"Akainu, you're the leader; you make the decision," Jon Lyons spoke up first, addressing Akainu.
"Of course, we'll continue."
Akainu's reply was decisive and firm. He said coldly, "If we retreat because of setbacks like this, then we don't deserve to be Marines. Since pirates are strong, we must be stronger than them. Only then can we eliminate every single one of them."
Jon silently gave a thumbs up. Say what you will, but Akainu's conviction and willpower were truly extraordinary. Even Jon himself couldn't help but admire it.
Even when faced with danger, Akainu showed no sign of panic. Just this alone made him stand out among the group. Even Jon had to admit that his mood earlier had been heavy and tense.
"Then let's continue."
Although the incident had an impact on them, since there were no casualties, everyone quickly recovered.
In the following days, they experienced calm seas, not encountering a single pirate. It wasn't until they stopped to rest on an island during their journey that they stumbled upon a pirate crew plundering a village.
And luck was on their side this time. This pirate crew wasn't weak; their captain had a bounty of over 40 million berries. In the end, the captain was killed under the leadership of Akainu and Vetus.
With that, this month-long practical assessment finally came to an end, and Jon and his group began their return voyage.
"I told you, you only have a chance to win if you team up with me. Look at your group—a total defeat."
Kizaru swaggered in front of Jon Lyons, smugly mocking him without holding back.
Jon looked at Kizaru calmly and didn't argue. Facts were facts: their group indeed lost completely.
Back at Marine Headquarters, the results of the two groups were compared. The final outcome was clear—Jon's group was utterly defeated.
Whether it was their bad luck or Kizaru's group's unusually good fortune, Jon's group faced several waves of pirates, including an encounter with the Roger Pirates that nearly resulted in total annihilation.
As for Kizaru's group, they not only encountered more pirate crews, but they also came across a pirate with a bounty exceeding 150 million berries. That pirate was taken down by Kizaru and Monkey D. Dragon working together.
With such a high bounty pirate captured, the competition was essentially over. Jon's group lost decisively.
Jon found it amusing when he recalled Akainu's dark expression and Vetus's rage at the results.
Akainu, being a competitive individual, was deeply unsatisfied with their group's loss under his leadership. As for Vetus, he was entirely furious about the lack of assessment bonus points due to their defeat.
After the assessment, Zephyr gave them a three-day vacation. As soon as the break began, Akainu disappeared. Jon didn't need to guess; Akainu was undoubtedly off somewhere training on his own.
Kizaru, on the other hand, had spent the past two days showing off his achievements in front of Jon, much to Jon's annoyance.
"Are you done talking? If you're done, get lost. I need to train," Jon said bluntly, shooing Kizaru away without any courtesy.
Kizaru complained, "Don't you want to hear about our adventures at sea? It was such a thrilling journey! Let me tell you..."
"Shut up. I don't want to hear it. Can you give me some peace and quiet?" Jon snapped.
"Tch."
Kizaru made a disdainful face. "Jon, you've become just like Akainu now, obsessed with training all the time. Don't you find it boring?"
"Are you more annoying than boring?"
Jon's rhetorical question left Kizaru visibly hurt.
"There's no talking to you. I'll go find Dragon."
This assessment made Jon fully realize the gap between himself and other renowned individuals. Like Akainu, Jon was now focused solely on improving himself, leaving no time for Kizaru's antics.
Still in the training phase, this was his best opportunity to learn. He could ask Zephyr questions directly whenever he had doubts. After graduation in a few months, where would he find such a supportive environment?
As for Kizaru, Jon sometimes couldn't understand him. Akainu was always strong, which made sense given his intense dedication to training.
But Kizaru—this guy was constantly laid-back, joking around all the time, and yet he was just as strong as Akainu. How did he do it?
This question baffled Jon. Perhaps the only explanation was one word: talent.
Time passed, and before anyone realized it, graduation day had arrived for Jon and his peers.
The year-long student life came to an end on this day. Zephyr personally handled the assignments for the students in this cohort, deciding where each person would be sent.
As graduation approached, many students tried to pull strings to get assigned to good units. However, Zephyr, being a man of integrity, refused to give anyone special treatment. He insisted on making assignments based on his own judgment.
After graduation, the 40 students in this cohort were no longer Marine recruits but officially enlisted soldiers. Since they were from the elite class, they didn't start as low-ranking soldiers. Instead, each was granted a military rank.
Out of the 40, the lowest rank was sergeant, while the highest rank went to two individuals: Akainu and Kizaru, who both became Marine Headquarters captains.
Graduating as a captain from the Marine Academy was unprecedented. Yet, this time, the promotion was unanimously approved by the high command, as an extraordinary exception.
Marine Headquarters captain—a rank nearly equivalent to a branch base commander in the Four Seas—demonstrated just how rare this promotion was.
But Jon wasn't surprised. Akainu and Kizaru, in terms of strength, were on par with Marine commodores or even rear admirals. The rank of captain was fully deserved.
Exceptional promotions to captain were one thing. Jon knew that in the future, the Marines would even have cases of individuals being promoted straight to admiral, which was truly shocking.
In the Marines, strength was the most critical factor in determining rank. Even seniority had to take a backseat to absolute power.
Besides Akainu, several others were promoted to officer ranks. Monkey D. Dragon ranked third as a lieutenant. The rank of ensign was granted to three individuals: Jon Lyons, Vetus, and another Devil Fruit user with an animal-type ability.
In the end, 21 of the graduates stayed at Marine Headquarters, assigned to different units. The remaining 19 were sent to various G-branded Marine bases throughout the Grand Line.
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