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"Really? That is a shame," Zephyr said, frowning and shaking his head with a trace of regret.
"Speaking of which, Sengoku, you didn't call me in just to tell me that, did you?" As he spoke, he glanced at Ain beside him. He had a feeling from the start that the real reason Sengoku had asked him to stay was somehow connected to her.
"Zephyr, here is what I am thinking," Sengoku said. "Ikki clearly has a remarkable ability to cultivate others, and it would be a waste not to make better use of it. I want to arrange for more people to train under him. Given his personality, he is more likely to accept someone gentle and earnest. Your disciple Ain is skilled with a sword, and the timing seems right. I would like your opinion on whether she should go to Ikki's side to train."
He turned to look at Ain as he finished speaking. Had it been any other Marine officer, he could simply have issued an order as Fleet Admiral. But Ain was different. She was a disciple Zephyr held dear, and that meant going through Zephyr first.
Of course, Sengoku had considered other candidates. But he felt Ain had the best chance of being accepted by Ikki. And beyond the practical angle, he wanted to do something for his old friend. Zephyr cared deeply about both Ain and Binz, and if there was a chance to give Ain the opportunity to grow stronger, it was worth pursuing.
"Zephyr, if Ain goes to Ikki's side, she will also come to understand his training methods firsthand. And if she understands them, so will you. I imagine you are quite curious about how he does it."
"I am," Zephyr said, nodding. "Having seen how far Gion has come, and now hearing what Sadi-chan has achieved, I naturally hope Ain can make the same kind of progress."
He paused.
"But Sengoku, if you want Ikki to take her on, you will need to provide a famous sword, won't you? Without one, Ikki cannot work his modifications. Even if he were willing to train Ain, she would not be able to receive the kind of enhanced blade that Gion and Sadi-chan have."
"You can set that concern aside," Sengoku said with a smile. "The Marines are a large organization. Compared to most, tracking down information on famous swords is not especially difficult for us. Give it some time, and I believe we can acquire one. And speaking of which, you lead a pirate guerrilla unit. You must have some idea of which pirates out there carry famous swords."
At those words, Zephyr's expression darkened instantly. He fell into silence, his thoughts clearly going somewhere specific.
Sengoku noticed the shift at once and understood. Zephyr knew exactly which pirates carried famous swords, and if there was one name that came to mind most sharply, it was almost certainly connected to Whitebeard's crew. Sengoku realized he had spoken carelessly.
Fortunately, Zephyr composed himself quickly.
"I understand, Sengoku," he said. "I will make the acquisition of a famous sword a priority. In addition, you might consider looking within the Marines themselves. If any officers are willing to hand over their swords, and Ikki is willing to take them on, it could be worth letting them train under him for a time."
"Naturally," Sengoku said, relieved to see the color return to Zephyr's face.
"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave." Zephyr gave a short nod and turned toward the door, Ain falling into step behind him. Sengoku did not call after them.
Zephyr stopped just short of the door and turned to face Ain.
"Ain, I never asked you directly. If the chance to train under Ikki actually came through, would you want to go?"
"I would, Professor Zephyr," Ain said without hesitation.
She had thought about it a great deal. Seeing what Gion had become was enough to stir something in her. Gion had once been considered a candidate for Admiral, but now her strength had genuinely reached that level. Even Hawkeye Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, had acknowledged it.
And from what she had just heard of Sadi-chan's performance at Impel Down, the pattern was clear. Ain wanted to be stronger. If she was stronger, she could stand at Zephyr's side when they faced Marco again one day. That was reason enough.
"I should mention," Zephyr said, "that I have heard Ikki is the sort of man who enjoys having young women pose as models for his paintings. He likely would not do anything truly outrageous, but it would not be the same freedom as serving in the Marines. Are you certain, Ain?"
"My mind is made up, Professor Zephyr," Ain said, her expression unchanged.
"Then let us go and find a famous sword." Zephyr placed a hand briefly on her shoulder, then walked on. Ain followed without a word.
In truth, Zephyr had already made his decision. He would send Ain to Ikki's side. But before that, he intended to meet Ikki in person and speak with him, to judge for himself whether the man was truly worth trusting. Only then would he take the final step.
On the other side, aboard the Explorer.
"What is it, Ikki? Is something wrong?"
Robin looked over with a small frown when she saw Ikki stop his training abruptly.
"Nothing serious," Ikki said, giving her a wide smile. "I just noticed something interesting with Sadi-chan."
"Oh? That does sound rather pleasant," Robin said with a quiet laugh.
"It really does." Ikki nodded with satisfaction and turned his attention to Sadi's status panel.
Name: Sadi
Age: 24
Weapon: Vulcano Caligorante
Life Force: 52213 (S-rank)
Swordsmanship Realm: Sea-Breaking Realm
Breathing Style: Love Breathing
Special Abilities: Intermediate Armament Haki, Intermediate Observation Haki, Innate Demon Slayer Mark, Transparent World
Note: Sadi has established a sufficient bond with Astolfo, the original owner of the Noble Phantasm Vulcano Caligorante. You may now summon Astolfo. Summoning Astolfo requires one Devil Fruit.