"...And I spent the whole night reading an introductory book." Pouting at my sudden lack of awareness, I stood up from the study table and walked toward the door after grabbing the towel hanging on one of my hangers.
"I got all the initial information I need to know. I need to investigate to find any other information from now on." I said, walking toward the common bathroom I share with four people. All this information was recorded in the book. Like a recollection of old Laurent's memory, everything he knew was recorded in the book and implanted into mine as I kept reading. I don't know how it happened, but I have a complete set of memories different from those of my past life. It's like I lived through two lifetimes and could remember both.
"I can't remember the names of my closed ones, though." Although I gained a new set of memories, it came at the loss of some old ones. For example, I can't remember the name of the Major General I worked under. I remember being very close to him, and I considered him a parental figure during that life of mine.
"That's sad!" I mused, "But it's better than constantly thinking about the old world while living in the new one." I finished, concentrating on doing my toiletries. It seems like I'm still early compared to other people. I was the only person bathing.
"It should be around 6 in the morning." It was early, but not too early, for a training camp belonging to an army, especially one as big and organized as the Marines in the One Piece world. It looks like they're pretty lax with the trainees.
"Dude, are you monologuing?" As I was talking to myself, someone came into the bathroom, a towel wrapped around the lower part of his body. The young man, around the same age as me, had brown skin and medium-length dreaded black hair. Looking at me through the curtain separating the bathing area from the rest of the bathroom, the young man continued speaking. "I thought I'd be the only person waking up so early to get ready for training. It looks like you'll be a worthy rival."
Looking at the young man, I couldn't help but smile weirdly. 'Why am I always around weird characters?' I thought, still looking at the young man.
"Can I know your name first?" I asked, continuing to do my toiletries. I was about to finish before I got interrupted anyway.
"My name is Fred. I'm from Bentrose Island, about 10 kilometers away to the North of this camp." He answered, waiting for me to introduce myself.
"My name is Laurent, Vice-admiral Fall's grandson," I spoke, using the same introductory model as his. Looking at his expression as I tied the towel around my waist, I nodded in satisfaction seeing the shock written on it.
'Using your identity to go through life is very satisfying. This is going to be the last time I do it, though. I don't want people hating me because of that.' I mused, remembering the young master characters I had read about in my previous life while stepping out of the bathing area. Those are hateful people.
"You can bathe if you want," I spoke, passing by him to go out of the bathroom. The young man, Fred, still shocked by my identity, didn't respond as I passed by him. Before I could pass through the door, I thought of something and stopped. Looking back, I saw Fred still dazed. 'Is the Vice-admiral rank that high up to shock people like this?' I thought, glancing at the dazed Fred.
"My identity..." I started, earning Fred's attention. "... Please keep it a secret from everyone else." I finished, getting out of the bathroom after nodding at Fred, who did the same with the same dazed expression.
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(Third Person POV)
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Inside a well-decorated office room, the giant figure of a man could be seen sitting on the desk, resting in the middle of the office. The man could be around 3 meters in height, making every piece of furniture in the room enormous in the eyes of a regular person.
In front of the giant individual, five men could be seen standing, holding a salute position as the giant finished signing the papers on his table. A couple of seconds later, the man looked up and signaled the five men to rest their salutes before he started speaking.
"Has everything been prepared?" He asked, looking at the person standing in the middle among the five men.
"Yes, Commodore Stone!" Responded the man standing in the middle of the group. A second later, he continued while looking at the giant human, Commodore Stone, with a respectful expression. "The recruits can start training today. The five of us will personally supervise their training for the next two years." He finished, receiving nods from the other four instructors.
Hearing those words from the head instructor he dug up from another Marine training camp, Commodore Stone smiled. "I trust you, Baibald." He started, the smile on his face disappearing as he continued. "Germain's camp has been suppressing ours for the last four years. This year, we need at least two recruits to be scouted by the headquarters. With Vice-admiral Fall's grandson here, at least one of the places will be filled. Can you help me create another genius?" He finished, looking at Baibald with a solemn expression.
Looking pensive, Baibald didn't immediately respond as he thought about the list of recruits he had been given earlier. 'From what I saw, three of the fifty people have the potential to become an officer. I hope I'm wrong, though.' He thought, silently shaking his head at the lack of talent the Marines are currently experiencing. 'Why are every talented folk becoming pirates? Is that fool's fictional treasure enticing to them?' He mused, feeling disappointed by the situation.
Since the execution of Roger five years ago, countless pirates have taken the seas looking for the man's lost treasure. Due to the abnormal increase of pirates, the Marines felt their lack of personnel and started recruiting. Every year, Marine bases around the world are required to train multiple people ranging from 15 to 20 years old.
The talented ones will be sent to Marineford and receive special training to become future officers. The other recruits will graduate two years later and be assorted to different officers' ships as Seamen First Class soldiers.
However, the Marines do not lack regular soldiers. They lack talented individuals capable of facing big-name pirates in the grand line. Those brilliant enough to reach the three admiral ranks(Rear, Vice, and Admiral) without relying on connections. Thus, any Marine base that trains a recruit qualified enough to be scouted by Marineford will receive enormous resources from the headquarters. Everything can be given by the higher-ups, from modern firearms to money to specialized personnel like blacksmiths and shipwrights.
That's why the competition between the different bases can be brutal, as poaching talented instructors has become common practice.
Pondering about Commodore Stone's considerations, Baibald, a well-known instructor in the organization, smiled. "I can't promise you anything. However, I'll try my best to complete the mission you gave me." Hearing Baibald's words, Commodore Stone seemed to be relieved.
He doesn't like people who blindly make promises. He can't trust those kinds of people, no matter how proficient in their work they are. Instead, he prefers those who do their best without making any promises, as his expectations would not be shattered upon failure.
'Overconfidence is a sin in this world. No matter what you do, there is always an old monster who is better than you.' Thought Commodore Stone, reminiscing about his past. He used to be one of the few talents the higher-ups wanted to focus on, making him grow conceited. However, his view of the world widened when he got active in the grand line,
Having felt the breath of death multiple times before getting saved by the old monsters in the headquarters, Commodore Stone knows the importance of humility in the seas.
'The more talented you are, the more likely you are to die early.' He concluded, nodding as he saw people more talented than him lose their life due to their arrogance. Sighing at his thoughts, Commodore Stone looked outside the window. Seeing the recruits gather in the training ground, he smiled and looked at the instructors.
"The kids are waiting for you. For the next two years, they will be in your care." He spoke, signaling the instructors to get out of the office. Seconds later, he looked at the closed door, a thought appearing.
'Why did Vice-admiral Fall bring his grandson here instead of Marineford?'
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