The Elite Camp's field missions generally fall into three tiers.
The highest tier is the Graduation Exam, where the candidate must command a fleet of up to three warships and a full crew to hunt down specific targets. It is the ultimate test of overall strength and leadership.
The second tier, led personally by Zephyr, offers the highest safety, though Zephyr has rarely led such missions since "that incident" years ago.
The third tier—the one Loya and his team now face—involves a small group of Elite Camp mbers (typically 4–10) teaming up to execute a mission. To ensure safety, they can request up to three ships and include one Vice Admiral. Furthermore, "shadow" warships often follow at a distance, ready to intervene if things go south, much like the patrolling officers during the initial examinations.
Zephyr had considered assigning Vice Admiral Momonga or Onigumo to accompany them, but Loya refused. If they had a "safety net" hovering over them, would they ever really fight with their backs against the wall? The Navy isn't an ivory tower; without the courage to risk everything, they would never beco its backbone. If they were too afraid to face danger, they might as well quit now.
Zephyr had agreed, albeit with reservations. After dismissing the group, he told Loya that his new "Wave-Breaker" ship—a vessel he had commissioned from the Science Division—had finished its sea trials.
The Science Division's base is located on the edge of Marineford. However, Loya wasn't headed there; he was going straight to the port.
As he reached the harbor, the view was breathtaking. Massive, majestic Marine warships were docked, their towering hulls casting long shadows over the plaza and the fortress. This was the heart of the Navy, a sight that commanded instant respect.
Loya quickly spotted his ship, mostly because it was an eyesore. Compared to the muscular, heavily-armored warships surrounding it, this vessel had a "bamboo-pole" physique. It was about 100 ters long—longer than standard ships—but less than 30 ters wide. At the stern, two large cylindrical turbines hung off the sides.
Loya stared at it. "This isn't... is it?"
He was hit with a sudden flashback to a viral internet image of a stick-figure riding a bizarre, tube-laden cannon. "It's a real-life Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon! The accuracy is terrifying!"
He had been standing there for so long that a man in a white lab coat climbed down from the hull, shielding his eyes from the sun.
"Oh... a new arrival? But given that uniform, a recruit?" The man blinked in surprise, then hurried over after signaling his subordinates to continue moving supplies.
As he approached, he polished his glasses and asked, "Hello, are you the one sent by Master Zephyr to receive the Wave-Breaker?"
Loya nodded, feeling self-conscious under the man's scrutiny. He produced the Den Den Mushi provided by Zephyr. "Yes. I'm Christopher Loya, Elite Camp. Didn't Zephyr-sensei notify you?"
"The Elite Camp?" The man's expression softened. "Ah, that explains the uniform. If it's the Elite Camp, it makes sense—you're all monsters-in-the-making, even without the ranks."
The man took the Den Den Mushi to verify the credentials. "I'm Jim Hubbard. Just Jim is fine. I'm responsible for the maintenance of the Wave-Breaker. Of course, as a researcher, I won't be coming out to sea."
Loya shook Jim's hand, looking bewildered. "Wait, hold on. Let get this straight."
"First, you're a researcher, but you're doing maintenance?"
"And second, you're not going out to sea? If we have an ergency breakdown in the middle of the Grand Line—where weather and monsters do the most bizarre things—what are we supposed to do?"
He was the creator of this ship! If they ran into trouble, would the standard shipwrights even know how to fix a turbine that was five tis more powerful than a normal warship?
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