Chapter 72: Three Logias
Here's your chapter with grammar fixes, improved clarity, and more natural dialogue while keeping the tone and flow intact:
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### Chapter 72: Three Logias
Momonga saluted Carl and the others. Carl waved him off with a casual gesture.
"Momonga, didn't I tell you? We were classmates back in school. No need for all the formalities."
Still holding his salute, Momonga replied, "I'll be graduating in a little over a year, so I'm just getting used to it in advance."
As graduation approached, many students began to realize the importance of connections. For most average cadets—whose strength was nearly identical—securing better assignments after graduation depended on who they knew and what resources they could access.
No matter the world, people always aimed to climb higher. While "justice" was important, it didn't put food on the table. Carl and his group had become valuable connections, and those who managed to stay close—like Momonga—were envied by others. Anyone with a bit of sense knew maintaining that relationship was a smart move.
Carl patted Momonga on the shoulder.
"Momonga, to be honest, I have high hopes for you. You'll be a Vice Admiral one day."
Momonga froze for a moment before his face lit up with excitement.
"Huh? Carl… are you serious?"
"Of course."
With that, Carl waved him off and walked past, heading out of the training grounds. Akainu and Borsalino followed.
Momonga stood there in stunned silence for a few seconds before breaking into a grin. His classmates noticed.
"Momonga, you look pretty happy. Something good happen?"
Unable to hold back, he coughed twice before announcing, "It's nothing… just that Carl said I could become a Vice Admiral in the future!"
"Nani!?"
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### **Marine Headquarters – Recruitment Office**
Today was recruitment day for the new class, and a few exceptional newcomers had caught everyone's attention—so much so that Zephyr had come in person.
Three young men stood before him, each with distinct characteristics.
They were surprisingly all the same height, around two meters tall, and dressed in standard Marine cadet uniforms—blue-and-white shirts and straight black trousers.
The one on the left had dark green, curly hair, thick eyebrows, and full lips. His expression carried a hint of arrogance, and he was more muscular than the others.
The man in the center had shoulder-length black hair, no eyebrows, and a fierce look in his eyes.
The man on the right appeared slightly younger. Tall and lean, he stood straight, wearing a blue hooded hat with two black curls sticking out from underneath.
Zephyr crossed his arms and glanced at the files in front of him. From left to right, they read:
- **Aramaki, 21 years old, Woods-Woods Fruit user, North Blue.**
- **Monkey D. Dragon, 24 years old, Logia Wind-Wind Fruit user, East Blue.**
- **Kuzan, 18 years old, Logia Ice-Ice Fruit user, South Blue.**
The interviewers behind Zephyr were already numb from shock.
No one had expected that, as soon as the recruitment for the second Marine School began, *three* Logia users would appear at once. With the three Logias from the previous session, the Marines now had *six* Logia users in total!
Zephyr's eyes briefly rested on Dragon.
*"Monkey D. Dragon… isn't that Garp's son?"*
Garp often mentioned Dragon in conversations with his old friends, always complaining that his son was too rebellious. He had tried countless times to get Dragon to join the Marines, only to be rejected.
So why had he suddenly appeared here now? And as a Logia user, no less?
Zephyr narrowed his eyes.
"Dragon, does Garp know you're here?"
Dragon shook his head. His tone was calm.
"My father doesn't know. I snuck aboard a warship to get here. Joining the Marines was my decision."
Unlike the carefree Garp, Dragon carried a quiet, serious presence. Zephyr gestured for someone to go inform Garp.
Meanwhile, Aramaki grew impatient.
"Mr. Zephyr, I came to see Senior Carl. When's he getting here?"
Kuzan chimed in, "Yeah, Mr. Zephyr, I want to meet Senior Carl too. Can we see him?"
Then, Kuzan turned to Dragon and extended his hand with a friendly grin.
"Ah la la~ I didn't expect you to be Vice Admiral Garp's son. I admire him a lot."
Dragon hesitated briefly before shaking Kuzan's hand, responding quietly, "Dad was truly a great Marine."
Aramaki, however, was uninterested in the conversation. He absentmindedly picked his nose, showing zero enthusiasm for socializing.
Zephyr silently observed their interactions, already getting a sense of their personalities.
Just then, Carl and his group arrived.
Carl glanced at Dragon, Kuzan, and Aramaki with mild surprise, immediately recognizing them. Though his expression remained neutral, his thoughts raced.
*"What are these three doing at Marine Headquarters now?"*
Dragon was an unknown variable, but Kuzan was supposed to be a third-term student, and Aramaki wasn't even supposed to be around yet.
Aramaki and Kuzan lit up when they spotted Carl.
"Senior Carl!" Kuzan called, waving enthusiastically.
At this stage in his life, Kuzan had not yet developed his future lazy attitude. Before the Ohara incident, he was still a passionate young man.
Carl smiled and waved back before turning to Zephyr.
"Teacher Zephyr, why did you call us here?"
Zephyr handed Carl the profiles. Carl quickly skimmed them, feigned surprise, then passed them to Akainu and Borsalino.
The two were visibly stunned upon seeing that all three recruits were Logia users.
Akainu took particular note that Aramaki, Borsalino, and himself were all from North Blue. Meanwhile, Kuzan—like Carl—was from South Blue.
For Kuzan, learning that Carl, the Marine who had inspired him, was a fellow countryman had been a deciding factor in joining the Marines. Reading about Carl and the others in the newspaper had ignited a fire within him, but realizing that the standout among them was from the same place sealed the deal.
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+65 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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