Chapter 9

"Who are you?"

Noshia felt a rare flush of embarrassment and anger. With a swift motion, she pointed the bamboo sword fiercely at the wall, "Squatting up there early in the morning and suddenly speaking out, that's really scary, you know!"

"Oh, sorry."

The guy scratched his messy hair, "I accidentally overslept, just woke up and didn't think much, my bad."

"Your attitude is somewhat sincere, so I'll let it go this time."

Noshia put away the bamboo sword and stared suspiciously at the guy, "Just woke up? Did you sleep on this wall all night?"

"Hmm, not all night, really."

The man yawned again and mumbled, "I got back to headquarters around three in the morning, too tired to find my way home, so I just found a place to rest."

What a strange person.

"Since it's morning now, please go home quickly."

Noshia was speechless for a moment, then pointed in the direction of the training ground's exit, "I don't like having strangers watching me when I practice swordsmanship."

"Understood."

As the guy flipped over the wall, he stretched and asked, "I'll be off, oh, by the way, where is Teacher Zephyr usually at this time?"

"He should have just woken up, probably in the cafeteria. Hey, you're also one of Teacher Zephyr's..."

Noshia watched the guy emerge from the fog, her words suddenly cut off, her expression slightly stunned.

"Mr. Kuzan?"

The man who emerged from the fog was wearing a black coat and a purple headband with a Marine balance symbol, his messy black curly hair made his face look familiar.

—It was none other than the future Marine Admiral, Kuzan.

Of course, he didn't have the title "Kuzan" yet. At 28 years old, Kuzan was still young and currently served as a Vice Admiral.

"Oh, you recognized me?"

Kuzan looked at Noshia with some surprise, scratching his head, "Even a new recruit can recognize me at first glance, looks like I've made a bit of a name for myself over the years."

His expression remained easygoing, but now that he knew who she was, Noshia's attitude couldn't remain as casual as before.

"You're too modest, Mr. Kuzan."

Noshia stood straight and gave Kuzan a standard military salute, then said solemnly, "Teacher Zephyr is very proud of you, he often uses you as an example to educate and inspire us."

"Proud...?"

Kuzan repeated the word, and for some reason, scenes that he had long buried in his memory resurfaced, like a slideshow in his mind.

The refugee ship exploding in the artillery fire, Sakazaki's cold side profile, the cries and wails of civilians, the desperate gaze of the black-haired girl...

And the laughter of his deceased friend, "Fufufufu," still echoed in his mind.

"Not really an example."

His mood suddenly sank, and he lost interest in the conversation. He turned to look at Noshia, who looked confused, sighed, and waved, "Thanks for the directions, we'll talk next time."

With that, Kuzan left the training ground on his own, his figure disappearing into the fog, gradually fading from Noshia's sight.

Judging by the direction, he was clearly heading straight to the cafeteria to find Zephyr.

"What's up with this guy..."

Noshia watched Kuzan's retreating figure, feeling a bit lost. This wasn't like him. She was surprised to meet such a distinguished senior, and had planned to chat a bit more.

Not understanding, she didn't bother to think too much about it, shook her head, picked up the bamboo sword, and focused on her sword practice.

First, she followed her usual routine, practicing the standard "suburi" at a frequency of once every two seconds, continuously for half an hour.

After a brief rest to ease her sore wrists, she picked up another bamboo sword and practiced the dual-sword style.

"Dual-sword style."

This was one of the few skills Noshia had mastered to a beginner level before obtaining the system. Having practiced swordsmanship for over ten years since childhood, she had become highly proficient in the basic techniques of the dual-sword style.

Even in terms of basic sword skills, she was among the top in the entire elite camp, not inferior to any of her peers.

The reason she chose the dual-sword style might have something to do with her father, Captain Romanov, who was also an excellent dual-sword swordsman.

But in truth, Noshia felt that she had been influenced by the manga she read in her previous life, always thinking that the dual-sword style was incredibly cool and could boost one's fashion value.

Shinobu Konpaku, Shunsui Kyoraku, Miyamoto Musashi... even Levi and Kirito's grandfather were living examples.

"Phew..."

After repeating the sword techniques several times, the physical exertion was considerable. Noshia panted heavily, her eyes clearing as she emerged from her focused state.

Looking at the bamboo sword in her hand, which was already worn and deformed, she scratched her head, estimating that at this rate, she would need to replace it in a few days.

Thinking about it, in less than a year since joining the headquarters new recruit camp, she had already worn out two or three dozen bamboo swords just from her regular training.

"I wonder if the system shop can produce famous swords and blades..."

Noshia put on her coat and walked towards the cafeteria, wondering, "If it can, how many points would it take to exchange for a good sword of the 'Ryukaku' level, 50,000? 100,000?"

As a dual-sword swordsman, Noshia would be content if she could use two 'Ryukaku' level swords. Higher levels like 'Dai-Ryukaku' and 'Miyabi-Dai-Ryukaku' were rare and far beyond her reach.

...

Just as Noshia finished her morning sword practice and headed to the cafeteria,

In a spacious office in the northeast corner of the elite camp, Zephyr, the head instructor of the entire headquarters new recruit camp, met his accomplished disciple who had come to visit.

"Sherry wine from the Kingdom of Alph in the North Blue?"

Zephyr took the two bottles of wine from Kuzan, examined the "Sherr" label, and his eyes lit up with a smile.

"I like it! I'll take this gift, you really know my tastes, Kuzan!"

"I'm glad you like it."

Seeing his long-lost mentor, Kuzan's previously low mood eased, and he managed a smile, saying softly,

"I confiscated this from a pirate group at the beginning of the year. There's a whole half-box, all over 20 years old. If you have the chance, I'll bring the rest for you to enjoy."

"Deal!"

Zephyr laughed heartily, but as he put away the two bottles of Sherry and sat back at his desk, his expression became serious.

"You haven't been back to headquarters for half a year. When Garp ordered you to return, you made excuses and wandered around the Four Seas..."

Looking at Kuzan, Zephyr sighed, "Are you still not over that incident?"