After finishing his report and leave application with Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Krieg headed straight for the training grounds.
There, several children—including Pearl and Drake—were engaged in intense sparring matches.
Watching them with a piercing, disciplined gaze was Zephyr, the Chief Instructor soon to depart for the newly established Naval Academy on Asuka Island.
「How's it looking, Old Man Zephyr? Pearl and the others are really—」
「I told you to stop calling me 'Old Man',」 Zephyr interrupted, delivering a swift, disciplinary fist to the top of Krieg's head.
「Ouch... I mean, at this point, calling you 'Zephyr-san' or 'Lord Zephyr' just feels weird,」 Krieg grumbled, rubbing his scalp.
「Hmph. Frankly, hearing you say that would just be creepy,」 Zephyr replied bluntly.
Krieg looked slightly offended but quickly turned his attention back to the trainees. 「Fair enough... So, how are they doing?」
「Well, every brat you pick up seems to have the right stuff. Particularly Pearl—with that Devil Fruit of his, his aptitude for close-quarters combat is remarkably high. Though he has a tendency to rely far too much on his own hardness.」
Krieg followed Zephyr's gaze. There stood Pearl, his physique much broader and sturdier than it had been back in Logue Town.
He was facing off against a young girl with vermillion hair wielding a slender rapier. Pearl swung a massive fist, but the girl parried the blow with her left hand, letting the momentum slide past her.
Knowing she couldn't deal blunt damage to his armored body, she immediately brought her blade down toward the back of his neck.
「Still hard as ever. Fruit users really are something else,」 the girl muttered.
「Keep in mind that's only 'steel-level' hardness,」 Zephyr called out. 「Against a top-tier opponent, you might as well be made of paper.」
「You don't have to use those freaks as the standard for everything...」 Krieg whispered.
「To you, when you're serious, there isn't much difference between steel and paper either, is there?」 Zephyr countered with a smirk.
The girl's rapier bounced off Pearl with a dull metallic clink. She didn't miss a beat, delivering a sharp kick to his side to reset her distance. She shifted her stance into a piercing thrust and lunged forward, but at the last millisecond, she leaped, spinning behind Pearl's guard.
「Pearl's improved, but his opponent is quite something too,」 Krieg noted.
「Hm? She's one you brought in yourself, isn't she?」
Indeed, these were "Krieg's Kids"—or as some in the barracks called them, the "Blunt Bear's Cubs." They were orphans Krieg had encountered during missions, children abandoned or protected in places like Sabaody who had nowhere else to go.
While most were placed in orphanages sponsored by Krieg's own salary, this specific group had practically begged to be allowed into the Navy to become strong.
「I know they have the drive, but... seeing kids heading toward the battlefield always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.」
「Then respect their resolve,」 Zephyr said firmly. 「We aren't forcing them onto the front lines. Don't carry the weight of the whole world on your shoulders.」
The sparring session concluded, and as Pearl and the vermillion-haired girl noticed Krieg, they came running over.
「If it ain't Old Man Krieg! How's Big Bro Gin doing?」 Pearl shouted with his usual boisterous energy.
「Hey! Have some respect, he's a Rear Admiral!」 the girl scolded him before turning to Krieg with a polite bow. 「Rear Admiral Krieg, it's been a long time. Thank you again for everything back then!」
「Hey Pearl, you look like you've been eating your vegetables. Gin's away on another assignment, but he's doing fine. And you...」 Krieg squinted, trying to place the face.
「Ah, I forgot to reintroduce myself! I'm Isuka! Thank you for saving me during that fire!」
The mention of the fire triggered a memory of an incident from years ago. Krieg's expression softened into one of deep solemnity.
「...I see. You're the girl from that village. As a member of the same Navy that produced the man who started that fire... please, allow me to apologize.」
Krieg dropped to one knee, bowing his head deeply. He reached out and gently took her hand—the one still marred by the faint, painful scars of the burns—and held it with sincere remorse. Isuka panicked, her face flushing.
「Please, don't! Don't apologize, Rear Admiral! You're the one who saved me! I know the details now—that was just one corrupt individual, right? You didn't do anything wrong!」
「Even so, let me say it. To be so young and have to carry these scars...」
「Steady, Krieg,」 Zephyr interrupted, placing a heavy hand on Krieg's shoulder. 「Any more and you'll just make her feel awkward.」
Krieg closed his eyes tight for a moment, then stood back up.
「...You're right. My apologies, Isuka. I have high expectations for all of you. Keep training hard.」
Krieg gave Pearl and Isuka a firm, encouraging pat on their shoulders. After exchanging a few more words with Zephyr, he turned and walked away from the training grounds, his mind already shifting toward his next destination.
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