One Piece Shadow Army - Chapter 66

A nighttime assessment?

“Get some rest early!”

After the assessing officer left, Curls suddenly recalled Major Karn’s last words.

Upon arriving at Marineford, Major Karn had kept his distance from them. However, this wasn’t the Major Karn he remembered from Loguetown, where he was always approachable and warm. Even though nine months had passed, one’s personality wouldn’t change so drastically, right?

This seemed unusual.

Moreover, it was only five o’clock in the afternoon, yet the major told them to rest early?

Curls finally understood that this was a covert hint from Major Karn. But the hint wasn’t for him; it was for Tashigi and Mode.

Judging by yesterday’s situation, it seemed Tashigi and Mode didn’t grasp the hint!

…

The silver pocket watch his father gave him hung on a hook on the wall. When the time reached 3 AM, Curls ended his meditation practice and went to sleep.

The small second hand kept ticking, marking the passage of time. When it completed a full circle, aligning the hour and minute hands in a straight line, Curls woke up right on time.

Because of the influence of the Shadow Fruit, even three hours of sleep left him feeling refreshed, giving him nearly twice the training time compared to others.

After washing up, Curls left his room and headed to the nearby free mess hall he had discovered the day before.

Marines Headquarters had a vast number of personnel. To avoid overcrowding, the area was divided into multiple zones, with Curls currently in the waiting zone.

In this area alone, there were four mess hall buildings, indicating the large number of people.

Upon entering the mess hall, Curls found few people eating breakfast, so he went to the counter, selected his food, and sat down to eat half a table’s worth of breakfast.

Over the past year, his physical strength has significantly transformed, and his appetite has gradually increased, likely due to the world’s unique rules.

The Marines even had a specialized technique, Life Return, to study and utilize this concept.

To become stronger, one first needed energy, which the body obtained from external sources. Eating was the simplest method.

In this world of great pirates, anyone with significant strength had a monstrous appetite.

While Curls was eating, other participants for the elite training camp began to arrive and have their breakfast.

Tashigi and Mode, who came with Curls, also entered the mess hall one after the other. After collecting their breakfast, they sat across from Curls.

“Did you notice the assessing officer yesterday?” Mode asked.

“Yes,” Curls replied nonchalantly.

However, Tashigi looked confused, not understanding Mode’s question.

“Assessing officer? Isn’t the initial assessment five days away?”

Curls sighed inwardly. It was clear Tashigi had scored poorly in yesterday’s assessment.

This was quite normal. Tashigi’s talent wasn’t exceptional, and her progress was slow. She was only a Marines Petty Officer. If not for her diligent work and daily hard training catching Smoker’s attention, he wouldn’t have used his recommendation slot to bring her along.

Each Marines branch had one recommendation slot per year. Smoker, having graduated from the elite training camp, also had a slot, but it wasn’t an annual opportunity—he had only one chance.

That’s why Tashigi came to Marines Headquarters to participate in the selection.

Mode, having been promoted to Marines Lieutenant due to his boldness and courage, was selected based on normal standards.

Mode explained, “Though the official assessment is five days away, this is the elite training camp. It’s reasonable for them to play by different rules. Didn’t you notice anything yesterday?”

After Mode’s explanation, Tashigi adjusted her red-framed glasses and frowned.

“I was reading a famous swords biography late last night and didn’t notice any instructors. But later, I did see a female officer at the window watching me. She asked why I was so focused, and I told her about my dream. Since I was a child, I’ve loved famous swords and want to reclaim those stolen by bad people when my strength improves.”

“Then she said something strange.”

“What did she say?” Mode asked, puzzled.

“She said my reaction time was poor, but she had high hopes for me and would give me extra points… Could she be the assessing officer you mentioned?”

Recounting this, Tashigi suddenly had a realization.

Mode was speechless.

Curls felt the same.

In the middle of the night, a female officer appeared, and Tashigi didn’t suspect anything. She even chatted with the assessing officer about her dreams.

This clumsy intellect…

However, Tashigi’s inadvertent conversation seemed to have impressed the female officer, which might have helped her pass the assessment. Nonetheless, this was uncertain, and Tashigi’s face gradually showed disappointment.

“I finally made it to Marines Headquarters. Do I have to be sent back so soon?”

Seeing this, Mode patted Tashigi’s shoulder and offered comfort.

“Tashigi, don’t be discouraged. You’re still young. If you don’t get into the elite training camp this year, there will be more opportunities in the future.”

Then, Mode added with a self-deprecating smile, “But I’m different. I’m already twenty-seven. The elite training camp only selects Marines personnel under thirty. If I fail this time, I can’t try again for three years.”

“I can’t wait for another chance, so I must seize this opportunity to get into the elite training camp this year.”

Seeing the determination on Mode’s face, Curls didn’t comment or offer encouragement. He simply continued eating his breakfast.

The gap between a genius and an ordinary person was enormous. How much effort would Mode and Tashigi need to catch up to his level?

Mode and Tashigi didn’t mind Curls’ silence. After all, they had known him to be this cold from the recruit period until now.

“A selection criterion of under thirty?”

Tashigi looked towards another participant at a nearby table. “But that person looks over forty.”

Curls glanced over.

At the neighboring table sat a scruffy middle-aged Marines officer with a burly physique. His muscles exuded a rock-solid feel, and his black hair was a tangled mess.

Just by looking, it was clear this Marines officer was at least forty years old.

Mode, well-informed about the elite training camp, explained, “I was referring to the normal route. If someone is recommended by a high-ranking officer from Headquarters, age isn’t a limitation.”

“Oh,” Tashigi understood.

With the basic conversation over, the two resumed eating their breakfast in silence.

At the nearby table, the disheveled middle-aged man began eating voraciously, his speed astonishing.

The piled-up food on the table quickly vanished, drawing attention and discussion from others in the mess hall.

“That guy’s appetite is monstrous!”

“He’s like a beast. Is this typical for Marines Headquarters?”

“Could he be from a special race?”

Ignoring the chatter around him, the man continued devouring his food.

Marines personnel familiar with the man spoke in hushed tones.

“His name is Veroch, recommended by the Marines G5 branch!”

“Rumor has it he recently acquired a Devil Fruit and killed a pirate with a 50 million Berries bounty, securing his spot in this year’s elite training camp.”

“Don’t provoke him. His rank is Marines Lieutenant Commander, and he’s said to have a bad temper, having injured several Marines personnel recently.”

Though the voices were low, Curls could still hear them.

A Devil Fruit user!

In the East Blue, Devil Fruit users were rare. Apart from Smoker, Curls, and Barbarossa, there were only a few.

Curls didn’t expect to encounter a new Devil Fruit user so soon after arriving at Marines Headquarters.

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