Join the Navy?
That was a question Trace had never even considered before.
These past few days, all he'd done was either struggle to survive adrift at sea or fight for his life amid zombies.
What he had to focus on was how to stay alive on a battlefield between the Four Emperors—how to make it to the next morning.
Who had time to think about something as lofty as a "career path"?
But now that his mind had calmed and the situation had stabilized, Trace realized it was time to seriously think about the path his life would take from here.
On the surface, the main storyline of the One Piece world was the clash between pirates and the Navy. But underneath it all was the Straw Hat Pirates' quest for the lost history and the liberation of the seas—a journey entangled with Celestial Dragons, the World Government, the Revolutionary Army, and various independent kingdoms.
A flood of possibilities flashed through Trace's mind: Navy, pirate, CP agent, Revolutionary Army...
These major forces—powerful players on the world stage—were the real protagonists of this world.
But Trace had no interest in becoming a vicious pirate, nor did he want to throw his life away for the liberation of a foreign world. As for becoming a dog for the greedy nobles of the Celestial Dragons? Absolutely not.
In that light, joining the Navy actually sounded... pretty good.
Stable pay. Legal right to hunt pirates. Access to loyal subordinates. A clear path to promotion. And best of all—freedom of thought!
Once enlisted, he could emulate Admiral Kizaru's legendary slacker style at work. What a dream!
And when he eventually made Vice Admiral, he could then learn from Garp's carefree detachment—never rising too high, never risking too much.
"Why should I bow to power and lose my joy? Who are the Celestial Dragons but trash in a gilded bin?"
Within a few seconds, countless thoughts raced through Trace's mind. He looked up at Hina, his expression suddenly more sincere, even enthusiastic.
"So you mean the No-Kill Admiral! That title is legendary! Miss Hina, please take me to see Admiral Zephyr! I must thank him in person!"
Hina widened her eyes in surprise at the polite, almost fervent look on Trace's face.
These past few days, rumors about Trace had spread like wildfire throughout the recruit training camp.
Most of the new recruits didn't even know his name. What they did know was that this guy—who'd been unconscious for days—had faced off against Kaido of the Beasts head-on on Zombie Island...
And lived.
In their spare time, the new recruits had endlessly speculated about him. Was he strong enough to match an Admiral? An Emperor?
Even Hina had formed some ideas of her own.
But she hadn't expected the man everyone whispered about as some "peerless badass" to turn out so… well-mannered?
And not to mention—so handsome!
Hina suddenly recalled the group of "weirdos" she'd sailed with on her current mission: the ever-smoking Smoker, the unkempt guy who never cleaned his face, the shady dude who insisted on wearing a mask, the sumo wrestler who only wore a bellyband...
The variety of men… no… the disparity of the world is truly vast…
"Follow me."
Hina snapped back to reality, lifted her chin toward Trace, and turned to lead the way.
Walking behind the bright, energetic female Marine, Trace couldn't help but let his gaze wander—bouncing from her swaying pink ponytail, to her tight white shorts, to her smooth, toned legs…
No, no! Focus!
He forcefully redirected his gaze elsewhere.
This was a standard Navy warship, with a dark gray hull made entirely of wood, sailing over the vast open sea. Three massive masts rose above, each bearing the Navy's emblem: a white flag with a blue seagull fluttering boldly in the wind.
Stepping out of the cabin, they emerged onto a wide-open deck.
It was the foredeck—where dozens of sailors in blue-and-white uniforms were actively training.
Trace scanned the area and immediately spotted several familiar faces.
"So Smoker doesn't smoke all the time. At least during training, he puts the cigar down..."
"That guy… is that a fried egg stuck to his face? What kind of fashion sense is that… Wait, is that Vergo, the Donquixote family mole?"
"Whoa! He just corroded everyone's weapons in one go… Must be the Rust-Rust Fruit. Definitely someone to watch out for."
"A bellyband over a Navy short-sleeve shirt? Who the hell…? Momonosuke? No—Sentomaru? Yeah, that weirdo with the ax…"
Trace didn't linger on the foredeck long. Hina turned again and led him toward the rear of the ship.
With no more "celebrities" to spy on, Trace returned his attention to the woman in front of him.
"Miss Hina, how long was I unconscious?"
"Let me think… Counting the two days you spent on Zombie Island, today makes the fifth day."
No wonder I'm starving! Trace rubbed his belly again.
"And where are we headed next?"
Hina glanced back, her expression apologetic. "Sorry, that's classified. I can't say."
Trace nodded, not upset—in fact, he was impressed by her professionalism and caution.
He asked a few more probing questions, but most of her answers were along the lines of "That's confidential, I can't disclose that."
A few minutes later, they arrived at an office. Hina knocked on the door.
"Instructor Zephyr, this is recruit Hina, reporting as ordered."
A deep, steady voice replied from inside. "Come in."
Hina and Trace entered the office one after the other.
Behind the desk sat a man reviewing documents. He looked up—his face firm and authoritative.
He wore a deep violet suit, his broad chest nearly bursting out of the fabric. A crimson polka-dot tie sat at his neck, and draped over his shoulders was the iconic coat of justice.
This was Zephyr the Black Arm, Admiral of the Marine Headquarters and head instructor of the Recruit Training Camp.
"Admiral Zephyr, thank you for saving my life." Trace stepped forward with heartfelt sincerity. "I owe you a debt I'll never forget."
"I merely pulled you out of a hole," Zephyr replied, shaking his head. "The one who saved your life… was you."
"Kaido's club isn't something just anyone can survive."
Trace instinctively touched his forehead and neck. Even after several days, he still felt a phantom ache where the blows had landed.
This handsome man had actually fought Kaido head-on!
Hina's eyes sparkled with admiration—but she remained silent.
"The ship's doctors weren't optimistic about you," Zephyr continued in a calm tone. "Most thought you wouldn't make it. A few believed you'd survive but lose your mind… or become crippled."
He looked at Trace. "But you seem just fine now?"
[Primal Body], my eternal MVP.
Trace blinked, placed one hand on his belly, and made a circle with the other—forming the classic "tiny universe between fingertips" gesture.
"I just feel… a little bit hungry."
"Haha! You're quite the character."
Even Zephyr couldn't help but chuckle.
"Let Hina take you to the mess hall after this. Recruit Hina, wait outside for now."
"Yes, Instructor!" Hina gave a crisp salute and quickly left the room.
Trace could tell Zephyr wanted to speak privately.
Sure enough, Zephyr pulled a folder from the desk drawer and handed it over without a word.
"Take a look."
Feeling the shift in atmosphere, Trace wiped the smile from his face and took the folder with both hands, flipping through the pages.
Tobias Kingdom—famous in Paradise for its signature dish, Milk Pudding. Refused to pay tribute to the Big Mom Pirates and was subsequently attacked. During the royal family's escape, they were ambushed by unknown pirates and wiped out. The kingdom's territory has since fallen under the Big Mom Pirates' control…
Trace reached the final page: a personal dossier of the kingdom's young prince.
In the upper-right corner was a headshot of a young boy—one who looked exactly like Trace.
In the top-left corner was a red stamp: "DECEASED."
"Tobias Kingdom…"
Trace closed his eyes. For a moment, he was once again that carefree young prince of a small nation.
"...It's gone, isn't it?"
"The borders have fallen. The royal family is dead," Zephyr replied gravely. "Legally speaking, the kingdom no longer exists."
Trace opened his eyes again, gaze firm.
Word by word, he asked, "Admiral Zephyr, which of Big Mom's sons was it that destroyed the Tobias Kingdom?"
"Charlotte Opera. Fifth son of the Charlotte Family."
Zephyr added one more detail.
"According to Naval Intelligence, he recently acquired a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit and now serves as Totto Land's Minister of Cream."
Totto Land.
Big Mom Pirates.
And before that… Kaido.
Offending Kaido… making enemies of Big Mom…
Trace smiled bitterly. His little boat of a life couldn't possibly weather such monstrous storms.
He licked his lips, forcing a smile.
"Admiral Zephyr, is the Recruit Training Camp still accepting new applicants?"