Chapter 15: [F-Rank Item: Treasure Map]! A Private Conversation
Chapter 15: [F-Rank Item: Treasure Map]! A Private Conversation
Clutching five thousand Beli, Cruze found it hard to accept at first.
After only a brief hesitation, he tossed another F-rank bait into the Dimensional Sea, and immediately got a bite.
[This fishing catch is an item]
[F-rank item: Treasure Map]
[Item description: A map marking the location of a certain treasure on Drum Island]
[Item value: Over 10 Beli, under 10,000 Beli, roughly around 100 Beli]
[Item evaluation: The money doesn’t really matter; the main point is to enjoy the treasure hunt process]
“What a rip-off!”
With a sharp slap, Cruze slammed the yellowed parchment treasure map down onto the ground.
“This is even worse than just having 5,000 Beli in cash!”
Feeling the invisible mockery from the goddess of luck, a furious Cruze decided to give up fishing for now.
Tonight’s luck is bad; I’ll try again tomorrow!
With 20 F-rank baits left in hand, Cruze had no plans to combine them yet—he would wait until after tomorrow’s fish-cleaning duty in the kitchen.
Pocketing the “Fifty Chobas,” Cruze collapsed into bed.
The night passed without incident.
…
The next morning.
Cruze woke early and headed to the kitchen to begin his daily joyful fish-cleaning work, only to be told by the kitchen supervisor that his shift was scheduled for the afternoon.
According to the supervisor, the Navy soldiers entered the training camp to improve their abilities, not just to clean fish!
Moreover, each soldier’s daily chores should not exceed three hours.
This was the Navy Elite Rookie Training Camp, not a menial labor training class!
Cruze agreed with the supervisor’s words.
But all he wanted was to clean fish.
Alas, it was futile.
After the failed early morning attempt to harvest “Victory Bait,” Cruze, in a bad mood, went to the dining hall’s front area.
His mood affected his appetite.
Cruze only ate food meant for ten people at breakfast.
Yet the other Navy soldiers dining there still looked at him with amazement, many whispering among themselves.
“Is that the guy?”
“He’s eating so little today~”
After breakfast, most of the marines went to their respective training grounds, while Cruze began touring the Navy warship.
Thanks to the note Zephyr had given him yesterday, Cruze was allowed to work in the kitchen and also to freely explore the ship.
With Zephyr’s note in hand, Cruze boldly toured the ship, familiarizing himself with life inside the Navy Elite Training Camp.
His first stop was the forward deck.
This open, spacious area offered a broad view, and many Navy soldiers gathered here for joint training, including the pink-haired naval girl Cruze had met yesterday.
He nodded slightly to Tina among the ranks, his gaze inadvertently passing over the gray-haired young man beside her, then he turned and left.
…
“Tina, is that the guy Zephyr brought aboard?”
Smoker puckered his lips angrily at Cruze’s retreating figure, his eyes burning with a certain eagerness.
“His name is ‘Cruze,’ not ‘that guy’!”
Tina shot Smoker a glance, noticing his slightly excited expression and was somewhat taken aback.
“Smoker, what are you trying to do? I’m curious.”
Smoker took a deep breath, tendrils of white smoke uncontrollably slithering from his nostrils like white snakes.
“Nothing much, just curious what someone who can fight Kaido of the Beasts looks like. If possible…”
Tina’s expression became probing. “Hmm?”
Smoker said seriously, “I want to challenge him!”
…
Of course, Cruze had no idea that just by showing his face briefly, he had already gained a formidable challenger—an almost invincible natural Devil Fruit user at the Paradise level!
At this moment, Cruze was still wandering around the ship.
After leaving the forward deck, Cruze visited various training rooms for major assessments, including but not limited to combat, swordsmanship, and shooting, coming into close contact with many elite marines.
What he saw both surprised and delighted him.
Surprised by the Navy Elite Training Camp’s comprehensive training system, and pleased by the same fact.
Cruze was confident that once officially enrolled, he would quickly transform into a qualified great marine.
Additionally, the training camp would help him quickly make up for many shortcomings, especially in battle experience.
Soon, Cruze would no longer be a novice who only knew how to bash zombies’ heads with a hammer.
Moreover, by interacting with numerous elite marines, Cruze roughly gauged his current true strength in the camp’s hierarchy.
Upper mid-tier.
And that was counting on the help of his [Wild Body] and [Beast’s Breath] abilities!
Though Cruze’s battle record was astonishing, his real skill level was far from it.
The Navy Elite Training Camp gathered all the monstrous rookies from across the seas.
Not to mention, Smoker, who had eaten the Smoke Fruit, was basically a target Cruze couldn’t handle at this stage.
Without understanding Haki, confronting natural Devil Fruit users often meant falling behind.
“Luckily, after joining the camp, the full assessments don’t start immediately; otherwise, I’d be exposed…”
Feeling a secret relief, Cruze left the shooting training room to continue exploring.
Before lunch, except for some secret areas, Cruze, armed with Zephyr’s note, had nearly toured the entire Navy warship, gaining a wealth of insight.
While Cruze ate seriously, a conversation unfolded in the highest office on the ship.
“Tsuru, has the headquarters reached a conclusion about the so-called ‘Seven Warlords of the Sea’ system?”
Zephyr, sitting behind the desk, asked into the Den Den Mushi phone.
The small Den Den Mushi projected the image of a spirited elderly female navy officer.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, a staunch believer in “pure justice” and a senior strategist of the Navy Headquarters.
“Ah… yes.”
Vice Admiral Tsuru sighed.
“The headquarters base was nearly overturned by Sakazuki’s magma attack. Kuzan, who’s had a longstanding grudge with him, also supports Sakazuki’s stance this time.”
“Understandable!” Zephyr snorted coldly. “What about that other guy?”
“You mean Kizaru?”
Vice Admiral Tsuru immediately caught Zephyr’s meaning.
Actually, Sakazuki, Kizaru, and Kuzan were also recognized by the old guard as the next generation pillars of the Navy!
The problem was, though each wielded extraordinary natural powers and were monstrously strong, their personalities were problematic.
Sakazuki was too radical.
Kuzan was too lazy.
Kizaru was too slippery.
A real headache.
The Den Den Mushi shook its head. “That guy never expresses his opinions proactively.”
“Hmph!”
Zephyr snorted heavily.
Vice Admiral Tsuru knew Zephyr’s attitude toward Kizaru wasn’t one of indifference; she just asked, “You’re almost at Little Garden, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“The Seven Warlords system… well, the Navy can’t outright deny it… so it’s best to consider suitable candidates quickly.”
Can’t deny it, but that doesn’t mean no underhanded moves!
Zephyr understood Tsuru’s implication.
He happened to have a candidate, though… slightly weak.
Zephyr regained focus. “So, Tsuru, what do you suggest?”
Vice Admiral Tsuru slowly revealed her plan.
“I recall that on Little Garden, there are two strong giants, right? The captain of the Giant Soldier Pirates from over a hundred years ago—both in strength and reputation—are worthy of serving as Seven Warlords! And…”
“And they have stable personalities, no troublemakers!”
Zephyr clenched his fists, producing a series of sharp cracking sounds.
“I’ll try to persuade those two giants!”
A heartfelt thanks to “Not a Fishlan” and “Maple Forest of the Sea” for the 100 Qidian coin tips!!
Many thanks to the great “lonely15” for the 1,500 Qidian coin tip!! The great one has followed from the previous book~
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Please remember to favorite and vote today.
—
The [Fishing] catch post was just released yesterday, and many have eagerly reported their results.
Some ability items I’ve seen are indeed very interesting—I’m thinking about how to weave them into the main story.
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Uh… I forgot to post this…
(End of chapter)