"Marineford is not only a symbol of peace and justice," Rear Admiral Morgan said proudly as he pointed toward the bustling city, "it is also the strongest fortress backing every Marine soldier."
"Countless Marine families live here—
the safest place in the world.
This is the government's greatest guarantee for those who risk their lives in the name of justice."
Longinus nodded.
In this chaotic world, Marineford truly was the safest place on earth.
Even though Shiki the Golden Lion had broken into Marineford alone two years ago and destroyed half the base,
people's admiration for this place had not diminished in the slightest.
For many young Marines burning with zeal, besides the ideal of "justice,"
their greatest dream was to bring their families here,
safe from war and chaos.
"That plaza there can hold over one hundred thousand soldiers.
Every five years, we conduct a grand military parade to declare the might of the Marines to the world—
to intimidate those evil pirates who scheme in the shadows!"
"That area over there is the training grounds—
divided into the regular field and the officer field.
Not to show favoritism, of course,
but because the destructive power of officers is too high—
mixing them with regular soldiers could easily result in accidents."
"To satisfy the curiosity of the enlisted men, there's even a viewing platform at a distance.
You can come here often—who knows, you may catch a Vice Admiral or Rear Admiral sparring.
It's great for broadening your horizons."
"And finally, this is your new recruits training camp.
I won't explain the facilities—
you'll experience them soon enough."
"What I will tell you is the general process once you enter."
"First, all of you will stay in the training camp for three years.
There are two advancement exams and a final graduation exam."
"If you fail an advancement exam, you repeat the year.
Fail again the next year—you're expelled."
"And your previous cohort… well, there were quite a few government-sponsored connections in that class.
So don't be surprised if you see a lot of repeaters."
"The first year is entirely about building foundations:
martial arts, swordsmanship, marksmanship, Devil Fruit usage—
none of these mean anything without a strong body."
"Trying to skip steps and reach the sky…
is the stupidest thing you can do."
"And because the first year is relatively free,
the veteran instructors from HQ will also teach other courses:
navigation, naval warfare, negotiation, and so on."
"After all, once you're given a warship,
you'll be the leader—
and leaders do far more than fight."
"Of course," Morgan chuckled,
"For someone like you, Longinus, these first-year courses are basically optional."
"Are there no courses on capturing pirates?"
Longinus asked, genuinely curious.
In his past-world memories, this was usually where the "blood baptism" began—
throwing rookies into hell to forge 'future legends.'
Morgan snorted.
"War isn't a place for tenderness.
Throwing untrained recruits into battle isn't 'training'—it's murder."
Longinus nodded.
The Marines weren't pirates or the CP agencies.
To let raw recruits witness carnage before teaching them anything
would indeed be slaughter.
Especially with Zephyr—
the "Don't-Kill" Admiral—
as the camp's chief instructor.
A man who refused to kill even pirates
would never allow his own trainees to die as fodder.
Strict, yes.
Cruel, never.
"Starting from the second year,
you'll accompany Admiral Zephyr on real pirate-hunting missions."
"Those pirates are nothing like the small fry you fought in branch bases.
We're talking over 100 million bounty on average—
sometimes even four or five hundred million."
"Of course, you rookies won't fight those monsters—
but their officers are plenty deadly."
"You can die in these battles."
"And during that period, the instructors will teach you techniques based on your strengths."
"For someone like you, Longinus—
a close-combat prodigy—
you'll be qualified to learn the Rokushiki."
"The entire first-year physical regimen is designed specifically to prepare you for Rokushiki—
martial arts that push the human body beyond its limits.
Without a solid foundation, learning them is impossible."
Morgan paused to catch his breath.
"As for the third year,
you'll be dispatched to various Marine branches across the Four Seas for field training.
Only those who perform exceptionally well will qualify for the graduation exam."
"Now you understand why I said Captain Hughes was 'excellent,' right?
Only about ten percent of each class actually graduates."
He patted Longinus's shoulder lightly.
"But of course, none of that is really a problem for you.
Frankly, even the third-year veterans can't compare to you."
"No one is flawless,
and no one is utterly worthless."
Longinus shook his head calmly.
"I never underestimate others,
nor do I overestimate myself.
There must be many things here worth learning—many things I have yet to discover."
Morgan blinked—then felt a wave of shame.
"You're right…
Perhaps this humble attitude is exactly what makes you so strong."
"Oh, right—there's one more thing I almost forgot."
Morgan leaned closer.
"Longinus, do you know about Haki?"
"Of course."
Longinus's tone grew serious.
"Haki is said to be an innate power in all humans,
but normally dormant—
requiring harsh training to awaken."
"Correct.
In the New World, there's even a saying:
'Those who know Haki are not necessarily strong…
but all strong ones know Haki.'"
"I bring it up because you must take Rokushiki seriously.
In a sense, Rokushiki was created precisely as a method to draw out Haki more efficiently."
"In past training camp classes,
the third year included a crucial curriculum:
Haki training."
"Unfortunately, even with two years of foundations and Rokushiki as guidance,
most cadets still fail to awaken Haki.
So the training tends to be shallow."
"But you're different."
Morgan grinned.
"With your talent,
awakening both Armament and Observation Haki during your time here
is absolutely possible."
"After all—
Admiral Zephyr became known as 'Black Arm' Zephyr
because of his mastery of Armament Haki.
Missing his direct instruction would be a huge waste."
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