"Enough already, you bastards—stand down!!"
A thunderous voice full of authority rang out. On the rooftop, Sengoku finally couldn't take it anymore.
If Akainu and Kisame kept this madness up, they'd really have to relocate the entire Elite Training Camp.
"L-Look! That's… That's Fleet Admiral Sengoku…!"
"No way… Even he's stepping in?!"
"Wait...look! That's his Devil Fruit form!"
All around, cadets stared in disbelief at the man with the exploding afro who leapt from the rooftop
And their jaws collectively hit the floor.
That was the Fleet Admiral.
It was already crazy enough that this guy had forced two admirals to make a move.
But now even Sengoku had joined the fray?!
Can you believe it?
Something like this… had probably never happened in the entire history of the Navy.
"T-That's… Sengoku?"
Kisame blinked, wide-eyed, his beady shark pupils nearly popping out as he stared at the golden Buddha flying through the sky.
His brain glitched.
What the hell kind of world was this?
Since when did the Buddha statues they worshipped in temples start flying around and throwing hands?
But, He didn't have time to think about it for long.
The airborne Sengoku, in his glowing golden Buddha form, radiated light so intense it hurt to look at.
His expression, solemn and divine, brimmed with a kind of cosmic pity as he raised a massive glowing palm.
WHAM!
A visible shockwave exploded outward, rippling like radiation.
Air itself seemed to ripple and hum, circular waves spreading like ripples across water.
BOOM!
The colossal shockwave slammed into the tsunami with devastating force.
In an instant, the crashing wall of sharks and water was shattered—blasted apart by overwhelming might.
One blow. Just one.
And Kisame's massive shark-infested wave crumbled like a sandcastle in a storm.
The surge collapsed, water splashing out chaotically in every direction.
"We're saved! Finally!"
"Yeah… I really thought I was gonna meet my mom just now…"
As the monstrous wave disintegrated, the trainees all exhaled in collective relief.
Although their nerves were still strung tight—the wave was gone, sure, but the flooding remained.
Fortunately, they were elites—skilled, tough, and quick on their feet. The flood didn't cause too much damage.
The one feeling the worst right now?
That'd be Kisame.
Sengoku's blast hadn't just obliterated his jutsu—it had sent him flying, tossed like a leaf in the wind by the sheer force of the aftershock alone.
That was just the aftershock?! Which made Sengoku's full power downright terrifying to imagine.
Only now did Kisame truly realize—this wasn't going to be as simple as he'd thought.
Forget everything else. Right now, standing in front of him were:
Zephyr…
Mr. Magma Fists…
And freakin' Sengoku himself.
Every single one of them was a monster in their own right.
Sure, technically he was going one-vs-three, But if this turned into a real fight?
He knew it deep down—He'd be the one getting wrecked.
One vs. three?
Yeah, no.
You've got to be kidding me!
———
"The match ends here."
Sengoku's calm, commanding voice echoed, golden light still rippling from his Buddha form as his eyes swept over the battlefield to where Kisame was getting to his feet.
Though the shockwave had sent him flying, it was just residual force. Kisame wasn't badly hurt.
Hearing Sengoku speak, Kisame blinked—then immediately jumped on the opportunity to bow out gracefully.
"Alright, I concede."
He nodded and turned to go retrieve his Samehada.
At those words, everyone nearby froze in place.
Concede?
He'd just gone blow for blow with Zephyr, a former admiral and now the elite instructor of the Navy's most brutal training camp—drove the man half-insane with rage...
And that's losing?
He'd forced Akainu, a current admiral, to intervene just to stop the chaos—and even then, had gotten the upper hand for a moment…
Still losing?
And then there was Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, forced to go full Buddha mode just to end it. Sure, he crushed the tsunami, but still…
That's not a one-man fight!
And this guy had the nerve to call it losing?!
Like hell!
Everyone was stunned. No one had expected the fishman to just—bow out like that.
Back in his human form, Sengoku sighed with a trace of helplessness in his eyes.
This guy…
He had to admit—he'd underestimated Kisame.
Setting everything else aside, that water control alone?
It was the kind of power that gave Devil Fruit users nightmares.
Sure, there were some clear weaknesses in his physique—but those could be overcome through training.
"No, I lost," Zephyr suddenly stepped forward with a grin.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll be training the both of them personally."
The students around them erupted with envy.
Getting one-on-one instruction from Zephyr? That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Last time he'd personally trained someone, three of them had gone on to become admirals...
Kisame glanced sideways toward Zeff, then back at Zephyr.
He had a very clear understanding of Zephyr's power now.
Maybe he didn't know much about his teaching methods…But if the guy was qualified to train admirals?
Yeah, that was good enough.
Zephyr turned to Sengoku, expression thoughtful.
"I've gotta say—you really brought in a monster this time."
Sengoku let out a low chuckle, not even pretending to be modest.
"Heh… I'd say the same thing myself."
Kisame really was a monster.
A terrifying, water-bending freak of nature with the potential to reshape the battlefield.
Now the only question left was…
What codename should they give him?
As Sengoku's thoughts settled and he returned to the moment, his gaze shifted toward Zephyr.
The man was shirtless, pants soaked and splattered with mud.
"Never thought I'd live to see the day… someone actually got the better of you—and not just that…"
"You looked downright miserable!"
Sengoku's smirk widened.
"I bet if that other old bastard were here, he'd have taught that rookie some manners in minutes."
"Don't lump me in with that brainless brute," Zephyr shot back.
"I've got class. I'm not some muscle-headed maniac!"
No way was he getting compared to Garp. That lunatic punched first and thought never. Zephyr prided himself on being a cut above all that.
Sengoku squinted at him, clearly not buying it.
"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" he said slowly.
"No? Do yourself a favor and take a good look later. Tell me which part doesn't scream brute."
"Huh?"
Zephyr caught that weird glint in Sengoku's eyes and suddenly wanted to sock him in the jaw.
"Get lost, will you? Back to your office! You're an eyesore just standing there."
But Sengoku didn't seem even remotely annoyed. If anything, he was enjoying himself.
With a smug grin, he muttered under his breath—just loud enough for Zephyr to hear:
"Totally worth coming today…"
"Walk in the door, and what do I see? Kisame giving you a beatdown—"
"You done yet?" Zephyr's temple twitched as a vein popped. He was just about to throw a punch when Sengoku smoothly changed the topic.
"So… how does he feel to you?"
"Who?" Zephyr blinked, then followed Sengoku's glance as Kisame approached.
He gave it a second, then answered thoughtfully.
"Solid strength. Bit shameless, though. Body's got potential, but not fully trained yet…"
"But I'll say this—his future? Definitely not beneath ours."
Sengoku raised a brow in surprise. He hadn't expected that high a review from Zephyr of all people.
"You really believe that?"
"Don't you?"
Sengoku burst out laughing, a deep, hearty sound that echoed off the ruined walls.
"Yeah, he's the real deal. A guy with a future, no doubt about it..."
"That's why I've been thinking about giving him a codename."
Zephyr stiffened. "Wait, you mean…?"
"Mm. With his strength, calling him just a 'Captain' feels like an insult."
Sengoku let out a heavy sigh, the kind that came from years of dealing with politics and paperwork.
"Which means it's time to talk to those old fossils again..."
"If it weren't for him, there's no way I'd bother visiting those ancient relics..."
(End of Chapter)
—————————
If you're enjoying the story and want to binge-read ahead, join my Patreon— beast0x1, you'll get access to 40+ chapters in advance, your support really helps me keep going.