One Piece Shadow Army – Read Fanfic

Marine Headquarters.

At the base of the tower, inside the testing room, Curls glanced around. The first impression he had of the room was its vast, expansive size, with grey marble walls extending left, right, and upwards like a sports stadium capable of holding thousands. Overhead, bright lights resembling white bulbs illuminated the room, making it exceptionally well-lit.

Not far ahead, there was a row of mechanical instruments that seemed out of place in the world of pirates. Curls was only mildly surprised by this since the Marines had numerous scientists among them. One of them, Dr. Vegapunk, was said to have intelligence five hundred years ahead of his time. With creations like the Pacifista, seeing modern instruments here was normal.

The headquarters’ officers arranged for the Marines participating in the assessment to proceed in an orderly manner. The first step involved measuring height and weight.

Two female Marines were responsible for the measurements and recording. Seeing Curls’ handsome face seemed to brighten their moods.

“Major Curls, please step over here,” one of the female Marines instructed.

Following her request, Curls removed his boots and stood by the wall to measure his height. The wall had a precisely engraved scale, accurate to the millimeter. Once Curls’ back was against the wall for a few seconds, the measuring Marine announced the result.

“Height: 190 cm.”

Beside her, the other Marine recorded the information on a form.

Hearing this height, Curls felt satisfied but also thoughtful. When he first joined the Marines last year, he was only 180 cm tall. By the end of recruit training, he had grown to 184 cm. Now, after a year, he had reached 190 cm. This growth might be due to his body’s changes and increased appetite.

After the height measurement, it was time for the weight test. Curls stood on a machine similar to a weighing scale from his previous life. The numbers began to rise from zero.

“Weight: 92 kg.”

After recording the basic body measurements, Curls continued with the group to the next station. In addition to the Marines recommended by various branches, many participants came from the headquarters as well, totaling around 500.

After completing the basic information, the group moved to a row of large machines. The lead Marine officer stood beside one of the machines and announced:

“The initial screening assessment begins now. The first task is the Power Level Test. You will strike the testing machines before you, and the examiners will record your power level.”

Hearing that the first task was a strength test, many Marines who weren’t particularly strong began to look worried. In contrast, those who were muscular and strong appeared confident.

The instructor explained the rules for the power level test: participants could only hit the machine once, and the machine would calculate their power level based on the strength of the hit.

“Examiner, could this machine be inaccurate?” one Marine asked.

The examiner replied, “These machines were invented by our Marine scientists and have been confirmed to be precise. They won’t have any significant errors.”

“Alright, let’s begin the test.”

The atmosphere grew tense.

At the front of Curls’ line was a Marine Major from the West Blue branch. After taking a deep breath, he approached the machine and punched the testing area with all his might.

The machine’s screen displayed a red “zero” that quickly increased, finally showing “152.”

This West Blue Marine Major looked at the examiner, seeking feedback on his performance.

The examiner explained, “The average power level for a regular Marine is 10. The threshold for superhumans is 500. Next.”

The second Marine in line then stepped up and tested his power, displaying “52.”

This was less than half of the previous Marine’s result, leaving the participant anxious and worried about passing.

Seeing this, the examiner reassured the group, “Don’t be nervous or discouraged. The assessment will consider the combined results of all tasks. Don’t be disheartened by your current score.”

“Next.”

As each Marine took their turn, it was soon Curls’ turn. His power level test drew significant attention since he was the brightest new star among the participants. Everyone wanted to see how high his power level would be.

Curls was also curious. He remembered that Rob Lucci, touted as the strongest CP9 agent in 800 years, had a power level of around 4000 in his normal state without using his Devil Fruit abilities. Although that was a high benchmark, Curls wondered about his current power level.

Raising his right leg, Curls delivered a powerful kick to the machine.

Boom!

The machine’s numbers rapidly climbed from zero, quickly surpassing two digits. Then, the power level numbers continued to rise by the hundreds without slowing down.

The 500 power level threshold for superhumans was surpassed, and the numbers kept climbing: 600, 700, 800, 900…

Three digits turned to four, finally stopping at 1200.

The crowd was nearly dumbfounded. A power level of 500 was already considered superhuman, yet Curls scored 1200! The recording examiner was equally astonished; it had been years since anyone in the Marines had achieved such a high number.

Curls felt slightly disappointed but wasn’t too concerned. After all, he’d only been training for six years. Reaching this level of physical strength was already impressive.

Leaving the power level test area, he moved to wait for the next assessment. While waiting, he observed the tests of Dasqi and Mode. Their power levels were “32” and “74,” respectively.

The second task was a speed test, which involved running a 1000-meter track and recording each Marine’s time. Curls, having mastered Soru, completed this task at the fastest speed.

The third task tested reflexes and evasion. Participants entered a small room where rubber bullets were fired from the opposite wall. The goal was to dodge as many bullets as possible. Blocking was not allowed, only evasion.

…

The initial screening assessments concluded after nearly half a day. In the afternoon, a written test was administered.

Each participant had an individual cubicle containing a desk, chair, blank exam paper, and a pen.

As Curls entered his cubicle and sat down, he felt as though he were taking a high school entrance exam again. This test carried significant weight, potentially influencing a participant’s acceptance into the elite training camp.

The elite training camp offered better training, allowing participants to improve their skills quickly. Failing to enter meant facing disappointment.

Each Marine, Curls included, took the written test seriously. Even though he had a reserved spot, he approached every task with seriousness and answered the exam questions with great care.

When he turned to the back of the exam paper, he found a single question:

“Why did you join the Marines?”

Faced with this question, Curls could have written various words of justice to score higher. Instead, he wrote the true reason he joined the Marines. This answer wasn’t influenced by his reserved spot. Even if he were a recommended Marine without a reserved place, he would write the same answer.

Because his answer was simple and true:

…

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