One Piece: Marine to Warlord to Conqueror-Chapter 162

After arriving at the Marine 16th Branch, there was no more work for him. He could just leave everything to Nota and Viola! Viola might still be unfamiliar with things, but after all these years, Dante trusted Nota to handle everything properly.

Zephyr’s eyes brimmed with curiosity. He clearly had plenty of questions and was extremely curious about the 16th Branch.

But it was already late, not the time for chatting. Besides, Zephyr and the rest would be staying here for a while, so there was no rush. Dante was tired, too, after such a long voyage, how could he not be? Even though he hadn’t really exerted himself, basically lying around the whole time eating grapes picked by Viola, travel was still exhausting. Now that he was home, he needed a proper rest.

Unfortunately, Mock wasn’t here. Otherwise, having Mock take Zephyr’s group to Romance Dawn for a foot soak would have given them a great understanding of the place in just one night.

After reminding Zephyr to find Nota or Viola if he needed anything, Dante walked off with a heavy yawn.

"Is he really that tired? With his current physique, he should be fine without sleep for three days and nights!" Watching Dante’s lazy, retreating figure, Zephyr frowned as a thought occurred to him. ’Didn’t he do absolutely nothing the entire trip?’

A strong body but poor endurance, this wouldn’t do! Before he could say anything, however, Dante had already disappeared from sight. Zephyr could only shake his head helplessly. In any case, he wouldn’t be leaving here for a while, so there was no rush. He could devise a specialized training regimen for Dante in a few days.

He turned his head to look at Viola, who was staring intently at empty space. Dante had already left, so...

"What are you looking at?"

Viola blinked, withdrawing her gaze, and smiled at him. "Nothing at all. Is there something you need, Zephyr-sensei?"

"Zephyr-sensei... well, I suppose you can address me like he does." Zephyr frowned slightly but recovered quickly, letting out a casual sigh. "Then I’ll just call you Viola."

"It’s my honor, Zephyr-sensei."

A long silence stretched between them.

Dante’s secretary really was... exactly what one would expect from a princess of the so-called Kingdom of Love and Passion. He had seen it the whole way here, her enthusiasm for Dante was something else entirely.

Unlike that silly girl Ain, who, before even meeting him, kept talking about Dante, honing her swordsmanship, and muttering about how she’d definitely catch up to him. Even during calls, she’d eagerly sell herself out. Yet once they actually met... she had turned into a clumsy goose.

No doubt about it, it was all Dante’s fault.

Zephyr glanced around again before his gaze fell back on Viola. "Do you need rest too? Could you show me around first? To be honest, I’m quite curious about this base."

"No need to worry about rest, I probably won’t be sleeping early tonight!" Viola smiled and shook her head, then hesitated. "It’s just walking around..."

Remembering her Boss’s instructions, she smiled again. "Although it’s getting late, a little stroll should be fine."

"Hahaha, looks like he is hiding quite a few secrets!" Hearing Viola’s hesitation, Zephyr wasn’t angry. He simply nodded cheerfully. "Well, I’m just a bit curious anyway. A casual look around will do!"

’So he’s hiding that many secrets. Not surprising, I suppose.’

"Don’t get the wrong idea," Viola said smoothly. "It’s just getting late, and some places aren’t convenient to see at this hour. Since the Boss brought you here, I’m sure he already trusts you. He talks about you all the time."

"You sure do stand up for him."

"It’s my duty to share the Boss’s burdens. It is my honor." Viola’s smile remained fixed as she extended her slender hand. "This way, please, Zephyr. Up ahead is the Marine 16th Branch Training Academy. Let’s take a look."

Zephyr looked utterly startled. "There’s a Marine Academy here?"

"Yes! To maintain order in the East Blue, the Boss places great importance on Marine training, which is why he had this academy built."

"Hahaha, you’re quite the sweet talker!" Zephyr laughed, with a thoughtful look on his face. "That kid’s ambitions are bigger than I thought."

"Though it is getting late, there should be night training scheduled for today according to the curriculum. Care to take a look, Zephyr-sensei?"

"Night training too?" Zephyr exclaimed in surprise before nodding. "Let’s see it then! Let this retired Marine Chief Instructor see what makes the academy he built so different."

"The honor is ours."

"I’ll be in your care then. By the way, may I ask you something?"

"Please do."

"Are you a Devil Fruit user? Can you see far-away places?"

Viola stiffened, her eyes widening slightly.

"Don’t be nervous." Seeing her tense up, Zephyr waved his hand dismissively. After sailing together these past few days, how could he not have guessed? "I have that much discernment as the Marine Chief Instructor."

"As expected of the Boss’s teacher." Viola gave a wry smile. "My apologies, I didn’t mean to hide it."

"I know, don’t worry about it. It’s normal for Devil Fruit users to hide their abilities." Zephyr nodded, seemingly unconcerned. "I just wanted to ask something."

He glanced around curiously before dropping his voice. "What did he rush off so quickly for? Did he run into trouble? Or is he really going to rest?"

Viola looked completely baffled.

"Of course, if it’s a secret, you don’t have to tell me."

"Ah, it’s no secret." Viola wore a confused expression, clearly not expecting Zephyr to ask this. She looked up into the distance.

In the blink of an eye, she withdrew her gaze and turned back to Zephyr, nodding with a bright smile. "He really did go to rest."

"He actually went to rest?" Zephyr frowned, muttering , "Is he that tired? Looks like his stamina isn’t up to par. He’ll need proper training!"

’No! His stamina is fine! I’ve experienced it!’ 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Viola blinked, then nodded with a polite smile. "He really will need proper training."

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