Chapter 41: The Young Momonga and Yamakaji

At four in the morning in Marine Headquarters, Marineford, behind the Fortress of Justice, a vast training field stretched out under the dim pre-dawn sky. On it, a lone figure was running laps at a steady pace.

He wore a tight black sports vest that showed off his perfectly sculpted muscles, paired with slightly loose work pants and black leather boots. It wasn't exactly ideal workout gear, but it gave him an imposing, powerful look. Strapped to his back was a massive warhammer that looked incredibly heavy. Without a doubt, this was Ortoren.

Four in the morning was already early enough, yet the elite of the Marines clearly didn't lack the spirit for morning training.

Momonga entered the training ground with weights strapped to his waist, only to spot the running figure. Normally, he and Yamakaji were the first ones here every day, but today, someone had beaten them to it.

Before he could get a good look at who it was, a puff of smoke drifted into his face. He waved his hand in irritation, dispersing it.

"I told you, don't start smoking your cigar so early in the morning!"

Sure enough, the smoke came from Yamakaji, who stood there with a warm smile, a freshly lit cigar clamped between his teeth.

"Don't you think it's cool?" Yamakaji asked cheerfully.

"Not cool at all!" Momonga shot back before nodding toward the runner. "Who's that guy? I don't think I've seen him before."

"Never seen him either," Yamakaji said, shaking his head. "But I think I've heard about him. Yesterday at noon, Garp-san brought back a new recruit. Apparently, he personally recommended him to join the Marines and put him under Admiral Zephyr. If that's the case, I'd bet that's him."

"A new recruit? Brought by Admiral Zephyr himself?" Momonga repeated, surprise flashing across his face. Then, as if something clicked, his eyes widened further. "If Admiral Zephyr personally brought him in, doesn't that basically mean he's guaranteed a spot in the officer training camp in half a month?"

"Most likely," Yamakaji replied calmly. "After all, Garp-san brought him here himself. It's obvious he's meant to be trained as an officer. Why are you so surprised?"

"I just can't help feeling a bit resentful. Think about it—both of us have been in the Marines for so long, working ourselves to the bone to reach Commodore, and only now do we finally get the chance to join the officer training camp and become Admiral Zephyr's disciples... But this new guy? He's getting the same treatment right from the start. I know that if he really deserves it, he must be at least on the same level as Kuzan and the others, but still... I'm jealous, Yamakaji."

"You're jealous of him, but think about it—how many people are jealous of us? We're part of the very first officer training camp, we're going to be Admiral Zephyr's disciples... There are countless Commodores in Marine Headquarters, but how many can get in?" Yamakaji said, trying to comfort him.

He wasn't wrong. Momonga, Yamakaji, and the others might not have the strength or qualifications to become Admirals in the future, but they were more than capable of serving as elite Vice Admirals. And what did that mean?

It meant that aside from Kuzan, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Gion, Tokikake, and other top-tier Marines, they were the core pillars of the organization—able to take on crucial roles in any situation and play active parts in major events.

In an organization as massive as the Marines, that was far rarer than one in ten thousand. They were the elite of the elite.

While Momonga and Yamakaji were wondering about Ortoren, he had already noticed them. After finishing most of his lap, Ortoren gradually slowed down and stopped right in front of them. He smiled and gave a friendly wave in greeting.

Although they felt a little envious of Ortoren's high starting point, it was nothing more than ordinary envy. Both Momonga and Yamakaji were straightforward, decent men. They weren't the type to trip someone up or give them a hard time over it.

Seeing Ortoren wave, Momonga lifted his hand and waved back twice before speaking up.

"My name's Momonga, and this guy's Yamakaji. We're both Commodores at Marine Headquarters. I don't recall seeing you before, but we heard yesterday that Garp-san brought back a new recruit. That you?"

Ortoren pulled the towel from around his neck, wiping the sweat from his face as he replied, "That's me. Benn Ortoren, eighteen years old… Yeah, I'm a new recruit, but technically, I haven't officially been added to the Marines' roster yet. That'll have to wait another half month—"

"I knew it!" Momonga cut in, eyes shining with envy. "So you're a specially recruited monster, just like Kuzan and Sakazuki! In half a month you'll be joining Admiral Zephyr's new officer training camp, right? And after you graduate, you'll be promoted straight to Commodore, right? Damn, I'm jealous to death here!"

From what Ortoren remembered, Momonga was rather cold and reserved in his later years. He hadn't expected him to be this expressive when he was younger. Not knowing how to respond, Ortoren just smiled in good nature.

It was true—yesterday, he had accompanied Garp to meet Admiral Zephyr. It was clear to Ortoren that Zephyr and Garp were close, and right now Zephyr was preparing to open a Marine academy as its head instructor. At Garp's request, Zephyr agreed without hesitation to have Ortoren join the officer training camp opening in Marineford in half a month.

The plan was simple: graduates who weren't Commodores yet would be promoted directly to Commodore, while those already at that rank would be promoted to Rear Admiral. Higher ranks wouldn't be part of this program—at least not for the first session.

Momonga kept chattering away until Yamakaji finally found a chance to cut in with a cheerful smile.

"Up this early? You've got talent and the work ethic to match. Let's hope we can improve together in the future."

Ortoren smiled and nodded. "Honestly, it's more because of the time difference. I came back with Garp-san all the way from the New World, and I haven't adjusted yet. By the time it was close to three, I couldn't sleep."

"So you haven't even been running for that long?" Momonga asked curiously. Then, before Ortoren could answer, he added with a puzzled look, "Then why are you drenched in sweat? Someone like Sakazuki wouldn't even count two hours of running as more than a warm-up."

"Because I'm carrying weight?" Ortoren said, rubbing his chin.

Momonga laughed and patted the metal weights strapped to his midsection. "Don't kid me. It's just a warhammer. Look at mine—special alloy mixed with a rare half-ton stone powder. Each block weighs two hundred kilos, and I've got four of them. Now that's weight!"

It had to be said—people in the pirate world were all monsters. In the normal world, Momonga's raw strength would have crushed most others.

But Ortoren only gave a slightly shy smile, unstrapped the warhammer from his back, set it gently in front of Momonga, and gestured for him to try.

Straightforward as ever, Momonga gripped the handle with both hands and heaved—only for it not to budge.

Even Cracker, who had inherited Charlotte Linlin's bloodline and, while not born with supernatural strength, was still incredibly powerful, had almost failed to lift it. In terms of strength, Momonga fell short of Cracker and couldn't move it at all.

"What the hell? You didn't use a Devil Fruit ability on this, did you? How can it be so heavy!?" Momonga stared at Ortoren in disbelief.

"Five blocks of half-ton stones," Ortoren said evenly.

Yamakaji, recalling how proud Momonga had just been about "mixing in some half-ton stone powder," burst out laughing.

Momonga's face reddened slightly, but he quickly patted Ortoren on the arm. "I'll admit it—just for this alone, I fully approve of your special recruitment. Figures that all specially recruited ones are monsters!"