei, please don't blame yourself," Wright consoled him. "Even with my healing abilities, I can't guarantee saving everyone in every situation."

"You did your utmost to protect the majority of the cadets under those circumstances."

"Yes, Zephyr-sensei!" Ain interjected quickly. "If it weren't for Commodore Cancer being suddenly recalled to Headquarters, this might never have happened!"

"What's going on? Is Headquarters so stretched thin that they had to recall a commodore from live combat training?"

Wright frowned. From the start, he'd found it strange. Normally, a commodore from Headquarters would be assigned to these training warships to handle grading and other duties.

"It's true," Zephyr said, clenching his fists. "The Great Pirate Era has been escalating for years. More and more pirates are setting sail, yet the Navy's manpower is increasingly stretched thin."

"The promotion of the three Admirals has greatly bolstered morale, but it's also led to an explosive increase in pirate activity."

"With so many pirates entering the New World, the existing powers there are growing stronger, and new infamous pirates are emerging wave after wave."

"Take last year's 'Heavenly Tribute' incident. Although Doflamingo failed, suffering heavy losses, he still managed to provoke the World Government significantly, inspiring even more pirates."

"Now even commodores are being urgently deployed to suppress pirates on the Grand Line."

Wright nodded in understanding. "It seems my quiet days won't last much longer. Even Rosinante, now a commodore, is constantly being worked to the bone by Old Man Garp."

"What about the evaluation for this round of live combat training?"

Zephyr cast a comforting glance at Ain. "We've conducted several rounds of training already. This was supposed to be the final target, but then this happened…"

"As for their evaluations, most cadets performed admirably. Despite the ordeal, there were no signs of cowardice or hesitation. They followed orders and fought the enemy actively throughout."

"Ain, aren't you a fan of Wright? After graduation, why not join his command?"

Wright opened his mouth to object, but Zephyr shot him a glare that said, Got a problem? Wright closed his mouth reluctantly.

"Ze… Zephyr-sensei, you…"

Ain's face turned bright red. "I… I wasn't even as useful as Binz in this battle…"

"There's no need to be modest, Ain," Binz chimed in, stepping forward. "I've already decided—I want to stay and assist Zephyr-sensei, just like Instructor Shuzo!"

"Binz, you…" Ain covered her mouth in surprise.

Zephyr looked equally taken aback by Binz's decision. "If Wright were willing to take more people under his wing, Binz, you should go with him. Staying here would only hold you back."

"No, Zephyr-sensei…" Binz let out a bitter laugh. "After witnessing the loss of our comrades, I've come to understand just how extraordinary you are."

"I want to help you manage the training camp and ensure that Instructor Shuzo remains stationed on the training warships. Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku wouldn't reassign him easily!"

"This way, you can focus on nurturing stronger talent for the Navy!"

"…Thank you, Binz."

"It's my honor, Zephyr-sensei."

"Um…" Wright interrupted sheepishly. "Actually, Zephyr-sensei, you could just call me over immediately whenever you encounter pirates in the future."

"No, Wright. Your teleportation ability is indeed powerful, but your place isn't here—it's on the frontlines, battling the Great Pirates!"

Zephyr's tone grew serious. "I've told you before—your primary objective is to grow stronger. Right now, you're still not enough!"

"…Fine, Zephyr-sensei. But please, don't hesitate to call on me if you're in trouble!"

"I'm not so stubborn as to refuse help when it's needed. Otherwise, would you even be standing here?"

"Hahaha, you've got a point there, sensei…"

"Alright, you young people get along now. I'm going to rest. Binz, stop standing there like a fool—come with me!"

Zephyr turned and left with Binz, leaving behind a flustered Wright and a blushing Ain.

Zephyr-sensei! Talking about admirers in front of the person involved is so embarrassing!

Wright was well aware of Ain's reputation. Her Devil Fruit ability, the "Return-Return Fruit," was among the most broken and inexplicable in existence.

The fruit allowed her to rewind the existence of anything she touched by a set number of years, completely ignoring any form of defense—a terrifyingly overpowered ability.

Of course, that depended on who she used it against. If it were Whitebeard or Golden Lion…

Yeah, good luck with that.

The key was whether she could land a hit, which required exceptional physical prowess. Ain had adapted by choosing a dual short-sword style for flexibility in combat. She also trained in the "Six Powers" techniques and even dabbled in marksmanship to cover her mid-range weaknesses, developing a unique fighting style that balanced multiple disciplines.

Wright wiped his forehead nervously. "Zephyr-sensei is even more enthusiastic than Vice Admiral Tsuru! Making you old-timers worry so much… I'm really sorry!"

"Uh… Ain, right?"

Wright scratched his head. "Zephyr-sensei likes to joke around… Haha, of course, I'd be thrilled to have you under my command."

"And this time, the other vice admirals can't blame me for 'stealing talent'—this is Zephyr-sensei's personal recommendation…"

Zephyr-sensei likes to joke around? Ain thought silently. Now that's a joke in itself…

"Vice Admiral Wright, Zephyr-sensei is right—I really do admire you…"

"Uh…"

"But I'm confident that I can prove myself under your command! Senior Smoker, Senior Rosinante, and Senior Hina are all legends from the training camp. I won't fall behind!"

"Haha, of course! They're all great to work with!"

"Please take care of me!"

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