Marine Branch 153 Fortress. The salty air felt heavy, carrying the sadness of a recent loss.
New Recruit Registration.
"Name?" The Ensign asked, his voice tired. He barely looked up from his stack of papers.
"Roya," came a strong voice in reply.
"Age?"
"17."
"Why do you want to join the Marines?"
Without a second thought, Roya announced, "To make a name for myself!"
The Ensign stopped writing. His pen hung in the air. Finally, he looked up. His eyes, the color of faded jeans, studied the eager young man in front of him. He gave a small nod, recognizing Roya's bold desire.
That 's what many of them want, he thought. But they don't usually say it so plainly.
He remembered Roya's story. Just three months ago, pirates had attacked the ship carrying Roya's family. He was the only one who lived. Since then, he had been working odd jobs at the town's lively Food Tavern to survive.
He doesn't seem to have any problems in his past.
The Marine Branch wasn't too picky about who they let in. If you weren't a criminal and were healthy enough, you were usually accepted. Plus, the Branch had lost many soldiers and needed new people to join.
"Approved!" the Ensign said, hitting the form with a stamp.
"Thank you, sir!" Roya's face glowed with excitement.
"Sergeant Monka, show Recruit Roya around the base."
"Yes, sir!" A loud voice echoed from the shadows.
That's when Roya noticed the giant man standing silently to the side.
Monka? Could it be him?
"Axe King" Monka!
He was huge, almost ten feet tall, with a face like stone. He seemed to have an intimidating strength.
Roya gulped, suddenly feeling small. One punch from that guy could probably knock me out cold. Before special powers became common, being that big was a huge advantage.
Hiss --!
Is this the scary presence of the "Axe King"? Roya felt a shiver go down his spine.
Monka walked toward Roya, trying to look friendly. He forced a smile, but it looked more like a scary frown.
It was truly frightening.
"Rookie, follow me," he said in a rumbling voice, like thunder.
"Yes, Sergeant Monka!" Roya stood up straight, acting like a soldier.
If I want to be a Marine, I need to act like one. Besides, this was before Monka became the cruel person he would later be, with all his power and control.
After getting his simple recruit's supplies, Roya found himself carrying a rolled-up bed, a noisy bucket, and a dented bowl. He followed Monka closely, learning the layout of the Fortress.
Two strong, round towers stood guard over the area, watching over four tall buildings used for housing and supplies. Some dusty training fields completed the picture of Marine Branch 153.
Including all the support staff, there were just over two hundred people in the Branch. Only a little more than a hundred were actual Marine soldiers. And they had suffered terrible losses.
Weak, Roya thought with a frown. That's the only way to describe it.
But this was the reality.
The main Marine forces were focused in the dangerous Grand Line, especially at Marine Headquarters, which protected the sacred Holy Land of Mariejois.
The Marines in the Four Seas were spread out and not as strong as the elite soldiers of the Grand Line. They struggled to defeat even "Great Pirates" with rewards of less than 20 million.
Dormitory, restaurant, recreation area…
After getting a quick tour of the Fortress, Monka led Roya to the New Recruit Training Field.
Many new recruits were already doing some weak exercises. They seemed very discouraged. Even their shouts were quiet, tired, and unenthusiastic.
The recent defeat had really hurt their spirits.
Monka's huge fists clenched tightly, the veins in his arms bulging like thick ropes. His face showed mixed feelings: hatred for the pirates and anger at himself for not being strong enough.
It took him a few moments to relax his fists.
"Starting tomorrow morning, you'll train here. Afternoons are for Rookies. Someone will show you what to do…" Monka said in a dull voice, giving the basic information.
New recruits, fresh off the boat, were at the very bottom - Rookie Soldiers. Besides training, they had to do all the dirty work, like cleaning and carrying things.
Basically, they were errand boys.
Even the word "Miscellaneous" was written on the back of their plain uniforms.
Defeating pirates? Rookie Soldiers weren't even considered good enough for that.
Once the Rookie Soldiers finished their basic training well enough, they would become Third Class Soldiers. Then, they wouldn't have to do the rookie work anymore, but they would also lose the protection of being a rookie.
They would be thrown into battle!
Roya listened carefully to Monka's short explanation.
The new recruits' training was brutally simple: 200 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 10 hard rope climbs, 20 laps around the training ground, and so on.
So, it's only one-tenth of the regular training for Marine Headquarters soldiers.
Roya knew what to expect.
Before he was suddenly transported here, he had learned about the tough training that Marine Headquarters soldiers went through.
He used to talk with other fans about Koby's rapid improvement, and they would always discuss the harsh realities of training at Marine Headquarters.
Maybe that conversation had something to do with me ending up here … Sorry, I shouldn't have been talking so much.
"Sergeant Monka!" Roya turned to Monka, his eyes shining. He pointed to the New Recruits struggling on the Training Field and the simple training equipment. "Can I start training now?"
"Now?" Monka blinked, surprised.
New recruits often started out excited, but very few wanted to jump into training right away.
Interesting. He's wrong if he thinks this training is easy!
Usually, it took Rookie Soldiers three to six months to complete the basic training and become official Third Class Soldiers.
Trying to get ahead and do something impressive right away? The pirates will teach him a lesson soon enough!
Monka was curious. He decided to test Roya, saying seriously, "You can, but you can't quit halfway through. Understand?"
"Understood!" Roya took a deep breath, determined. Without another word, he ran onto the Training Field, joining the back of the group of New Recruits.
Twenty laps around the perimeter!
The track around the Training Field was about a third of a mile per lap, so twenty laps was over six miles. Even though people in this world were generally stronger than on Earth, it would be very difficult.
"Oh, a new rookie?" The New Recruits noticed Roya's arrival. They were also Rookie Soldiers, but they had joined the Branch two or three months earlier, making them "veterans" among the new recruits. They were almost ready to graduate.
"Brothers, let's speed things up a bit!" one of the "veterans" shouted, with a mischievous look in his eye.
"Understood!" The other New Recruits responded, speeding up. They were planning to give the rookie a hard time. It was one of the few small joys they had.
The group moved faster, and Roya, who was already struggling at the back, fell behind quickly.
A classic hazing, huh?
Roya wasn't surprised. He decided to keep his own pace, refusing to play their game.
Wherever there were people, there would be a social order. It was common for veterans to "encourage" newcomers, and this wasn't even really bullying. It was just showing off.
If he couldn't keep up, that was his problem!
First lap: Roya felt surprisingly good.
Third lap: Sweat started to form on Roya's forehead.
Fifth lap: The group ran past Roya, completely circling him. They shouted mocking words as they sped by.
"One! Two! Three--Four!!!"
The rhythmic shouts echoed across the Training Field, annoying Roya.
Fifteenth lap!
The New Recruits had finished their running training. They stood at the edge of the Training Field, taking a break and watching the rookie struggle.
Only Roya remained on the track, running slowly, like a wounded turtle, putting every bit of strength into each step.
"Huff--Ha--Huff----" Roya gasped for air, his lungs burning. His clothes were soaked with sweat, sticking to his skin.
Uncomfortable… even painful!
His body was just that of a normal 17-year-old boy. Although he was young and somewhat fit, starting the Marine training right away was too much for him.
His legs felt heavy, his vision blurred, and he could hear taunts from the sidelines.
He ignored the distractions.
At that moment, Roya had only one thought: Run!
This wasn't just exercise. It was connected to his future, to whether he could somehow become as successful as Koby.
"Thump!"
Suddenly, Roya's head spun, and he felt dizzy. His knees gave way, and he collapsed onto the rough sand.
"The rookie couldn't do it!" The onlookers perked up, their faces showing pleasure at his failure.
Usually, the initial training for rookies was easy. If a recruit could run ten laps on their first long run, it was considered good, and the Instructor wouldn't be too harsh.
There had to be a gradual process.
That's how they had all survived - with the training increasing slowly until they could keep up with the regular intensity expected of Marine soldiers. Even after months of training, they were still covered in sweat after just twenty laps.
The fact that the rookie had managed to do fifteen laps at once was already more than they expected.
"Hey, look!" Just as everyone thought the rookie was done and needed to rest, the fallen recruit pushed himself up with shaky hands and slowly stood up again.
He kept running!
The mocking smiles began to disappear.
"This guy's not bad!" someone muttered. The others nodded in agreement.
He was showing impressive determination.
"Sergeant Monka, what's his name again?"
"Roya."
"Ah, I remember now. He's the kid who works at the Food Tavern!"
"Damn it, I'm so jealous!"
"It's already bad enough that he's good-looking, but he also gets to spend every day with Mrs. Ririka!"
"Brothers, let's give the rookie some extra intensity in the next training session!"
"That's a must!"
In this world, where there wasn't much entertainment, going to the local tavern for a drink was the best, and often only, form of recreation for almost everyone.
The kind and beautiful Landlady, Mrs. Ririka, was the dream of many Marine soldiers. So, they had mixed feelings about Roya, who practically lived at the tavern.
Heh heh.
They were eager to show the rookie how things really worked around here!
---
Evening, Dormitory.
Monka roughly dragged the exhausted Roya into the Dormitory and dropped him onto the nearest empty bed. The sudden action startled the other rookies in the room.
It was only the first day!
After Monka left, the roommates cautiously gathered around Roya. One of them carefully poked Roya's butt with a broomstick.
"Hey?" Roya groaned.
"Leave me alone," he mumbled.
Roya lay spread out on the thin bed, weakly wiggling his butt in response to the poking.
The basic physical training that other New Recruits could finish in half a day had taken him the entire day. He felt like his soul was about to leave his body.
So damn tired!
"Phew." The other rookies sighed in relief and went back to their beds.
They were relieved that he wasn't dead. They didn't want to have to deal with a corpse on their first day in the Marines.
As time passed, the excited New Recruits gradually fell asleep, their loud boasting fading into soft snores. They dreamed of the challenges and glories that awaited them.
Soon, the room was filled with snoring.
Late at night, close to midnight.
Roya suddenly opened his eyes. He sat up straight in bed, instantly alert. He carefully looked around at his snoring roommates, making sure they were still asleep. He quietly slipped out of bed and onto the small balcony, his lips moving slightly.
"The World!"
The space around him shimmered and twisted, stretching out to form a lonely, separate world. It was as if he had been transported to a vast, empty space filled with distant stars.
Then, a series of training facilities appeared in the void. There was the dusty sand, the worn track, the challenging rope climbing frame.
It was an exact copy of the New Recruit Training Field!
"Just as I expected!" Roya's spirit lifted. He dragged his aching body into the replicated Training Field, his eyes filled with determination.
This strange, self-contained space was the special power he had awakened after being transported here. It could record and perfectly copy external environments.
"Unfortunately, it can only simulate things related to training," Roya sighed.
After three months of exploration, Roya had a basic understanding of the limits and abilities of "The World." Simply put, it was a pure training space.
"The World" wouldn't be considered a Stand.
"The World" would faithfully copy the "training process" he had experienced, which was why he had pushed himself so hard to complete the basic training during the day, even though his body was screaming in pain.
It seems kind of useless at first.
However, time within "The World" was frozen, stopped completely. No matter how long he stayed in this isolated place, time outside would not change.
In other words, he could push himself harder, endure more, and achieve more within "The World," giving him a huge advantage in training time compared to others. He could improve his strength greatly by working harder.
This was the true power of "The World!"
However, using "The World" required a lot of mental strength.
When he first arrived three months ago, "The World" could only last for an hour. Now, with practice, he could keep it going for about three hours.
Roya was convinced that, as he grew stronger, the time he could spend in "The World" would increase, allowing him to achieve his dream of putting in 200 times the effort of everyone else!
"Putting in 200 times the effort!"
"If Koby can do the impossible, so can I!"
"I also want to become a Marine Admiral!"
Relentless hard work was the most likely, and currently only, way for him to truly make a name for himself. If he was lazy when he had the chance to train, he wouldn't even respect himself!
Roya began to run.
Run forward!