One Piece Shadow Army - Chapter 64
Marines Headquarters Major!
As Garp announced this, discussions erupted in the entire Loguetown port.
“Marines Headquarters, Major!”
“No way, promoted three ranks at once? Curls is only seventeen!”
“If Vice Admiral Garp said it, it must be true!”
While the Marines soldiers were shocked, it was only momentarily. After all, they already knew that Curls had defeated the 20 million Berries bounty pirate, Arlong, and single-handedly taken down the former East Blue ruler, the Krieg Pirates.
A promotion from Ensign to Major at Marines Headquarters was not surprising.
Some residents of Loguetown were still unaware of this, leading to much confusion. However, through various discussions, they understood why Curls was promoted.
Many envious, admiring, and respectful glances fell on Curls. Everyone knew that a seventeen-year-old Marines Headquarters Major represented a rising star.
“Major Curls!”
Someone shouted, and the entire crowd began to cheer, their voices merging into a unified chant.
“Major Curls!”
“Major Curls!”
Likewise, the Marines soldiers joined the chant, completely shaking off the influence of the William Pirates.
When Curls received the promotion notice from Garp, he felt a bit dazed.
He had become a Marines Headquarters Major!
It had only been ten months since he joined the Marines, and the scene of his first day as a recruit seemed like yesterday.
Looking down at the notice in his hand and then at the bustling port of Loguetown, Curls felt like he was in a dream.
“Young man, keep up the good work!”
Garp patted Curls on the shoulder again, pulling him back to reality.
Then, Garp yawned and said, “I’ve been drinking tea and haven’t slept for days. I’m really tired. I’ll go to sleep first. Remember to bring the criminals and pirates to the ship tomorrow.”
“Yes, Vice Admiral Garp.”
Curls saluted smartly.
…
With Vice Admiral Garp present, the threat from the William Pirates was no longer a concern. The crowd at the port gradually dispersed.
The events of the day quickly spread among those who witnessed them.
The East Blue ruler attacked! Just as a battle was about to erupt, the hero Vice Admiral Garp arrived! Finally, Vice Admiral Garp publicly promoted Curls to Marines Headquarters Major!
This dramatic sequence of events made Curls, already somewhat famous, an instant celebrity in Loguetown.
Curls didn’t pay much attention to this and left the naval base promptly at the end of his shift.
As he entered the villa, he noticed a different atmosphere. The servants seemed more respectful and humble. Was it because news of his promotion to Marines Headquarters Major had spread?
On the sofa, Ronald, seeing his son return, immediately grabbed Curls’ shoulders, his face full of excitement.
“Curls, you were promoted to Marines Headquarters Major! Is it true?”
Ronald, who initially thought it was a joke, began to believe it as the news spread outside. So, as soon as Curls returned, Ronald wanted to confirm.
Curls did not hide it. “Yes, I was notified at the port. My rank has indeed been promoted to Marines Headquarters Major.”
Ronald gradually let go of Curls’ shoulders, but his excitement grew as he paced with his gilded cane.
“Marines Headquarters Major, this is incredible, truly prestigious!”
“Should we celebrate with a few tables, or go out to eat? If we go out, the restaurant in the east has closed, and the one at Central Plaza is a bit too spicy…”
Curls couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
“Let’s eat at home. Going out now would attract too much attention!”
Ronald thought it over and agreed. People shouldn’t be too flashy.
“Right, we should stay low-key.”
…
The next day, Curls donned a brand-new Marines uniform and continued his duties at the naval base as a Marines Headquarters Major.
Today’s task was to escort the captured pirates to Vice Admiral Garp’s warship.
From the base’s dungeon, pirates in prison uniforms and shackles were escorted onto Vice Admiral Garp’s dog-headed warship.
With Curls overseeing, there were no problems.
After sleeping for an entire day, Garp stretched and woke up slowly.
“That was a good sleep! So, are all the criminals on board?”
Curls reported, “Yes, Vice Admiral Garp, all criminals have been escorted, including the corrupt Marines officer Captain Nezumi, the pirate Krieg, the pirate Gin, and the fish-man pirate…”
“Among them, the pirate Gin is a member of the William Pirates, and they might try to intercept during transport.”
Garp, with one hand on his hip and the other scratching his slightly uncomfortable head, looked indifferent as he slowly boarded the dog-headed warship.
“The William Pirates? If they want to try, let them come.”
…
As the sun set, the dog-headed warship set sail back to Marines Headquarters in the Grand Line.
Curls felt reassured. Though William had the swordsmanship skills of a master and 8,000 subordinates, rescuing Gin from Vice Admiral Garp was highly unlikely.
After all, Vice Admiral Garp was a legendary marine, with formidable combat power, among the top in the world. Even if age had somewhat diminished his strength, it was not enough for a new East Blue ruler to challenge.
On the other hand, William learned that Vice Admiral Garp’s warship was transporting Gin to Impel Down.
After careful consideration, William decided to delay rescuing Gin. He knew his own strength well and realized that attempting a rescue now would be suicidal.
He needed to wait for the right opportunity, just as he had done when escaping the slaver’s ship, biding his time until the slavers and pirates were at odds before using his hidden flintlock to make his move.
So, William, with the motto “Rescue Comrade Gin,” led his 8,000-strong pirate fleet into the Grand Line.
With the William Pirates leaving, East Blue temporarily returned to peace.
…
A month later, at a repair shop.
Ding-a-ling!
Curls pushed open the wooden door, seeing the bald shop owner fixing a pulley.
“Is my scabbard ready?”
The bald owner pointed to a wooden box on the counter and said indifferently, “It’s there. You didn’t specify a color, so I chose white. If you don’t like it, I can repaint it.”
Curls opened the box and found a white scabbard inside, with a significant curve unlike ordinary scabbards.
“It’s fine.”
He preferred a black scabbard, but white was also acceptable.
He drew his cursed sword Red Moon and tested the scabbard.
A smooth sound emerged as the blade fit perfectly into the scabbard, aligning seamlessly.
Pulling the blade out, there was no resistance, indicating great stability.
“How much for the scabbard?” Curls smiled, satisfied with the craftsmanship.
“Still 100,000 Berries!”
“Alright.”
…
After paying, Curls left the repair shop.
He didn’t conceal the cursed sword but hung it directly at his waist.
Regarding the sword’s influence, it was minimal without touching the hilt, which Curls used to train his mental resilience.
A week later, Curls headed to the Marines Headquarters.
After bidding farewell to his father and sister, Curls left the villa and, amidst the Marines’s farewell at the base, boarded the warship bound for Marines Headquarters.
At the port.
As the warship was about to depart, flashes of white light flickered in the crowd—reporters taking photos.
A young Marines Headquarters Major heading to the headquarters was big news, too good for the major newspapers to pass up.
Curls couldn’t stop it.
With his rank continually rising, his fame grew, and it became impossible to keep his family’s information private.
However, he wasn’t worried about his family’s safety after his departure, having asked Captain Smoker to look after them.
Moreover, he left behind [Lanlos] and twelve [Shadow Knights] to protect his family.
Since his recruit period ended, he had been developing the idea of leaving shadow soldiers with his family.
With these shadow soldiers secretly guarding, there was little danger in East Blue.
The warship began to sail, gradually leaving Loguetown.
The distant crowd blurred, followed by the entire island disappearing into the horizon.
Curls turned his gaze back.
Now, it was just a matter of waiting to reach Marines Headquarters in the Grand Line.
The warship didn’t take the usual route through the Grand Line entrance but chose to traverse the Calm Belt directly.
They dared to take this route because of a technology developed by scientist Dr. Vegapunk, which involved embedding Seastone in the Marines warship’s hull.
This technology allowed Marines warships to navigate the Calm Belt safely.
Despite the warship’s efficiency, the journey from East Blue to Marines Headquarters still took about five to six days.
During this dull period, Curls didn’t neglect his meditation and training.
The journey was uneventful.
On the afternoon of the sixth day since leaving Loguetown, the warship finally arrived at Marines Headquarters.
Marineford.
On the crescent-shaped port, Curls, wearing a Marines uniform, stood tall with a white-sheathed long sword at his waist and a Marines coat on his back. He slowly disembarked.
On the port’s open ground, a Marines officer was there to welcome Curls.
He was a handsome man with a black famous sword at his waist, also wearing a Marines coat, with a trace of heroism in his eyebrows.
A gentle breeze from the sea blew, making the justice coats on the backs of the young and the seasoned Marines officers flutter.
“Major Karn, long time no see!”
“Charlotte Curls, long time no see
, but I am no longer a major. You should call me Colonel.”
“Yes, Colonel Karn, but in my heart, you will always be the major I respect!”
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