Zefa, the Black Arm, stood tall on the podium, his gaze sharp yet radiating pride. Below him, in the "speech stands," sat over 200 enthusiastic young military academy students, with faculty and staff in the front rows.
Zefa's eyes quickly swept over the young, energetic faces of the cadets, then he opened his mouth, his voice loud and strong, "Today is the day you officially graduate from the military academy..."
In the front row, Tokikake, Sephiroth, and the others huddled together, whispering.
Listening to the passionate words from the podium, Smoker had a look of astonishment on his face. "I never expected that Teacher Zefa was quite talented and could speak with such passion. I feel that the blood in my heart is starting to boil... Usually he calls himself an old man or a curse... It's hard to believe!" Smoker muttered, a little disbelieving.
Hearing this, Tokikake immediately gave a lecherous grin, placing his left hand on Smoker's shoulder and his right hand on Sephiroth, then he said conspiratorially, "Hey, hey! You don't know anything about this, do you? Teacher Zefa's last tenure, his very last tenure, and even the seven or eight previous tenures were all based on this exact same script. This speech..."
Smoker could only fall silent, his jaw slightly agape.
Sephiroth's eye twitched slightly, and he complained faintly, "Bad old man... eating all the fresh food in one go!" He then looked at his two friends. "By the way, where are you applying after graduation? I'm ready to apply to G-2 Headquarters, the New World Marine branch."
With a curious look on his face, Tokikake looked at the two beside him.
"I will apply to be transferred back to my hometown in Loguetown..." Smoker replied calmly.
"East Blue?" Hearing this, Tokikake was instantly surprised, and he quickly persuaded him, "You must think clearly... Once you apply to go to the Four Seas, your future will be slim! You might end up in old age and die, but you won't be promoted to the rank of Admiral..."
"Future?" Smoker seemed to have thought of something, his face full of disdain. "I don't care about that kind of thing! I only hope now that my hometown will have fewer pirates..."
"Alas! Everyone has their own ambitions," Tokikake sighed softly and turned to look at the silver-haired boy on his right. "Where will you go, Sephiroth?"
"Sabaody Archipelago Marine Base."
Tokikake gently stroked his chin with his right hand and murmured to himself, "Oh! You're still in this department... But the situation there is more complicated!"
Sephiroth shrugged, a mischievous smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "It doesn't matter whether it's complicated or not, the main thing is that it's interesting enough and has what I want..."
"Makes sense! Makes sense!" As if thinking of something, the smile on Tokikake's face became even more mischievous. "Ahhehehe... Looking at all the marine bases, the Sabaody Archipelago is truly the most interesting and fun place there."
"Huh!" Sitting to Sephiroth's right, Gion glanced with a hint of disdain at the two captivated men and secretly smiled, finding their chatter amusing.
"Gion, where are you applying?" Tokikake casually asked.
"Marine Headquarters G-1."
"That's a good place! G-1 Headquarters is at the entrance to the New World, and the pirates who can reach there are all quite capable... You can quickly accumulate military merits! Huh! This way, if you go to G-1 Headquarters, you'll only be separated from Sephiroth by the Red Line Continent... The distance is quite close!" Tokikake said with a meaningful smile.
"Humph! So what? So what?" Gion glared fiercely at Tokikake, gesturing for him to quickly shut up, her cheeks slightly flushed. Her eyes, however, pretended to be accidental and swept across Sephiroth's face, as if she wanted to see something from the other person's change in expression.
"Among the military cadets in this class, three performed well and made military contributions... Tokikake, Gion, Sephiroth, come up to the stage!" Zefa's thick voice boomed.
The three men below the podium immediately stood and walked quickly towards the podium.
"Plus, you performed well and made outstanding contributions during your time at the military academy. Now, I award you the rank of Major!" Zefa said to Tokikake as the rank insignia was pinned.
"Gion, you performed well and made outstanding contributions during your time at the military academy. Now, I award you the rank of Major!" The same rank insignia was pinned on Gion's shoulder, as she stood at attention.
"Sephiroth, you performed well at the military academy, and you made great achievements in the Dressrosa Battle and saved the Dressrosa Royal Family. For your bravery! Now, I award you the rank of Colonel!"
As he spoke, Zefa draped a large white Justice cloak with the Colonel rank onto the silver-haired boy's body, taking it from a red awards tray held by a Marine soldier beside him. A murmur of excitement and slight surprise enveloped the room.
Wow-wow—!
After the three on the podium finished their investiture, there was an explosion of thunderous applause in the auditorium. The performance of the three during their time at the military academy was clear to all. Not only were they far superior to others, but their military contributions were also similar, so no one was jealous. The cadets below the podium, based on their performance and service during their time at the military school, were, with very few exceptions who were officers, basically in the ranks of Ensign to Captain. The rank of Colonel for Sephiroth was a significant leap, showing recognition for his contributions in Dressrosa.
"Next, I invite Sephiroth, the head graduate of this military academy, to speak!" the host said in a loud voice.
The silver-haired boy, wearing the white Justice cloak, stepped onto the podium and pulled a speech from his trousers pocket.
"Um!... Originally, I planned to give a fiery speech based on the script... However, it seems that everyone has become a little impatient after hearing this, so I will only say a few words now..." Sephiroth began with an amused smile, his tone relaxed yet meaningful.
"You guys, it's a pity that you are graduating! What awaits you is not a boundless bright future, but a path full of roughness and bumps. Some will sacrifice, others will stand still. Of course, some will go to the end of the road and become beings admired by thousands. Here, I just want to tell you that, at any time, don't forget your initial intention and the justice you bear. Only then will you not get lost on this road full of roughness and bumps!"
After Sephiroth's quick speech, the group was stunned for a moment, but they immediately subconsciously applauded heartily. In truth, as long as Sephiroth gave a normal speech and didn't cause trouble, applause would ring out. Therefore, even though he had just said something slightly peculiar, they responded with sincere applause. As for the speech, in one ear and out the other, wasn't that basic training? No matter how potent "chicken soup for the soul" might be, once the flavor was gone, people would become less interested. The motivation that could always push them forward was always their own needs.
Afternoon.
A group of over twenty military cadets went to a bar in Marineford town and held a graduation celebration. They had long been accustomed to life and death under Zefa's tutelage and weren't so much affectionate and sentimental children. They simply drank and chatted about interesting things from the past, laughter and banter filling the room. Nearly ten o'clock at night, they happily returned to the military academy together and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, with their luggage packed, they boarded different warships, heading towards the islands and Marine posts they had chosen. Each went towards their own destiny, in the vast ocean full of mystery and challenges.
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