One Piece: My code name is Green Bull

"I heard from Pemberton that the New World has been very unstable recently. Even someone as lazy as him has been transferred there."

Since his mission with Garp, Jon had only left Marine Headquarters once. Most of the time, he stayed at the base.

The last time he saw Pemberton was over three months ago, just before Pemberton was transferred to the New World.

Pemberton was one of Jon's closest friends among their classmates. He often joked with Jon, saying, "When you make it big, don't forget to look out for me."

But Jon wasn't worried about Pemberton, since he left with his uncle.

Speaking of Pemberton's uncle, Jon finally understood why someone as lazy as Pemberton managed to thrive in Marine Headquarters—his uncle was a Marine Headquarters rear admiral.

Don't underestimate a rear admiral in the headquarters. They are among the most powerful officers, right behind vice admirals and admirals.

Excluding the branch bases, Marine Headquarters had only a handful of admirals, and about a dozen vice admirals. Becoming a rear admiral in the headquarters meant holding a position of great power, making it easy for his uncle to take care of Pemberton.

Before leaving, Pemberton had a chat with Jon and revealed some troubling news.

Out of the 40 people in their class, three had already died in battle, sacrificing themselves heroically while fighting pirates.

Those assigned to branch bases hadn't progressed much, while those who stayed at Headquarters, including Jon, had mostly been promoted.

The highest-ranked so far were Sakazuki and Borsalino, who had already risen to lieutenant commanders. Dragon, however, remained a major.

Apart from these three, Jon held the highest rank as a captain. The next most notable person was Vetus.

According to Pemberton, this Vetus, whom Jon always found annoying, had managed to get assigned as the personal guard of a vice admiral. He was thriving and full of confidence.

Everyone had their own fortunes, and Jon couldn't help but feel emotional. In truth, he was probably the safest and most relaxed among them, spending most of his time at Headquarters or accompanying influential figures during missions.

Jon understood this privilege. Without the support of figures like Zephyr and Tsuru, he would likely be climbing the ranks slowly like everyone else.

Thinking about his classmates, Jon suddenly realized that since graduation, he had only visited Zephyr once. He felt guilty for neglecting the mentor who had invested so much in him.

"Since I've been feeling restless lately, I'll visit Teacher Zephyr."

Jon left his garden. Zephyr had now been a Marine instructor for three years, but the students from the two classes after Jon's were noticeably weaker in quality compared to his class.

"Hey, Jon! You're finally out of your garden. Are you going to train with us today?"

Not long after leaving, Jon was teased by some female marines who had just finished training.

Jon could only respond with a wry smile. Most of these women were older than him. Having been at Headquarters for over a year, they were all quite familiar with him. Even when teased, he could only smile and endure.

"I'm going to visit Admiral Zephyr, so I won't be joining you today."

After bidding them goodbye, Jon took off running. He didn't want to be pestered by the female marines. Women in Marine Headquarters enjoyed far more privileges than men, and Jon had no desire to provoke them.

Visiting Zephyr

Marine Headquarters was massive, and Zephyr's training ground was far from the strategy department. Zephyr's busy schedule also made it difficult for Jon to meet him.

When Jon arrived, Zephyr was in the middle of training new recruits. Jon approached him directly.

"Teacher Zephyr!"

Zephyr turned and, seeing Jon, looked surprised. "Jon, what brings you here?"

Jon smiled. "It's been a while since I've seen you, Teacher. I thought I'd come check on you and see how you're doing."

"How am I doing? I'm doing fine. What about you? Is the strategy department really keeping you so busy?"

Jon chuckled awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. "Teacher, are these your current students?"

At the mention of his students, Zephyr's serious expression softened.

"Yes, these are the third class of recruits. There are some promising ones in this group. While the overall quality doesn't match your class, there's one exceptional recruit here—someone who is on par with Sakazuki from your group."

"Oh?"

Jon was visibly intrigued. Sakazuki had been the strongest in their class, with only Borsalino able to rival him. Could there really be someone from this group who could compare to Sakazuki?

"Teacher, who are you referring to?"

Zephyr pointed to a tall young man, over two meters tall, currently in the middle of training.

"Him. His name is Kuzan. He has exceptional talent, incredible physical capabilities, and works extremely hard. One day, he'll stand shoulder to shoulder with you and Sakazuki."

Among the first class of recruits, Zephyr was most satisfied with Sakazuki and Jon. While he acknowledged Borsalino's talent, he disapproved of his attitude and rarely praised him publicly.

"Kuzan," Jon murmured, nodding in understanding. Zephyr was right—Kuzan was indeed a genius on par with Sakazuki.

He would go on to become one of the three Marine Admirals, a man capable of fighting Sakazuki for ten days and nights before narrowly losing.

"So Kuzan is a recruit from the third class. That means the future Marine Admirals are all already part of the Marines."

"For you to praise him so highly, Teacher, he must truly be extraordinary."

Zephyr smiled. Deep down, among the three classes of recruits he had trained, Jon and Kuzan were his favorites.

Sakazuki, though powerful, was too extreme. While Zephyr valued him, he wasn't entirely satisfied with him and didn't consider their relationship close.

Among the first class, Jon was the one Zephyr felt closest to. Kuzan, with his similar temperament, had also quickly become a favorite.

"Jon, you didn't come here just to check on me, did you? What else is on your mind?"

Zephyr studied Jon intently. He knew his student well—Jon was thoughtful and capable, but he often overlooked things when engrossed in a task.

Jon laughed. "Teacher, you really know me well. You've guessed my intentions."

"Vice Admiral Tsuru mentioned that the New World has been unstable recently. She might lead a team there soon, and I'll likely go with her. I came today not only to check on you but also to say goodbye."

Zephyr frowned. "Sengoku and Garp are already in the New World, and now Tsuru is heading there too? Is it really that chaotic?"

For the past two years, Zephyr had been focused on training recruits and was not well-informed about current events. Hearing that the New World required the attention of the Marine's top leaders, he couldn't help but feel concerned.

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Powerstones?

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