In the following days, Dragon, who was known as "Garp's son" and a "naturalist," seemed to have become a transparent figure in the school.
During the day, he trained alone. At night, he returned to the dormitory, listening to the daily quarrels between Aokiji and Aramaki, silently turning his head to the wall.
Only Zephyr and Carl paid attention to him in the school.
Zephyr's attention was obvious; after all, Dragon was the son of his old friend Garp, and he was truly talented. He couldn't leave Dragon alone.
Carl, on the other hand, was observing Dragon's behavior, waiting for the right opportunity to act.
However, Dragon had been on his best behavior since that day. He trained seriously every day, focusing on improving his Haki.
Another year passed in the blink of an eye, and Carl's time at the academy had come to an end.
The high-ranking Navy officers had always placed great importance on their students, especially when it came to arrangements for Carl and others.
But before making final decisions, they had to conduct a graduation exam for Carl and his classmates.
The high-level officers wanted to see how strong the "monsters" of this class had become.
The exam consisted of two parts: a written test and a practical test. Of course, the written test was merely a formality and accounted for only a small portion of the overall score. As long as the theoretical knowledge wasn't too poor, it wouldn't significantly affect the final results.
The practical test, however, was the highlight of the exam. It was conducted as a competition, with the graduating students drawing lots to determine their opponents.
The final results would also determine the rank and position assigned to each student upon graduation, with the highest achievers being directly awarded the rank of Rear Admiral!
This straightforward and enticing reward was tempting for most students, but when they considered Carl and his group, they quickly became disheartened.
Especially Carl—over the past year, no one could say for certain how much his strength had grown.
In their eyes, Kizaru, Akainu, and Kuma were already invincible, but in daily training, at least two people could barely hold their own against Carl.
Although everyone was a student in the same class, the gap in strength had only widened over three years, becoming a chasm that seemed insurmountable.
When the graduation exam notice was announced, the entire academy was in a frenzy. Everyone shared the same fear:
"What if I get matched against Carl or the others?!"
Their fear of fighting wasn't unfounded—the gap in strength was just too significant. It wasn't something that could be overcome with determination alone.
However, when Zephyr made an announcement, their worries were quickly dispelled.
Zephyr declared that Carl, Kizaru, and Akainu would not be included in the lottery for the graduation exam, the Headquarters had other arrangements for the three of them.
Although four other strong candidates remained, this was still good news for everyone.
Compared to the three future Admirals, Kuma's calm and reserved demeanor made him seem less intimidating, giving students like Momonga the illusion that they might stand a chance if they were to face him.
As for the remaining candidates like Lucia, their strength was more within the students' grasp. And with all three of them being attractive, many male students didn't mind the prospect of facing them—if nothing else, they could enjoy the view!
With the exam date set, every student trained furiously in the days leading up to it.
Carl couldn't help but recall his college days on Earth, where he and his roommates would cram for final exams with a similar level of intensity.
Now, Carl was a true academic prodigy, always maintaining the top spot without any nerves, calmly practicing daily and sticking to his routine.
On the day of the exam, under Zephyr's guidance, all the cadets of the Naval Academy headed to the examination venue prepared by the headquarters.
Carl was surprised to find that the so-called exam venue was the massive open space famously used during the Battle of Marineford. On the high platform where the three Admirals once sat, Fleet Admiral Kong occupied the central seat, with Garp, Tsuru, and other high-ranking naval officials in attendance.
After Zephyr explained the exam rules, a soldier approached, saluted, and said,
"Instructor Zephyr, please proceed to the spectator seats."
Zephyr nodded and, after the soldier left, turned to Carl, Akainu, and Kizaru, saying,
"You three are already Rear Admirals. While the other students take their exam, you'll come with me to watch from above."
The students were in an uproar, but it made sense, only Rear Admirals and above could sit in the viewing seats today.
The special status of Carl and the other two was now abundantly clear. They had achieved the rank of Rear Admiral while still students, a fact often overlooked by those who were used to seeing them every day.
It was only at this moment that everyone truly grasped the disparity in strength and status.
With mixed feelings from the crowd, Carl and the other two followed Zephyr to the high platform's viewing seats.
The chairs resembled those used by the Admirals during the Marineford War, and the seating arrangements for Carl and the other two were deliberately spaced apart, likely because they were still considered "exam candidates."
Akainu and Kizaru sat on opposite sides, leaving the middle seat for Carl.
Carl smiled and took the central seat. The three of them sat in sync, cross-legged with one calf resting on the knee of the other leg.
Their presence gave an unspoken sense of security to the students below.
The senior officers also observed the trio. One of them leaned towards Sengoku the Buddha and asked,
"Sengoku, who do you think will be the first to become an Admiral among the three of them?"
Sengoku smiled thoughtfully and replied,
"Why do you make it sound like it's already a done deal?"
He nodded seriously, "It's only a matter of time."
"Alright then, my guess is Carl."
"Mine too."
With that, Sengoku glanced at Carl, who looked back at him just as the referee stepped into the center of the field and announced through the loudspeaker Den Den Mushi,
"The exam begins!"
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+70 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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