Chapter 29: Transformation

The next day, after enjoying a refreshing drink with Sengoku and the others the night before, Zephyr woke up early and headed to the training ground for his usual inspection.

The Marine School's training ground was massive. He habitually looked toward the most populated area, but today, he saw only a few scattered students—most of them female.

Zephyr's face darkened.

"Yesterday's training must have ended too early," he thought. "Those boys probably took the chance to slack off, and now they're still sleeping in their dorms."

His expression hardened. *This can't happen again. They're still young—how can they afford to be lazy? Sleeping in at this time of day? Unacceptable.*

Just as he was about to gather everyone for an intense training session, a burst of shouting caught his attention.

**"Ninety-nine, one hundred! Sakazuki, you're amazing!"**

**"Carl's getting faster and faster! Keep going!"**

**"Borsalino, what are you doing?! Oh my god, is he asleep?!"**

Zephyr blinked in surprise and turned toward the noise. In Sakazuki's *exclusive training corner*, a large crowd had gathered. He quickly scanned the area and, adding in the girls at the center of the training ground, realized that all the students had already arrived.

*Huh? They're not slacking off?*

His curiosity piqued, Zephyr held his breath and quietly approached.

Momonga, completely unaware of Zephyr's presence, was standing on his toes, his face flushed with excitement as he cheered for Carl.

In the middle of the gathered students, Carl, Borsalino, and Akainu were lying shirtless on the ground, each gripping a large barbell, doing presses.

Ginny stood beside them with a stopwatch, supposedly timing the session—but her gaze was glued to Carl. Zephyr doubted she'd even remember to stop the timer at the right moment.

The sight instantly dissipated his previous anger.

Instead of lazy students, he saw fierce competition and camaraderie. The students weren't just training; they were bonding.

Still, when his eyes landed on Borsalino, his instinctive reaction kicked in.

**"Borsalino! Slacking off again?! What, is there glue on that barbell? Stuck to your belly, is it?!"**

The lounging Borsalino twitched at Zephyr's voice. He hurriedly lifted the barbell, managing two solid presses before his energy immediately plummeted again.

Zephyr's sudden outburst made the students finally realize his presence. They turned, startled, before quickly straightening up.

**"Ahem."**

Zephyr cleared his throat, silently cursing Borsalino for ruining his fun. He had wanted to watch a little longer!

Now that he'd been *exposed*, Zephyr had no choice but to follow through. Instead of his usual stern demeanor, he gave a rare grin.

**"Well? Don't stop now. It's still early. Haven't we decided the winner yet?"**

Then, he upped the stakes.

**"Whoever wins this month, I'll double his subsidy!"**

This reward wasn't particularly enticing to Carl and Sakazuki—one wasn't short on money, and the other only cared about winning.

But Borsalino?

His previously lazy eyes instantly lit up with greed. He suddenly found the strength to push.

Unfortunately, he had slacked off for too long. Just as he got serious, Ginny clicked the stopwatch.

**"Time's up! Brother Carl is amazing! It's a tie between you and Sakazuki!"**

Borsalino, who had put in a last-minute effort, flopped onto the ground like a wilted plant.

**"Mr. Zephyr… you could've warned me earlier! What a waste of effort!"** he groaned.

Zephyr shot him a look that said, *You had your chance—don't blame me for your laziness.*

Carl, Sakazuki, and Borsalino got to their feet. Ginny immediately wrapped a coat around Carl, drawing envious stares from the male students.

Akainu picked up his own coat from the ground and buttoned it up, covering his chiseled physique.

Many female students secretly admired him—his rugged, tough-guy appeal was undeniable—but his intimidating aura kept them from approaching.

Not that Akainu cared.

As he adjusted his Marine coat, he turned to Carl.

**"Carl, you're strong. Much stronger than that lazy fool Borsalino."**

Carl twitched. *Why does Sakazuki always sound like he's picking a fight?*

Still, he had to admit—he respected Akainu's sheer determination.

Carl's talent was undeniable—being a member of the Figarland family and having undergone body modifications gave him a natural advantage. Akainu, on the other hand, had climbed to his level purely through sheer effort.

Their tie was no accident.

Borsalino, still sitting cross-legged on the ground, sighed deeply, clearly still regretting missing out on the double subsidy.

Akainu, noticing his sulking, *tried* to comfort him.

**"Borsalino, even if you had gone all out from the start, it would've been impossible to beat me and Carl. Don't dwell on it."**

Borsalino stared at him, speechless.

**"Sakazuki… are you *comforting* me or rubbing salt in the wound?"**

**"Of course, I'm comforting you."**

**"..."**

Hearing their exchange, Ginny suddenly burst into laughter, clutching Carl's hand.

**"Brother Carl, they're hilarious!"**

The other students, once wary of Akainu and Borsalino, began to relax. For the first time, they saw them as more than just "monsters"—they actually had a *fun* side.

Yesterday, after the group disbanded, Carl had invited everyone out for a feast. Over food and drinks, they quickly loosened up. Even the students who had been beaten down by Akainu and Borsalino mustered the courage to apologize in person.

But the most *exciting* one was Ginny.

Her appetite was legendary.

Her alcohol tolerance? Not so much.

After just a few drinks, she was *completely* wasted.

She had clung to Carl the entire night, spouting embarrassing things she *desperately* wished she could take back.

She had even made Kuma promise that, if she ever got drunk again, he *must* use his power to pop the alcohol out of her system—otherwise, she'd never be able to face anyone again.

Even now, seeing Carl at the training ground, she felt her cheeks heat up. Fortunately, he hadn't mentioned *anything* about last night.

But somehow, that left her feeling… disappointed.

*Did I really say all that for nothing?*

Ginny peeked up at Carl's side profile, her gaze slowly turning dreamy.

It wasn't until Zephyr called for assembly that she snapped back to reality.

Reluctantly, she let go of Carl's hand and ran off to join the new friends she had made.