Chapter 11: The Navy's New Recruit Ship! The True Exiled Prince! (Please Support)
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Chapter 11: A Marine Recruit Ship! The True Prince of a Fallen Kingdom!
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Become a Marine?
Cui Ze had never considered the question before.
These past few days, he had either been drifting across the sea, struggling to survive, or fighting his way through hordes of zombies.
The matters demanding his constant attention were how to survive on a battlefield ruled by the Four Emperors, and how to make it alive to the following morning!
Where would he have found the time to consider something as lofty as “career planning”?
But now that his mind had relaxed and his situation had stabilized, Cui Ze truly did need to give serious thought to the course his life would take.
On the surface, the main story of the world of One Piece was the struggle between the Marines and the pirates. Beneath that lay the story of the Straw Hat Pirates searching for the lost history and liberating the seas, interwoven with such forces as the Celestial Dragons, the World Government, the Revolutionary Army, and the independent kingdoms.
A series of possible career paths flashed rapidly through Cui Ze’s mind: “Marines,” “pirates,” “Cipher Pol agents,” “Revolutionary Army,” and so on.
These mighty powers were the true protagonists upon the world stage.
But Cui Ze had no intention of becoming a vicious pirate who committed every imaginable atrocity. Nor did he wish to sacrifice himself to the cause of liberating the people of another world. And he certainly had no desire to become a dog serving the excessively indulgent nobles of the world.
Thinking about it that way, the Marines really did seem like an excellent choice.
A stable salary, legal permission to kill pirates, plenty of subordinates, a smooth path for advancement—and, damn it, freedom of thought!
Once he became a Marine, he could study Admiral Kizaru’s methods of slacking off during working hours. What a wonderful life that would be~
And once he rose to the rank of vice admiral, he could deeply study Vice Admiral Garp’s indifference to fame and fortune—and simply refuse to advance any further!
How could I bend my brows and stoop to serve the powerful, when it robs me of my joy?
What sort of trash heap did those Celestial Dragons crawl out of, anyway?
In that brief moment, countless thoughts unknown to anyone else flashed through Cui Ze’s mind. He raised his eyes toward Tashigi, and his expression suddenly became sincere and fervent.
“So it’s the ‘Admiral Who Doesn’t Kill’! That title truly is famous far and wide! Miss Tashigi, please take me to see Admiral Zephyr at once! I would very much like to express my gratitude to him.”
Seeing Cui Ze’s courteous and enthusiastic manner, Tashigi could not help widening her eyes.
During the past few days, Cui Ze’s story had spread through the recruit training camp countless times.
Although the Marine recruits did not know the man’s name, they all knew that this fellow, who had been unconscious for days, had directly confronted Kaido of the Beasts on Zombie Island!
The important part was that he had survived!
During breaks from training, who knew how many recruits had speculated about what kind of man this powerhouse was, and whether his strength could rival that of an admiral or an emperor.
After hearing all those rumors, Tashigi had formed her own expectations as well.
But she had never imagined that the man everyone had quietly passed around as an “unparalleled tough guy” would be so refined and courteous in private.
And so handsome, too!
Tashigi thought back to the hideous men who had been her comrades aboard the ship and shuddered involuntarily.
The cigar-smoking chain-smoker, the unkempt man whose face was always covered in grime, the sleazy fellow who loved wearing masks, the sumo wrestler who wore nothing but a loincloth…
This must be what people meant by the differences between men…
No!
This was the difference between worlds!
“Come with me!”
Tashigi recovered herself, lifted her chin toward Cui Ze, and turned to lead the way.
Walking behind the youthful and attractive female Marine, Cui Ze’s gaze kept drifting after her swaying pink hair, the white hot pants hugging her curves, and her smooth, rounded, powerful thighs.
No!
The matter at hand came first!
Cui Ze forced his eyes away and shifted his attention elsewhere.
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This was a common iron-gray Marine warship, its hull built entirely of wood as it sailed across the boundless sea. Three masts, each thick enough to be encircled by several people, flew broad white flags emblazoned with blue seagulls. The banners symbolizing the Marines snapped proudly in the wind.
After leaving the cabin, they first arrived at a broad, open area.
This was the warship’s forward deck, where a large number of figures in blue-and-white Marine uniforms had gathered for training.
With a cursory glance, Cui Ze spotted several familiar faces.
So Smoker didn’t need to keep a cigar clenched between his teeth every minute of every day. At least he wasn’t smoking during training…
That man has a fried egg stuck to his face? That appearance, those habits… Could he be Vergo, the undercover agent in the Donquixote Family?
Tch! He just corroded a section of everyone else’s weapons in an instant… The Rust-Rust Fruit, a Paramecia. He seems to be someone important, too.
A white Marine shirt worn beneath a bib? What kind of bizarre aesthetic is that? Was his name… Momotaro? No, wait—Sentomaru?
Cui Ze spent very little time on the ship’s deck. Tashigi turned and led him toward the rear of the Marine warship.
Having lost the opportunity to observe his “familiar faces,” Cui Ze had no choice but to return his attention to Tashigi ahead of him.
“Miss Tashigi, may I ask how long I was unconscious?”
“Let Tashigi think… Counting the two days on Zombie Island, today is the fifth day.”
No wonder he was so hungry! Cui Ze rubbed his stomach again with some force.
“We’re at sea now. May I ask where our next destination is?”
Tashigi turned around and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, but that’s classified. Tashigi can’t tell you.”
Cui Ze nodded. He was not disappointed. Instead, he was rather impressed by the female Marine’s cautious professionalism.
He tried asking Tashigi a few more indirect questions, but most of the answers he received were variations of, “It concerns classified information. I have no comment.”
A few minutes later, Tashigi led Cui Ze to the door of an office and knocked.
“Teacher Zephyr, I’m Tashigi, the recruit assigned to duty today.”
A deep and powerful voice came from inside. “Come in.”
Tashigi and Cui Ze entered the office one after the other.
The man seated behind the desk, sorting through documents, looked up. His features were firm and his bearing imposing.
He wore a dark-purple suit, the broad muscles of his chest straining against the fabric. A deep-red tie patterned with spots was knotted at his throat, while draped over his shoulders was the “Coat of Justice” symbolizing his rank.
Admiral of Marine Headquarters, chief instructor of the Marine recruit training camp—Black Arm Zephyr!
“Admiral Zephyr, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you very much for saving my life.” Cui Ze stepped forward and offered his heartfelt thanks. “I will never forget your great kindness.”
“I merely dug you out of a crater. The person who truly saved your life was yourself.”
Zephyr did not accept the gratitude casually. Instead, he shook his head.
“Kaido’s two strikes were not something anyone could simply endure.”
“That’s true…”
Cui Ze instinctively raised a hand and touched his forehead, then rubbed his neck. Several days had already passed, yet he could still feel a faint phantom pain in his throat.
This handsome man had really fought Kaido!
Tashigi’s eyes gleamed at the revelation, but she did not interrupt.
“The doctors weren’t optimistic about your condition at the time, either. Most believed you wouldn’t survive. A few thought that even if you regained consciousness, you would most likely be left mentally impaired or permanently disabled.”
Zephyr looked at Cui Ze, his tone calm.
“Yet judging by your current condition, you seem to have recovered quite well?”
The Wild Body—truly a divine ability!
Cui Ze blinked. He lowered his right hand to his stomach, then formed a tiny space between the thumb and index finger of his left hand.
“I’m just feeling a tiny little bit hungry.”
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“Haha! What an interesting fellow!”
Even Zephyr could not help finding Cui Ze’s manner amusing.
“As for food, have Tashigi take you to the dining hall later. Recruit Tashigi, wait outside for now.”
“Yes, Instructor!”
Tashigi’s expression turned solemn. She gave a crisp military salute and quickly left the room.
Cui Ze also realized that Zephyr had something he wished to discuss with him.
Sure enough.
Zephyr took a document from a drawer in his desk and handed it to Cui Ze without explanation.
“Take a look.”
Sensing the invisible weight in the atmosphere, Cui Ze wiped the smile from his face. He accepted the document with both hands and began turning through the pages.
The Kingdom of Tobias, renowned throughout Paradise for its signature delicacy, “Milk Pudding”… After refusing to pay the mandatory tribute demanded by the Big Mom Pirates, it was targeted for subjugation by the pirates… The royal family encountered an unknown pirate crew while evacuating and was completely wiped out… The territory of the kingdom was conquered by the forces of the Big Mom Pirates…
Cui Ze turned to the final page of the document. It contained the identity records of the young prince of the Kingdom of Tobias.
In the upper-right corner was a headshot of a boy whose appearance was identical to Cui Ze’s. But in the upper-left corner, a red stamp had been pressed across the page:
DECEASED.
“The Kingdom of Tobias…”
Cui Ze closed his eyes. At that moment, he seemed to become once more the carefree prince of a small kingdom.
“It’s gone?”
“The borders have fallen, and the royal family no longer exists.” Zephyr’s voice was heavy. “At the very least, in the eyes of the law, that country no longer exists.”
Cui Ze abruptly opened his eyes. His gaze was utterly resolute as he asked, word by word:
“Admiral Zephyr, which son of Big Mom was responsible for conquering the Kingdom of Tobias?”
“Charlotte Opera, the fifth son of the Charlotte Family.”
Zephyr answered, then deliberately added:
“According to Marine intelligence, Charlotte Opera recently acquired a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit and became the Minister of Cream of Totto Land.”
Totto Land!
The Big Mom Pirates!
And Kaido of the Beasts from earlier!
He had angered Kaido and made an enemy of Big Mom…
The corners of Cui Ze’s mouth turned bitter. He felt that the tiny skiff of his life could not possibly withstand waves of such monstrous proportions.
Pressing his lips together, he forced out a smile.
“Admiral Zephyr, are the Marine recruit training camps still accepting new members?”
Just to be clear, this is not a “Marine story.”
Readers who paid attention to the synopsis may remember.
Cui Ze is the “captain of the Fate Pirates, a legendary fisherman, a veteran card-game addict, and a newly crowned Pirate Emperor”!
—
The contract status was changed yesterday afternoon.
So now I can ask for recommendations, bookmarks, and tips!
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Many thanks to reader “Book Friend 20220318074334568” for the generous tip of 100 starting coins!
(End of Chapter)