The day was beginning to turn golden with the promise of a setting sun as Ash stood before the Marine recruitment centre, his stomach still twisting with the mixture of excitement and dread. The timer for his first daily mission gleamed in the corner of his vision, a constant reminder that every second mattered in this new world if he wanted to survive.
The sergeant from before, his nametag reading "Makino", jotted something on his clipboard and barked, "Alright, kid, you look fit enough. Name and goal for the records."
Swallowing a nervous lump, Ash flashed his most confident grin. "Greetings sir!! My name is Ash D. Ketchum, sir! My goal is to become the strongest Marine and catch all the, uhh.. baddies in the world!" He said, with just enough shame to leave out the part about baddies being women this time.
Makino opened his pad and started writing his details. "Let's see. Name: Ash D. Ketchum. Height: Over 2 meters tall. Weight: Too little. Motivation: Money and Women. Alright, everything checks out. Welcome to the Marines, kid."
Hearing his words, Ash protested, "Hey!! I said I want to catch baddies in the world, where did the money and women come from?"
Makino eyed him for a moment, then shrugged. "You think you are the first one here? I see hundreds of people like you every day, kid. Your lecherous face says it all. Now keep up the spirit and get inside; the orientation's about to start." He jerked a thumb at the large doors behind him.
Before Ash could reply, the man moved away, leaving him with no other choice but to fall into line with several other recruits, some nervous and some already posturing with the bravado of fresh meat.
The entrance hall was cavernous, banners of justice and order hanging from the walls, the voices of new trainees echoing off the walls. Ash inhaled deeply, keenly aware he was about to embark on a new chapter. Even his system's interface seemed to sense the import of the moment, pulsing a calming blue instead of its usual flickering.
As the line moved, Ash caught excited snippets of conversation going around. Some spoke of legendary Marines, others in hushed whispers about pirates, devil fruits, and distant warlords.
A few girls stood among the crowd, each looking ready and strong, reminding Ash that the One Piece world has no such thing as gender discrimination. Women were often just as strong as men here, if not stronger.
The line crept ahead slowly until Ash was ushered into a waiting room filled with benches and the low buzz of anxious chatter. It was here, peering around at his new comrades-in-arms, that Ash's heart suddenly leapt into his throat. There, seated right at the corner, was a man with a telltale white streak in his hair and a constant cloud of smoke about him.
'No way!! Is that?'
A gruff voice, coupled with a steady hand producing a lighter, assented to his suspicion. "Training camp, huh? Didn't expect so many rookies this year."
The lighter flame shone on his face. Smoker.
Ash nearly choked with excitement. ''I'm in the same batch as Smoker?! That means she is also here!' His gaze darted.
A few seats away sat a tall, stern-looking woman with dark hair and glasses, reading what looked like a marine manual with rigid discipline.
'Hina, one of the hottest marines.' Next to her, a younger woman with violet hair and a katana resting across her legs, exuded both grace and barely concealed intimidation. 'Tashigi too?! I think I just won a jackpot, hehe.'
Before he could stop his feet, Ash found himself sliding onto the bench beside the trio, unable to resist his curiosity.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" he asked, hoping his voice sounded steadier than he felt.
Smoker glanced up, his eyes cool and appraising. "Suit yourself. You one of the new ones?"
"Yeah," Ash replied. "Name's Ash."
The woman beside him, Hina, didn't look up. "Hina says to keep your voice down, recruit."
Ash blinked, then realised: 'She really refers to herself in the third person. Incredible.'
Tashigi gave a polite nod. "You seem enthusiastic. First time in a marine base?"
Ash grinned. "First time talking to two such beautiful women."
Smoker choked on his cigar after hearing his words, before he raised an eyebrow, smoke curling up from between his lips. "You have guts, my man, daring to tease the sharpest sword and the female tiger of the Marines. Be careful, they don't fold you in half."
Ash thought for a split second. "I was just speaking my heartfelt words. Both of them have such mesmerising beauty." He added the last part with a meaningful glance at Tashigi, who blushed.
Tashigi spoke after taking a moment to compose herself. "Thank you for the flattery, but I know I am not that beautiful. I'm Tashigi, and these two, well, you already heard Hina and that one is a called Smoker."
"Hina hopes the perverted lecher stays away from her; she has no time to waste on such mundane stuff," Hina muttered, still reading.
Smoker who was watching all this smiled from the side. "Don't mind her. Hina takes a while to warm up to people. I am looking forward to the new entertainment- ahem! I meant Hina finding love." He even gave a thumbs-up in the end.
Before Ash could reply, a Marine with a booming voice entered the room, his uniform pristine and moustache bristling. "ATTENTION!"
The room snapped upright. The instructor, whose nametag read "Commodore Wallace," strode to the front and surveyed the new recruits.
"Welcome to Marineford's New Recruit Training Camp," he barked. "You have survived the first day. From this point onward, you are property of the Marines, and your days of freedom are over. You will eat, sleep, and breathe training until you can uphold justice and survive the Grand Line. Some of you will quit. Some will cry. Some will die. But for those who survive, greatness and glory await."
Ash felt a sense of excitement. 'Five years of this, and I get to be as strong as Saitama? I can do this.'
Wallace's eyes locked on Ash's group. "You four! You're the last addition to this batch. Consider yourselves lucky and unlucky. Lucky, because you are about to get some special training that will make you stronger than anyone else. Unlucky, because it will be absolute hell for you. I can't even guarantee that you'll survive."
Ash instinctively groaned, dreading the future. He was a lazy person by heart, but Tashigi simply nodded, sword gripped across her lap.
The instructor continued: "Room assignments will be posted tonight. Training begins tomorrow at sunrise. There are no free passes, not even for the top management. Break the rules, and you'll be out before the week's over. Dismissed!"
Ash exhaled, slumping slightly as the room relaxed. Whispered conversations began anew.
Smoker stood, flicking away his spent cigarette. "Best get settled. Rooms fill up fast." He offered a rare grin. "See you at sunrise, Ash."
Hina slid her book into her bag with a sigh and followed suit, her boots echoing on the marble floor. Tashigi offered Ash a hand up. "Don't mind Hina and Smoker, they have their own way. Let's try to survive this together, okay?"
He grinned, a fire in his chest. "Deal! Thank you so much, beauty!!"
They parted to check the assignments, but Ash paused at the edge of the hall, watching Smoker, Hina, and Tashigi disappear into the crowd of hopefuls. His system timer reminded him: training, friends, rivals, and adventure all awaited.
''This isn't the world he asked for,'' he thought, hands clenched and eyes shining, 'But maybe, just maybe... It's exactly where he belongs.'