The next day, Zephyr, still lingering in the effects of a night spent drinking with Sengoku and the others, rose early and made his usual inspection of the training grounds.
The Navy School's grounds were vast. Habitually, he scanned the area where the largest group of students usually gathered, only to find a few scattered girls training alone.
Zephyr's expression darkened. He suspected the students had taken advantage of yesterday's early dismissal to sleep in. Young as they were, slacking at such a critical time was unacceptable.
Just as he considered devising a rigorous morning drill, a burst of shouts rang out across the field.
"Ninety-nine, one hundred! Sakazuki is amazing!"
"Lloyd's speed keeps getting faster! Go, Lloyd!"
"Borsalino, what are you doing? Are you asleep?!"
Zephyr paused, following the sounds to the area that had once been Sakazuki's "exclusive corner." The crowd had already filled it, and scattered students from earlier were now joined by many more. Among them were Lloyd, Kizaru, and Akainu, all engaged in a fierce competition. Even Borsalino, typically late, was present.
Curious, Zephyr moved quietly behind Squirrel, who hadn't noticed his presence, craning his neck to cheer for Lloyd.
In the open space at the center, Lloyd, Kizaru, and Akainu lay on the ground with shirts off, lifting heavy barbells in presses. Ginny stood nearby, stopwatch in hand, her eyes constantly on Lloyd, worried she might fail to time him correctly.
For a moment, Zephyr's annoyance melted into genuine amusement. The students' camaraderie, regardless of their competitiveness, was heartening to see.
However, his eyes immediately snapped to Kizaru, and his usual scolding followed.
"Borsalino, slacking again! Is that barbell stuck to your stomach? Push it!"
Startled, Kizaru twitched, forcing the barbell up twice before collapsing back down. The shout drew the attention of the others, who now turned to face him.
Zephyr coughed lightly, hiding his initial intent to observe, and adopted a smile.
"Continue, everyone. It's still early. Has the winner been decided yet?"
With a commanding gesture, he added, "Give it your all! Whoever wins will receive double their allowance this month!"
The reward barely mattered to Lloyd or Sakazuki; one had no shortage of Berries, and the other was absorbed in the competition. But Kizaru's eyes gleamed with golden light at the promise of extra Berries, and for the first time, he pushed the barbell with real vigor.
Ginny, pressing the stopwatch, clicked it and announced, "The competition is over! Lloyd and Sakazuki tied for first place!"
Kizaru, in second place and last, lay sprawled on the ground like a withered eggplant.
"Zephyr-sensei! Why didn't you say that sooner? My effort was wasted!" he groaned.
Zephyr shot him a pointed glare. The opportunity had been given; failing to seize it was no one's fault but his own.
The three cadets rose from the ground. Ginny quickly draped a coat over Lloyd, drawing envious glances from the male students. Akainu, seizing a coat himself, buttoned it over his muscular frame. Though admired by several female students, Akainu's intimidating presence kept them at bay.
"Lloyd, your strength is remarkable. Much greater than Borsalino's," Akainu remarked, voice carrying an unintentional warmth.
Lloyd shivered inwardly at the tone, silently noting Akainu's peculiar way of speaking, though he respected him.
The tied result reflected Akainu's relentless preparation and discipline.
Kizaru, still seated cross-legged, sighed at his second-place finish, lamenting the lost opportunity for extra Berries.
Akainu placed a reassuring hand on Kizaru's shoulder. "Even at full strength, surpassing Lloyd and me would have been nearly impossible. Don't dwell on it."
Kizaru shot him a suspicious look. "Sakazuki, are you comforting me or mocking me?"
"Comforting," Akainu replied firmly.
Ginny laughed, holding Lloyd's hand tightly. "Lloyd, these two are really something!"
Even the other students chuckled. They had once seen Kizaru and Akainu as unapproachable monsters, but today revealed a more endearing side.
Yesterday, Lloyd had treated all the students to a generous meal. After the food and a few drinks, the atmosphere relaxed, and those previously defeated by Akainu had the courage to apologize face-to-face. Ginny, however, got drunk almost immediately, clinging to Lloyd and muttering embarrassing things she would later want to vanish into the floor. She even instructed Kuma to remove alcohol from her system next time if necessary.
Now, at the training ground, her cheeks remained flushed, though the topic from last night went unmentioned as Lloyd was pulled into competition by Akainu. Ginny felt a pang of disappointment, as if her drunken confessions had been in vain.
Her gaze lingered on Lloyd's profile, her thoughts hazy, until Zephyr's call for assembly brought her back to reality. Reluctantly, she let go of him and ran to join the few friends she had recently made.
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