Under the sun, golden light washed over Kai's confident face.
For a moment, Zephyr went a little blank.
Kai's words kept echoing in his ears.
"Brat…"
"You really don't know how high the sky is."
After a long pause, Zephyr studied Kai suspiciously.
Could it be…
That he was the one misreading Kai's strength?
Did this kid truly have Vice Admiral-level combat power?
Seriously?
A five-year-old Vice Admiral-level fighter?
Was this a joke?
"If I get the chance, I'll personally test you."
"Vice Admiral-level?"
"Do you even know how many Vice Admiral-level fighters Marine HQ has?"
"You're just a five-year-old kid!"
Zephyr rolled his eyes.
Right now, Marine HQ had a massive number of troops—but not that many top-tier fighters.
Those who truly reached "Vice Admiral tier" wouldn't exceed thirty.
And that count even included Admirals and the Fleet Admiral.
Marine HQ had over a hundred thousand Marines.
But fewer than thirty could be placed at Vice Admiral tier.
That alone showed how rare it was.
So when Zephyr heard Kai claiming he had reached that level at age five…
Of course he couldn't believe it.
"When you actually see what a Vice Admiral can do, you'll understand how ridiculous what you just said is."
Zephyr waved a hand and didn't argue further.
He clearly had no intention of getting stuck on this.
"Is that so?" Kai grinned.
"Then I'll be looking forward to it."
He didn't explain more.
Because talking wasn't as convincing as showing.
And Zephyr was stubborn.
The only way to make him accept something this absurd…
Was to let him witness it.
"Let's go."
Zephyr continued leading Kai toward Marineford's harbor.
The graduation trial required a warship departure from Marineford.
The core purpose was simple:
Let the trainees complete their final trial.
Kai was just here to "show face."
Even if Zephyr didn't believe Kai had Vice Admiral-level power…
He didn't doubt that if Kai participated directly, the whole trainee group would coast to victory.
And that would destroy the meaning of the trial.
"By the way," Zephyr asked on the way, his tone turning heavy again, "you've heard about that proposal the World Government issued, right?"
"I have."
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea proposal."
Kai nodded.
He knew Zephyr couldn't let it go.
For a man who had devoted his entire life to the Marines…
The Warlords proposal was humiliating and disgusting.
But even as an Admiral, Zephyr was nearly powerless to stop it.
His opposition meant almost nothing.
Zephyr had spent his life trying to bring stability to the sea—paying countless prices.
Pirates had even slaughtered his family.
Yet even so, he had never fled the Marines.
Instead, he stepped back into training, focusing on producing top-tier talent for the future.
That loyalty spoke for itself.
But the moment the Warlords proposal came down…
Zephyr's mindset began shifting.
He started doubting:
Was everything he had done… worth it?
Had he been protecting the people?
Or protecting the rulers?
Now pirates could become "legal."
How ridiculous was that?
Wasn't this proposal basically spitting on everything the Marines had bled for?
They fought pirates to the death.
And now their sworn enemies were becoming "official partners" with the World Government.
And after joining, the Marines couldn't even freely move against them.
Every time Zephyr thought about it—
Anger surged.
After a long moment, Zephyr forcibly suppressed the darkness in his chest and asked Kai:
"What do you think about it?"
"The era is changing," Kai said after thinking.
"If it can't be changed, then accept it."
"Do what you can."
"Focus on doing your part well. That's what matters."
"You've got a steady head for a kid."
Zephyr sighed.
If you hadn't lived through the older era…
You'd never fully understand how vicious pirates truly were.
Letting criminals become "legal"?
It was laughable.
"Heh."
"The World Government… a bunch of short-sighted idiots."
Zephyr sneered.
Kai didn't comment further.
He didn't care about the World Government's "goodness."
They were rulers who only cared about maintaining power.
Why would they care about common people's lives?
They cared about authority.
That's it.
And Zephyr's ideals were naturally opposed to theirs.
Zephyr wanted to protect the people.
Not protect a throne.
But one man's power was small.
"Instructor Zephyr," Kai suddenly asked, "do you know who my father is?"
"Your father?"
Zephyr's tone turned strange.
"You mean the Revolutionary Army's leader and founder… the world's most heinous criminal…"
"Monkey D. Dragon?"
"What do you think of my father's ideals?"
Kai smiled faintly.
Zephyr fell silent.
In the past, he looked down on the Revolutionary Army.
But now, after the Warlords proposal…
He found himself thinking:
Maybe those people weren't as detestable as he'd always believed.
"If one day you feel lost," Kai said calmly, "go talk to my father."
"You'll gain something."
Kai didn't want Zephyr to fall into the wrong path.
Zephyr was a truly qualified Marine.
He had sacrificed everything for justice.
Even his family died because of pirate violence tied to the sea he tried to protect.
A man like that didn't deserve to end in tragedy.
He deserved another choice.
So Kai directly "recommended" Dragon.
A dreamer whose ideals were surprisingly close to Zephyr's.
If the two of them ever truly sat down and spoke without prejudice…
They would likely understand each other.
Because their dreams were almost the same.
Only their positions differed.
And now, because the Warlords proposal shattered Zephyr's trust in the World Government and the system…
His prejudice against the Revolutionary Army was starting to crack too.
Which meant…
One day, Zephyr might actually speak with Dragon—and find clarity.
"Dad…"
Kai's expression turned weirdly satisfied.
"I'm really out here working myself to the bone for you."
"I even dragged a Marine Admiral-level powerhouse toward your side."
"You better think hard about what kind of compensation you're giving me."
He couldn't help feeling it:
He was a ridiculously responsible son.
He had joined the Marines…
Yet he was still quietly digging at the Marines' foundation for his old man Dragon.
And not just any foundation.
He was trying to pry loose a top-tier force—
A Marine Admiral.
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