The Marine Academy was located in the northwest corner of Marineford.
It was a massive institution covering a considerable area, dedicated to cultivating military talent.
It boasted highly comprehensive facilities and numerous Marine instructors led by Zephyr.
Although the number of cadets in each graduating class never exceeded three hundred.
But every single cadet was a young elite, meticulously handpicked from Marine bases all over the world.
It was currently ten past seven in the morning.
After Elliot finished washing up and cleaning up the fragments of his alarm clock…
Due to his long-standing habit of working out, he headed straight to the training grounds.
At this moment, there wasn’t a single person on the training grounds.
However, when Elliot left the dormitory building, he had heard that many cadets were already awake.
Elliot’s workout was very simple: a light twenty-kilometer run, three hundred pull-ups, and three hundred back-and-forth frog leaps.
Before Elliot suddenly became strong, he had persisted with this routine every morning, noon, and night.
It eventually became a habit, to the point where he felt quite uncomfortable if he skipped it for a day.
Around the ten-kilometer mark of his run, Elliot noticed some instructors standing at the edge of the training grounds.
Furthermore, all of those instructors were watching him.
Some had even taken out clipboard-like objects and started taking notes.
By the time he finished his three hundred pull-ups on the horizontal bar, the cadets had begun to gather on the training grounds.
However, upon seeing Elliot already dripping with sweat, the cadets exchanged glances and immediately started their own workouts.
And when he was doing his three hundred back-and-forth hundred-meter frog leaps, many people just stared at him, their eyes full of astonishment.
Zephyr had also arrived at the training grounds.
As he watched Elliot, the fiery passion and approval in his eyes were completely undisguised.
Just as Elliot let out a long sigh of relief and checked the time, seeing it was only seven-forty…
“Everyone!
Assemble!”
Zephyr seemed to have timed it exactly for when Elliot finished his workout, immediately letting out a low roar.
Instantly!
All the cadets sprinted toward Zephyr’s location and fell into formation.
Elliot looked puzzled.
He glanced down at his pocket watch, which displayed seven-forty, and then looked at Zephyr with a bizarre expression.
But by this time, the cadets had already rapidly finished assembling.
Only Elliot was still walking over with that bizarre expression on his face.
However, whether it was Zephyr, Ain standing behind him, or the other instructors, they all merely glanced at Elliot without any intention of rushing him.
Standing on the platform, Zephyr looked down at the cadets.
“Have you all forgotten about failing the evaluation yesterday?!”
Hearing this, the cadets immediately responded in unison, “We haven’t forgotten!”
“Then why is every single one of you slacking off today?!” Zephyr’s expression was grave.
The cadets all revealed stunned expressions.
They didn’t understand when they had slacked off.
Besides, wasn’t this just like any other normal day?
Hearing this, Elliot raised a hand to push up his glasses, looking at Zephyr with a serious expression.
*Does he mean they didn’t arrive early this morning?*
Zephyr directly held up the clipboards that the instructors had been taking notes on earlier, facing all the cadets.
“At seven-twenty this morning, Instructor Roddy was already at the training grounds, but Elliot was the only one here doing independent training!”
“No one achieves success by being lazy, and no one obtains strength casually!”
“As a result, Elliot, who is stronger than you, put in far more effort than you did!
Furthermore, the contents of your independent training are recorded right here!
It’s completely unwatchable, not even amounting to half of what Elliot did!”
“You were personally defeated by him yesterday—all of you together, defeated by him alone!
Do you not feel the slightest bit of frustration?
Yesterday, you willingly accepted your punishment.
I saw your resolve to become stronger, your determination to work hard.
But is this your resolve?!”
At this point, Zephyr paused and looked toward where Elliot was standing.
Elliot naturally heard everything loud and clear, but he just stared back at Zephyr.
Although his expression was as indifferent as ever, he pushed up his glasses.
*Mr.
Zephyr, what are you talking about?
I was just doing my normal physical workout.
What do you mean ‘training’?!*
Zephyr turned back to the crowd and continued, “Elliot’s strength has already reached such a level, yet he still holds onto his original intention of becoming stronger.
I specifically waited for him to finish today before assembling all of you, just to see what you would do while he was training.
In the end, many of you just watched him!
Completely indifferent to his presence!”
Reaching this point in his reprimand, Zephyr clenched his fists and asked in a low voice, “Could it be…
that you’ve been so frightened by your classmate Elliot that you’re going to give up on yourselves?”
During Zephyr’s scolding, the cadets had already lowered their heads.
As elites, they had their own pride.
They had naturally heard Zephyr’s reprimand loud and clear, and each of them lowered their heads in shame.
Especially those cadets who had sworn yesterday to work hard and chase after the special recruit’s footsteps.
Right now, they clenched their fists, hating themselves for getting so mesmerized by watching Elliot train that they forgot he was working so hard, and that they should be working even harder!
Subconsciously…
Everyone turned to look at Elliot.
Elliot tilted his head, his face devoid of any readable expression, but…
“Huh?”
“We’re not frightened!”
At this moment, the tall female cadet who could turn her longsword into a whip stepped forward.
And following her lead…
One cadet after another stepped forward.
One of them even looked at Elliot.
“We are willing to accept any punishment, Instructor Zephyr!
And we will snatch away Elliot’s status as a special recruit!”
The next instant!
In perfect unison!
All the cadets saluted uniformly and repeated that sentence!
Hearing this, the corners of Zephyr’s mouth curled up slightly.
“Excellent!
Then next!
Everyone, swim ten laps around Marineford!”
With that said, he looked at Elliot.
“Elliot!
Fall in!”
Hearing his name called, Elliot’s expression blanked.
He held up the pocket watch in his hand and looked at Zephyr.
“But it’s only seven forty-five right now.”
Zephyr heard this and didn’t understand what he meant, but still said, “I know!”
Elliot spoke up, “It’s not eight o’clock yet, Mr.
Zephyr.
I’ve read the cadet handbook, and it says training starts punctually at eight o’clock every day.
If you want me to clock in early this morning, allow me to refuse.
Besides…”
At this point, Elliot’s expression turned serious.
“I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, so I’m going to go eat breakfast first.
I will be here punctually at eight o’clock.”
After saying this, Elliot saluted Zephyr, then turned and walked away from the training grounds.
He had already decided last night!
Absolutely no overtime!
Whether it was Zephyr or anyone else, as they watched Elliot’s retreating back…
“Huh?”