《One Piece: Pursuit of Justice》


 [NOTICE] HXH STORY RELEASED

    So HXH won the last poll by a lot so I naturally had to meet you guys'' demands. I really do appreciate the excitement for the story - I hope I don''t dissapoint!


    The prologue is all that''s out so far and it introduces the MC, Karo Riverbliss, and his father - Westington HuI Gui Rou, the Prince of the Kakin Empire. It''s basically just a little bit of background and mystery behind Karo and sets up for events later on in the novel.


    If you''re caught up on the Manga you''ll know exactly what happened in the chap. Tell me what you guys think!This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Also I realize it''s taken me a bit to release the story but that''s mainly because of how busy I''ve been. In fact on the actual story I''ll probably only have time to post I''m the weekends so don''t expect the frequency of One Piece.


    As a final note, make sure to go check it out and comment to give me suggestions and thoughts on the story. I honestly really value all criticism and to me it''s better than followers n views - so make sure to say what you think! I promise my feelings won''t be hurt!


    Hunter X Hunter: Royalty and the World Beyond


    https://royalroadl.com/fiction/16622/hunter-x-hunter-royalty-and-the-world-beyond

 [NOTICE] NEW STORY! XIANXIA!

    Hey guys! I know that in the last poll HXH won by a landslide, but the more I thought about it the more I wanted to start another story. And so I did, hence me presenting to you Star Seizing Monarch as my next developing story.


    Star Seizing Monarch is a story about a youth who is found by a powerful master and cultivator in the Chaotic Province, the most dangerous province of the Feng Continent. The powerful elder inspects this youth and finds that he has heaven-shaking talent, forcing the elder to take him out of the Chaotic Province and bring him to the elder''s clan. And so we begin to follow a savage youth named Wang Li fight and survive in the human world - all while unlocking his thundering bloodline.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Hope you guys will enjoy; ask me any questions below!


    http://royalroadl.com/fiction/16754/star-seizing-monarch

 [CH.1] A Special Trio! Pirates!?

    East Blue, the modest village of Uxopia.


    ¡°Done with breakfast!¡± One of three boys yelled out in excitement and triumph. He had light brown hair and eyes that sparkled with a hint of freedom and adventure. His toothy smile could warm anyone¡¯s heart, even though he was missing a few white ones. This child was Leon Akojii, the oldest of the three boys.


    ¡°I¡¯m done too!~¡± Another giddy voice yelled out from a boy who finished his cereal roughly at the same time. He was younger than Leon, with jet-black hair and eyes that shone with a hint of heroic spirit. He was Kenji Akura, the second oldest of the young trio.


    ¡°Guys~! I¡¯m almost done!¡± And the youngest of three, Hatsume Azelo, took the wooden bowl with his chubby hands and slurped down the rest of his cereal in a hurry. Once finished, he had a large milk mustache that made everyone burst out laughing.


    ¡°Wow, you little buggers finish quick.¡± This voice belonged to Anari, the caretaker of the three boys. She was a young lady wearing a bright yellow dress that highlighted her delicate figure. She had a motherly look on her, as she smiled at the three boys with love.


    ¡°Aunt Anari! Can we go to the beach?¡± Leon spoke up first, hopping out of his wooden chair in a hurry. The other two boys followed quickly, all looking up at Anari for her approval.


    ¡°Ah, fine. You guys did finish your breakfast..¡± Anari shook her head in hopelessness, opening the door for the three.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back for lunch, Auntie!¡± Kenji and the other boys rushed out the door, meeting the dirt road path. The sun had just gone up, and the rest of the village was still waking up. Still, Anari¡¯s neighbor was already outside in his rocking chair.


    ¡°Going to the beach, eh?¡± He was a silver-haired old man with deep eyes that spoke of wisdom and experience. His entire history was unknown within the clan, and he would often sit in his rocking chair and look out to the skies. Even at night, he could be seen looking up at the starry sky. He was a mysterious existence indeed, but he had also watched the boys grow up.


    ¡°Uh-huh, Grandpa!¡± The three boys cheered in unison. They all went and gave GrandpaSatoru a high-five before turning to the path leading to the beach.


    ¡°Ready..set..¡±GrandpaSatoru began to countdown; the boys always raced to the beach. Whoever was last, typically Hatsume, was a rotten sea slug.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Go!¡± All three burst out running, rushing down the beaten up path to the beach. Leon was pulling ahead, but Kenji was quickly following after. Hatsume, however, could only follow from a distance, calling for them to slow down.


    The scenery quickly changed from wooden houses to the bright yellow grass of the plains. Hatsume had long ago fallen behind, though he didn¡¯t stop running. The race was now just Kenji and Leon.


    ¡°I won¡¯t slow down Kenji! Just quit now!¡± Sweat slid down Leon¡¯s face, though he wasn''t too tired. He looked back at Kenji, who was just a bit behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna stop!¡± Kenji¡¯s shirt was drenched in sweat, as he was pushing his ten-year-old legs to their limit. He was determined to win this race.


    ¡°Alright then! Watch and see the difference three years make!¡± And with those final words, Leon began to push forward with great speed. His pace was much faster than before, creating more of a difference between him and Kenji.


    ¡°Dang it!¡± Kenji could only keep at his own speed, watching the back of Leon¡¯s shirt flutter in the wind. He had lost.


    Eventually, Kenji and Hatsume arrived at the beach to see Leon sitting in the sand with a confident grin.


    ¡°Took you guys enough!¡± Leon¡¯s triumphant smile was as wide as the sea: he remained undefeated in their races. Unless you include that one time they let Hatsume win out of pity.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get ya next time!¡± The other two boys plumped down next to him, the trio all bursting into laughter. They all decided to lie down in the sand, looking up at the blue sky. There were clouds drifting above, ripe for pointing out.


    ¡°Leon, what do you want to be when you grow up?¡± Kenji broke the harmonious silence. He wanted to follow Leon when he grew up, doing whatever grown-ups do.


    ¡°Me? I want to be a pirate! I¡¯ll sail the entire of East Blue, finding adventure on every island.¡± Leon¡¯s voice held determination; this was his aspirations.


    ¡°A pirate? Why?¡± Hatsume¡¯s childish voice followed. He wanted to know what it was pirates do.


    ¡°Yeah, someone who sails the sea in search of freedom and adventure. I¡¯ll make my own crew, and you two will be my vice-captains.¡± Leon was all smiles as he thought of the bright future ahead.


    ¡°A crew?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Like a family of some sort.¡±


    ¡°So will Aunt Anari be there?¡±


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll just ask her to join.¡±


    The boy''s discussion went on like this, talking about their future crew. But it quickly got ruined.


    ¡°Leon, what¡¯s that?¡± Kenji pointed at some distant shape in the sea. It looked like a ship, and something in the air was fluttering above it.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s a pirate ship!¡± Leon squinted his eyes, seeing the flag of the ship. His eyes quickly widened, as the flag was a skull with crossbones, with an axe directly above the skull.


    ¡°Get up! We gotta hurry to the village! That¡¯s the Viking Pirates!¡± Leon jumped up from the sand, urgency was evident in his actions.


    ¡°Vikings? The ones that have attacked people nearby?¡± Kenji had heard some adults talk about this infamous pirate group; who have raided nearby villages.


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯ve got hurry and warn the village.¡± Leon lifted Hatsume and put him on his back.


    ¡°O-okay! Let¡¯s go!¡± Kenji and Leon sprinted back to the village, though neither of them truly understood the threat they were about to deal with.


    Pirates were no joke.

 [CH.2] Viking Pirates! A Complete Disaster!

    ¡°Pirates! Pirates are coming! The Vikings are coming!¡± Leon¡¯s shout carried out throughout the village, which was already beginning to bustle with its morning duties.


    Everyone froze at Leon¡¯s words.


    ¡°Pirates? This better not be a prank, Leon.¡± One of the men of the village stepped out of their little hut, looking at Leon with dead seriousness.


    ¡°Yes, pirates! They¡¯re about to land at the beach! Everyone needs to prepare themselves!¡± Leon was huffing and puffing; he had sprinted the entire way. After looking deeply into Leon¡¯s eyes, the man turned around and ran to his hut.


    ¡°EVERYONE! PREPARE ARMS! GET THE CHIEF!¡± He came out with a strange gong, a loud instrument, and began banging on it. Men began to swarm out of their huts, all gathering at the man¡¯s house. The chief, an elderly man with a white goatee that spoke of wisdom, stepped out of the biggest hut in Uxopia.


    ¡°Fools! They are pirates, you men are no match for them.¡± The Chief stepped down, shaking his head at the men¡¯s attempts of grabbing hunting spears and swords. He had once sailed the sea and had seen the mighty strength of pirates.


    Meanwhile, Kenji and Hatsume ran to Aunt Anari¡¯s house.


    ¡°Aunt Anari! Pirates are coming!¡± Kenji burst open the door to see Anari preparing lunch in the kitchen.


    ¡°Pirates? Baby, hurry inside! Tell Leon he has to come too, where is he?¡± Anari¡¯s expression quickly fell; her entire attitude became serious.


    ¡°He¡¯s outside with the men. I think he wants to fight-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. Anari, the pirates have arrived! They called for everyone in the village to meet at the entrance.¡± At that moment, Leon opened the door and stepped inside. His face was grave, even with a hint of stress.


    ¡°Hatsume, Kenji, stay here.¡± Anari put her finger to her lips, signaling for the two to be quiet. She then stepped out the door, following Leon down to the gate.


    ¡°Aunt, they said children as well.¡± Leon¡¯s next words only made Anari mad. A place with pirates was no place for children.


    ¡°How the hell will they know?¡±


    ¡°They''re having one of their men search the houses - if he finds anyone the village would pay dearly.¡± Leon shook his head in sorrow. Anari could only give in at that point, allowing Kenji and Hatsume to leave with her.


    ¡°Stay close to me, okay?¡± She pulled them in close, and the three boys and one lady began to jog to the entrance of the Village.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    They soon arrived at the sight of all the members of Uxopia Village in a semicircle, with the Viking Pirates standing in front facing the Chief.


    Kenji would never forget those Viking Pirates.


    The smell of seawater, salt, and rum instantly hit their noses as they arrived. All of the Viking Pirate¡¯s men had long beards with heaven-knows what stuff within it. They looked and smelled as if they hadn¡¯t washed in a week, with dirty clothes and bacteria-infested teeth. In their hands they all held axes the size of an adults head, a proud trademark of the crew.


    All around, they were a nasty bunch.


    ¡°May I ask what brings you pirates to my humble village?¡± The Chief bravely spoke up, even though his tone was submissive.


    ¡°What we''re here for is simple, ya¡¯ know?¡± A rather filthy man stepped up from the pirates, waving his axe around in a domineering and aggressive manner.


    ¡°What is your request, feared captain?¡± The Chief bowed his head slightly at the sight of this man. He was a wise man, and he knew most of these pirate captains had huge egos that weren¡¯t meant to be crossed. It was much better to submit to the will of such a pirate as Captain Axe Jack.


    Axe Jack had managed to pull together a bounty of 8,000,000 beli - 5 million more than the East Blue average. He was known for his crews savage and violent nature, raiding towns for their loot and their women. He was one of the worst possible pirates that could''ve landed on Uxopia.


    ¡°Bring all your villages stored beli and put it in this chest.¡± Axe Jack broke out into smiles, then one of his crew members threw a wooden chest onto the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s all, Captain Jack?¡± The Chief was pleasantly surprised. The money was no deal, they could just do more business in the main city of the island. As long as the confrontation was peaceful, it would be considered a win.


    Axe Jack looked back at his crew, breaking out into a disgusting smile.


    ¡°Well..since ya¡¯ asked. Bring all yer woman here and line ¡®em up! Not the ugly ones either!¡± Chief¡¯s expression quickly dropped, as well as all of Uxopia¡¯s men and women.


    ¡°No way! Chief, let¡¯s kill this guy! Who is he to ask for our women!?!?!¡± The crowd of armed men broke out into an uproar, raising their weapons threateningly. Take the women of the village? Arrogant and disgusting: they would not accept it!


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ya beer soured, we¡¯ll take good care of ¡®em.¡± Axe Jack swung his axe again to shush the crowd, the rest of his crew doing the same. The Chief was deep in thought, debating on what to do.


    It was extremely stressful for him.


    ¡°Wait! Captain, look at that girl over there.¡± One of the filthy members of the crew pointed at a girl wearing a bright yellow dress, standing out in the crowd.


    She was holding onto two little boys and had a youth at her side, seemingly a mother-figure. As the pirate''s attention focused on her, her face quickly turned red with rage.


    ¡°Ahaha! Good eye, Buck. I want her! Bring her here!¡± Axe Jack¡¯s eyes loomed over her pretty dress, smiling more and more. He had no shame, even ignoring the Chief¡¯s decision as a whole.


    ¡°Impossible! You disgusting rodents!¡± The group of men once again broke into an uproar; they wouldn¡¯t stand for such a development. Even the Chief was angered, stepping forward to stop the madness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her you swin-¡±


    ¡°WOOSH!¡±


    Blood soared into the sky, along with a head floating after it. It landed in the center of the ground, with the body it was once attached to falling quickly after. The face of the corpse spoke of only horror, shock, and age. His white goatee landed on the ground, being dirtied by crimson blood and mud.


    It was the first death Kenji ever saw.

 [Ch.3] Pure Rage! Failed Invasion!?

    ¡°CHIEF!!!¡± The entire village broke out into screams and tears; it happened too quickly. One second the Chief was negotiating the safety of the village, the next his head was lying on the ground motionless. To such a remote and modest village, the notion of such human murder was beyond horrifying.


    ¡°Keep quiet you wussies¡¯! Or I¡¯ll cut all of ya heads off!¡± Axe Jack was both pleased and annoyed, waving his axe once more. His eyes once again returned to Anari¡¯s bright yellow dress, looking like a sun in the middle of the dark night. His lips could only part, showing off his dog tongue.


    ¡°Come here peacefully, will ya¡¯? Just let good ol¡¯ Jack get a taste.¡± Axe Jack stood there, simply admiring Anari¡¯s beauty. What he didn¡¯t expect was for Anari to actual step-forward, as if she was about to comply.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, be a good girl will y-¡±


    ¡°SLAP!~¡±


    The entire crowd hushed. A blazing hand-mark was imprinted on Axe Jack¡¯s face, just looking at it brought the feeling of pain. The sound of the slap was resounding; as if Anari had hit a drum and not a human face.


    ¡°YOU WHORE!¡± Axe Jack was beyond furious, his anger could crush mountains. He mercilessly slapped her to the ground. Her bright yellow dress spiraled onto the ground, causing a pleasant smile to spread onto his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t like that, do ya¡¯?¡± He lifted the heel of his boot and held it above her cheek, ready to stomp on that pretty face in an instant. However, what he didn¡¯t expect was..


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU...TOUCH HER!!!!¡±


    Before Axe Jack could even react, he felt a small fist slam into the side of his face, dislodging some teeth there. It was Leon, who had jumped in a ferocious bout of anger, gathering all his strength into one punch. Axe Jack, a grown man of full age, lost one tooth and was sent stumbling due to such an attack.


    But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Before even he could react, another blow landed directly on his stomach, this one caused by an even smaller fist. While the force wasn¡¯t up to Leon¡¯s, it definitely wasn¡¯t a punch to laugh at. This was Kenji, who had reacted around the same time as Leon.


    But the final nail in the coffin was the tiny foot that tripped Axe Jack. He was already stumbling from the force of two full-impact punches, and the trip sent him flipping face-first into the dirt. His axe had flown out of his hand, landing dangerously close to Anari¡¯s head.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°C-captain!¡± The Viking Pirates crew didn¡¯t even have time to react. The three kids seemed to have come out of nowhere, full on attacking their captain with scary unison and blinding speed. It was definitely an eye-opener for most present.


    Also, it should be mentioned that such an event was witnessed by the men of Uxopia Village. Seeing three little boys do their most to protect their Aunt warmed their hearts - to say the least. Each and every one of them was filled with incredible bravery, feeling a surging emotion of heroism.


    ¡®If those boys can fight, why can¡¯t I?¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill these damn intruders!¡± And just like that, the men of the village used the element of surprise to attack the Viking Pirates. Hunting spears flew in the air and the sound of swords clashing filled the area.


    Blood and war quickly consumed the area, and surprisingly, the Viking Pirates were pushed back. Captain Axe Jack, who had fallen onto the ground, had been stabbed in the throat by one of the brave men of the village. Without a leader, the Viking Pirates saw no point in fighting these unnaturally brave men. Instead, they decided to retreat to their ship and escape at full-speed.


    If the Uxopia Villagers called the Marines, they risked the danger of being thrown in jail. Thus it was best to leave and escape rather than fight and be imprisoned.


    After the Viking Pirates were pushed back to their ship, everyone in the village turned to the boys - only to find them gone. Aunt Anari had also disappeared; even though no one had seen them leave.


    ¡°Does anyone know where those boys live? If it wasn¡¯t for them...I don¡¯t know what would have happened.¡± The man who killed Axe Jack raised his voice, searching for the true heroes of the crisis. He remembered the feeling of helplessness when the Chief was killed and the sense of bravery he felt at seeing those boys fight. He openly attributed the villages¡¯ success to that trio.


    ¡°They happen to be my neighbors.¡± Grandpa, the neighbor of Anari, spoke up from the observing elderly and women. He had also seen the boys act of heroism and wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    ¡°Take us to your house, senior.¡± One of the men spoke up. And thus they all followedGrandpa to Anari¡¯s house.


    When they came to the house, there was a piece of paper at the door with the words ¡®DO NOT DISTURB¡¯ in children''s writing.


    And, knowing that the sign wasn¡¯t there before, everyone agreed to leave the house alone and go home and begin to mourn the chief. The sign almost reminded them of what happened today, sucking away the adrenaline from their body and replacing it with dreariness and sadness.


    Everyone needed a day to themselves.


    And within the Anari household¡­


    ¡°Leon, that was a pirate?¡± Kenji sat at the table with a twisted face of confusion and misunderstanding.


    Leon described pirates as good people. Then why did these pirates attempt to harm the village? And they even dared to harm Anari, which only enraged him at the thought of it. And then when he thought of the Chief, tears welled into his eyes.


    How could all these feelings come from a ¡°pirate¡±? Sadness, anger, and death: this wasn¡¯t what Leon described! He talked about adventure and happiness!


    ¡°...¡± Leon was quiet, treating to the unconscious Anari lying on the table.


    He didn¡¯t want to talk about it.

 [CH.4] Leons Departure! The Navy!

    The Viking Pirate''s attack holds a significant place within the timeline of this story. It exposed the three boys to the concept of "pirates"; what they stood for, and how they acted.


    Interestingly, each of them took the event differently.


    For example, Leon eventually decided that there were different ¡°types¡± of pirates. He didn¡¯t give up on sailing the sea with a Jolly Roger at the sail and a crew at his side. While he did loathe the Vikings, he was unwilling to use them as an example of a pirate.


    On the other side, Kenji decided that piracy was a fancy word for crime. A day after the Viking incident, Marines had arrived on the island and even captured the remaining group of Viking Pirates. They provided the village with a compensation for their troubles. Once told what happened, one of the Marines even personally visited the three boys - encouraging them to join the Navy. Leon wouldn¡¯t hear any of it, while Kenji absorbed it all.


    Hatsume, however, didn¡¯t have a true opinion on the situation. As the three became older, Leon would often time try and convince Hatsume to be a pirate; and Kenji would attempt to bring him under the Navy. Hatsume would never yield, stating he would be ¡°neutral¡±.


    However, all the boys shared one thing: the desire to become stronger. Once Anari had recovered from the attack, the boys began to sneak out to the island¡¯s many dangerous locations. Anari knew about it but surprisingly didn¡¯t mind.


    And just like that, the boys would go on hunting trips and return to the village two months after. The timespan of their adventures increased until it reached a point where the three would come back once a year to talk with Anari.


    They would fight all types of beasts within the forests, bonding closer and closer despite opposite ideals. It wasn¡¯t long before they began to spar each other in intense duels, in which Leon would often times win.


    But alas, all good times must come to an end.


    Leon eventually turned seventeen and was ready to set for sea. It was a huge event within the village, with everyone talking about how quick that little boy who seemed to magically appear within the village had grown. They had a week of celebration, with plentiful drinking, eating, and dancing. After finishing the celebration, they left Leon alone to set sail himself.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Kenji! Hatsume! Watch for me in the news, I should be showing up soon.¡± Leon grinned at the two, showing off a flawless smile. Leon¡¯s face was much more mature than before, as the signs of manhood had begun to set themselves in his expressions. He was now seventeen, a young adult, ripe and ready to search the vast sea. His smile was carefree and happy, as if he was unchained by the expectations of the world.


    He was ready to become a pirate.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be watching. Just make sure I don¡¯t see you when I¡¯m in the Navy! I¡¯ll catch you in no time!¡± Kenji laughed. He was much older than before, now being fourteen. He had a slim built figure and was in incredible shape. His eyes had deepened further, as well as his voice. He had a heroic spirit around him and was incredibly similar to Leon in attitude.


    ¡°Haha, as if you could catch me! My crew will be unmatched within the seas.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. We¡¯ll be looking, Elder Brother!¡± Hatsume smiled, showing off his shiny teeth. He was now twelve, four years behind Leon. He was still young but was incomparable to the other boys his age. He could fight any man on the village in a hand-to-hand fight and still win.


    ¡°Of course. But now it¡¯s time to drink the sake.¡± Leon¡¯s face became serious, as he reached for one of three bowls in the center of the boys. It was filled to the brim with a clear liquid - sake.


    ¡°Once brothers, always brothers!~¡± The three shouted in unison, all lifting their bowls at once. They drank all the sake in one large gulp, setting down the bowls.


    The vow of eternal brotherhood. It was a vow that bonded people even further than blood. Words could not describe the relationship properly.


    And after that, Leon took to sailing the East Blue, steering a customized wooden dingy the three had built together. Anari, Hatsume, and Kenji all felt tears as they saw him disappear into the distance.


    Kenji and Hatsume didn¡¯t know when or where they would see him again. But at the same time, they were happy for him and excited for their own departure.


    Their own search for adventure.


    ¡­


    Three years had passed in the blink of an eye. It was then Kenji¡¯s turn to leave the village - this time heading for the nearest Navy Base. He wanted to be a Marine.


    The Marines, or Navy, were the military force of the World Government. It was their job to enforce the Law and protect citizens worldwide. They would capture rampant pirates and ensure the security of people. This was what Kenji wanted to be a part of.


    The village held the same celebration they did for Leon, shocked at how fast Kenji had grown. Kenji was incredibly powerful as he left, being able to kill any beast on the island. He was bustling with the spirit of youth, excited at the life that lay ahead of him.


    He wanted to capture pirates like the Vikings and put them under the Law. Protect citizens across the sea and defend the rights of the people; all the while fighting powerful pirates on the way. This was his goal - his dream.


    And his first step was to enlist.

 [CH.5] 201st Marine Base! Basic Training!

    The 201st Marine Base. A crucial Marine Base within the expansive East Blue, it served as a ¡°basic training¡± for prospective new Marines. The main reason why was because of its location in the middle of Arko Archipelago; a collection of islands which housed many small cities and pirate crews. The base allowed for proper Navy training and practical experience before its graduates either went to Navy HQ or were deployed elsewhere.


    This was Kenji¡¯s new home.


    ¡°Recruits! Welcome to the 201st Marine Base. This will be your beloved home from now on, so make sure to get comfortable.¡± The Drill Instructor paced back and forth, observing the group of misfits in front of him. His eyes were piercing, as if he was searching deep into each and every one of the recruit¡¯s souls.


    He was Instructor Hotaru, a highly respected Marine educator within the 201st Marine Base. He was a strict but fair man who had served eight years as a Lieutenant in the Grand Line. He was tall with neatly combed brown hair and a face that was both serious and fatherly. He was a qualified teacher.


    ¡°All of you are now under my command. You will address me as Instructor Hotaru from now on, and will come to me for any qualms or situations you need assistance with.¡±


    ¡°It will be MY job to turn you group of misfits into fine Marines. It¡¯ll be a tough job, but the pay is nice and I happen to be an expert. From now on, speak only if spoken to, and answer questions with either a ¡®Yes, sir!¡¯ or a ¡®No, sir!¡¯. Understood?¡± Hotaru paused mid-step, looking at the line of Marines expectantly.


    ¡°YES SIR!¡± Everyone shouted in unison.


    ¡°Good. Now actual training starts tomorrow, today I¡¯ll lead you guys to your bunkers. Inside will be your equipment.¡± Hotaru then turned and began walking toward the bunkers of the Marine Base, a huge building with several different floors and rooms.


    ¡°YES SIR!¡± The entire squad of newly formed recruits followed him in a hurry. The diversity was evident, each recruit coming from a different background and history. They were an interesting group to look at.


    Instructor Hotaru began to split the line into two¡¯s, as each bunker was meant for two people. Kenji, who was within the line, was paired with a thin youth with messy light-brown hair and tan skin. He was quite relaxed in his manner as if the whole ordeal of joining the Marines wasn¡¯t much to him.


    ¡°This is our new home, huh.¡± The thin youth broke out into the smile, opening the door to a tiny and uncomfortable bedroom. Space was extremely tight, only being barely enough for the two youths. In the center of the room was a bunk-bed which¡¯s covers were thrown all over the room.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ll be fun, I¡¯m sure.¡± Kenji helplessly sighed at the sight of the state of the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take top bunk. Names Itsuki, by the way.¡± Itsuki grabbed his own covers and climbed the ladder to the top bed. With his head nearly touching the ceiling, he saw his newly minted Marine uniform lying on the top bed.


    Kenji also devoted his attention to the bottom bunk, spotting the Marine uniform in the center. Uniform was a little extravagant, as it was only a white shirt with ¡°MARINE¡± on the back and some blue trousers. However, the most interesting attire was the famous ¡°MARINE¡± hat that lay gently atop of the shirt.


    ¡°This hat..¡± Kenji felt a strange attraction to the bolded MARINE words on the hat. It had a strange charm, it even inspired him a bit. Once he put on that hat, he took on a mantle larger than his life.


    It should be noted that the famous MARINE hat was worn by Marines of all ranks. Some Fleet Admirals have been seen wearing the same hat they were issued as recruits; it held a significant place in most Marine¡¯s heart. Even Marines that would defect would keep that hat as a remembrance of their time in the Navy.


    So, after setting the hat to the side and organizing his bed and clothes, Kenji decided to talk with his new roommate. After all, it was best if they were buddies for the remainder of this basic training.


    ¡°So where are you from?¡± Surprisingly, it was Itsuki that spoke up.


    ¡°I come from a village called Uxopia. It wasn¡¯t very large at all.¡±


    ¡°Huh. I come from Hanoro City. It was pretty big, we even had our own Marine Base. They just sent me here for training.¡±


    ¡°Did you have any family there?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have an older brother who¡¯s already in the Marines. He¡¯s somewhere in South Blue though.¡± Respect found its way into Itsuki¡¯s voice, showing off his admiration for his brother.


    ¡°So you joined because of your brother?¡± Kenji found this interesting, and reminded himself of his own two brothers. Where was Leon now? What could Hatsume and Anari be doing right now?


    ¡°Yeah, he encouraged me to. He said the pays nice if you rank up far enough. Why¡¯d you join?¡±


    ¡°I joined because I wanna capture pirates.¡± Kenji clenched his fist together, thinking about the Viking Pirates. Criminals who only thought of raiding good people deserved to be thrown in prison, he thought.


    ¡°Eh, I think capturing a pirate would be fun. But I don¡¯t know, I think I¡¯d rather stay at HQ and give orders or somethin¡¯.¡± The two continued talking over the next hour or so, then deciding to go walk around and locate the most important places of the Base.


    Dinner was good, they ended up sitting by a short boy named Coby, who was an interesting little fella. Claimed he had met a certain pirate a year ago who encouraged him to be a Marine, after saving him from a crew of dangerous pirates.


    It was a story that many found funny, many couldn¡¯t even believe that Coby was seventeen. He looked like a twelve-year-old, small and chubby with light pink hair and a babyface. His round-frame glasses only added to his immature look.


    However, Kenji did admire his determination to be a Marine. And the two got on pretty well, though they were in separate squads so they only interacted at dinner.


    Night quickly arrived, and Kenji found himself lying in bed, looking out into the distance space. He was filled with a proud and adventurous spirit, looking forward to the bright future.


    This was the start of his journey as a Marine.

 [CH.6] Demolition Squad! A Unique Group!

    The entire of basic training lasted approximately eight weeks. It was broken down into an orderly fashion and headed by Instructor Hotaru and his subordinates. It was organized, efficient, and was very similar to basic training on Earth.


    The first week was extremely tough for recruits; as they had to take their physical conditioning training and test their swimming capabilities. The basics of swimming were taught to those who had never learned how to swim, which were few. However, after only a week of learning how to swim each recruit was evaluated on their maximum swimming speed. Naturally, Kenji was one of the top recruits, with Itsuki just behind him. It was a tough week for many of the unfit recruits, but allowed for recruits like Kenji to excel.


    The second week consisted of teaching how the Navy works: ranks, ceremonies, etc. They familiarized themselves with how the Marine¡¯s operated and who their commands would be coming from.


    Week three consisted of teaching basic hand-to-hand combat, rifle shooting, and cutlass training. Essentially, it taught each recruit how to fight pirates and perform arrests. It was probably the most enjoyed week among recruits, as it gave the feeling of what a Marine really was.


    Week four taught all about ship-handling, basics of navigation, the different roles on a Marine ship. It was basically preparation for the sea, and was the last week where the teaching was indiscriminate.


    ...


    In Instructor Hotaru¡¯s office.


    ¡°These five boys are the top of the class, eh?¡± Instructor Hotaru was resting in his office, his feet kicked up onto his neat desk. He had a cigar in his mouth, and his MARINE hat lay snugly on top of his sleek-combed hair. In his hand held a few papers: the recruit papers of five exceptional recruits.


    ¡°Yes, sir! The one named Kenji has no experience with either a rifle or cutlass, but his innate strength is terrifying. I have no doubt he could fight a common Sea King at his current level!¡± The man on the other side of the desk was Hotaru¡¯s chief assistant. He was present at all trainings, even when Hotaru wasn¡¯t there, and had analyzed each recruit carefully.


    ¡°A Sea King!? You¡¯ve got to be joking, Okara.¡± Hotaru¡¯s eye¡¯s widened; he knew Okara wasn¡¯t one to give such praise without accurate reasoning! He diverted his attention to Kenji¡¯s recruitment paper, looking at the picture of Kenji. The jet-black hair, heroic eyes, and wide smile felt all too familiar to Hotaru. But he couldn¡¯t exactly place his finger on who Kenji looked like.


    ¡°And what about these other three? Itsuki? Akoro? Haru?¡± They were another three boys Okara had taken notice of. Hotaru and Okara continued to discuss them until Hotaru decided to make a decision.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Bring these four into my office, I have something planned for them.¡± Hotaru sent out his order, sucking in a deep breath from his cigar. Okara nodded respectfully and left the room, carrying out Hotaru¡¯s order.


    ¡°That boy...who does he look like?¡± Hotaru exhaled a large bout of smoke, beginning to cloud up the room.


    In a swift thirty minutes, Kenji and the other three opened the door to Hotaru¡¯s office, a large amount of cigar smoke billowing out of it. Once the cigar smoke dispersed, they saw Hotaru sitting there, legs kicked up on the desk, gazing at all four boys.


    Kenji looked around at the other three boys, wondering the reason for being called. He already knew Itsuki, so he decided to analyze these other two boys.


    One of them was a green-haired youth with a serious expression, long nose, and small beady eyes. He had an odd quality to him, he seemed suspicious. He would constantly shift in his movement, as if he couldn¡¯t stay still. A peculiar individual for sure.


    Also, he was by far the best marksmanship in the entire platoon of recruits. He had excelled during the third week of weapons training, being able to hit the mark every time. Kenji had put him down as a dangerous character.


    The other youth Kenji knew. His name was Akoro, a twenty-year-old with a broad chest and wide shoulders. He was tall, roughly 6¡¯6, and had a bulky sturdy figure. He was quite straight-forward and had a hefty laugh in him, Kenji actually quite liked him. When Akoro met Kenji¡¯s gaze they both smiled.


    But another thing Kenji knew about Akoro was his dominating strength. His large figure was surprisingly quick, and each one of his punches were beyond heavy-handed. He was one Kenji had definitely made notice of.


    ¡°Kenji, Akoro, Haru, and Itsuki.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°You four have proven yourselves exceptional during these past few weeks. We¡¯ve hit the midpoint of Basic Training, and I¡¯ve decided to separate you four into a special unit. You will now be called ¡®Demolition Squad¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± They all saluted, each feeling excitement bubble within themselves. A squad just for them, would they go on special missions? Perhaps their training would be much tougher than before. After all, so far basic training had been a breeze for each one of them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be easy now. You¡¯ll be personally trained by me, and it''ll be my job to harness the raw potential you guys possess. But of course, every squad needs a captain. And for now, Instructor Okara has decided Kenji will be the leader of you four.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Nobody noticed, except Hotaru, that the green-haired youth Haru frowned for almost a mili-second. Though he had fixed his expression almost as quickly as it appeared, he couldn¡¯t escape Hotaru¡¯s careful perception.


    ¡°From now on, you four will experience individualized training. You have more potential than these other recruits and we need to take advantage of that. Once you guys graduate you will be Petty Officers, while Kenji will be Chief Petty Officer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Haru had managed to control his expression. He could feel Hotaru''s eyes land on him as soon as Hotaru gave graduation ranks.


    ¡°Also, depending on your performance, I¡¯ll definitely send a note to HQ about you four. So keep your head up and make the MARINE insignia on your back proud. Dismissed.¡± Hotaru finished his briefing, waving his hand to the door.


    The four youths turned around and left the office one by one.


    Each one of them was filled with bubbling enthusiasm.


    Demolition Squad has been formed.

 [CH.7] Shooting at the Range! Graduation?

    ¡°Kenji, you¡¯re the squad leader now, huh. Ready to boss us around like Instructor Hotaru?¡± I was walking with Itsuki down to the gun shooting range, we both had to practice our flintlock work.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually excited, I¡¯ve never really lead a group of people before. Hopefully we all get along, y¡¯know?¡± I didn¡¯t care much about the whole ¡°bossing¡± around part. I just wanted a band of brothers similar to the old trio but instead fighting pirates and restoring order.


    ¡°Yeah, infighting shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Though the green-haired guy puts me off a bit, he just seems weird.¡± Itsuki made a shivering face, remembering the serious expression that guy always had.


    ¡°He seems pretty weird, but I mean he¡¯s our squadmate now.¡± We eventually reached the shooting range, and to our surprise, Haru was there too. He had a flintlock in hand, shooting at wooden dummies. He saw both of us, and him and I made eye-contact.


    There was something weird about it. He looked at me with a hint of jealousy and disrespect, giving me the sense that he wasn¡¯t so on board with the ¡°squad¡± idea. I instantly frowned - I wasn¡¯t going to take disrespect lightly.


    ¡°Hi, ¡®captain¡¯.¡± He actually spoke up, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Surprisingly, his voice was silky smooth! But it wasn¡¯t quite feminine, it still had a coldness within it - just weird! I felt a chill ride up my spine - that¡¯s too creepy!


    ¡°Kenji would be fine.¡± I glanced at him from head to toe. His face was awkwardly long, especially his nose, and his green hair stuck out like a sore thumb. He didn¡¯t comb his hair at all, it was shriveled and thrown everywhere. He used his spotless MARINE cap to conceal the hair.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t let me stop you from shooting.¡± Just like that, he focused back on his shooting practice. He took three bullets and slipped them into his flintlock with impressive fluidity, firing all three in quick succession. The bullets were on target, hitting the dummy¡¯s shoulder, neck, and stomach. His accuracy was no doubt scary.


    ¡°Kenji, let¡¯s go.¡± Itsuki seemed annoyed with Haru¡¯s act, picking up his own flintlock and firing at the dummy. His aim was a little off, though it was still better than most. It still wouldn¡¯t match up with Haru¡¯s marksmanship.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll try to.¡± I picked up my own flintlock, placing a single bullet within. Flintlocks were fun to shoot, but they weren¡¯t the same as the good ol¡¯ fist. There was no contact with a flintlock, just the recoil of the bullet being blasted out of my grip.


    I took aim at the head of the dummy and fired. The bullet missed pretty bad, flying off to the side. Oh well. Haru started giggling and the sight of my miss and even Itsuki laughed up a bit.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m not a great shot.¡± I set down the flintlock and scratch the back of my head. Guns are useless anyways.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Clearly not. You¡¯re Itsuki, aren¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t your brother a marine hero?¡± Haru turned his attention toward Itsuki. Aw crap. Once Itsuki started talking about his brother, there was no end to his rambling.


    ¡°Really? You know him?¡± Itsuki¡¯s eyes flashed. And just like that, they started talking, even shuffling away from me. Before I knew it I was alone at the shooting range.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I could only helplessly sigh, annoyed at best, and look forward to dinner.


    And when dinner came, Itsuki and Haru ended up sitting together. I don¡¯t know how became friends so quickly, but they seemed to get along pretty good. But I guess it makes sense, although Itsuki is nice to me he is no doubt a prideful spirit. Arrogant, yes, but I still think he¡¯s a good guy. Also, it wouldn''t be good if Haru was a outcast in our squad.


    So I just sat with Coby and Helmeppo. Akoro saw me and came over, sitting down next to me. We got along pretty well, and we started talking about Akoro¡¯s past.


    He came from a city on a nearby island. His entire family was big and strong, he claims they descend from a family of half-giants. Surprisingly, he also got along pretty well with Coby. One small, the other big, it was an interesting sight. Made me laugh a bit too.


    Basic training was looking good, and the Demolition Squad was almost ready.


    (END POV)


    ¡­


    Basic training continued with its last four weeks. Each of the four members were taught by different instructors based on their own preferences. Haru was taught by a sniper and guns expert, Itsuki decided to learn how to use the sword, Akoro was taught in pure strength, and Kenji began to practice boxing.


    All of this was overseen by Instructor Hotaru. He would spend two days every week with each one of them, giving them tips and advice while observing their training. He also spent valuable time with Kenji, teaching him leadership skills and tactics.


    He had also informed the group that a squad of four was too little and that he was adding at least one more person before he let them set sail.


    It should also be mentioned that over the four weeks Demolition Squad had bonded even further. Everyone had accepted Kenji as the leader, and Kenji had spent time with each one of them individually to build trust. Every week they had to spend at least three days together, practicing team combat drills. Even Haru found himself comfortably unified within the Squad.


    And the roles of Demolition Squad were determined early on. Kenji was the leader, Haru was sniper/marksmen, Itsuki was swordsmen/navigator, and Akoro was ship repair. All four were considered infantry and would lead a ship of lower-ranking Marines into combat zones.


    Their collective purpose was to capture wanted pirates and attempt to bring them back to base. Depending on the person, they were authorized to kill. They would also storm pirate crew locations/ships if seen - hence ¡°demolition¡± squad.


    Eventually, another four weeks passed. Basic training was officially ending, and the graduation ceremony was about to begin.


    The graduation ceremony was a highlight for all new recruits. At that time all recruits would be promoted and given their first award for completing basic training. At that point they would be considered full-fledged Marines, starting at the rank of Seamen Apprentice. The only exception was Demolition Squad, which would be promoted to Petty Officer.


    But what really made the graduation ceremony interesting was a rumor that had spread around. The rumor said that a Vice-Admiral from Navy HQ was coming to deliver a speech at the ceremony!


    This only excited the 201st Marine Base beyond comparison - a Vice-Admiral from HQ was nothing to scoff at!

 [CH.8] Graduation Ceremony! The Vice Admiral!

    These past few days were weird, they were both exciting and boring. All the instructors made us clean from the floors to the ceilings, and we had to make sure our uniforms were in perfect condition. Not to mention constant ceremonial drilling. There was no combat at all.


    In terms of my squad, we were going to wear different uniforms at the ceremony to represent being at the top of the class. Hotaru was counting on us to make a good impression when the Vice Admiral arrived. The last day of preparation, he actually told us about who the Vice Admiral was.


    ¡°His name is Monkey D. Garp. Also known as the ¡®Hero of the Marines¡¯, I¡¯d assume you guys have heard about him?¡± Hotaru was sitting in his usual comfortable position, legs kicked back on his desk and a familiar cigar in his mouth. His voice held a hint of admiration for Garp, so I¡¯d assume he¡¯s a pretty strong Vice Admiral.


    ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t be serious! The same Garp that lived during Gold Roger¡¯s era? And nearly caught him?!¡± Itsuki couldn¡¯t help himself, bursting out in admiration. But his words shocked me: who could capture Gold Roger? He was the Pirate King, the one who started this Golden Age of Piracy! The unparalleled ruler of the seas, which Marine could have captured him?


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him. Now do you understand why we cleaned so much? A mere 201st Marine Base in the East Blue isn¡¯t enough to bring him here. In fact, I¡¯m not even sure why he¡¯s here.¡± Hotaru exhaled another large bout of smoke, while his eyes suddenly landed on me. It was weird, it was like Hotaru was searching for secrets hidden in my body. I didn¡¯t like the feeling.


    ¡°And have you ever heard of Garp, Kenji?¡± Hotaru put his cigar down, making clear eye contact.


    ¡°No, not until today.¡± I was honest. Though I kind of wished I knew who this ¡®Hero¡¯ was, the whole ordeal peaked my interest.


    ¡°Huh. No matter, maybe Garp will decide to take one of you guys to Navy HQ. This is an important time for all of your futures, try if you can to make him notice you.¡± Hotaru returned his attention to his smoldering cigar.


    ¡°Sir, will he stay after the ceremony?¡± Itsuki¡¯s eyes were nearly twinkling. He must really want to meet Vice Admiral Garp!


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, it¡¯s up to him. I¡¯ll try to arrange something for you guys. But with him, you never know. Dismissed.¡± He did his signature hand-motion, signaling for us to leave. And so we did.


    ¡°Guys, do you realize how important tomorrow is? Garp is literally a legend within the Marines!¡± Itsuki began to ramble on about what seems to be his personal hero, even above his brother. He even got me excited: I wanted to meet this Hero too!


    ¡°Yes. This will be our time to shine.¡± Surprisingly, even Haru spoke up! He was grinning, an odd sight to see, but he was clearly fervid with excitement. If even Haru could become excited, then this Garp guy must be a big deal.


    ¡°Yeah! Once he sees what we can do he¡¯ll definitely take us to Navy HQ!¡± Akoro¡¯s bustling voice only made us laugh, he was excited too.


    We were all looking forward to the graduation ceremony.


    ¡­


    The next morning we woke up early and prepared ourselves. I put on my uniform, which was a little bit more extravagant than the plain white MARINE shirt and blue trousers. Then I finished with the most important piece of the outfit, the MARINE cap which lay snugly upon my head.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    All recruits were doing this across the entire 201st Marine Base, and by 10:00 am everyone was in the Grand Auditorium in neat and orderly rows. We looked like a whole and true military, everyone standing and saluting to the stage. There were at least a thousand recruits within that huge auditorium, and probably fifty Instructors.


    The ceremony was a big deal.


    But the spotlight of the entire ceremony was a large seat that was in the center of the entire Auditorium, which held the famous Vice Admiral Garp. I had a pretty decent view from my position, but all I could see was a figure wearing a strange dog mask. It wasn¡¯t exactly ceremonial, but who was gonna tell him to change?


    Demolition Squad was all the way in the front, I was standing next to Akoro and Itsuki, with Haru at Itsuki¡¯s right. We were distinguished from the other recruits and the Instructor¡¯s, who were to the left of us. We looked spiffy and clean, and we had practiced our ceremonial walk several times.


    And at precisely 11:00, the ceremony began. Every single recruit would step onto the stage, being handed their Seamen Apprentice uniform and Certified Marine Papers. It was the head of the entire base, Captain Oka, who would hand each recruit their papers. Many of the recruits would have a burning smile on their face as they stepped down the stage, proud that their eight weeks of Basic Training paid off.


    At 12:30, it was Demolition Squad¡¯s turn. Instructor Hotaru went on stage first and began to talk about us, it was heartwarming, to say the least. I¡¯m definitely appreciative of what Hotaru has done these past eight weeks, and if he ever needs help I¡¯ll definitely appear.


    ¡°This year¡¯s Demolition Squad have proven themselves exceptional among this year¡¯s recruits. After my six years of teaching, I still have to applaud myself at the way these fine Marines have turned out. They performed at the top of their class constantly and their power is definitely worth respect. Today, Captain Oka and I have decided to promote them directly to Petty Officers.¡±


    ¡°Haru, step forward please.¡± Haru¡¯s bright green hair was combed neatly under his hat, for once. He stepped up and began to walk to the stage with an air of nobility and pride, smiling to the crowd arrogantly. But I could understand his mood, being so distinguished from a platoon of at least a thousand recruits was definitely a proud achievement.


    ¡°Haru Azelo, top-marksmen of the class, and sniper of Demolition Squad. Promoted to rank Petty Officer.¡± Captain Oka renounced Haru¡¯s achievements, handing him a uniform. On the uniform was the insignia of a Petty Officer and a special sign representing ¡°top of class¡±.


    However, since he¡¯s a Petty Officer he wouldn¡¯t be required to wear the traditional uniform. He could even wear his usual clothes; along with the rest of Demolition Squad.


    Captain Oka went through Itsuki and Akoro before finally reaching me.


    ¡°Akura D. Kenji, please stand up.¡± Instructor Hotaru looked at me, his eyes filled with dazzling expectations. I unexpectedly smiled, it didn¡¯t feel like I was really under pressure.


    Just like I was taught in the ceremony, I stood up and walked toward the stage in perfect steps. I was told, after the ceremony, that I was unlike any of my squadmates. Itsuki was tense and Akoro was a little bit nervous, while Haru was arrogant. I, apparently, was extremely carefree, unrestrained like a free soul.


    I was also told that Vice Admiral Garp¡¯s face had lifted after hearing my name. He had been unresponsive during the entire ceremony, but when my name was called it was as if his attention snapped back.


    ¡°Great job, Kenji.¡± Hotaru gave off a fatherly smile, and I shook his firm hand. I then turned to Captain Oka, an older man who had seen his fair share of battles - represented in various scars across his face. He did crack a smile at seeing me, however.


    ¡°Akura D. Kenji, captain of the Demolition Squad, Promoted to Chief Petty Officer. Top of his class.¡± After a brief run over of my achievements, he handed me a uniform with the special insignia of a Chief Petty Officer. I took it and smiled, shaking his hand firmly.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d wear the uniform though. I¡¯d most likely just keep it for special occasions and ceremonies, rather than battle.


    Captain Oka finished with some ending words about the class. He then went onto to commending each one of the Instructor¡¯s, especially Hotaru. But that was the end of the active part of the ceremony.


    The next part was crucial - Monkey D. Garp¡¯s speech!

 [CH.9] Monkey D. Garps Speech! A Shocking Surprise!

    Monkey D. Garp, the ¡®Hero¡¯, got up from his seat. He was wearing the famous Justice cloak on top of a white suit that highlighted his massive chest. He looked huge from my sight, broad-chested with wide shoulders, and an overall solid torso. His figure kind of reminded me of Akoro, though it was definitely much more mature.


    The most strange thing about him was his dog hat, which hid his eyes. He didn¡¯t seem to be looking at anything peculiar, and he picked up a bag at the side of his seat. No one knew what it was, but everyone wondered what it could be. Did he have a surprise in there?


    The famous Vice Admiral climbed the steps to the stage, eventually reaching the pedestal in the center. All recruits and Instructor¡¯s eyes locked onto him. Even I was attentive: what would this legend have to say to us?


    He took his plastic bag and put it on top of the pedestal. He reached into it and pulled out a...donut! He just munched on the doughnut in front of all of us! As if he couldn¡¯t see any of us! I was both shocked and confused..did this legend think he was on lunch break?


    ¡°I would like to tell all of you...munch munch...congratulations on becoming Marines.¡± The old timer spoke up with food in his mouth, making his voice inaudible if it wasn¡¯t for the den den mushi projecting his voice. I couldn¡¯t help but begin to laugh: this guy''s a real jokester!


    I looked over at my side and saw Haru fuming; I guess he wasn¡¯t exactly happy with Garp¡¯s behavior. Itsuki looked like all his respect had been crushed, I think he expected ¡®Hero¡¯ Garp to be a lot different then he was.


    ¡°Munch munch. Make sure to uphold Justice in all your dealin-¡± Just like that, with a mouth full of food, Garp collapsed onto the pedestal. Even though the pedestal was drilled to the ground, it began to tip due to the pressure! How much does this old timer weigh?


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. He¡¯s just sleeping.¡± Someone spoke up in the auditorium, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. Some Instructors had risen, thinking that the old timer was having a heart attack or something.


    ¡°Bahahaha!¡± But sleeping! I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, which was a bit unceremonious, but I didn¡¯t care. I expected an uptight official and instead got a near senile old man: who could blame me?


    Everyone¡¯s gaze turned, looking at me with a face that screamed ¡®SHUT UP!¡¯. I guess the whole auditorium could blame me, huh.


    ¡°Zzzz...¡± And sure enough, he really was sleeping. But the strangest thing was he was still stuffing his mouth full of donuts! Sleep-eating I¡¯d call it!


    No one really knew what to do. I was the only one who laughed, and it made things kinda awkward as my laugh attracted quite a bit of attention. Even Akoro, who was known for his boisterous laugh, didn¡¯t burst out laughing like I did.


    I could only make a helpless expression and stop. Sheesh everyone really was uptight in the auditorium.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± The same person who spoke up earlier, a tall man in a black suit with a sharp fedora, appeared on the pedestal next to Garp. He lifted the heavy man onto his shoulder, taking him down to his seat. No one could believe it! Not to mention, Garp was still eating while lying on his assistant''s shoulder!Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Everyone just waited in silence as Garp finally returned to his seat. No one knew what to do, some were angry, some were shocked, and some pinched themselves to see if this was real life.


    ¡°Huh! I¡¯m out!?¡± Garp reached into the bag one last time to find there were no more donuts. He snapped out of his sleep, looking around him for a new bag. Sure enough, he found it, grabbed it, and went right back to sleep.


    I was struggling to hold back my laughter.


    ¡°Well, cough cough, congratulations on becoming full-fledged Marines. Your first paychecks will be coming soon, and we will soon organize you guys. Many of you will be sent to many different bases across the four seas, but I hope you all will always remember your time here at the 201st Marine Base!¡± Captain Oka stepped onto the stage, giving his last closure of the ceremony.


    It kinda fixed the awkward atmosphere.


    ¡°YES SIR~!¡± Every single new full-fledged Marine shouted out, saluting Captain Oka.


    The ceremony was over.


    ¡­


    The next day, a lot of Marines began to leave the 201st Marine Base, heading for various bases across the world. It was kinda sad to see them go. And strangely, at lunch, we didn¡¯t see Coby and Helmeppo at all. So Akoro and I just sat with Itsuki and Haru.


    ¡°Do you guys think Vice Admiral Garp is still here?¡± Itsuki¡¯s faith in Garp hadn¡¯t dropped much since the ceremony, as simply citing his achievements made him all jittery.


    ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s interested in us though.¡± Akoro was devouring his lunch, his seconds actually, even though typically you weren¡¯t allowed a second portion. He had grown close to the lunch-ladies, and sometimes they would even sneak him thirds.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯ll be interesting though. I wonder where Coby and Helmeppo went?¡± I was almost done with my lunch when the den den mushi intercom spoke.


    ¡°Kenji Akura, report to Captain Oka¡¯s office.¡± Those words shocked me. I¡¯ve never had a one on one meeting with the Captain, after all, Captain Oka commanded the entire Marine Base. His attention was sparse to come by.


    ¡°Huh! Maybe Vice Admiral Garp wants to meet you.¡± Itsuki said jokingly, as if it wasn¡¯t exactly feasible.


    ¡°Probably not. But I shouldn¡¯t keep the Captain waiting, see you guys later!¡± I hurried up and threw away my lunch, heading to the Captain¡¯s courtyard. I was also interested; what could the Captain want with me?


    Interestingly enough, Captain Oka¡¯s office wasn¡¯t really an ¡°office¡±. Instead he had a courtyard, and even though I¡¯ve never seen it, it was rumored to be extremely beautiful and soothing. Naturally, this courtyard was outside.


    So I ran to a clearing of space behind the Base¡¯s Main Building. There was a wide gate, with two Marines guarding the entrance. Once they saw me, they stepped aside and let me in.


    The courtyard wasn¡¯t necessarily ¡°big¡±, but it was definitely beautiful. Flowers were everywhere and the grass was both lush and green. There was a stone step walkway, which I followed until I reached a small patio with three chairs. And the people in those chairs only shocked me further.


    ¡°Kenji, how¡¯s my brother been?¡± Vice Admiral Garp was sitting in the middle, breaking out into a wide smile as he saw me. His words caused an explosion in my head...brother?!


    ¡°Who would have thought you two were related.¡± Instructor Hotaru was to the left, shaking his head helplessly. He had his first suspicions when he had seen a photo of Kenji, and after constant interaction, it only confirmed his first suspicions.


    ¡°When Instructor Hotaru told me I couldn¡¯t believe it at first.¡± Captain Oka was sitting on the right, shaking his head in a similar manner. Instructor Hotaru had told Oka about his suspicions and requested that Oka call for Vice Admiral Garp to come.


    ¡°I think you might be mistaken, I don¡¯t know any brother of yours, Vice Admiral Garp.¡± I could only bow my head and try and slow down my thoughts.


    What was going on!?

 [CH.10] My Family! The History of a Great Sage!

    ¡°Yes, my brother - Akura D. Satoru. You probably don¡¯t know him by that name. Perhaps he calls himself Grandpa where he raised you?¡± Vice Admiral Garp¡¯s eyes twinkled as he thought back to his detached sibling.


    ¡°Grandpa Satoru!?¡± Explosions went off in my head, my thoughts racing at incredible speed. I thought back to Grandpa Satoru, the mysterious kind old man who neighbored with Aunt Anari. Looking back at it, he did look awfully similar to Garp; except a few big differences.


    He was nowhere near as big or vigorous as Garp - rather he looked more like a peaceful old man who was reaching the end of his years. He had silver-white hair and a frail and thin body that highlighted his old age. But despite their obvious physical differences, they both shared the same wide smile and distant eyes.


    ¡°Bahaha! So you do remember him, eh? Though I don¡¯t think he was the one who mainly raised you. Probably left that up to Anari.¡± Garp, after seeing the lightbulb go off in my head, started laughing. I guess he was really happy about this whole family situation.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you want to hear the history of this Grandpa of yours, eh? You two can leave.¡± Garp smile spread from ear to ear, nodding at Captain Oka and Instructor Hotaru to leave. The two gave a friendly smile and then left.


    But wait! Grandpa!? He really is my Grandpa? My whole brain was thrown into a chaotic mess, memories of Satoru flooding into my head. I remembered how every day he would do the countdown of our races and help us whenever we needed it. But I never considered him to be my biological Grandpa! And then what about my Dad?


    ¡°Yes! Please explain to me, I¡¯m listening!¡± He motioned for me to sit down on the chair and I opened my ears as far as I could. This was the story of my family...at least partially.


    ¡°Well, yes, Satoru really is your Grandpa and my brother. Guess that makes you my great nephew?¡± I nodded in response, attempting to control my thoughts and astonishment. He was right: I was related to the famous Vice Admiral Garp! I wonder how the rest of my squad would react if they heard this!


    ¡°Satoru happens to be my older brother by roughly a year. I¡¯ll never be as close to someone as I was with him. Unfortunately, he was born with a rare disease that made him weaker than the standard civilian. His strength was limited beyond understanding, being outmatched by most common twenty-year-olds. In a world like ours, this kind of setback was devasting. Forget being a Marine or even a pirate!"


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t let that stop him. In fact, despite such a crippling sickness, his intelligence and wisdom were heavenly. His mind worked like no other, he was a strategic genius in everything he did. Weak in body, perfect in mind.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Wait? Is that disease hereditary?¡± I was intently listening to the story of this mysterious Grandpa, but that disease also peaked my interest. Where could such a strange disease come from? And how ironic was it that it would attack someone with such an ingenious mind? Fate works in strange ways.


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure. That disease is extremely rare, and despite going to hospitals across the world there seemed to be no cure. But besides that, Satoru eventually joined the World Government. He more or less wanted to lead the world, but mainly kill his boredom.


    ¡°He ranked up extremely quickly, his strategic mind was unmatched, and he found himself leading the entire Cipher Pol - the intelligence agency of the World Government. Even the Commander-in-Chief of the Marines took his words seriously.¡± Garp¡¯s voice was filled with heavy admiration, as he praised this brother of his without shame.


    ¡°All of this yet he could be killed with a single bullet. Not to mention, he was the one who taught me Haki. He had unlocked it long ago, but it served no use under his extremely frail body, and instead, he decided to teach it to me. His one-on-one teachings were the reason for my famous Haki abilities.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s Haki?¡± While I didn¡¯t know what Haki was, I could still tell that what Satoru did was amazing


    ¡°Bahaha! I forgot, you didn¡¯t know Haki yet. But it isn¡¯t the time to teach you yet. Just remember his achievement and then once you learn Haki you¡¯ll be able to truly appreciate what he did.¡± I could only take the unsatisfactory answer and continue to listen.


    ¡°Anyways, he was the only reason I was able to come so close to capturing Gol D. Roger. He was behind the scenes of every step, predicting the Roger Pirate¡¯s next move and informing me of their closest location. He once told me he even planted spies within the crew.¡±


    ¡°I honestly credit all my achievements to your grandfather. Not to mention an unmatched intellect, he always had a kind heart.¡±


    ¡°But he never wanted credit for what he did, and on the day your Father was born he decided to break off from his position as Head of the Cipher Pol. But the government wasn¡¯t willing to lose such a crucial man: after all, if he joined the wrong side he couldn¡¯t be incredibly dangerous to the future of the World Government.¡±


    ¡°And so they gave him three options. He could become a World Noble, an entity you will discover later, became one of the King¡¯s of the World Government, or possibly become one of the Gorosei - the leaders of the World Government. But he declined all three, claiming he would become a reclusive sage - traveling from kingdom to kingdom to give advice to various rulers. And so he did, becoming an almost untouchable existence within the Grand Line. He was known as the ¡®Great Sage of the Sea¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That was until you, Akura D. Kenji, were born. He left the Grand Line and decided to watch over you in the East Blue. And thus the legend of the Great Sage mysteriously vanished from the Grand Line. That is who your Grandfather is.¡±


    Kenji¡¯s mind was working on overdrive, attempting to process all the information given to him at once. His mind sprung forth several questions: Who was his Father? His mom? Aunt Anari? They were all frothing at the edge of his mouth, ready to explode forth.


    ¡°And wait, that¡¯s all I can tell you about your family. Any more would cause you more damage than good; so become stronger first.¡± Garp¡¯s gaze left Kenji and then went to the blue sky, as if looking for something. Kenji kept silent, still digesting what just happened.


    His grandfather was a terrifying existence!

 [CH.11] Demilition Squads First Mission!

    Garp and I talked a little bit more after that. I asked him if he had any sons or grandsons, to which he responded with two. He said they were unlike you, choosing the vile path of pirates. But he didn¡¯t want to talk on that too much, he said he was sure I would meet them soon enough. He also told me he wasn¡¯t taking me to Navy HQ because he wanted me to mature in East Blue before reaching the treacherous Grand Line.


    The Grand Line is a stretch of ocean that circles the world, splitting East and South and North and West. It was similar to the Equator that circles the Earth, except being much larger and surrounded by the Calm Belts, areas without currents and breeding grounds for deadly Sea Kings.


    He said I must develop before entering such a dangerous land.


    He told me, however, that he was taking Helmeppo and Coby due to some interesting info he heard them talk about. It surprised me, but I was fine with his decision. So after wrapping up our conversation, and after I let everything finally settle in my head, he sent me to Instructor Hotaru¡¯s office for Demolition Squad¡¯s first mission as Petty Officer¡¯s.


    In Instructor Hotaru¡¯s office.


    ¡°Welcome, Demolition Squad. This is my first and only time briefing, after this it¡¯ll be up to Kenji to brief your missions. Let¡¯s get right into it.¡± Instructor Hotaru nodded as all four of us stepped into the office. He was enjoying a short break from teaching, after all, he was done with this season¡¯s graduates. But once he got off his break it was back to preparing for the new batch of Marine¡¯s arriving at 201st Marine Base.


    ¡°You four will be doing a demolition and infiltration mission, infiltrating a pirate crews HQ in Sazo Island; one of the small islands in this archipelago. They are hidden well, but intelligence has tipped their location and it¡¯s your job to raid it.¡± He slid us all a wanted poster. It was the bounty of a criminal known as Daichi ¡°Raider¡± Trak. His bounty was an outstanding 18,000,000! That¡¯s one of the highest bounties in East Blue!


    They really weren¡¯t going to make this first mission easy!


    ¡°Daichi is a villain who spends time raiding nearby islands for villainous acts. So far he has killed 117 people, burned down 18 villages, and has taken advantage of several women. Interestingly enough, he would attack and then head to his base to hide from the search of nearby Marines. We¡¯re going to have you go to his base, and hopefully, him and his crew won¡¯t be there. If he is, it¡¯ll be a lot more hectic. But I¡¯m still confident you guys will be able to handle yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Personality-wise, he also seems somewhat paranoid. He has kept his crew important members down to a minimum, exactly three, and is the reason why we picked you to handle him. His other fodder can be handled by the lower-ranking Marine¡¯s we¡¯re sending with you.¡± He reached into a pile and pulled out three different bounty posters.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°A swordsmen, sniper, and strongman. Perfect opposition for you three. And you, Kenji, will take on Captain Daichi of the Trak Pirates.¡± Kenji¡¯s emotions began to bubble at the thought of fighting Captain Daichi. He was suddenly compelled to fight on the battlefield, one on one against a famous pirate. The thought simply invigorated him.


    Instructor Hotaru went over some of the details and assigned them a ship with a crew of fifty lower-ranking Marines. The next morning, the crew set off for sea. Conveniently, the Trak Pirate¡¯s hideout wasn¡¯t too far from the 201st Marine Base - only about two weeks of sailing. There were no problems during the entire trip, everything moved smoothly.


    Finally, they arrived the small Sazo Island. It was an island complete with plains of endless tall grass, an extreme flat land. The Trak Pirate¡¯s hideout was on this small island, directly in the center. Once the Demolition Squad got off their ship, they began to sneak their way to the center of the island, closer and closer to the Trek Pirate¡¯s hideout. Naturally, they decided to attack at night, so they waited for the sun to fall to approach the base.


    At 12:00 am, Trek Pirate¡¯s Hideout.


    The Demolition Squad was right outside the hideout, which was a collection of houses forming a town. This once was an actual town, the hometown of Daichi, but he slaughtered everyone within the village and labeled it his crew¡¯s HQ. Today, it was set to be destroyed but the newly-formed Demolition Squad.


    ¡°Ten snipers surround the hideout, you¡¯ll be looking for any escapee¡¯s and will take out any scouter¡¯s. All snipers are under the command of Haru. Make sure to cover our backs.¡± Kenji¡¯s voice came through a wrist den-den mushi to everyone. The ten snipers reacted quickly, with Haru nodding to Kenji and organizing the sniper¡¯s in a circle surrounding the base.


    ¡°Alright, Itsuki. Their swordsman, Red-Handed Blade, is in that building. Try and get as close as you can, I¡¯ll give you ten marines to follow right after you. Though that¡¯s only if he has extra guards, still unlikely. You¡¯ve got this, go out and make your brother proud.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Captain!¡± Itsuki grinned and crouched, making a signal as those ten lower-ranking marines followed after him stealthily. They headed for the small wooden-house belonging to Itsuki¡¯s target - the swordsman of the crew. It would be a tough battle, but Kenji was confident in Itsuki¡¯s ability.


    ¡°Akoro, lead the thirty marines to the barracks. I¡¯m trusting you to handle the brunt of the major fight, I¡¯ll hurry up and try and take on Captain Daichi. As soon as I¡¯m done I¡¯ll try to get to you as quick as possible. But you¡¯ll also have the support of the snipers, so don¡¯t be too worried. You¡¯ve got this, bud.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Captain! We¡¯ll go right away!¡± And thus, the thirty men and the husky Akoro did their best to be stealthy, approaching the large hall which served as the barracks of the crew. It was up to them to take on the largest fight of the infiltration.


    Kenji watched as all the snipers arranged themselves around the small wooden town, and the first few pirate scouts were killed swiftly. Itsuki and his group had managed to surround the Red-Handed Blade¡¯s house, on standby for Kenji¡¯s order. The same happened for Akoro and the Marine¡¯s completely surrounding the Town Hall/Pirate Barracks.


    Kenji put his wrist den-den mushi and finally spoke, ¡°DEMOLITION SQUAD! ROLL OUT!¡±


    And at that, the fight began.

 [CH.12] Itsukis Fight! The Red Blade! Another Player?

    Itsuki was standing at the door of the famous swordsman of the Trek Pirates - he was both excited and nervous. It was HIS opportunity to prove himself a powerful marine - following in the footsteps of his brother. The nervousness quickly vanished and replaced itself with arrogance - he was the brother of a Marine Commander! How could he lose to a puny pirate?


    ¡°Shoot the place up!¡± Itsuki waved his hand, and the ten marines at his side began firing randomly into the building. Bullets flew at incredible speed, piercing the wood walls and shooting whoever was unlucky enough to be inside. Unfortunately for them...it was the Red Blade.


    Red Blade of the Trek Pirates. He had no name and was described as a wicked man from the briefing reports. During the Trek Pirates raids, he would be the merciless killer of the crew. Unlike the rest, he was there for blood and nothing else - he was a ruthless murderer.


    ¡°WHO!?¡± The door of the wooden house burst open, a man running through. The firing of the Marines stopped - they had all ran out of ammo. They could only pull out their swords and examine the ferocious man in-front of them.


    The ¡°Red Blade¡± was a skinny and somewhat frail man. His eyes were an emerald green, providing almost a snake look to him. His hand was wrapped around a long katana, currently outside of its sheath. The blade was doused with blood - reports said that the Red Blade would never clean his blade. It was horrifying, and as Itsuki thought of all the innocents that fell under that same blade - he became enraged.


    ¡°Ready to die?¡± A man of little words, Red Blade seemed to be like a blur, dashing into the group of ten Marines. His blade moved swift - almost like a snake, passing in and out of the poor marines guts. Blood splattered in a mere few seconds.


    But how could Itsuki allow this? Red Blade¡¯s bloody sword was stopped mid-massacre, being clashed with the spotless sword of Itsuki. His lush green eyes looked into Itsuki¡¯s as if he was looking at an ant attempting to steal his meal.


    ¡°Get..away..from my troops!¡± Itsuki pushed forward with all his strength, Hotaru¡¯s teaching reciting within his thoughts. He became focused on the battle that lie ahead.


    Red Blade was pushed back by Itsuki¡¯s sudden push of strength. He suddenly smiled, he was in for a nice battle. He dashed back towards Itsuki, raising his blade to thrust towards his heart.


    Itsuki¡¯s blade lifted into the sky, blocking the Red Blade¡¯s sword and instead of sending it to the left. Itsuki took advantage of the opportunity and slashed horizontally - attempting to slice Red Blade¡¯s chest.


    But Red Blade suddenly dropped to the floor - Itsuki¡¯s blade passing narrowly above his head. Itsuki was surprised - to drop to the ground was an unnatural move! Before he even knew it, the Red Blade had kicked at his ankle, aiming to flip him over. Itsuki responded by hopping into the air - jumping over the sweep kick. He took his blade and tried to stab downwards to the now grounded Red Blade.


    Red Blade¡¯s swiftness once again made its presence known - he rolled to the side, Itsuki¡¯s blade digging into the earth next to him. He quickly got up but ducked almost immediately after - one of the ten Marine¡¯s swords swiping over his head. The Red Blade, angered at the brave Marine, attempted to turn around and cut off the soldier¡¯s head.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    But the soldier was no pushover, flipping backward immediately, creating space between the two. A satisfied grin spread on the soldier¡¯s face, as he had enjoyed the previous exchange. He unsheathed his second sword, an incredibly sharp dagger called a tanto. He looked unique, one hand holding a traditional Marine longsword, the other holding a tanto.


    ¡°Petty Officer Itsuki. I know this is your fight, but I¡¯m going to have to steal this one from you.¡± This brave soldier, named Miyamoto Musashi, was a Seaman First Class - a rank below Petty Officer. He had graduated by miracle, as during his basic training he had fallen asleep most of the time. The only thing that graduated him was his exceptional swordsmanship.


    ¡°Seamen Miyamoto, what are you doing?¡± Itsuki hadn¡¯t looked too much into each Marine¡¯s records - but he knew their names. He didn¡¯t expect Miyamoto to be as strong as him.


    ¡°Sorry if this is considered taking your fight - but a good swordsman never loses their opportunity.¡± Miyamoto grinned and dashed towards the Red Blade. His movement speed was swift, as he ran close to the ground.


    The Red Blade was intrigued, almost forgetting Itsuki, and ran to clash with Miyamoto. The two¡¯s blades interlaced, the longsword holding the bloody blade at bay. But in Miyamoto¡¯s left hand lay the tanto, the dagger swiftly piercing through and cutting the Red Blade¡¯s shoulder. The blade was incredibly sharp - cutting through like butter, causing blood to drip from the Red Blade. Alarmed, the Red Blade hopped backward - removing himself from the fight.


    Itsuki was still stunned - it was as if the spotlight had been stolen from him. He was undoubtedly jealous and angry - this was his time to prove himself a strong marine like his brother. He was not pleased, and in an attempt to try and regain his ¡°honor¡± he ran up from behind the Red Blade.


    But in a quick flash, the Red Blade pivoted on his foot and jammed the hilt of his sword into Itsuki¡¯s temple - knocking him out. It was a smooth move that even caused a crack of a smile in the Red Blade¡¯s expression. It was as if he was toying with Itsuki during their bout earlier.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Before he could even celebrate, Miyamoto¡¯s foot dug into his stomach, sending him flying backward. The kick was no joke, knocking the breath out of the Red Blade momentarily.


    ¡°Never be distracted in a duel.¡± The Red Blade coughed and then got up, lifting his bloody sword and running towards Miyamoto once more.


    The two clashed at least ten times, their blade¡¯s were almost a blur. Each clash was intense, with the Red Blade constantly looking for that deadly tanto and Miyamoto watching out for sneak attacks. At one point the Red Blade managed to bypass Miyamoto¡¯s defense, cutting at the side of his stomach. This continued until the two were tired, both facing each other with a distance between them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡± The Red Blade finally spoke up, his voice harsh and demanding. He had remained silent the entire battle, but now his green eyes seemed almost crazed. Blood was pouring from his shoulder, and he had various stab marks resulting from that slippery tanto.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Miyamoto entered a strange position, holding the longsword out in front of him and having it level horizontally - pointing to the left of Miyamoto. He then did the same with his tanto, having it point to the left.


    The Red Blade placed his blade in front of him in response, having the tip of the bloody sword point directly at Miyamoto¡¯s chest. The two ran at each other at full speed - using all their force in this one final attack.


    ¡°SkyTurning Tornado!¡± Miyamoto shouted out, as right before the two jumped at each other, he began to spin incredibly fast. He resembled a tornado, swirling with such speed that he was like a round-top - blurry. In the blink of an eye, the two were across from each other, each looking forward.


    ¡°Another criminal laid to rest.¡± Miyamoto sheathed his longsword and then his tanto, straightening his back. With the ¡°click¡± of his blade being sheathed, blood splashed out of the Red Blade¡¯s chest as he fell to the ground - dead.


    The first commander of the Trek Pirates laid dead.

 [CH.13] Fighting the Captain! A Devil Fruit!?

    Fighting had broken out within the Trek Pirate¡¯s hideout. The Barracks were being assaulted by Akoro and his squad of marines, fighting off the sleepy and surprised pirates. With Miyamoto taking out the Red Blade - the battle was looking up to be a large victory for Demolition Squad.


    However, the most crucial part of the battle was occurring at the Mayor''s House. The battle between the captain of the Trek Pirates and the captain of Demolition Squad. Kenji the Marine v. Daichi the ¡°Raider¡±.


    ¡°Hahaha! So the Marines finally caught us, eh!?¡± Daichi got up from his bed - previously belonging to the Mayor of the town. He was not alone in the bed, as there was a terrified young lady bawled up in the sheets. She attempted to use the covers to hide her obviously exposed body. Kenji was looming at the door of the expansive bedroom, disgusted by what he saw.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s with that look? Never had a woman, eh?¡± Strangely, Daichi looked like the average farmer. He had combed brown hair and arms that spoke of a farming heritage. Despite his teeth''s yellow shine, they were straight and orderly. He was wearing a white tank top and some loose shorts, showing off his surprisingly masculine body. It all pointed to him having worked in the fields for a large amount of his life.


    ¡°Woman, hurry up and leave. I¡¯m sorry you had to...¡± Kenji was at a loss for words - it was clear that woman was forced to do whatever she did. The terror on her face spoke of it all, she was a young lady who had been separated from her family when the Trek Pirates attacked her town. Under of the threat of death, she did whatever she had to do to survive.


    This sight brought back memories of Anari and the Viking Pirates. Kenji couldn¡¯t help but feel immensely angered - enraged, at the thought of Anari being in the same position. He clenched his fist - he couldn¡¯t wait to beat down this punk.


    The lady looked at Daichi in fear, mouthing off ¡®can I please leave?¡¯. Daichi nodded solemnly, and with that the lady scurried up and out of the bed, bringing with her the blankets. But almost as soon as she had stepped out a ¡°BANG!¡± shook the room.


    She fell to the ground, dead. A bullet to the head had killed the poor lady, and the killer was none other than Daichi.


    ¡°Told you I wouldn¡¯t let you leave.¡± Daichi blew at the tip of his flintlock, one he had pulled out from the bed as soon as she had stepped up to leave. He then laughed - as if it was all one sick joke.


    ¡°YOU!¡± Kenji nearly burst into flames on the spot, his blood curdling up in rage. He dug his foot into the ground and pushed off with all his might - exploding forth at Daichi. His fist curled up with massive strength - he seemed like a bullet flying through the air.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Daichi, in response, took his own fist and slammed it towards Kenji¡¯s. The two¡¯s fists met in the middle, rumbles of pain flowing through the two¡¯s arms. The amount of force coming from both of their fists was like sledgehammers, and Daichi couldn¡¯t help but be shocked at the power behind Kenji¡¯s punch. Blood poured from his knuckles as he felt some of his bones shift.


    ¡°GET AWAY!¡± Kenji¡¯s pushed forward with all his might, sending Daichi flying backward before crashing into the wall of the bedroom. The wooden wall was like paper, letting Daichi pass through and slide on the dirt behind the house.


    ¡°You damn bra-¡± Right when Daichi was getting up, he saw Kenji flying through the air like a demon - that powerful fist raised once more. He could only roll to the side, narrowly avoiding the reaper¡¯s punch.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± He unsheathed a small dagger, one similar to Miyamoto¡¯s tanto, except the tip was purple. Poisoned, sharp, and deadly - it was a dangerous weapon.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Kenji skid onto the grass, turning back towards Daichi. Rage was still evident on his face, and thinking about how that poor lady died could only make him furious. But he still kept some of his rationality, being much more cautious after seeing the dagger.


    ¡°Touch this blade and your dead, MARINE!¡± Daichi finally stabilized himself, spitting out some blood. This time he took the offensive, running towards Kenji. Right before he was within punching range, he jumped into the air, flipping and trying to stab Kenji from above.


    Kenji responded by taking a step backward - the blade cutting the edge of his MARINE cap. He watched as Daichi landed on the ground and took advantage - slamming his fist into the back of Daichi¡¯s hand. This was an attempt to send Daichi¡¯s dagger flying out of his hand - but it failed. Daichi simply winced, but his hand managed to remain steady. Daichi then took the dagger and stabbed forward, attempting to pierce Kenji¡¯s chest.


    Kenji took a step to the side, extending his leg out in a powerful kick. His leg slammed itself into the moving Daichi¡¯s stomach, causing him to flip in circles before plummeting to the ground. Kenji wasted no time, stomping down on Daichi¡¯s back.


    ¡°Gah! Wait!¡± Kenji dug his foot deeper into Daichi¡¯s back, before swiftly kneeling down and taking out a pair of handcuffs from his waist. He grabbed Daichi¡¯s hands and placed them in handcuffs in one swift hand motion. Naturally, the poisoned dagger was forced out of his hand, dropping to the ground.


    ¡°Listen! You¡¯re making a mistake, arresting me! I could do so much for you!¡±


    ¡°Shut it. How could you kill that lady with no remorse!?¡± Kenji wasn¡¯t having any of it, knocking the back of Daichi¡¯s head - Daichi''s face slapping the dirt.


    ¡°Wait! Kid, do you know what a devil fruit is?¡± Kenji¡¯s expression froze. A devil fruit!? He naturally knew what it was, they had a short mini-lesson during Basic Training. Mainly to warn them to run if they met a devil fruit eater. However, he remembered Grandpa Satoru telling it in better detail.


    Devil fruits are strange fruits which grant the eater a unique ability in exchange for their ability to swim. There were supposedly hundreds or even thousands of different devil fruit abilities - and to gain one all one had to do was to eat the fruit. Once the fruit was eaten it instantly becomes useless - the power already being given to the devil fruit eater.


    Devil fruit users typically were extraordinarily powerful due to their devil fruit ability - making them far more superior than normal fighters. There were thousands of different and unique abilities, and a devil fruit could go for an immeasurable price depending on its ability.


    ¡°Yes, you do! It¡¯s inside the bedroom in the treasure chest! I¡¯ll give it to you if you let me go!¡± After seeing the change in Kenji¡¯s expression, Daichi immediately felt a sense of hope spring. He quickly began to capitalize on the opportunity.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see what the hell you''re talking about.¡± Kenji had begun to calm down, and at the idea of a devil fruit, he had no choice! If he ate the devil fruit, what kind of power would he gain? And even if he decided not to eat it, he could turn it into the Marines for an astronomical price!


    Instructor Hotaru had even told him that if he ever found a devil fruit it would be beyond crucial. He told Kenji that if he even knows there''s a possibility of a devil fruit during a mission - it would become first priority! Whether or not he ate the fruit or not was up to him.


    So Kenji dragged Daichi with him back to the bedroom. The sounds of fighting were still rumbling outside, though it was quickly calming down. Kenji was swift but also cautious; as much as he wanted to return to his squad he understood the importance of a devil fruit!


    And sure enough, there was an old-fashioned wooden chest right next to the bed. Judging by how close it was to the bed, it seemed like it was quite precious.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t let any of my crew members know. Loyal to me, yes, but would kill me in a heartbeat if paid enough. It¡¯s what happens when you''re a crew of scoundrels.¡± Daichi explained as Kenji reached into his short¡¯s pocket for a key. As a precaution, Kenji placed Daichi under a second pair of hand-cuffs, attaching him to the other side of the bed. He was well within sight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if this key works.¡± Kenji tried to avoid looking at the lifeless body of the lady and took the key and put it in the strange wooden chest. With a silent click, the chest opened.


    And sure enough, there was a strange fruit with mysterious swirl markings and patterns. Kenji¡¯s eyes widened, and before he could even process anything¡­


    ¡°BANG!¡± A flintlock exploded, a bullet soaring out of its chamber, digging itself into Kenji¡¯s chest - dangerously close to his heart. Kenji coughed up blood, his mind beginning to race - who shot me!? Before he could even turn around, he heard a horrifying voice behind him.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be mine, Captain.¡± Haru¡¯s voice was almost sarcastic, placing the flintlock down and walking towards the treasure chest.


    Haru had betrayed him!

 [IMPORTANT] Travels/Schedule

    Hey guys it''s TheTwentieth here. We''re currently at 99 followers and so close to 100 followers! It''s been great and despite me being an absolute novice you guys have clearly been enjoying the story so far. Remember, I''m always trying to get better, so I value feedback a lot more than followers and ratings; so make sure to comment if you want more chapters!


    Also definetly tell me about these past few fight scenes. I''m new and I don''t know whether I potrayed a sense of excitement and action necessary for a good fight scene. PLEASE tell me as I''m trying to get better!A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Now for the next three weeks I''ll be going on vacation. I don''t know if I''ll be able to produce any chapters, Ill be leaving the country and reuniting with family.


    So I don''t know right now! I may come back and feel ready to write or return and be extremely lazy, I don''t know myself.


    So that''s where the story is at now.

 [CH.14] Treason! The Shadow of Death!

    Being shot. An experience that can only help but overflow you with insurmountable rage as the looming shadow of death shrouds you within its hellish grasp. I shifted my weak hand towards the bullet wound, feeling the hint of cold silver coiled around my burning blood. A quick look etched the memory of that horrible scar of a bloody hole in my chest.


    I wanted to get out of my position so bad, but the weakness was like an iron boulder pulling me down to the earth. I couldn''t do anything, all the strength in my body had been drained out with my blood. Even lifting my hand was a problem.


    But what pissed me off was who shot me! My own goddamn LT? Commander of Demolition Squad, grandson and relative of Garp - shot like a helpless rabbit in Alaskan Island. What honor lies in that? What a fucking shame upon my name! The green-haired bastard''s grave was already placed within my heart. Treason must be punished!


    "Haru! What the hell do you think you''re doing!? This is treason in the highest form!" My voice nearly cracked out of utter fury, interrupted with the occasional cough of blood. Who the hell does Haru think he is!?


    "Oh relax Captain~! It''s not treason if no one knows about it. Who''s going to report me? Akoro? Itsuki? I''ll make sure they won''t see this little incident." Haru''s face twisted into a hideous smile - he actually thought the whole calamity was funny. Like shooting your captain was a hilarious joke for a circus show - the scumbag is insane!


    "Navy betrayal!? That''s a sight you don''t see often; where''s a beer when you need it?" Daichi was watching the whole crisis from the other side of the bed, chained up to the bedside. As soon as I saw Haru expression overturn into a frown, I could almost hear the BANG before it even happened.


    "BANG!"


    "Pirate scum. Tch. Y''know, I may hate you Kenji, but at least you aren''t like these scumbag criminals." Smoke wafted from the tip of his flintlock, and the satisfaction written all over Haru''s face only pissed me off further. He really still thought he was some representative of justice!The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Was that murder so necessary? He had already been taken care of!" While I was arguing with him, my eyes always remained fastened on him. His face was carved in my memory, there was nothing else I craved to do but destroy him. My teeth were clenched to the point it seemed they would explode in pearly white dust.


    But at the same time, if I could delay him long enough Akoro and Itsuki could come and stop this whole disaster. Then, with some good treatment, I''d be able to pound this traitor''s face into the dirt. That was my only desire.


    "Look at you right now! No wonder you''re such a terrible captain, defending a criminal like him! Have you already forgotten the innocent lady right next to you!" Haru exploded in his own outburst, pointing at the lady sprawled lifeless across the wooden floor. The previously white sheets covering her body were now bright red from her own blood.


    But he was right, and I had almost forgotten about the girl. I was so focused on the immediate murder, I didn''t think about the innocent who died right in front of me. Had my anger died off so quickly? I couldn''t even reply to his accusation, I could feel my own weakness and doubt creep in.


    "You''re nowhere qualified to lead a squad. What was Instructor Hotaru thinking!?" Haru strolled casually to the chest, his flintlock lingering steady aimed at my head. Though he wasn''t too worried, after all, no one can survive a bullet to the heart.


    "You''re sick! A monster! You better make sure I die here, because I will come for you! And my revenge will be the nightmare that''ll separate you from the life you hold dear!" I screamed out, through various blood-hefty coughs and raging pain across my chest. Tears had crept themselves into my eyes, I was reaching the end of my consciousness.


    "Good night Captain. Hahahaha!" And with that, Haru grabbed the colorful fruit and stuffed it in his mouth. His face instantly turned into a frown, as if the fruit''s taste was revolting. Yet he still munched down - and at that moment I felt true defeat.


    I lay there, my eyelids fluttering, as the darkness began to wrap around me as if some cruel blanket. I didn''t want to die, far from it. I wanted to use everything in my power to get up and walk over and smashed Haru into the ground - destroy everything about him. But my body wouldn''t cooperate, no it COULDN''T cooperate, and instead I could only lie there and watch my own defeat.


    I had so many aspirations, dreams, and a bright future. A proud fighter of the Navy, with my rapidly draining strength I tapped the cap that rested upon my head. Feeling the stitching of the blue MARINE words filled me with a final flutter of hope. But it all ended when everything turned dark.


    Death. Is this really what it''s like?

 [CH.15] Botched Mission! A False Briefing Report!

    Shocking news spread to the entire of 201st Base - the Demolition Squad had returned from a brutal battle against the nefarious Trek Pirates! And unfortunately, there were extremely heavy casualties, even resulting in the original "genius" commander Kenji Akura being slaughtered by the Trek Pirate''s captain! This was undoubtedly a shame and heavy loss for the entire Marine base...and an explanation would have to be given.


    Currently, within Instructor Hotaru, all the surviving members of ''Demolition Squad'' were in the office. A gloomy atmosphere filled the entire room, even the hulking Akoro had a tear slip down his face. Instructor Hotaru was currently smoking a cigar, his back turned to the group.


    "So...what the hell happened!? The Trek Pirate''s couldn''t have been that strong!" Hotaru suddenly broke the silence with a furious undertone. The failure of Demolition Squad also meant the failure of his pride as an Instructor as well as his reputation! He may even suffer a demotion!


    But none of that mattered to Hotaru. What was truly heartbreaking was the death of Kenji - the result was something he and Captain Oka could handle! This wasn''t just the death of a potential great marine - this was the death of Garp''s grandson! Who could just fathom that?


    "The mission was an entire fluke. The Trek Pirates were plenty stronger than what intelligence originally thought! When Kenji gave the order to attack, he went ahead to face Daichi - which proved...fatal." Haru was the first to speak up, his eyes held some kind of sorrow that was indescribable. Who knew it was all a fake?


    "How did he die exactly? Give me the details! And how come we were unable to find the body!?" This was one of the greatest mysteries of Kenji''s apparent death - there was no corpse to show his death.


    "By the time I had gotten to Daichi''s room - Kenji was nowhere to be seen! Naturally enraged, I enter a fierce and hard battle - but managed to handcuff him! I asked him what happened to Kenji...but he refused to speak - only nodding his head to a poison blade on the floor. In a flurry of rage...I shot him!" Haru spoke all of this with a fury in his voice, selling his pack of lies with earnest ability. As all of this went through everyone''s ears...they all felt their own emotions bubbling.


    Kenji didn''t deserve this!Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "You know that you should have kept him alive! Hmph...though I guess I can''t be too angry - you were working on emotions. But I thought we had gone over this in training...clearly not enough. The rest of you, speak!"


    Each member of Demolition Squad gave their own explanation of what happened from their view. And then...it was Itsuki''s turn.


    "Itsuki...there was no other survivors of the Red Blade except you and that boy Miyamoto. What exactly happened? And how did the rest of the ten Marines given to you die?" Hotaru''s piercing eyes looked down at Itsuki, wanting to grasp the truth from his eyes.


    Itsuki, however, after secret conferencing with Haru - had formulated his own excuse.


    He was the brother of a proud and famous Marine! How could he let the people know that he couldn''t handle the pirate given to him? Or that he relied on someone of a lower position to take the Red Blade down while he was knocked out with ease?


    That would be a career-ruining blow to his reputation! And so...with the assistance of Haru...he formulated his own lies.


    "The Red Blade was a powerful opponent, it took a lot of effort to bring him down! It would have been much easier if it wasn''t for that snake, Miyamoto! He dared to abandon the mission at a crucial moment, refusing to support his fellow Marine when he crossed blows with the Red Blade! Like this, he ran away, and when another fellow comrade tried to stop him - he dared to shove that Marine into the Red Blade''s attack! Naturally, I was infuriated when I saw this - and directly berated and rushed to the Marine''s rescue...sadly I was too late." Itsuki spoke all of this with a righteous indignation, however, he seemed oddly not as convincing as Haru. However, it seemed to be enough, or at least he thought.


    "And all of this you''re telling me...is the truth?" Hotaru''s piercing eyes dug directly into Itsuki''s soul - he had suspicions about the validity of the story.


    "Of course! That Miyamoto is scum that dishonors both the Navy and our Branch! Such a coward and scum doesn''t deserve to be in our military!" Itsuki finished at this, his eyes drifting from Hotaru''s eyes to his nose.


    He felt incredible pressure bearing down on him! And a slight shame in his heart - he knew what he was doing was wrong. But he refused to let his reputation and career reduce to rubble! Not to mention, he wasn''t fond of the arrogance that Miyamoto exuded - even daring to take his own opponent from him!


    This hate is what brought him where he was right now!


    "Wooshhh." Hotaru declined to comment, taking in a hit of his cigar, blowing the smoke out into the air.


    This was the briefing he was given, and despite his own suspicions - he knew that he had no control over this matter.


    This entire botched operation had flown out of his hands - it would have to be handled by the Sixty Six Navy Judges!


    "Captain Oka wants to see all of you. Be sure to keep your story consistent." Hotaru spoke sharply, dismissing them all with this single sentence.


    "Kenji...you can''t be dead." Hotaru, alone in the office, spoke grimly with one last cloud of smoke.

 [CH. 16] Kenji Awakens!? Master Snow? Waves Across the Grand Line!

    The devastated Demolition Squad''s story quickly spread throughout the entirety of the 201st Marine Base - and due to the involvement of Kenji''s death, the news even hit Marine HQ. Once this news hit the ears of the famous Vice Admiral Garp - he immediately was flown into a disbelief and arranged to immediately travel to the 201st Marine Base. He refused to believe this grandnephew of his would have died just like that!


    However, in the meantime, Demolition Squad''s briefing - led by Haru Azuelo led to the promotion of Haru due to his heroic defeat of Daichi. "Demolition Squad" was promoted to dissolve almost immediately.


    Strangely, after the dissolution of Demolition Squad, Haru Azuelo was sent on another mission - in which he discovered a devil fruit for himself! He decided on the spot to eat the fruit, which further led to another promotion as his strength spiked up even further. In the aftermath of the incident, Haru had risen in both rank and fame - eventually leading to his direct assignment to Navy HQ - Marineford!


    With this promotion came Haru''s move to the legendary Grand Line! The Grand Line was a famous strip of ocean spanning the entire world perpendicular to the Red Line. Known as the most dangerous place in the world, all major events in the world typically ran across this legendary sea. It was rumored that Gol D. Roger''s ''One Piece'' was located at the very end of the Grand Line - and whoever reached the Grand Line''s final island would obtain the legendary treasure.


    Housing the Four Pirate Emperor''s, Navy HQ, and the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the Grand Line was essential the centerpiece of the World!


    With his move to HQ, Haru Azuelo quickly became the new success story of the 201st Marine Base! He quickly gathered fame across the seas as he shocked fear into pirates hearts with his prowess. After specific training in Navy HQ, Haru Azuelo would rise further and further through the ranks, becoming a name that would shake the hearts of thousands of pirates in the Grand Line.


    Time continued to pass as waves continued to shake the entire world. The rise of a new pirate crew known as the Strawhat Pirates would also bring waves to the world - even one-day attacking Enies Lobby with a fury! This would spread the fame of Strawhat Luffy even further through the world, his bounty skyrocketing as eyes turned to him.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Another rising story was the legendary pirate Leon Aokiji - who joined one of the Four Emperor''s - Red Hair Shanks! One of the youngest crew members, he was known for his famous Metal Metal fruit; to which he used to the maximum of his abilities. His epithet would become "Iron Fist" due to his growing prowess.


    And of course...the events of Marineford were beginning to take shape.


    As time passed very quickly, as the Grand Line and the world moved ahead - almost everyone forgot about the small and insignificant Kenji.


    But the man would wake up today, of all days.


    In an Unknown Island, East Blue.


    Kenji''s eyes fluttered open, immediately being blasted with the outside sunlight. He found himself lying on the sand, with a warm wave of seawater splashing on his feet. Next came the smell of smoke and roasted food - coming from a nearby fire. Memories flooded his thoughts - his last known memory being shot by his own squadmate. With this thought lingering, he jumped up from the sand, horror, and fury in his heart.


    "Gah! Where are you Haru!? SHOW YOURSELF, YOU TRAITOR!" Leaping up from the sand, he viciously looked around to only see a skinny and frail body leaning against the fire - with what seemed to be meat roasting.


    "Relax, will you!? I save you and you immediately start shouting? Don''t you see me meditating?" The bald man was sitting cross-legged by the fire opened his weary eyelids - as if extremely tired. He was completely bald, his shiny head forming almost a perfect sphere. He had a grey beard that was kept at a short length but still pronounced his age. His face, despite his outer appearance, seemed filled with vitality.


    His outer robes were those of a simple and common monk, loosely hanging to his body and showing off the old man''s extremely frail body. His arms were thin, just like the rest of his body, as he sat cross-legged in a meditative state.


    "Wait..who are you!?" Kenji''s mind still had a flurry of thoughts, so he quickly tried to calm his mind and organize himself. Two main questions presented themselves: Who was this old monk and how did he get here?


    "Me? You shall refer to me as Master Snow from now on." The old monk casually spoke out, his aged voice seemingly carrying waves of ancient wisdom.


    "Master? What do you mean Master? First off, where the hell am I!?" Kenji still was bewildered, no matter how much he racked his brains he couldn''t figure out anything between being shot by Haru by sitting in front of a random monk.


    "So many questions! Who knew Satoru''s grandson would be so noisy!" The old monk''s eyes flashed open, staring directly through Kenji''s soul.


    Kenji''s heart trembled...Satoru was his Grandfather Garp had told him about!

 [CH.17] Training Begins! Trusty MARINE Cap!

    "You know my grandfather?" I couldn''t help but become speechless, my voice full of admiration. This old wise monk knew my grandad!?


    "Yes, yes. Get your shock out early. Sotaru and I have been friends for a very long time, back in those days. Why do you think I''m here?" Master Snow couldn''t help but chuckle at my reaction.


    But for some reason, I completely believed him! Even just by age, he looked like he could be my grandfather''s peer. Maybe because of that, or for some other reason, I couldn''t help but feel a special kind of connection to Master Snow.


    "Well, I guess that makes sense. You''ll have to explain later, but first, where am I and where is that damn Haru?" I took a deep breath and calmed myself, and the first thing I thought of was damn Haru.


    I was still furious at him! To think that I would be shot by my own comrade and fellow marine, it was just sickening.


    "That green-haired fellow? He should be somewhere at Navy HQ by now. I saw what happened to you, truly a sad matter." Master Snow''s eyes warmed a bit, and the way he shook his head showed that he knew it all.


    "You let him go? If you saw, why didn''t you stop him?" If he saw what happened, he would stop him. Right?


    "Wait, you said Navy HQ? He got a promotion!?" I couldn''t help but be bewildered. Typically they wouldn''t send someone to Navy HQ to be in jail...this meant that he must''ve got a promotion!


    Suddenly I felt even more sick to my stomach.


    "Me? Stopping him will be your job, after all, his betrayal remains your affairs. As for his promotion, don''t forget none of your squadmates saw what happened. He arranged a whole new murder scene quite skillfully, he will serve as a dangerous opposition to you." Master Snow still remembered the viciousness Haru displayed that day.


    "You''re right." I could only let out a deep sigh, and finally, collect myself. But then I remembered - I had been shot! I began to feel up on my chest, right where my heart was, only to find a bandage that wrapped around the wound and my chest diagonally. Surprisingly, the wound only seemed somewhat sore.


    "Finally realized, eh? I healed your wound for you, though I do have to attribute most of it to your tenacious life force." Master Snow smiled slightly, making him seem even more like a peculiar but gentle monk.


    "I-uh. Thank you. I''m sorry, just a lot''s going through my head right now." Taking another deep breath, I saluted in gratitude and turned my attention to the meat roasting on the fire.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Anytime, youngster. Ready to eat, eh?" Master Snow gently chuckled, and almost immediately my ravenous stomach rumbled - almost waking all the birds in the forest. He passed me a meat bone, and almost immediately I began to dig into the bone.


    I didn''t realize exactly how hungry I was until that first bite! I began to chew more and more and before I knew it we had eaten the entire beast! It was mostly me though, Master Snow only had a little bit and watched me eat with some humor.


    "Ahhhhh!!! Thank you, Master Snow!" Finishing the last bone, I couldn''t help but pat my stomach satisfactorily. Food after nearly dying was the best kind of food, I decided.


    "Don''t get too comfortable. You''re training will start tomorrow, so don''t expect a life of luxury!" Master Snow laughed and reminded me. I didn''t even notice that the sky had already turned dark.


    "Training? You''re going to teach me?" I laid back down and opened one eye, looking at this peculiar and gentle looking monk. I couldn''t help but be curious, what did he want to teach me?


    "Of course. You''ve been asleep for almost a month now, precious time lost. In fact, while you were resting and at basic training, your brother Leon made a name for himself. He joined one of the Four Emperor''s - Shanks." Master Snow curiously looked at me, wanting to see my response. Sotaru had told him about the relationship between the trio, he wanted to see if this news would surprise me. And it sure did.


    "Shanks!? Red-Haired Shanks? The Yonko? What!" I shot up from my lying position, looking Master Snow in the eyes.


    Shanks was one of the Four Yonko - the four strongest pirates in the entire world! They were the peak of all pirates, each of their crews'' strengths were unfathomable, not to mention themselves.


    Suddenly I felt like I was falling behind, just like all of our races in our childhood. He was aboard a crew with one of the strongest pirates in the world, and here I was, a Chief Petty Officer shot by his own crew member and asleep for the last month. I couldn''t help but feel a little bit discouraged.


    "And what about Hatsune? Is he still in the village?" He may have left early, knowing him. But remembering the little chubby Hatsume couldn''t help but put a smile on my face, despite the desperate times I was in.


    "That boy? He has left the village, and so has your Aunt Anari. His adventure has still yet to be revealed, but I''m confident you''ll meet him later on." Master Snow explained, drinking a cup of tea he had prepared for himself.


    "Huh, I guess that''s good. I''ll have to catch up to Leon though, and also handle my business with Haru." I clenched my fist, a newfound determination in my heart.


    "Sleep now. Training tomorrow won''t be easy. No questions, tomorrow more will be explained. But before that, I have something of yours." And with that, almost out of nowhere, Master Snow pulled out a bright white hat with bold blue letters across ''MARINE''. At the tip of the hat was a small niche from Daichi''s poisoned blade. It was more than my hat.


    Master Snow tossed the hat to me, which glided across the air and landed softly in my hands. Looking at the bold blue ''MARINE'' letters, resolve filled my heart. I swore to myself that Daichi''s niche would be the last mark an enemy would make on that white cap.


    "Wake me up for training tomorrow." And with that, I placed the hat on my head and collapsed - asleep.


    And things changed from there.

 [CH.18] Yin Martial Art! Yang! Master Snows Teachings!

    "Wake up! Training has begun!" Master Snow''s formerly peaceful and reserved voice exploded into my ears, shaking me from my originally lax sleep.


    I wasn''t too startled, after all, my time in basic training taught me how to wake up early at the slightest noise. But at the same time, did he have to be so loud?


    I cracked my eyes open just a little bit, only to see that the sun was barely coming up - it was obviously very early in the morning. I estimated it to only be two or three in the morning, but the day had begun.


    "Hmph! The sun will be rising soon, which is when we will meditate. Before that, you must understand a few things." Master Snow stood above me, looking down with his long monk robes fluttering in the wind. I couldn''t help but feel that he was at least somewhat cold, after all, he was only wearing a baggy kasaya. His bald head wasn''t helping.


    "You said training has begun. What exactly am I training in?" This detail still confused me, I didn''t know what we were actually training in. I needed to become as strong as possible, as quickly as possible.


    After all, I still had to catch up to Leon. And with my current strength and Haru''s recent promotion to HQ - I needed a lot of work. Just this was enough to sharpen my mood and straighten my face. I became fully attentive to Master Snow, awaiting orders.


    "Good. We will start with a bit of history, have you heard of the Yin Monks?" Master Snow seemed pleased with my attitude and began relaxedly pace back and forth.


    "The famous Yin Monks of the Grand Line? Of course I have; they hold a nearly legendary status there. Don''t tell me..." As soon as he brought up the Yin Monks, I felt my mind quiver. Master Snow was most likely a Yin Monk!


    Yin Monks were an elite group of uniquely trained monks on an island in the Grand Line. On the island, they built Yin Dojo - the home for all Yin Monks. Despite the islands small size, it was definitely one of the most dangerous locations on the Grand Line!


    Rumors had it that one of the four Yonko had once tried to conquer Yin Dojo and bring them under their control - to no avail! It was a world-shaking battle in which the Yin Monks forced the entire Yonko''s crew into retreat, establishing their near untouchable status. Their power was nothing to scoff at, and even the World Government tried to recruit them countless times.


    But, alas, Yin Dojo was adamant on being independent of both the pirates and the marines. They often times remained by themselves, removed from worldly affairs, to the rest of the Grand Line''s relief.


    If Master Snow was one of these Yin Monks he was definitely some world-shaking individual!


    "Yes, I am a Yin Monk. Today, we shall start your training in my Yin Martial Art - be grateful!" These words shook me to the core. The Yin Martial Art was the fighting style of Yin Monks and was the reason behind their boundless strength. It allowed Yin Monks to directly control their own inner energy - to enchanting effects.


    However, to train in Yin Martial Art, it was required that one didn''t have a devil fruit. Yet even then, the powers of the Art often times compares with the strongest of devil fruits. Just this was proved by Yin Dojo''s battle against the Yonko!This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Yin Martial Art was Yin Dojo''s number one secret, and only Yin Monks raised in Yin Dojo could train in it. For an outsider to train it was unheard of, so my shock was without a doubt understandable.


    This definitely had Grandpa Satoru written all over it...


    "Yes, as you probably know, this is unheard of in Yin Dojo. It is only because of a favor we owe Satoru that Yin Dojo is doing so. Be grateful, and give your Grandpa a thousand thanks when you see him next!" Master Snow shook his head, helpless. Even he had a challenge in front of him.


    After all, the monks that trained at Yin Dojo devoted themselves entirely to the art - from a young age. To train an outsider without any background knowledge and training was incredibly difficult, especially to the level that I needed to be at.


    However, this would only motivate me to work harder. I may have further to catch up, but who can compare to me in terms of work ethic?


    "I will start by explaining and showing you the fundamentals of the art. But before this, you must swear to absolute secrecy! If you dare reveal the secrets of the art to another outsider, it will be our heaven-destined responsibility to take your head!" Master Snow expression suddenly became incredibly severe, staring into the depths of my eyes. I could feel a faint killing aura begin to leak out of him, which was more than enough for me to realize the gravity of the matter.


    I had no doubt that if I revealed the secrets of the Art, Master Snow would kill me himself. My heart solemn and my expression grave, I agreed and swore to never reveal anything.


    This oath only made me realize the extent of Grandpa Satoru''s power over the world - enough to even make Yin Dojo spill its secrets. Just the thought shook my mind.


    "Good. Now enter the meditative position. Sense into your body, and grasp at the life force flowing. This is the life energy Yin Martial Art feeds on...chi." As instructed, I sat down and entered a meditative state, sensing inside myself. I closed my eyes and focused inward, and began to connect with strange energy flowing through my meridians - albeit seeming kind of weak.


    "This inner energy, chi, is replenishable and constantly reforms. For regular humans, it is almost never used to its true potential - except for extreme situations. But Yin Monks thrive upon this energy and build up large reserves of chi to combust. This combustion is the first fundamental skill of Yin Martial Art - Yang! Watch!" I opened my eyes to see Master Snow standing right in front of me. I watched carefully as his eyes seemed to sharpen into swords - forming a piercing gaze.


    He was getting serious.


    His hands clasped in a prayer-like stance, while a sudden violent influx of energy flooded out of him - whirling sand and even causing the sea to tremble. I felt my own body quiver as the wind thrust my hair back, and nearly my body along with it. Strange silver steam began to emerge out of Master Snow''s body, climbing higher and higher, containing some sort of roaring passion. In fact, the steam seemed to boil the air around him - resulting in his incredibly fierce appearance.


    The more silver steam that rose, the crazier the encircling pressure became, just from a glance I could tell that there was an immense amount of energy being released into the air - in the form of that silver steam. It felt as if Master Snow controlled the world at that moment, with endless momentum and power on his side.


    It was incredible, to say the least.


    "This is Yang. The burning of the internal chi in the form of silver steam or smoke. Although it serves no offensive or defensive purpose - it is required for every single move in the Yin Martial Art. The longer and more powerful you perform Yang, thestronger the rest of your moves will be!" Master Snow took in a deep breath, devouring all of that silver steam back into his body. The crazy wind and disturbed sand and sea calmed down as soon as it started. In only a brief second, everything appeared to return to normal. And clearly, from his appearance, performing Yang was as easy as eating to him. He wasn''t disturbed at all.


    It was without a doubt awe-inspiring. I couldn''t help begin to feel a sense of fervid excitement; just from that small display of Yang, I could tell that this Yin Martial Art was unfathomably powerful!


    ''I will use this Martial Art to rule the seas and establish justice everywhere!'' My heart roared out.


    Watch out Leon - I''m not too far behind!

 [CH.19] Ninjutsu and Taijutsu! Training Continues!

    The next few weeks consisted of intense meditation and the building up of my chi reserves. Slowly but surely, my chi grew stronger and stronger, and I could feel the power seething within me.


    Master Snow was also pleased with my progress, he later told me I progressed much faster than most monks at Yin Dojo. Even faster than those who had preparatory training from when they were very young.


    He attributed this to my sense of justice and extreme will, one of the main foundations for powerful chi reserves. I wouldn''t truly understand the extent of this until much later, though.


    But there was just as much physical training as there was meditation. With each growth in chi, I had to ensure my body would be able to keep up, and I didn''t hold back at all during training.


    From carrying trees on my back to climbing steep mountains with rocks dragging me behind, to intense agility training led by Master Snow himself. At one point he even lined me up against a cliff, took heavy rocks and chucked them at me as fast as possible - forcing me to learn how to react and dodge quicker than I ever saw possible.


    There seemed to be a mysterious effect to it, and I became so good that I could almost predict where the rocks were going to hit even before he even threw them.


    This, too, I wouldn''t truly understand until later.


    And alongside the physical and mental training came the actual practice of Yang. I would have to perform Yang and hold it until exhaustion over and over - Master Snow would time me each time. The goal was to always hold it as long as possible, as Master Snow said, "The moment you run out of chi is the moment you lose the fight! Yang must always be in the background, it is your fuel!"


    And so I would train Yang continuously. Alongside my physical body and my mental spirit, my time and intensity continued to grow. Eventually, I was even able to hold Yang for an hour - all while doing movement and exercise.


    I could feel myself improving. And Master Snow, seeing this, decided to teach me more of the mysteries of Yin Martial Art.


    Right beside a massive mountain, on an exceptionally mountainous island we had been training on.


    "Good, you can now hold Yang in the background for an hour. Now it is time for you to actually learn Yin Dojo''s martial arts. Listen carefully." Master Snow, bald head gleaming in the sun, his monk robes fluttering in the wind, spoke. My eyes were as wide as the sun, soaking in everything that he was doing.


    "Yin Martial Arts are split into two main styles. Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. Taijutsu includes techniques based on the body - close range techniques. Ninjutsu, which is often employed through Bukijutsu, are techniques that are outside of the body - long range. This is a demonstration." Master Snow once again placed his hands in the praying position, which I had already learned wasn''t necessary for Yang, but was his preference.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Silver steam once again began to rise from his body, albeit being tame. He casually strolled to a nearby massive mountain, the silver steam following him closely. He stopped right in front of the very bottom of the mountain.


    "This is Taijutsu." And with those words, he clenched his hand into a fist, mysterious pure white energy enveloping his fist. Slowly and lightly, Master Snow punched the mountain, causing massive fissures to spread out from the impact, causing the mountain to shake furiously. Boulders started to fall, his fist threatening to blast the mountain apart. Showing mercy, he removed his hand from the mountain as the silver energy retreated back into his body.


    I watched with amazement as the entire mountain had huge fractures splitting it apart, forming an intricate spider web. It seemed as if just a single breeze would destroy the mountain!


    "Master Snow...that''s from the silver energy? Is that the tangibile form of chi?" I stuttered, still in awe from the mountain''s near collapse. This was an entire mountainside, nearly destroyed from a single punch!


    Not to mention how light that punch seemed to be! Was this the power Yin Martial Art possessed!?


    "Yes, that silver energy is chi outside of your body. When you combust it internally, through Yang, it forms a tangible form outside of your body. Taijutsu doesn''t just have to be simple punches and kicks." Silver steam still rising into the sky, I watched as silver energy shot out of him and formed an impenetrable armor around him - making him seem like a silver knight. Just as quickly as the armor appeared, it disappeared, and the energy formed a dragon on his fist.


    It was as if that chi could form into any shape he wanted. He was only limited by his reserves and imagination!


    "This, however, is Ninjutsu." The dragon''s mouth disappeared, and he made a simple gun motion with his hand. Aimed at the mountain, a silver bullet shot out of his finger at violent speeds and flung into the mountain! The bullet pierced straight into the epicenter of the spiderweb, where Master Snow punched before, and exploded!


    The whole mountain quivered and quaked, then collapsed apart! I watched as debris and boulders came flying down - threatening to bury us alive. About to spring into action, I only heard Master Snow calmly say, "My demonstration isn''t over yet...this is bukijutsu!"


    Raising his hand, a massive medieval shield flew up into the sky - made completely of silver energy! It was detailed enough you could even see the groves and definitions within the shield, and sturdy enough so that the massive boulders only exploded against it - leaving us completely undamaged!


    It seemed like something out of a dream. I scanned left and right to see all the debris and boulders circled around us, while the two of us were completely unharmed.


    The silver shield didn''t even have a single crack! With a single breath, all of the silver energy was drawn right back into Master Snow, as if nothing had ever happened.


    "Many Yin Monks specialize in one of the two but can still perform both. Bukijutsu is the ability to make weapons and is universal to both paths. We start training this tomorrow, for now, start meditating upon what you saw today." And with a friendly, harmless smile, Master Snow placed his hands behind his back and strolled off.


    As if he hadn''t destroyed an entire mountain seconds before...

 [CH.20] Training Complete! The Journey Continues!

    Training continued and continued; I only felt myself become stronger and stronger. My Yang duration and intensity continued to grow, and I could use it to support both ninjutsu and taijutsu. My physical strength also continued to grow and grow; I could feel that I was incomparable to the Kenji before.


    Training with ninjutsu consisted of learning how to manipulate the shape of my chi and how to send it shooting out of my body. I often practiced this with bukijutsu, as it was simpler for me to make attacks in the shapes of weapons.


    For example, I would sit there and create all kinds of guns, rifles, and bows - and then shoot out energy attacks from them. Although draining, continuing to practice made each creation easier than the last.


    I also learned the principle of conservation, which is why Master Snow always inhaled his chi back in. This allows one to replace a portion of their energy reserves, allowing one to fight and perform Yang for longer.


    Taijutsu training mainly consisted of learning how to match my chi attacks with my physical body strength. Chi not only made me physically stronger but by being creative I could create all sorts of effects in hand to hand combat.


    And when using bukijutsu, I could create all sorts of swords, knives, hammers - etc. Taijutsu was generally stronger, as it was closer to my Yang and I didn''t have to spend effort in shooting the energy outwards.


    Training continued with both methods, and I felt myself becoming more and more familiar with each. Eventually, I began sparring with Master Snow, to gather more battle experience with the Yin Martial Art.


    This was probably the most beneficial training. And after what seemed like an eternity, we had a final battle to conclude my training.


    I wasn''t going to hold back!


    "Are you ready? I won''t go easy on you this time." Master Snow stood in front of him, hands crossed behind his back. He was entirely calm, but so was I.


    "Of course. Maybe this time I''ll beat you." Grinning, I began to activate Yang. Silver steam floated up from my body, creating some kind of mystical effect. My muscles defined even further, and I shoot forward towards him - raising my hand in a fist motion.


    "Too simple." As quick as I was, appearing in front of him in an instant, a silver energy shield sprung forth to protect him. Unfazed, silver energy coated my punch as I slammed it across the shield - cracks springing forth everywhere. With a second punch, the shield shattered, but Master Snow wasn''t behind it.


    "Hmph." Instead, he was above me, using silver energy to step on the air, and made a pistol motion with his hand. Silver bullets sprung forth from the tips of his fingers, shooting down at me in a deadly volley.


    "Too slow," I smirked, silver steam rising up as I swiftly dodged each of his bullets - pushing off silver energy below me to boost my speed. Breaking away from the volley, I jumped into the air and shot towards him, treading on air just as he did.


    "Mocking me?" Master Snow raised his hands, a massive silver hammer springing forth. It was absolutely huge, and if it was in a physical form it was the hammer meant for a giant - not for the frail Master Snow. He swung it horizontally at me, trying to keep me at bay.


    "Maybe." How could I let that stop me? I exploded silver energy below me to shoot my self higher into the sky - flipping in the air above him. I copied his finger motion and began shooting silver bullets from above him.


    He responded by dodging each bullet easily, staying in the same spot - which was what I wanted.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Dragon kick!" Standing directly above him in the air, watching him dodge, I grinned as silver energy exploded me downwards - a silver dragon wrapping around my leg. The bullets were just a distraction, and I darted down to drop-kick him right on his bald head.


    "HM!?" Master Snow, caught off guard, instinctively raised that medieval shield to try and defend himself - but it was too late. My dragon kick directly devoured through the shield, and I drop kicked him with all my strength! He was sent flying into the ground, creating a satisfying crater as rubble and debris flew into the air.


    "I won!" Silver steam still flowing out of my body, I gracefully landed onto the ground, grinning with all my heart. My training was done, right!?


    "Don''t get too excited, boy." A voice that seemed like the devil calling from hell echoed out of the crater, causing the atmosphere to completely change. My eyes narrowed into needles as I watched Master Snow step out of the crater - completely unharmed.


    What was even scarier was the pure amount of silver smoke flowing out of his body! The smoke seemed to rise all the way up to heaven as if he was directly on fire. The smoke covered the entirety of his body except for his incredibly fierce eyes, and with that came an enormous pressure.


    I felt the air in the sky stiffen, gravity increase its pressure, forcing me to kneel to the ground and look up at Master Snow. Speechless, it seemed like the entire world was under Master Snow''s control, and with each step of his, I felt the pressure grow more and more unbearable. By the time he reached in front of me, I was laying on the ground - struggling to breathe!


    It felt like my life was his! I was at his mercy, and with just another stomp of his foot, I would be dead at his feet!


    To say that it was absolutely terrifying was an understatement!


    "Don''t get too cocky, my disciple. Haha!" And with that light laugh, I felt all the pressure strangling me vanish - as if it was never there. The smoke rising to heaven was sucked right back into Master Snow, and he stood there with his typical amiable smile - as if nothing happened.


    "What the hell Master Snow!? Was that your Yang!?" I was completely astonished, scrambling up from the ground, I looked at Master Snow with wide eyes. The amount of pressure he released made him seem like the devil himself!


    If my Yang could grow that powerful, who would ever be my match? It seemed almost unreal!


    "Haha, that is a hint of my Extreme Yang. Listen carefully. Whenever a Yin Monk is at a point where death is certain and there are no other options, that Yin Monk can burn their life source - permanently. The strength released is, as expected, unfathomable. Of course, directly burning your life source like this will lead to either permanent damage or death. This can only be used as a last resort!" Master Snow''s face immediately became stern, as he explained Extreme Yang. It was actually simple to do, and the power it released was nothing short of insane.


    But of course, its side effects were nothing to scoff at. Engraving its risks into my heart, I placed it into my arsenal as a last resort.


    "Well, I no longer have anything to teach you. Everything else you will learn on the Grand Line or from your own unique experiences. We will say you have completed your training today." Master Snow smiled and patted me softly. I could see the pride beaming from his eyes, and I couldn''t help but feel accomplished myself.


    I had learned the famous Yin Martial Art in a few months. This was no small accomplishment, and I had to attribute it to Master Snow''s fantastic training. Of course, I didn''t learn everything in it, as the true extents of the Art would require years of training and studying.


    But what I learned was more than enough, and was something Yin Dojo would never teach to an outsider like me. I had to embrace Master Snow, and engrave this favor in my heart.


    A few months ago, I was lost and nearly dead at Haru''s feet, and today I can hold my back straight and continue my journey. I had to attribute this all to Master Snow, and Grandpa Satoru who led Master Snow to me.


    ''Grandfather, I will make you proud.'' This was a man who I had yet to meet in full and had already impacted my life so much. I would make sure to meet him soon, as well as Aunt Anari.


    Not to mention my brothers, who were probably ahead of me on the Grand Line.


    I had a lot of places to go and goals to reach.


    "Ah, the pleasure was all mine, young Kenji. Since you''re training is completed, I will head to Yin Dojo. But first, let us finish as we started, with an excellent meal!" Despite his appearance as a Monk, Master Snow still loved to eat amazing food. Of course, I was the same way, so I couldn''t blame him.


    That night we found a massive beast to cook and roast, rare vegetables and herbs to cook it with, and enjoyed an absolutely fantastic meal. That night we laughed, ate, and drank.


    It was one of the best nights of my life. Of course, it was the last time I would see Master Snow for a long time - until the Grand Line. But I had already engraved the favor in my heart, and redetermined my heart to establish justice over the seas!


    Here I come!

 [CH.21] Instructor Hotarus Office! Bounty Hunter Group!

    When I woke up the next morning, I was lying there by myself. Master Snow had long disappeared, heading far away to Yin Dojo. Left by myself, I stood up and reaffirmed where I was.


    I was on one of the many islands we had been training on, an island on the Archipelago. This meant that Uxopia wasn''t too far away, and I felt it was only appropriate to go check on Aunt Anari.


    ''Master Snow said Hatsume already left. That means it''s unlikely Aunt Anari and Grandpa Satoru are there.'' Although I felt like it was unlikely, I still couldn''t help but give it a chance. So I found a dingy to head to Uxopia, where everything had started.


    ...


    Landing on the small island, I walked down the old dusty path we used to run across as kids. It only made me miss my brothers even more.


    I even passed where the Viking Pirates had attacked, reminding me of our little three punch combo. All of our hearts had been racing, but we were all motivated by the thought of saving Aunt Anari.


    Ahh. It had only been a few months and yet it felt like a thousand years since I left. From joining the Marines to Basic Training to Demolition Squad to Haru''s Betrayal to Master Snow''s training. All of it seemed to happen so quickly and made the past feel like forever ago.


    Eventually, I reached the vibrant Uxopia village - it was around noon so everyone was up and doing their daily routine.


    I decided to step back and conceal myself, I didn''t want to bring all the village''s attention to me.


    It was too early for me to reveal myself. The time I return to Uxopia I want to be famous and renowned as a hero - not as a marine who was betrayed. And so I waited until night fell, and then went back to our old house.


    I opened the door to see our old wooden house. Everything seemed the same - but it was empty.


    Aunt Anari wasn''t there. I sighed deeply and left the room, then went next door to see if Grandpa Satoru was there.


    That too was empty.


    As unfortunate as it was, it meant it wasn''t time for us to meet. I could only solemnly return to my dingy and prepare to go to my next location - the 201st Marine Base. Master Snow had said that everyone thought I was dead, the work of that damned Haru. I had to go visit Instructor Hotaru and clear things up.


    ...


    "This is the 201st Marine Base, how can I help you?" A pretty lady wearing an all-white uniform sat at the desk, wearing the familiar MARINE hat. She was obviously a low ranking recruit, probably a chore girl.


    "Thank you, I have a message for Instructor Hotaru. Just tell him Kenji wants to speak with him." I gently smiled.


    It was about time people knew I wasn''t dead.


    "Okay, Kenji who?"


    "Akura D. Kenji." At that moment, I grinned. I obviously expected some kind of reaction, but the chore-girl simply smiled and sent the message on.


    I meekly laughed, maybe I thought a little too highly of myself. Then again, she could just be a brand new recruit.


    Either way, it was time I made my own mark in this world.


    ...


    I turned the metal doorknob and opened the door, the smell of smoke immediately blasting my face. It was a refreshing smell and reminded me of my previous experiences.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    It was the exact same, it was Instructor Hotaru''s office. As usual, he was seated with his back facing me, a familiar cigar in his hand. I couldn''t help but feel my emotions bubble a bit - this was the man who had taught me everything about the Marines.


    "Kenji, it really is you. To think you would go on and scare me like that! What the hell happened!" In classic Instructor Hotaru fashion, he spun on his chair and placed his feet on his desk. With another loud puff of smoke, I could see the emotions on his face.


    From anger, confusion, and relief. It made my heart warm, this was one of the people who genuinely cared about me. He was my teacher, after all.


    "Haha, I''m sorry for scaring you, sir. It was just that damned Haru!" We quickly got straight to business, and I explained the whole situation to him.


    What REALLY happened during the invasion of the Trek Pirates. I explained with fury Haru''s betrayal and his slippery ruthlessness. With every word I used to recount, Instructor Hotaru became more and more furious.


    "Damnit! I knew there was something wrong with him, I just thought he would get over whatever feelings he had. Kenji, I''m sorry." Instructor Hotaru looked back on the day when he named me the leader of Demolition Squad, and how Haru''s eyes flashed with jealousy. I couldn''t blame him though, how could he know Haru''s true nature from a quick glance of unhappiness?


    "There''s no need to apologize, it wasn''t your fault. What is important is how I''m going to respond; I have to get to the Grand Line as soon as possible. Haru has already reached Navy HQ, what''s the extent of his accomplishments over there?"


    "Haru has done excellent at Marineford, he''s one of the most famous new marines there. He managed to eat an extremely rare logia - Mizu Mizu no Mi. This means he has the ability to transform, create, and control water. In the Grand Line, he''s already made a name for himself, being called the ''Bloody Shark of the Marines''. Rumor is that his water is never crystal clear blue, always stained with the blood of a pirate." Instructor Hotaru shook his head and blew out another puff of smoke, his mind drifting elsewhere. He had mixed feelings about Haru, after all, he had raised this beast.


    But at the same time, there was no excuse for treason!


    "And in my case, the blood of marines as well. What rank has he reached?" I clenched my fist hearing Haru''s accomplishments. While I was injured, recovering, and training; he was out in the Grand Line making a name for himself!


    "He''s already reached the rank of Captain. The problem is that he''s attracted the attention of that damned Sakazuki - more commonly known as ''Akainu''. He''s one of the marines three famed admirals, and with his protection, you won''t be able to touch Haru. Damn!" Another puff of smoke, this one even angrier than before.


    Akainu, "Red Dog", one of the Marines'' three famed admirals. As an admiral, he could be just as strong as my grand uncle - Monkey D. Garp! He was famous for his ''Absolute Justice'', to which Haru fit perfectly.


    Although I would call Haru "Twisted Justice", if anything.


    Things were bad, and that meant I most likely couldn''t rejoin the marines. Haru would do all kinds of sly tricks to hold me back, or even directly arrange my death.


    If I wanted to make a name and establish justice, I had to do it separate from the World Government!


    "I understand. That''s fine, help from the outside will only carry him so far. Instructor Hotaru, I''m thinking of creating a group of ''bounty hunters'' to follow me into the Grand Line. We''ll capture pirates and turn them into the marines, and maybe even capture corrupt marines as well. Do you have anyone you can suggest to be my first mate?" If anyone knew who would be a good fit for this group of mine, it would be Instructor Hotaru. This was another reason why I came to meet with him.


    "Hmm...that sounds like a good idea. Trust me, Kenji, this World Government isn''t what you think it is. I recently had the opportunity to go to Mary Geoise and see the things that go on over there. Just that visit was enough for me to put in my letter of resignment." A flash of anger and disgust came across Instructor Hotaru, and I couldn''t help but be curious about what he saw there.


    Mary Geoise was the Holy Land of the World Government, and where all the powerful leaders of the World Government lived. What did he see that was enough to make him resign?


    "But if you are looking for former marines to join your group - I''ll admit the former members of Demolition Squad are too weak. But there is one swordsman, who Haru and Itsuki kicked out, named Miyamoto Musashi. His swordsmanship skills are unparalleled, and I felt like Itsuki''s story didn''t add up about him. I felt like something like this would happen, and I asked him where he would be if I ever needed him. He''s on an island quite aways from here - Battle Arena Island. He''s probably there to sharpen his swordsmanship; he should be your first member." I didn''t know who this Miyamoto Musashi was, but from Instructor Hotaru''s praise, I could tell he was a great figure. Instructor Hotaru believed that Itsuki set up a plot to get him kicked out of the marines, somehow tied with Haru. I didn''t doubt it, and after talking more with him, I prepared myself to leave and find this swordsman.


    "Instructor Hotaru, next time I see you I will have made a name for myself!" I closed the door to that familiar smoke-filled room, leaving the 201st Marine Base.


    Time to find this Miyamoto Musashi!