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Zephyr recounted his conversation with Sengoku in detail to Byakuya, and advised earnestly,
"The Marines are in a tough spot right now, and Sengoku has a lot on his plate. The conditions he offered aren't too bad. Why not just accept them?"
Byakuya looked at Zephyr trying to persuade him and couldn't help but admire Sengoku's skills in persuading his teacher.
In Byakuya's view, the conditions he had asked for weren't even too demanding.
When two individuals, Fujitora and Ryokugyu, were brought into the Marines after the Summit War, they were immediately granted positions as Marine Admirals.
Although the situation now is not as critical as it was during the Summit War, Byakuya was still a legitimate Marine, whose teacher was the former Admiral Zephyr.
He had the strength of an Admiral himself. Asking for a Marine Vice Admiral position was Byakuya being 'kind-hearted.'
Furthermore, Sengoku had cut Byakuya's other two conditions by more than half, which annoyed Byakuya.
However, seeing Zephyr's earnest attempts to persuade him, Byakuya decided to give in for now.
If anything, he could always stir up more trouble for Sengoku later as revenge.
"Alright, alright, teacher, you don't need to say anymore. I'll agree to the conditions."
"Really?"
"Of course it's true. You've made your case so convincingly. What else can I say?"
Zephyr seemed relieved. "A year to rise to Marine Rear Admiral is quite fast."
"Oh, Sengoku said you could choose any three individuals at or below the rank of Vice Admiral as your subordinates. Do you have anyone in mind?"
Zephyr had been training students for many years, so he knew most of the high-ranking officers in the Marines, many of whom had graduated from the training camp.
So, he could provide Byakuya with plenty of suitable candidates.
"Three people, right? I've got them in mind. First-person: Smoker."
Zephyr knew Smoker well; he was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user who had graduated one term earlier than Byakuya and even finished at the top of his class.
Zephyr had a good impression of Smoker's strength as he was a Logia-type user, with a solid foundation.
However, Zephyr had his concerns. "I know Smoker. He's got a bit of a rebellious streak."
"If you bring him under your command, he's likely to stir up some trouble for you, given his nature."
Byakuya smiled, "Don't worry, teacher. When I was in the East Blue, Smoker already said he'd follow me after I graduated."
"So, there won't be any trouble in bringing him over." Zephyr picked up on an important detail from Byakuya's words.
Back in the East Blue, when Byakuya was just an ensign, Smoker was willing to follow him as a captain.
That shows just how exceptional Byakuya might be.
But Zephyr wasn't bothered by these details; after all, no matter how extraordinary Byakuya was, he was still his disciple.
A brilliant disciple is always welcome. "What about the other two?"
"The other two, I'd like to choose from the training camp, Quake and Fergus seem like good picks." Byakuya's choices were well thought out.
It made more sense to choose people he knew and trusted rather than unfamiliar lower-ranked Marine officers.
He had grown accustomed to Quake and Fergus during the past six months of training.
They were the leaders of the anti-Byakuya club in the camp, and with each monthly assessment, they would initiate attacks against Byakuya.
In return, they faced harsher beatings from Byakuya each time.
Ironically, these beatings led to significant improvements in their strength, comparable to the weaker Marine Rear Admirals.
Hence, Byakuya decided on them. Seeing that Byakuya had thought it all through, Zephyr didn't have much more to add.
"If that's your decision, I'll let them know the news and they can prepare for graduation."
Byakuya grinned mischievously, "I'll tell them myself; they're going to be thrilled to hear it."
Zephyr rolled his eyes at Byakuya's mischievous grin, thinking, "Even when he's about to leave, he wants to tease others."
In the cadet dormitory, the leaders of the anti-Byakuya club gathered around a long table, with Quake and Fergus as the heads.
"You all heard the news about the Demon King's early graduation, right?"
"Of course! It's great news!"
"I heard Zephyr-sensei personally went to speak to Fleet Admiral Sengoku about his graduation."
The group was overjoyed, discussing the departure of the Demon King, their nickname for Byakuya.
The news of his early graduation kept them awake with excitement all night.
With the departure of the Demon King, the dark cloud hanging over them would dissipate.
Suddenly, the sky seemed bluer, the air fresher and their aches and pains disappeared.
This sense of freedom was something they had dreamed of for the past six months.
Just as the group was rejoicing, a knock on the door interrupted their celebration.
Fergus asked, "Who is it?"
All the leaders of the anti-Byakuya alliance were gathered here; there shouldn't be any visitors.
"It's me!" That voice was too familiar, causing their hearts to skip a beat.
Upon hearing it, their bodies instinctively took on defensive postures.
There was only one explanation for the voice that instilled physiological and psychological fear in them: it was Byakuya at the door!
The group was in the middle of a meeting when the man they were discussing came knocking.
As the group hesitated about whether to open the door, the door opened on its own.
Seeing Byakuya standing at the door with a warm smile, the group of a dozen leaders cowered in the corner, trembling and holding their breath.
As the leaders, Quake and Fergus summoned their courage to shield everyone, their jaws clenched as Quake asked, "Byakuya, what are you doing here?"
Byakuya replied nonchalantly, "Well, since I'm leaving soon, I thought I'd come say goodbye."
Could Byakuya be that considerate? No one believed that. He couldn't possibly be here just to say goodbye.
The group's worst fear was that he was here for one last round of beatings before his departure.
With every step Byakuya took forward, they took one step back. The person closest to the wall was about to pass out from being squished.
To preserve that individual's life, Byakuya didn't advance any further, instead choosing a chair to sit in.
"Have you heard the news that I'm graduating early?"
Although they had known about this news for a while and were ecstatic about it, now that Byakuya was here, they could only lie,
"We just heard the news ourselves. Congratulations on your early graduation, Byakuya."
"Ah, I'm leaving now, and I find it hard to part with you all. After all, we've been classmates for six months, and we have grown attached."
Upon hearing that, Quake and his group could barely stop themselves from rolling their eyes.
If it weren't for the half-year of hardship and suffering, they might have believed Byakuya's lie.
Now they could only go along with his words, especially since he hadn't left yet and could still easily beat them up again.
Fergus, bracing himself, said, "Well, we're also… going to miss you."
Quake put on a sad face and said, "If you leave, it will be a loss for us."
"For the past six months, it was because of you that we made such rapid progress in our strength."
"Yes, after you leave, we will miss you. You've helped us a lot."
Listening to Quake and Fergus' 'sincere' remarks, the dozen core members present almost shed collective tears.
See what a true leader is? What does it mean to be responsible? What does it mean to be flexible?
As the founders, organizers, and leaders of the anti-Byakuya club, who usually criticized Byakuya the most harshly, the two of them were able to speak such hypocritical words in front of him today.
It was incredibly commendable! Byakuya raised his eyebrows and said, "Do you feel that way?"
"Of course, even though we don't often say it, that's what we think."
"Yes, we often praise you in private, saying you're very strong and have brought a lot of honor to our training camp."
Once people break their limits of shamelessness (?), everything seems so natural.
Byakuya smirked and asked, "Would you miss me once I leave?"
Quake and Fergus became increasingly adept, saying, "Of course we would. You are our role model!"
"If it weren't for my upcoming graduation, I would have certainly followed you."
Hearing this, Byakuya immediately stood up, scaring the others, and causing them to shrink back again.
Quake and Fergus turned pale, trying to think of what they might have said wrong. Byakuya enthusiastically said, "I've made a decision!"
Quake nervously asked, "What decision?"
Byakuya grinned, "Oh, nothing much. It's just that Fleet Admiral Sengoku gave me a special privilege, allowing me to freely select three Marine officers below the rank of Vice Admiral as my subordinates."
"Before, I was unsure about whom to pick. After all, there are only three spots, so I have to choose carefully."
"Now that we've talked, I've realized since you care about me so much, and I care about you too, I'll use the spots on the two of you."
"From now on, you two can join me on my Justice Adventure across the seas. How fun will that be?"
"What?!" Thinking about spending the rest of their lives following Byakuya, Quake and Fergus turned pale, their eyes rolled back, and they fainted on the spot.
Silence ensued! Byakuya marveled, "I never imagined they would faint from excitement. It seems our bond is very deep."
"Right, when they wake up, tell them to report to me in three days. If they don't show up, you know what I'm capable of."
After Byakuya left, the dozen core members looked at the unconscious Quake and Fergus with tears in their eyes.
Their leaders, truly dedicated to the cause, made such a sacrifice. They will be eternally grateful!
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