[OPTAM] Chapter : 4 (Patreon)

"Are you optimistic about these two recruits?" the purple-haired man asked, looking at the two data sheets before him.

"Yes, Jack and Yamakaji. I don't know much about their personalities, but their physical fitness meets the requirements. You should take a closer look at Jack's information," the Commodore replied.

"Oh! A kid who catches your attention must have some exceptional abilities."

This purple-haired man was none other than Zephyr, one of the only two admirals, alongside Sengoku. Traditionally, the navy had three admirals, but the third position remained unfilled, reserved for a specific individual well-known among the high ranks.

"Jack, recommended by the G8 Fortress," Zephyr noted as he reviewed Jack’s data sheet, quickly identifying the branch to which Jack belonged.

As Zephyr delved into Jack's combat experience, he raised his eyebrows upon reading the last entry. This incident occurred a month ago and was not unfamiliar to Zephyr.

"So, he participated in that battle, was wounded while leading the vanguard, and got injured protecting his comrades," Zephyr mused aloud.

Two months prior, Zephyr's family had been killed by pirates. The navy relentlessly hunted down the perpetrators, eventually locating them near the G8 branch fortress. Acting swiftly, Admiral Sengoku ordered more than half the G8 branch's troops to engage the pirate group, which had fortified itself on top of a mountain stronghold.

To breach the enemy defenses, the G8 branch commander dispatched a vanguard squad led by Jack. After two days and nights of fierce fighting, the G8 branch eliminated the pirates, and Jack was injured and sent to headquarters for treatment. This mission had a personal connection to Zephyr, as the pirates were originally his target.

However, to prevent Zephyr from leaving the navy out of grief, Sengoku issued the elimination order without involving Zephyr.

"I see. Just a kid, but if he's qualified, we'll keep an eye on him. How's the training of the other recruits going?" Zephyr inquired.

"It's proceeding according to plan," the Commodore reported.

"In a month, select a hundred of them, no more. I'll train them personally," Zephyr stated firmly.

"Yes, sir!" the Commodore responded.

At five o’clock the next morning, Jack got up at four. After finishing his morning routine, he woke up Yamakaji, who was still sound asleep. Though initially reluctant, Yamakaji eventually dragged himself out of bed.

By four-thirty, both Jack and Yamakaji were in the square. The sky was still dark, with only a few stars visible in the blue night sky.

The dormitory was silent as they walked down, with no one else awake except the two of them.

“It’s too early,” Yamakaji mumbled sleepily to Jack, stifling a yawn.

“It’s not early. Look, the instructors are already waiting for us.” Jack pointed to a man dressed in black standing in the square. It was the same Commodore who had welcomed them the previous day.

Seeing Jack and Yamakaji approach, the instructor's expression remained unchanged. He simply glanced at the two of them as they stood in front of him.

Yamakaji, still adjusting, gradually regained his alertness. By five o'clock, the square began to fill with people from other batches who looked at the two recruits with amused expressions.

As time passed, the sun began to rise above the horizon, though it would not reach the valley until eight or nine o’clock. Jack and Yamakaji's clothes were slightly damp from the morning dew, and water droplets formed on their eyelashes.

After a while, other soldiers began arriving hastily. Meanwhile, the other squads of recruits had already left the base for training.

“Reporting for duty!” a late-arriving soldier shouted, standing at attention.

The instructor ignored them, letting them stand there. As time passed, even the soldiers who had gone out for training returned for breakfast. The remaining recruits, numbering only seventy or eighty, trickled in gradually.

By the time those soldiers left the base again, it was past eight o’clock, and the sun had just reached the valley. Finally, a large group of soldiers arrived, looking disheveled and standing awkwardly in front of the instructor.

“Now, roll call.”

The instructor checked the attendance list, his expression stern.

“Jack!”

“Present!”

“Yamakaji!”

“Present!”

After the roll call, the instructor placed his hands behind his back and addressed the group with a cold expression: “Today is the first day. You should all have read the recruit training manual. Now, you are officially soldiers in this training camp, but your performance is unacceptable. Jack, Yamakaji.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Yes, sir!”

Jack and Yamakaji responded loudly.

“You two, follow me to the cafeteria for breakfast. The rest of you will continue to stand here and are not allowed to eat today.” The instructor turned and walked away, with Jack and Yamakaji following him.

“What’s the meaning of this?” A loud voice suddenly shouted from behind.

The instructor stopped and turned, his eyes sharp and piercing. Even though the glare was not directed at him, Jack felt a strong sense of intimidation.

“Who said that?” the instructor demanded coldly.

The recruits, stunned by the instructor’s gaze, lowered their heads and remained silent.

“I’ll ask again, who said that?” The instructor repeated, his voice heavy with anger.

Perhaps sensing the instructor’s anger, the person who had spoken up earlier became even more reluctant to come forward, knowing it wouldn't end well.

“Fine, if you’re brave enough to speak, be brave enough to own it. Since no one’s confessing, you’ll all stand here for the entire day and night without returning to the dormitory,” the instructor sneered.

“No, it wasn’t us who said it!” A recruit protested.

Encouraged, others joined in.

“Yes, it wasn’t us. Why are we being punished?”

“Whoever said it, stand up and own it!”

“It has nothing to do with us!”

Facing the prospect of being punished with no food or sleep, the recruits, who were not yet well-trained elites, started to panic. They had just joined the army and were not accustomed to such harsh treatment.

“It was him! I heard it,” a recruit shouted, pointing at someone.

“That’s right, it was him,” another confirmed.

Jack looked over and saw a young man with a sweaty face, now standing alone as others distanced themselves. It was the same young man Jack had beaten at the pier.

“No, it wasn’t me!” the young man protested.

“It was definitely you,” insisted others around him.

“Very well. Come here,” the instructor commanded.

Two assistant instructors approached and flanked the young man.

“Take him away,” the instructor ordered.

The two soldiers grabbed the young man, lifting him effortlessly.

“No, it wasn’t me! You traitors! My grandfather is Vice Admiral Meida. You can’t do this to me!” The young man shouted.

“If the Vice Admiral has any complaints, he can take them up with Admiral Zephyr,” the instructor replied, his face darkening.

Hearing the name Admiral Zephyr, the young man fell silent. His grandfather was a vice admiral, but the chief instructor of the training camp was an admiral, and even a vice admiral had to show deference to an admiral, especially one of Zephyr's stature.

With that, the farce ended. The remaining recruits were left standing as punishment, while Jack and Yamakaji followed the instructor to the cafeteria, envied by the others.

The cafeteria meals, though not gourmet, were nutritious. The two ate quickly, taking a short break after standing all morning, their feet slightly numb.

After half an hour of eating and resting, the instructor led Jack and Yamakaji back to the square, where the other recruits were still standing. Ignoring them, he led the two out of the training camp.

“You two won’t need to train with them anymore. I’ll take you to another training camp,” the instructor announced.

“Huh?” Yamakaji was surprised.

“You’ll understand soon enough,” the instructor replied, offering no further explanation as he led them deeper into the jungle. After a while, they arrived at a different barracks, which was more of an open space with a few tents than a traditional barracks.

The colonel led Jack and Yamakaji to a tent. The soldiers at the entrance blocked their way, but after the commodore showed them something, they were allowed in.

Inside the tent was a man with purple hair wearing a navy coat. Jack's eyes widened upon seeing him.

“Only two?” Zephyr asked.

“Yes,” the instructor nodded.

“That's fine. I’m looking to cultivate elites, and two are enough,” Zephyr replied.

“This is Admiral Zephyr. He will be your instructor from now on. Congratulations to both of you on joining the elite camp. Your training will now be overseen by the Admiral himself,” the instructor announced.

“What about the others?” Yamakaji asked, still in shock.

“The others will remain in the regular training camp. They are just ordinary recruits now, but you two belong to this elite training camp,” the instructor explained.

“Dismissed.” Zephyr waved the instructor off.

The instructor left, leaving Zephyr with Jack and Yamakaji.

“Jack, Yamakaji, those are your names, correct? Since you passed the examination, you will be my students. However, you arrived a month later than the first batch. I wonder if you can keep up with their training,” Zephyr chuckled.

“Yes sir!” Jack and Yamakaji responded in unison.

“You have a lot of confidence. I hope you can maintain it. Take them to the training ground,” Zephyr called out to a soldier at the door.

A guard walked in and led Jack and Yamakaji out of the tent.

As they walked, Yamakaji whispered to Jack, “I can’t believe we’re in Admiral Zephyr’s training camp. The others who came with us must be kicking themselves for missing this opportunity.”

“Maybe that’s why they were so upset yesterday.” Jack nodded.

“They’re probably regretting it now.” Yamakaji smirked, his already narrow eyes squinting further.

They arrived at an open training area where dozens of soldiers were already training. The soldiers glanced at them briefly before resuming their exercises.

Jack recognized several faces: Sakazuki, Borusalino, Comil, Jonathan, Doberman, and Onigumo, among them.

“Only two this time? It really is the last batch,” commented an instructor in a black suit.

“Yes, just the two,” the soldier saluted.

“Dismissed,” the instructor said curtly.

The soldier left, and the instructor turned his attention to Jack and Yamakaji. “You two are new here. The others have been training for almost a month. To help you catch up, your training will be more rigorous. Don’t think it’s just running. Go over there, and each wear a set of weighted clothing. You’re not allowed to take it off for a week.”

Jack and Yamakaji looked where the instructor pointed and saw piles of heavy black clothes. Without hesitation, they removed their uniforms, selected appropriate sets of the weighted clothing, and suited up.