The Greatest Disgrace in Marine History-Chapter 129 - 31: The Hot-Blooded Youth, Kuzan

Zephyr, disheartened by the loss of his wife and child, had stepped down from active duty, dedicating himself fully to educating the next generation of Marines.

Sakazuki, Dragon, and Borsalino were all in their twenties or early thirties, still rapidly growing in strength but not yet among the true top combatants of the seas.

Meanwhile, the future "pillars" of Marine Headquarters — elite Vice Admirals like Yamakaji — were either still training, struggling at the lower ranks, or hadn't even joined the Marines yet.

It could be said that this period was one of the most severe gaps in Marine combat strength. Other than Garp and Tsuru, the five current Vice Admirals at Headquarters had mostly risen through accumulated merits and seniority — few had the true strength to stand on their own.

As the Marine Instructor-in-Chief, Zephyr had clearly realized these underlying issues within Headquarters. Thus, he proposed the creation of the Marine Academy and an expansion of recruitment.

And Darren, who knew the plot all too well, understood that Zephyr's decision was nothing short of spot-on.

It was precisely because of this decision that Zephyr went on to cultivate the most brilliant "Golden Generation" in Marine history, ushering in a glorious era for the Marines and cementing their dominance over the seas.

Of course, ironically, it would also be this very Golden Generation that would one day dig Zephyr's grave.

There was no denying — life was often full of cruel ironies.

"Arara, I've been waiting a long time... and finally, the moment's arrived," a lazy voice suddenly drifted from behind the monument.

Tokikake's expression shifted slightly. His gaze sharpened as he stared at the tall figure slowly stepping out from behind the stone.

This close... and he hadn't noticed someone hiding there at all!?

"Who are you?" he blurted out instinctively, glancing toward Darren — only to find that Darren's eyes remained calm and unchanged, clearly having spotted this newcomer long beforehand.

The young man had messy black curls, wore a loosely fitted white shirt, and carried a lazy, almost drowsy air about him.

"Excuse me, sir," the young man asked casually, "are you Rogers Darren from the North Blue? The one who fought alongside Vice Admiral Garp and crossed swords with the legendary pirate, Gol D. Roger — the so-called 'King of the North Blue'?"

His eyes barely lingered on the wary Tokikake before locking onto Darren with undisguised excitement.

Darren gave a faint smile and replied:

"That's what they say, and yes, my name is Rogers Darren."

The instant the words left his mouth, the young man's languidness evaporated. Excitement and admiration lit up his face in an instant.

"Hahaha! I knew it was you!"

"The one who slew the pirate Byrnndi World, who clashed head-on with Gol D. Roger... Darren, you're amazing!"

He strode forward enthusiastically, eyes ablaze with admiration — like a fan meeting his idol.

"Ah, right, I almost forgot to introduce myself!" he said hurriedly. "My name's Kuzan, from the South Blue. I'm about to join the third class of the Elite Officer Training Camp. My short-term goal is to graduate as the top recruit! And as for my long-term dream—"

He clenched his fist, swinging it boldly through the air with pride.

"My dream is to become a Marine Admiral — a hero like Vice Admiral Garp!"

His words rang out loud and clear, brimming with youthful confidence.

The air suddenly grew very quiet.

Caw, caw, caw...

A few crows flapped by overhead.

Tokikake's mouth twitched violently.

This guy... is he some kind of idiot!?

He couldn't help but roast him internally.

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Even Darren, watching this bundle of raw energy in front of him, found himself massaging his temples, dark lines appearing faintly above his head.

Of course, he recognized this "uninvited guest" at a glance.

The future Admiral — the man who would one day embody "Lazy Justice" — Kuzan.

Although Darren had known from the start that Kuzan at this stage still followed "Burning Justice," and that they would be classmates in the training camp, he hadn't expected that meeting him in person would reveal just how fervent Kuzan truly was at this point in time.

"Nice to meet you, Kuzan," Darren said blandly.

"Yeah! Nice to meet you too! I'm Tokikake, by the way — a bit of a genius around Headquarters," Tokikake quickly introduced himself, recognizing Kuzan now. As a future peer, he took the initiative, stepping forward and extending a hand.

"You must've heard of me, right? I'm also someone who fought Byrnndi World and Gol D. Roger and lived to tell the tale— Uh?"

His smile froze mid-sentence.

Kuzan, completely ignoring Tokikake, walked right past him and threw an arm enthusiastically around Darren's neck, grinning with bright-eyed excitement.

"So, Darren, is it true? I heard you made Roger eat a huge loss?"

Darren's eye twitched slightly. He wasn't used to being treated so warmly.

He calmly slipped out from Kuzan's enthusiastic grip and answered nonchalantly:

"Something like that."

Meanwhile, Tokikake awkwardly retracted his still-outstretched hand, muttering sourly under his breath:

"...All he did was yank Roger's pants down, that's all."

But to his amazement, Kuzan's eyes immediately lit up like stars upon hearing this.

"Really!? You actually pulled down Roger's pants!? That's..."

"That's awesome!!"

Tokikake: ...

Darren: ...

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To be continued...