One Piece: Three Devil Fruits, Beginning with Darkness

**Chapter 24 - Come On, Show It**

Zephyr arrived early that day, only to witness an unexpected sight—Sakazuki and Jiger greeting each other.

For a moment, he stood in place, surprised. A pleased smile tugged at the corner of his lips. As a teacher, seeing his students interact positively was always a welcome sight, but with Sakazuki, it was an especially rare occurrence.

Among his students, Sakazuki and Borsalino were both highly talented, yet they each had difficult personalities. Borsalino, despite his frustrating demeanor, was relatively harmless, albeit prone to giving Zephyr a headache. Sakazuki, however, was a different case altogether.

His rigid, uncompromising sense of justice often led to extreme viewpoints. He rarely spoke, rarely socialized, and always carried an air of stern isolation. As someone who had served the Marines for years, Zephyr believed in the importance of camaraderie. To him, the Marines weren't just an organization but a family. He had always hoped Sakazuki would break free from his self-imposed isolation and learn to connect with his fellow soldiers.

And today, he seemed to be taking a step in that direction.

Zephyr's heart swelled with relief.

When he noticed the person Sakazuki was speaking to, his curiosity grew. It was Jiger, the new recruit who had come to report. His initial surprise quickly shifted to excitement. Zephyr briskly approached, intending to give Jiger a hearty pat on the back. However, he did not expect Jiger's strong instinctive reaction to sense his approach.

Jiger immediately stepped forward, letting go of Zephyr's hand before offering a respectful bow. "Teacher Zephyr, I am Jiger. I have come to report today."

Zephyr studied the young man for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.

Compared to Sakazuki and Borsalino, who could both be considered "problem children" in their own ways, Jiger seemed remarkably normal. A refreshing change.

Ginny and Kuma, standing nearby, also greeted Zephyr respectfully.

Zephyr had just opened his mouth to speak when a slow, rhythmic voice interrupted.

"Ahh, it's Jiger. The first thing I see after arriving… Today must be a good day~"

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice, watching as a tall figure approached with a lazy gait.

Borsalino strolled forward, his usual smirk in place, one hand casually resting in his pocket while the other adjusted the sunglasses perched on his nose.

Zephyr, who had been in such a good mood just moments ago, visibly stiffened. His expression twisted as if he had swallowed something unpleasant, and his face darkened in irritation.

His voice boomed with authority. "Borsalino! Do you even know what time it is? Look at the others! Look at what they're doing!"

Borsalino barely reacted to the outburst. He only paused to take a better look, his gaze sweeping over the gathered students. Finally, his eyes settled on Zephyr, standing beside Jiger, and his expression subtly shifted.

"...Ah," he muttered, adjusting his sunglasses once more. "Maybe today isn't such a good day after all…"

Despite this, he maintained his usual carefree demeanor.

"Good morning, Teacher Zephyr," he greeted lazily, stretching his arms. "The other students sure are diligent. It's not even time yet, and they're already training."

He deliberately emphasized the words **not even time yet**, and Zephyr's expression twitched, his patience wearing thin. A vein throbbed on his forehead.

Only the presence of new recruits kept him from disciplining Borsalino on the spot. With a deep breath, he suppressed the urge to smack the young man across the head.

His tone remained strict. "Enough. Training starts now. Everyone, to the field—immediately!"

With that, Zephyr vanished from sight, heading straight for the training grounds.

Borsalino shrugged, unbothered. He turned toward Jiger and the others. "The old man has always been like this. You'll get used to it."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he squinted into the distance and clicked his tongue. "Sakazuki, huh… Getting up this early is just making things worse for everyone. Now the old man's in a bad mood again."

Jiger chuckled at the remark. "Maybe he just has an industrious soul."

Borsalino tilted his head. "Industrious soul? Sounds fancy. What's that mean?"

"It just means someone who works really hard," Jiger explained.

Borsalino hummed in thought before nodding sagely. "I see. But… why work so hard when the schedule clearly allows for a little extra sleep? I don't see the problem with training on time. Don't you think so, Jiger?"

Jiger suppressed a laugh. He had heard stories of Borsalino's "diligent" work ethic—or lack thereof—when he eventually became an Admiral.

He patted Borsalino's shoulder, looking at him seriously. "You're absolutely right."

Borsalino's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he draped an arm around Jiger's shoulders and grinned. "I knew we'd get along. Let's go before the old man starts yelling again."

Ginny, watching them walk off, sighed dramatically. "Brother Jiger won't let him drag us into trouble, right?"

An image of Jiger wearing sunglasses, his mouth twisted in a cocky smirk just like Borsalino's, flashed through her mind. She shuddered at the thought.

Kuma, standing beside her, shook his head and spoke softly. "No… Brother Jiger is more mature than us. He won't be easily influenced. Besides, Senior Borsalino isn't a bad person… he just has a unique personality."

Ginny turned to him with a pout. "Oh, Kuma, you're too serious! Don't I know Brother Jiger just as well as you do?"

Kuma's lips curled into a faint smile. "Well, I think Sister Ginny cares too much about Brother Jiger, so sometimes she overthinks things."

Ginny's face turned red instantly. She stomped the ground with her toes, flustered. "Kuma! What nonsense are you talking about?! I care about you and Brother Ivan too!"

Kuma simply shook his head again and muttered under his breath. "It's different… It's different."

Ginny let out an embarrassed squeal, covering her ears as she turned and ran off. "Kuma! Brother Jiger was right, you're way too blunt! You're going to end up single forever!"

Kuma watched her go, his expression calm. His gaze lingered on her as she ran ahead to catch up with Jiger, and a small, knowing smile formed on his lips.

Before any further teasing could continue, a deep, resonant bell echoed through the air. Its powerful chime sent ripples through the training grounds, calling all cadets to attention.

Instantly, movement spread through the area as students began assembling at the center of the field.

At the front, Zephyr stood tall, his hands clasped firmly behind his back, his sharp eyes scanning the forming ranks. However, the moment he caught sight of Borsalino and Jiger strolling in with arms draped over each other's shoulders, his eyelids twitched in visible irritation.

The last thing he needed was those two feeding off each other's energy.

Still, to his mild surprise, Borsalino didn't make a fuss this time. Instead, he casually led Jiger and Kuma toward the back of the formation, lining up alongside Sakazuki without issue.

Ginny, meanwhile, separated from the group and joined the female cadet team.

Once everyone was in position, Zephyr gave a short nod of approval. He took a step forward, clearing his throat before addressing the gathered students in a commanding voice.

"There are three new cadets joining us today. Before training begins, they will introduce themselves to the group."

As soon as he finished speaking, a round of applause broke out across the field.

The sound of clapping spread throughout the ranks, with some students offering polite encouragement while others whispered amongst themselves, trying to gauge the newcomers.

Predictably, Borsalino clapped the loudest, grinning as he exaggerated his applause.

Kuma was the first to step forward.

As he strode up, his massive frame loomed over the crowd, causing many students to exchange wide-eyed glances. The sheer size of him alone was enough to draw gasps from the audience, and when he calmly stated that he was a Devil Fruit user, another wave of murmurs rippled through the ranks.

Zephyr, however, remained composed.

Unlike the rest of the cadets, he was already well aware of Kuma's background. Sengoku had personally informed him about the young man. After all, Zephyr himself had once been involved in the infamous Battle of the Valley of the Gods. The moment he heard Kuma's Devil Fruit ability mentioned, he had a pretty good idea of what it was.

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding Kuma's origins, none of that mattered now.

As far as Zephyr was concerned, once a recruit stepped onto his training field, their past became irrelevant.

They were all his students now.

And since Kuma was a Devil Fruit user, it was essential to gauge his abilities firsthand. Without a proper understanding of his strengths, Zephyr wouldn't be able to design effective training for him.

With that in mind, Zephyr wasted no time.

"Show me what your ability can do," he instructed.

Kuma gave a quiet nod of acknowledgment. He raised his large hands in front of his chest, palms pressing together in a slow, deliberate motion. Then, with a measured movement, he pulled them apart.

A transparent, bubble-like shape emerged between his palms—soft, rounded, and almost comically cute in appearance.

The moment it fully formed, a few surprised gasps escaped from the female cadets.

"This ability is adorable!" one of them whispered excitedly.

Kuma's ears turned slightly red, and he lowered his head in mild embarrassment.

In contrast, several male cadets scoffed under their breath.

"Hah, another flashy Paramecia ability," one muttered dismissively.

"Yeah, probably just some gimmick power," another added.

Zephyr ignored their skepticism.

Unlike the uninformed students, he had already sensed it.

Even from where he stood, he could feel the raw power radiating from the seemingly harmless paw.

His expression turned serious.

He raised a hand and gestured toward the cadets. "Step back," he ordered.

The murmurs stopped instantly.

The commanding tone in Zephyr's voice left no room for argument, and the students instinctively moved away, creating space in the field.

Once there was enough room, Zephyr turned back to Kuma, his gaze sharp.

"Go ahead," he instructed. "Demonstrate your ability."

The entire field fell silent in anticipation.

All eyes were now locked on Kuma, eager to see what this deceptively "cute" power was truly capable of.

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