Yamato grew even more excited as she listened to the students' complaints.
"Yes! That's the spirit!" she cheered.
As expected, they were still children—unlike those stubborn adults who blindly followed orders without a single protest!
"Hurry up! Move it! The last five will be fined with an extra 100 reps—jump faster!"
Under her strict commands, the students reluctantly put their hands behind their backs, squatted down, and started frog jumping.
Even though they had some basic training, these exercises pushed their endurance to the limit.
Especially with an "evil ghost" looming behind them, they had no choice but to jump forward with all their might.
No one wanted to be the slowest—they feared being trampled by the relentless instructor chasing them from behind.
By the time they completed the grueling 300 frog jumps, their legs felt like jelly.
Just as they thought they could finally breathe, Yamato's devilish voice rang in their ears again.
"Hurry up! Get ready for 500 push-ups! When your legs are tired, train your arms. When your arms give out, switch to sit-ups! Once you're all exhausted, we'll move on to combat training!
Everyone will fight me together. Whoever faints will pass and can eat lunch.
Those who don't? Keep training!"
Hearing this cruel training regimen, the students wailed in despair. Some even considered slapping themselves a few times just to faint on the spot.
Was this even training fit for humans? Their instructor had to be a demon!
Meanwhile, Luffy quietly observed from a distance without making his presence known.
Watching these kids struggle, he couldn't help but reminisce about his own days at Marine Headquarters.
Back then, he was pushed to the brink by Zephyr's merciless training. The worst part? Zephyr knew how durable he was, so his regimen was several times harder than anyone else's.
But thanks to Zephyr's strict discipline, Luffy had built an unshakable foundation.
His strength skyrocketed, and his mastery of Armament Haki reached near perfection.
Now, seeing Yamato in action—strict yet passionate—he nodded in approval.
"This girl has real talent as an instructor. If she learns from Teacher Zephyr in the future, she might become just like him, training students all over the world."
Just as Luffy was about to leave, an irritated voice called out.
"Oi! Don't ignore me! I'm your superior, you know? Shouldn't you at least greet me?"
Luffy glanced back at the children one last time before turning away.
They were promising, but they were still seedlings—they needed time to grow.
His job was to provide them with the best environment to flourish, to shield them from storms until they could stand on their own.
When Luffy returned to the base, he noticed that Ain, Hina, Olivia, and Koala were nowhere near their usual duties.
Instead, they had all gathered on the 5th floor, chatting and applying facial masks together.
It wasn't surprising—they had been exhausted from the recent recruitment efforts.
Now that things had settled down, they finally had time to unwind.
Luffy understood their exhaustion; he himself had been drained from all the work lately.
Maybe it was time for him to take a break too.
With that thought, he shoved aside his official duties and made his way to the 5th floor, humming a carefree tune.
As soon as he stepped into the room, familiar sounds echoed through the hall.
At first, it sounded like a fight.
But upon closer listening, it was clear—it was just a game.
Luffy sighed.
This was supposed to be a lounge, a space for tea, conversations, and welcoming guests.
Yet Hancock and Olivia had turned it into a Gaming room.
Several women sat comfortably on the sofas, each with a large screen in front of them, fully immersed in their games.
For those who didn't feel like playing, there was even a wall-mounted screen that displayed other entertainment—like a movie, complete with snacks and drinks.
Luffy's arrival barely caught anyone's attention.
Kalifa and Nami glanced at him before quickly returning to their games.
Hina, gripping her controller, frantically pressed buttons—only to be obliterated in seconds by a monster's flawless combo.
Frustrated, she tossed the controller aside, officially out of the game.
Lighting a cigarette, she finally turned to Luffy and greeted him lazily.
"Oh hey, it's the Vice Admiral. You're back~
What's up, boss? You here to pay us? Hina needs money for new clothes."
Luffy blinked, confused.
"Eh? Pay you? Didn't you all get your salaries at the beginning of the month?"
Hina's expression darkened. Keeping her cigarette in her mouth, she pulled out a calculator from somewhere and started punching in numbers.
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