"Graduation trial…"
Kai blinked, genuinely intrigued.
So the special training program—one and a half years long—was finally reaching its end.
And the graduation assessment…
Was going out to sea to carry out a real operation.
No wonder Zephyr came looking for him today.
Even though Kai had disappeared from the camp for a year—
He was still officially one of the trainees.
"Instructor Zephyr…"
"Are you sure you want me participating in the graduation trial?"
Kai's expression turned strange.
His strength had already reached Vice Admiral level.
In the first half of the Grand Line, he couldn't imagine many pirates who could threaten him at all.
Other than hidden old monsters…
He couldn't think of anyone qualified to stop him.
Letting him join the trial…
Wasn't that just a dimensionality crush?
If he took action, what would Smoker and the others even do?
They'd all just lie down and win.
Like when Kai once brought Lucci on a mission—
Lucci basically got carried the whole time.
"Kai…"
Zephyr stared at him carefully, surprise flickering in his eyes.
He could feel it.
Kai was different from a year ago in every sense.
Not just taller. Not just bigger.
The most direct shock was the aura leaking from him—
The aura of a true powerhouse.
Between strong people, there was a kind of instinctive resonance.
Even without fighting, you could sense it.
And right now—
Zephyr could hardly believe it.
In just one year, he could feel pressure from Kai.
Pressure that belonged to the strong.
It shocked him.
"This kid… in just a year, he's grown to this level?"
"What a monster…"
Zephyr's heart trembled.
He had to admit it:
Kai was the most terrifying genius he'd ever seen.
One year…
And Kai had become terrifying to this degree.
The aura he gave off even created a vague sense of oppression—almost comparable to a Marine Vice Admiral.
Zephyr couldn't believe it.
One day…
He'd feel this kind of pressure from a five-year-old.
That pressure was not inferior to certain Vice Admirals.
"If I fought him…"
"Even I might need to go all out to take him down."
The thought frightened Zephyr himself.
Who was he?
A Marine Admiral.
To deal with a five-year-old—
Needing to go all out?
Insane.
And yet… he felt it.
"I can tell," Zephyr said, sighing.
"You and your past self are completely different."
"Five years old, and you've reached this realm…"
"I didn't expect it."
"Honestly…"
"Even if I go all out now, I might not have 100% confidence I can take you down."
"Without realizing it…"
"You've become this strong."
"It seems I can't refuse to accept that I'm getting old."
Seeing Kai grow this much in one year filled him with emotion.
Only when he saw Kai did Zephyr realize—
He really was getting older.
And it might be time to step aside.
"So, Instructor Zephyr…"
"Isn't it a bit… ill-considered to have me participate in the graduation trial?"
Kai asked with a smile.
"It is."
Zephyr nodded, agreeing immediately.
He thought for a moment, then spoke again.
"Alright."
"You'll come with me as part of the evaluation team."
"You won't participate directly in the trial."
"Otherwise those little brats will have zero pressure and just coast to victory."
Kai nodded.
That would prevent Smoker and the others from getting carried.
"Fine."
Kai agreed.
After a full year without leaving Marineford, he really did miss the sea.
If he could go out once, he'd treat it like a trip—let himself breathe.
This whole year of brutal training had kept him tight like a drawn bowstring.
Now, after reaching Vice Admiral-level combat power…
He could finally take a short rest.
"Let's go," Zephyr said.
"From now on, you probably won't need to train here anymore."
He glanced back at the enormous capsule thoughtfully.
After a year, the electrotherapy method would obviously have become almost meaningless to Kai.
So Kai didn't need to stay locked in this room anymore.
"It barely works on me now."
"Finally escaping this hell."
Kai laughed softly.
Then, before leaving, he sincerely thanked all the researchers in white coats.
If it weren't for these kind people…
His strength wouldn't have skyrocketed this far in a single year.
Their work let him constantly push the electrotherapy method, letting his power leap forward again and again.
Without them, he never could've reached this level.
A moment later, Kai followed Zephyr out.
The researchers watched his back until he disappeared.
Then they turned to look at the massive capsule, sighing to each other.
"A genius like Mr. Kai is far too rare…"
"If it were anyone else, even a year here wouldn't produce what he achieved…"
"Only Mr. Kai could break into Vice Admiral level within a single year…"
"A five-year-old with Vice Admiral combat power…"
"Truly unprecedented…"
…
The moment Kai stepped outside the institute—
Warm sunlight poured down from the sky and wrapped around him.
A gentle heat spread through his body.
He closed his eyes and let himself feel it, and a sense of unreality rose in his chest.
"What?" Zephyr laughed. "Stayed inside too long and you're not used to the outside world anymore?"
"It really does feel like that," Kai admitted with a smile.
"If there weren't those lovely researchers inside, I might've actually become cut off from the world."
After a year, walking under sunlight again felt strangely intimate.
Then Kai followed Zephyr toward Marineford's busy streets.
Along the way, the tall buildings looked both familiar and strangely distant.
He saw Marines in uniform—soldiers and officers—moving through the streets.
Only then did Kai truly feel like he'd returned to society.
As they walked, Zephyr asked curiously:
"By the way… I felt an extremely terrifying aura coming off you earlier."
"Be honest."
"In this year… how strong have you become?"
Kai's eyes flickered, and a meaningful smile appeared.
He asked instead:
"Then what level do you think I've reached?"
"Hard to say," Zephyr answered, frowning.
He genuinely couldn't tell.
The pressure he felt earlier was strong—nearly comparable to a Vice Admiral.
But he still didn't dare place a five-year-old on the same level as a Vice Admiral.
"Conservatively…"
Kai spoke calmly.
"I'm probably not weaker than a Marine Vice Admiral."
"Of course, I don't mean monsters like Aokiji and the other three, and I don't mean the old man or Vice Admiral Tsuru."
"I mean ordinary Marine Vice Admirals."
"…What?"
Zephyr's eyes widened.
He almost stumbled.
He stopped dead in the street, staring at Kai like he'd heard a ghost.
Vice Admiral-level?!
Was this kid serious?
Zephyr immediately leaned toward a second possibility—
That Kai simply didn't understand how strong a Vice Admiral truly was.
So he mistook his current strength as "Vice Admiral level."
"You brat…"
"You don't understand how strong a Vice Admiral is."
"That's why you dare say something this arrogant."
"This is pure nonsense."
"Vice Admirals are far beyond what you can imagine."
"Don't be a frog in a well."
"If word of this gets out, the entire Marineford will laugh their heads off."
"You're a five-year-old kid, and you claim you have Vice Admiral combat power?"
Zephyr stared at him with a strange expression.
And under Zephyr's gaze, Kai only smiled, amused.
"Instructor Zephyr…"
"Have you considered another possibility?"
"That it's not me who misunderstands Vice Admirals."
"It's…"
"You who misunderstand my current strength."
Visit my patreon for more chapters
Advance 60+ Chapters Available
patreon.com/ZeusOp