In the Chief Instructor's Office, Zephyr had just received news of Uchiha Kaito's results. He stared at the numbers on the document spread out across his desk, then looked up at the soldier who'd delivered it, his face clearly saying: Are you kidding me?
The soldier swallowed nervously and repeated that the data was accurate.
Only then did Zephyr reluctantly accept the news.
"I got it. You can go." He waved the soldier off, then massaged his temples as he reviewed the information in the report.
Marine recruit.
Age: 16.
Name: Uchiha Kaito.
Had not eaten a Devil Fruit.
Power Level: 7200.
All this information together hit Zephyr like a brick wall. He was dazed for a moment.
So this is the 'promising new recruit' Sengoku mentioned to me? You call this just promising? This guy's already a damn monster!
Zephyr was convinced Sengoku was messing with him. Ever since his wife and child were killed by pirates, Zephyr had become increasingly disillusioned, especially with the declining quality of recruits over the years. He had seriously considered retiring from the Marines altogether. Sengoku, upon hearing this, had done everything he could to persuade him otherwise. Zephyr knew how difficult things had been for the Marines in recent years, so he'd temporarily shelved the idea.
That sick bastard… Zephyr cursed Sengoku in his mind.
To be fair, Sengoku really didn't mean to troll him. Honestly, he had just wanted Zephyr to keep an eye on this guy named Kaito and make sure he was properly trained. It would've been a huge waste if his talent went unused. Sengoku just didn't want it to sound like he was playing favorites, so he had downplayed it a bit.
Who would've thought Kaito would turn out to be this insane!?
"I didn't think anyone could match the raw talent of Sakazuki and the others since their graduation, but now… maybe the future of the Marines really does have a glimmer of hope."
Staring at Kaito's photo on the document, Zephyr made up his mind—he would personally supervise Uchiha Kaito's training. That kind of talent must not go to waste.
And more importantly—his personality.
They absolutely could not allow another Borsalino to appear!
With that thought, Zephyr got up and headed straight to the training camp. He had to see this monstrous rookie with his own eyes.
...
At that moment, Kaito had already entered the Elite Training Camp with the top entrance score. He had no idea a certain purple-haired old man already had his sights on him.
Right now, he was being talked about by a group of new recruits along the road.
"Look, that's Uchiha Kaito—the guy with a Power Level of 7200! Total freak!"
"Such strange eyes. Is he from some rare bloodline?"
"He's so handsome…"
"Quit drooling. Look at that babe walking next to him, then look at yourself. You think he'd even glance at you?"
"Shut up!"
All kinds of chatter reached Kaito's ears. He shook his head in mild exasperation. Whether it was the world of Naruto or One Piece, the chatterboxes and fangirls were always unavoidable.
"What's that look for? Being admired by so many people and you still look like that. Come on, you're totally loving the attention, you smug little tsundere."
The voice came from Gion. She had followed Kaito all the way in, under the noble-sounding excuse of escorting him to his final stop.
Definitely not because she wanted to prevent some random lovestruck girl from stealing him away.Nope. Definitely not that.
"Alright, alright, enough teasing. It's your fault I'm even in the spotlight right now. Low-key is impossible now."
"If you're gold, you're gonna shine. Talent can't be hidden forever, so quit whining."
They soon arrived at the training camp dorms, and Gion came to a stop.
"This is where I leave you. I have to go too. We won't be seeing each other for a while, so don't miss me too much, little Kaito~"
"Yeah, yeah. It's not like I'm vanishing. When I'm done, let's go get a proper meal."
Suddenly, Gion's expression shifted, and she glared at him fiercely.
"Did you forget something?"
"Huh?" Kaito looked confused.
"You squeezed really hard during the test, remember?"
"Uh…" Kaito looked a little embarrassed. His head had gotten hot in the moment and… yeah, he might've overdone it a bit.
Pfft—
Seeing the awkward look on his face, Gion covered her mouth and burst out laughing.
"Alright, relax. I'm not gonna bite you." As she spoke, she suddenly reached out and pinched Kaito's cheek.
Kaito didn't react fast enough and got caught. He immediately jumped to the side, causing Gion to break into another fit of laughter.
"Wow, quick reflexes. I thought you didn't care about that kinda thing."
Gion eventually stopped laughing and took a breath. Just like during the exam, she began straightening out Kaito's clothes again. This time, Kaito didn't say anything. He could tell Gion was trying to stay upbeat because she didn't want their farewell to feel too heavy.
"When you graduate from the training camp, if you can become a Rear Admiral, I'll grant you one wish. Deal?" Gion suddenly said.
Kaito looked at her quietly, nothing more needing to be said.
"Haha… that's basically impossible, right, Kaito?"
Almost like talking to herself, Gion's hands paused in midair.
Kaito stepped forward and pulled her into a hug, whispering into her ear.
"That's it? No challenge at all."
Gion's face turned bright red. She quickly shoved him away, blurting out,
"Stop talking nonsense!" before running off.
Kaito watched her disappearing figure, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smirk.
"Just wait and see, Gion."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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