After ten days at sea, Yoriichi Tsugikuni departed the West Blue and returned to Marine Headquarters, officially concluding his "internship."
Accompanying Yoriichi back to headquarters was Instructor Victor. Affairs in the West Blue had largely been resolved, and with fewer burdens on his shoulders, Victor opted to return with him. As for the rest of the workload? Naturally, it was dumped on Aokiji.
No one knew what had gotten into that guy—he'd turned into a full-blown workaholic.
Kyros did not return with Yoriichi to headquarters. The only one summoned back was Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself. Kyros remained in the West Blue, continuing his internship while also serving as Aokiji's adjutant, assisting with regional matters.
Until a new Captain could be appointed to garrison Branch 133, all West Blue operations would temporarily fall under Aokiji's command. Clearly, neither he nor Kyros would be leaving the Kingdom of Mia anytime soon.
Upon returning to headquarters, Yoriichi discovered something surprising—he was the first Marine Academy cadet to complete his internship and return. Every other cadet was still out in the field.
All cadets were supposed to undergo a full three-month internship. Only he had been called back after just over a month—cutting the experience short.
"Teacher Zephyr, all the other cadets are still out on assignment—why was I called back so early?"
"To be honest, I don't feel like I learned all that much during this internship," Yoriichi said as they walked back toward Zephyr's quarters. It wasn't that he missed the Kingdom of Mia—he just knew that being summoned back ahead of schedule had to mean something.
"You were recalled early not just on my orders," Zephyr said, his tone low as he glanced sideways at the boy, who had grown a bit taller during his time away. "This came from Fleet Admiral Steel-Bone Kong himself."
"Once you've had a bit of rest, I'll take you to see him."
Indeed, Yoriichi's early return wasn't solely Zephyr's decision. The key figure behind the move was none other than Steel-Bone Kong, the highest-ranking officer in the Navy.
Yoriichi's actions in the West Blue had caused quite a stir—news that couldn't possibly have escaped Kong's ears. He was also well aware that Zephyr and Sengoku had been quietly cleaning up after Yoriichi's "mess." Though Kong hadn't interfered, he certainly hadn't ignored it.
Now that things in the West Blue had settled down, Steel-Bone Kong wasted no time stepping in, personally ordering Yoriichi's early recall. The reason? He saw potential in the boy—and he wanted to shape him into a truly exemplary Marine.
But what Kong had seen from Yoriichi at Branch 133 gave him pause—because it reminded him all too much of Garp.
To most, Hero Garp was the model of an outstanding Marine. But in Kong's eyes, Garp was merely powerful—not exemplary.
The distinction, subtle as it may seem, was clear as day to someone like Steel-Bone Kong.
He didn't want Yoriichi to grow into just another powerhouse. He wanted him to become a true Marine—one who embodied discipline, integrity, and order.
But at only twelve years old, Yoriichi was already displaying the same impulsiveness, the same wild streak, as Garp.
Kong couldn't begin to imagine what might happen if the boy were allowed to grow unchecked. Most likely, he'd turn into another Garp—someone who always did things his own way...
And one Garp was already headache enough. Kong had no desire to deal with a second.
Calling Yoriichi back was his way of giving Zephyr a clear directive: educate him. Not just in combat or tactics, but in the rules a good Marine must live by.
"Wait... the Fleet Admiral wants to see me?" Yoriichi asked, frowning in confusion. "I'm just a cadet barely even a junior officer. Why would he want to meet with me?"
"Well... he probably wants you to stay at headquarters for a while and focus on your studies," Zephyr replied casually. "Ever since your deployment began, the Fleet Admiral's been hinting at it, sometimes directly, sometimes more subtly."
"What he's saying is this: you're still too young. You've got room to grow, both in strength and in wisdom. And when it comes to decision-making, you're still... pretty green."
"He doesn't want you heading back out to sea, not until you're at least sixteen."
"But I managed to gloss over that part. After all, how can someone call themselves a Marine if they've never grown up sailing the seas?"
"Still, the stir you caused in the West Blue wasn't exactly minor. Even with Sengoku and me vouching for you, tricks like that might fool others but not the Fleet Admiral."
"I suspect he'll use this incident as a reason to place some restrictions on you."
"When you see him, no matter what he says or what decisions he makes, just nod and go along with it."
"I've already arranged your next destination. Garp will take you there."
As Zephyr spoke, he gave Yoriichi a reassuring pat on the back, his face brightening with a wide, confident smile.
From Zephyr's words alone, Yoriichi could already infer what Steel-Bone Kong was thinking.
It was a simple enough logic—when a young talent emerges, let them stay at Marineford for a while. Let them grow, build a sense of belonging, and only then release them into the wider sea.
But what caught Yoriichi's attention even more than Kong's intent was that "next destination" Zephyr mentioned.
Did this mean Zephyr had made specific arrangements for him?
"Next destination?"
"What do you mean, Master Zephyr?"
Yoriichi was puzzled, unsure what Zephyr meant by that phrase.
"Your strength is already considerable. While you're still leagues away from those who stand at the peak of this vast sea, there's no doubt that the Four Blues can no longer offer you the trials you need."
"You've already mastered the Navy Six Styles and both types of Haki. That alone is extraordinary."
"What you need now is constant physical training, refining your swordsmanship, and strengthening your Haki."
"At the end of the day, you're still just a twelve-year-old kid. No matter how hard you train, your growth has a ceiling, your body's limits determine your power's limits."
At that, Yoriichi nodded with understanding. He knew exactly what Zephyr meant.
What people called "strength" really boiled down to two things, speed and power.
Whether it was Haki, physical conditioning, or even Zoan-type Devil Fruits, the goal was always the same: to become faster, stronger.
But humans were still human. Even in the world of One Piece, there were limits to the human body.
That was why things like Haki and Life Return (Seimei Kikan) existed—tools to break past those physical limits.
Haki pushed the body to unleash terrifying speed and strength from its limited form.
Life Return, on the other hand, was meant to help transcend those very limits entirely.
"So what you're saying, Master Zephyr, is that once my Haki reaches a certain level, my rate of growth will naturally plateau? Because physical development can't happen overnight?"
Yoriichi caught the heart of Zephyr's message and lowered his head, deep in thought.
"Exactly, but not entirely."
"The true purpose of Life Return is to help the user continually push beyond their physical boundaries. The stronger the body, the more powerful the Haki it can endure and wield!"
"Three days from now, Garp will take you to Boin Archipelago!"
"There, you'll undergo rapid growth!"
"You'll eat nonstop. You'll train nonstop. That extreme environment will forge an extreme physique. The Life Return technique you've studied will finally come into full play!"
"You're only twelve. Boin Archipelago will awaken your full potential and accelerate your growth, pushing you to break through your limits again and again!"
As Zephyr said this, he beamed and gave Yoriichi a firm slap on the shoulder.
He had put a lot of thought into this training plan for Yoriichi. It wasn't a casual decision—he had pored over countless records before finally settling on Boin Archipelago.
In fact, just recently, he had gone there himself to scout it out.
The moment he saw it, he knew it was perfect.
"Boin Archipelago?"
"Why does that sound familiar?"
Yoriichi furrowed his brows. The name did ring a bell, faintly, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall where he had heard it before.
*********
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