Just like the previous evening, everyone stared at Aren's back with utterly blank expressions.
They had already experienced it once, after all, when Aren had suddenly declared he was off work at exactly five o'clock.
But still...
As marines, they were very clear on one thing. Being in the Marines was absolutely not a nine to five kind of job.
And now, as a trainee no less, he was saying he started work at nine in the morning.
Dunbar clenched his fists and glared at Aren's retreating back. He had seen Aren walk away like this last night but had not thought too much about it at the time.
Now though...
He had just finished praising Aren in front of everyone, and the very next moment the guy pulled this on him.
Dunbar felt his face burn.
Especially because this was the very first morning of official training, with all the trainees present.
"What is going on?"
At that moment, Zephyr's deep voice came from not far away.
Everyone turned their heads. Zephyr was walking toward them with Ain, the short-haired blue haired female instructor, at his side.
Behind Zephyr, two marines were pushing a cart covered with a cloth.
As he approached, Zephyr noticed Aren already at the exit of the training grounds. A faint hint of confusion flickered across his face. "Dunbar, what happened?"
"Zephyr-sensei, it is like this..."
After saluting, Dunbar quickly explained everything that had just happened from start to finish.
"Hahahahaha. Starting work at nine, is it? Yesterday he did say we should continue the assessment after nine, so I prepared in advance. I did not expect him to actually follow through like this. Hahaha. Let him do as he likes."
Zephyr burst out laughing when he heard the whole story, then spoke with an easy smile, clearly not bothered in the slightest.
"Zephyr-sensei, but this is..."
Dunbar was unwilling to let it go just like that.
Before he could finish, Zephyr raised a hand. "You just said Aren came here a little after seven to do his own training. Morning training is for exactly that. Since he already trained, there is no need for him to repeat it. Besides, let him be for now. Do not forget, he is a special recruit."
Dunbar did not really understand what Zephyr meant by that last part, but he still frowned. Even if he was reluctant, what Zephyr said was true. His job was to ensure the trainees did their morning exercise, and Aren had already done far more than that. Moreover, it was obvious Zephyr did not intend to punish Aren at all. So Dunbar could only answer, a bit bitterly, "Alright."
Zephyr had been an instructor for decades and was very confident in his ability to read people. He had already seen straight through Dunbar's feelings.
He placed a hand on Dunbar's shoulder and said, "Last night, that kid refused my request in front of everyone. Then he refused Sakazuki's invitation, also in front of everyone."
Dunbar immediately recognized that Zephyr was trying to ease his frustration. He straightened up at once and no longer dared to show even a hint of dissatisfaction. "Yes, sir!"
The corner of Zephyr's mouth lifted. He turned his gaze to the more than two hundred marine trainees in front of him, then asked Dunbar, "What kind of training was Aren doing?"
"At least seven kilometers of running, three hundred pull-ups, and one hundred back and forth sets of hundred meter frog jumps," Dunbar replied loudly.
"Basic physical training, then," Zephyr murmured softly.
After saying that, he reached toward the cart beside him and yanked the white cloth away in one motion.
On the cart lay rows of sandbags that could be strapped to wrists and ankles.
"Starting today, every one of you will wear weights at all times except when you are sleeping."
None of the trainees hesitated. They responded in unison with a loud, "Yes, sir!"
"As for how heavy your weights will be... Devil Fruit users, stand on my left. Non ability users, stand on my right."
The moment Zephyr finished, everyone moved, splitting into two groups.
Although calling it two groups was a bit of an exaggeration.
On Zephyr's left, the Devil Fruit users numbered barely more than a dozen.
After all, Devil Fruits were extremely rare, not something you could just pick up at a fruit stall.
Zephyr swept his gaze over the Fruit users, then barked, "Jero, Troz, Carter Dawn, from today on, each of you will wear fifty kilograms of weights. The rest of you on this side will wear thirty five kilograms."
Then he turned to the non ability users. "The rest of you will all wear twenty five kilograms."
"Excuse me!"
As soon as Zephyr finished talking, someone immediately stepped forward from the non ability side.
"Ask."
Zephyr fixed his eyes on the trainee who had stepped out.
"Why do we have to wear so much less than they do? And why are those three wearing twice as much as us?"
"Because those three have Zoan Devil Fruits," Zephyr said, looking at all of them. "I do not need to explain to you what Devil Fruits are. Those who eat them gain special abilities. Logia, Paramecia, Zoan. Logia and most Paramecia especially make it very easy for people to become dependent on their powers.
"That is why you must become strong in your own bodies, so you will not rely on your Fruits.
"Among the people I know... no, among the people we all know, there is someone whose achievements are naturally unquestionable, yet he relies too heavily on his Fruit. That reliance will become his fatal weakness one day. I have warned him many times, but he completely ignores me.
"That is why, aside from those three, all other Devil Fruit users must wear thirty five kilograms of weight."
As he said this, Zephyr turned his gaze fully on Jero and the other two. "Zoan Devil Fruits are abilities that fuse completely with the user's own body. They enhance physical strength, speed, defense, everything. At the same time, they greatly increase the body's capacity for power. That is why I am requiring the three of you to wear fifty kilograms."
"I request fifty kilograms as well!"
The trainee who had spoken earlier immediately shouted.
"You can."
Zephyr nodded at him. "However, my condition is that everyone chooses their weight according to their own capabilities. After one week of observation, I will personally adjust your weights.
"There is something else you need to understand. You will wear these weights during all of your future training. During your training, I will be grading your performance based on everything I see. Those evaluations will be the basis for individual training programs I design for each of you.
"So it would be best not to let your pride push you into choosing a weight that is too heavy.
"And one more thing. For your next two assessments, you will also be required to wear these weights, and the scores from those two tests are crucial.
"Because... anyone whose final scores fall below the passing line I have set will be sent back."
Sent back.
Back to wherever they came from.
They would still be marines, but that one line on their record would be a lifelong stain of humiliation.
The moment they heard those last two words, every trainee's expression tightened. Whatever numbers they had been planning for their weights, they now began to calculate them again, more carefully.