"Without comrades, you won't last long on these seas!!"
Rosinante's voice rang out loud and clear, echoing across the training ground. Every cadet present heard it, and their expressions immediately shifted.
Sakazuki and Borsalino looked like they had just swallowed bitter medicine. Borsalino in particular wore a sour expression, cursing inwardly:
Is this bastard trying to mock me?
Meanwhile, Wild Boar and the other cadets closest to Rosinante stared wide-eyed, deeply moved.
Comrades? Was that how Blue Eagle saw them? Had they truly earned that title in his eyes?
At that moment, they were overwhelmed with emotion.
Even the other trainees found themselves warming up to Rosinante. As always, he was approachable, genuine—someone you could look up to.
Z looked over at him too, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. As a former Admiral, Z had once been deeply involved in politics and command. He understood better than anyone the power of Rosinante's words.
With a single sentence, Rosinante had secured himself future allies—people who, when the time came, would support his rise. And as the years passed, and those classmates advanced through the ranks, that support would only grow more powerful. Decades from now, when Rosinante called, they would answer.
Z couldn't help but wonder:
Was this young man truly here just to grow stronger? Or did he have greater ambitions from the start?
"Blue Eagle… I understand now! Thank you! I promise I'll help you bring down the Quick Slash Pirates!" Wild Boar declared, voice full of conviction.
"We'll help too!"
One by one, five more cadets who had chosen targets from the same pirate crew stepped forward and pledged their support.
…
After some final discussion, the cadets finalized their assignments and formed teams—except, of course, for Sakazuki and Borsalino. The two of them insisted on going solo.
Z surveyed the group and then addressed them solemnly. "Rookies, being a Marine is no game. Out there, you will bleed. Some of you may not come back. The pirate crews we've selected for this exam were carefully matched to your skill levels, but that doesn't mean they're without danger."
His voice was heavy.
"You're heading out today, and some of you… may not return. So be careful. Do whatever it takes to stay alive."
He turned and pointed toward the massive stone monument that had recently been erected at the Marine Academy's gate. "Before you go, carve your names into that stone. Let future cadets remember that you were here."
"Yes, Master-Z!" the cadets responded in unison.
"Move out!"
Z didn't waste another word.
Sakazuki was the first to head toward the port beyond the academy gates. Dozens of small Marine warships awaited them, stationed by the branch offices from across the Four Blues. These ships would serve as the cadets' transport for their final mission.
When Sakazuki reached the monument, he unsheathed his longsword and etched into the stone:
Akainu — Sakazuki
Borsalino followed, casually using a laser to burn in:
Kizaru — Borsalino
Then came Rosinante. Using Finger Pistol, he engraved:
Blue Eagle — Rosinante
One by one, the others added their names …and so on.
…
Aboard the warship, Rosinante and his team were welcomed by several officers standing on deck. At the front was a middle-aged Commander with a calm, composed demeanor and a longsword at his side.
As the cadets stepped aboard, the Commander saluted. "Welcome to North Blue Branch 73. I'm Commander Mandral."
"Good day, Commander." Rosinante and the others saluted in return.
Mandral gave a hearty laugh. "No need to call me 'Commander.' When officers from the branches return to Headquarters, their ranks are automatically downgraded two levels. You can call me Captain Mandral."
He wasn't wrong. Though Mandral held the rank of Commander in his branch, once transferred to Marine Headquarters, he would be regarded as a mere Captain. This highlighted the stark difference in prestige and power between the main HQ and its branch offices.
Their jurisdictions differed too, Marine Headquarters oversaw the first half of the Grand Line and parts of the New World, while the branches managed the Four Blues. The gap in strength was often considerable.
Just look at the contrast: the corrupt Captain Nezumi from the 16th Branch near Cocoyasi Village, versus Captain Smoker of Loguetown. Same rank—worlds apart in power and integrity.
So even though Rosinante's group were just cadets, Mandral welcomed them warmly. Why? Because they came from Marine Headquarters.
And while Mandral had humbly offered to be called Captain, Rosinante continued addressing him as Commander, earning the officer's favor. Now that's a respectful young man.
"Commander," Rosinante asked, "where are we heading next?"
Mandral replied, "Per orders from HQ, we're returning to the North Blue. You'll be deployed there to take down the Quick Slash Pirates."
"They're active in the North Blue right now?" Rosinante inquired, pressing for details.
"That's right. They're currently entrenched in the area. We've already clashed with them once."
"Oh? And how'd that go?"
Mandral let out a bitter chuckle. "A complete defeat. The local Marines were no match. Even I was injured by Boss Dars himself. We had no choice but to request reinforcements from HQ. They told us to stand by and wait—for you."
He motioned toward his bandaged right arm. Rosinante looked over and saw that it was wrapped tightly in thick gauze.
"I understand. Don't worry, Commander. We'll bring the Quick Slash Pirates to justice."
Mandral nodded. "I'm counting on you."
The warship set sail. After lunch, Rosinante and the others retired to their quarters. The journey to the North Blue would take about two days, thanks to the Marine-exclusive travel routes. Without them, it could've taken one to two months.
Back in his cabin, Rosinante shut the door and checked his gear: a clean spare uniform and a standard-issue Marine longsword.
He had just picked up the sword, preparing to get some training in, when a familiar sound rang in his ear:
Ding! Friendly reminder: the host has an unclaimed mission reward. Please collect it within 24 hours. Expired rewards will be automatically deleted!
"Huh? A system reward?" Rosinante blinked. "Damn, I've been so focused on training I completely forgot. That was for beating Borsalino, right? System, collect reward!"
He suddenly remembered, the Giant's Belt he never claimed.
(End of Chapter)
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