One Piece: Marine's Justice

At that moment, Zephyr noticed something strange, this kid was looking at him with an expression that held… pity? Maybe even sympathy?

Hmph. Must be because I've been pulling all-nighters working on the elite class selection. I'm just tired, seeing things that aren't there.

"Ahem."

Zephyr gave a soft cough, removed his glasses, and straightened up, adopting a formal tone. "I heard you assisted Kuzan and Borsalino in completely wiping out the Impaler Pirates on Carocal Island. Not bad. No wonder Tsuru recommended you for the Marine Academy."

"Thank you, Chief Instructor. I merely did what I could for the Navy," Cross replied solemnly. "The real credit for taking down the Impaler Pirates goes to Vice Admiral Kuzan and Vice Admiral Borsalino."

"Credit is credit, you don't need to be modest," Zephyr said with a smile.

"No, Chief Instructor, I'm not being modest," Cross shook his head, his tone calm and resolute. "I've helped CP agents capture Bel von Gero, fought Oli Baka head-on, and was nearly killed by Vlad Uren. So I'm well aware of my limits. For the Navy, I'm just a nice-to-have. With or without me, the outcome wouldn't change much."

Zephyr's expression softened with a hint of appreciation. He spoke gently, "It's good that you know your own limits. But don't sell yourself short, your contribution at Carocal Island significantly reduced Navy casualties. And after the battle, you helped stabilize the chaos in Skoggy. That's not something we can just ignore, is it?"

Cross lowered his gaze, silent for a moment. Then he looked up, his expression serious as he met Zephyr's eyes.

"If the Chief Instructor acknowledges my contributions, could I request a single-person dorm room?"

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Zephyr nearly choked on his own spit, and nearby, Gion staggered, barely keeping her balance.

Cross blinked, puzzled. What was with the big reaction?

Wait… don't tell me… the Marine Academy doesn't have single-person dorms?

It took a while before Zephyr managed to compose himself. His expression was odd as he stared at Cross. "Relax. You're already preselected for the elite class, you'll have a room to yourself."

"Really? That's great, thank you, Chief Instructor!" Cross's eyes lit up as he quickly expressed his thanks.

"This is something you earned with your own merit," Zephyr said, waving his hand with a sigh. Then he turned toward the door and called out, "Shuzo!"

"Shuzo?"

Cross furrowed his brows and instinctively glanced at Gion. He hadn't expected Zephyr's right-hand man to make an appearance this early.

Gion only gave a small shrug, clearly unimpressed and not the least bit interested in Cross's reaction.

"Shuzo's also one of this year's elite class students," Zephyr explained. "But I've been swamped lately, so I had him help me out temporarily as an assistant."

Moments later, a tall, long-armed youth entered. His skin was dark bronze, his black hair tied in braids down his back, and he wore a standard white Navy sailor's uniform.

"Chief Instructor Zephyr, you called?" Shuzo asked with a serious expression, eyes fixed straight ahead as he walked up to the desk and stopped.

"This is Amphitrite Cross, the final member of this year's elite class. Take him to Dorm 56 in Building 4," Zephyr instructed, gesturing toward Cross.

Shuzo looked at Cross, then at Gion, his brows knitting together in confusion. "But Chief Instructor, wasn't the selection for the 16th Elite Class already completed?"

"It was," Zephyr said calmly. "But didn't you notice? There are only forty-nine students."

"But Chief Instructor," Shuzo said hesitantly, "letting a kid this young in through preselection, without going through the official tryouts… Won't that cause dissatisfaction among the other students who didn't make it?"

"Cross didn't skip the selection process, his just looked different. He's been through actual combat, vetted by Navy top brass. That's why he qualifies for the elite class." Zephyr paused here, then added with a firm tone, "Of course, if anyone has a problem with it, they're free to challenge him. If someone can beat him in a fair fight, they'll take his place."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Chief Instructor, you can't be serious!" Cross's face shifted slightly, his voice rising in alarm.

"What, you scared?" Zephyr asked with a smirk.

"I'm just allergic to hassle," Cross replied, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "But fine, what happens if I accidentally hurt one of them during a challenge?"

"As long as you don't kill or cripple anyone, serious injuries are fine," Zephyr said with a laugh.

"In that case… I might actually start looking forward to the challengers," Cross replied, his eyes glinting with excitement. His tone was light, almost cheerful.

Free sparring partners, no medical fees? Sounds like a win to me.

Shuzo's frown deepened. He glanced at Cross again, clearly trying to size him up. Could this kid really be that strong?

He knew his instructor well. Zephyr didn't lie, and he would never compromise the elite class with behind-the-scenes favoritism. If Cross was in, there had to be a reason. Still… he looked so young. How strong could he really be?

Cross caught the skepticism in Shuzo's eyes but didn't mind. Strength wasn't something you bragged about, it was something you proved. And as the youngest member of this elite class, he was already prepared for the suspicion and resentment he'd face.

Back at Juen Cuisine, Gion had explained that the Elite Class was one of Zephyr's key reforms to the Navy Academy, and it had been widely praised. Many of the Navy's current standouts had come through it.

The regular curriculum at Navy Academy followed a six-year structure: four years of study, followed by two years of field internships, after which cadets would officially enter the Navy and be assigned to various bases.

But in a world like this, filled with monsters and prodigies far beyond the norm, the standard track was simply a waste of potential. For those who stood above the rest, six years was too long.

That's why every year, Zephyr personally selected the top fifty students from over a thousand candidates to form the Elite Class. He would train them himself in a year-long crash course.

If, by the end of that year, the students passed the final evaluations and written exams, they could graduate early.

Of course, if someone was still too young, under sixteen, they could opt to stay in the academy and continue learning, then graduate once they came of age.

Still, it was rare for students to enter the academy before turning sixteen. Zephyr himself had enrolled at fourteen, setting the record for the youngest student in the Academy's history.

Likewise, Zephyr's career was one of the most dazzling in Navy history. He became an Admiral at thirty-eight, the youngest ever at the time.

But he also resigned at forty-two, making him one of the shortest-serving Admirals in history.

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