The Pirate: Dark Admiral - Chapter 16
Though Rougishuwas unsure of the subsequent developments, he could roughly guess that some would be dissatisfied with his sudden departure.
However, he didn’t mind much. He was more interested in Captain Adkin’s intentions.
Before long, Rougishufound himself in a modest and solemn conference room, where Captain Adkin meticulously reviewed documents.
“Reporting in!”
“Come in.”
“Yes, sir!”
A soldier led Rougishuin and reported, “Captain, the new recruit Rougishuhas been brought as ordered.”
Rougishufelt a bit puzzled, as if he were being apprehended.
Captain Adkin looked up abruptly, a trace of emotion on his sharply defined face. “Indeed, as young as Rear Admiral Jonathan said!”
“Alright, you may leave now,” Captain Adkin signaled to the soldier.
“Yes, sir!”
Once the room was empty except for the two of them, Captain Adkin pulled out a faint smile and said, “Please sit down! I imagine you must be wondering why I, a Marine Captain, would go through so much trouble for you.”
“Indeed, Rear Admiral Jonathan has already expressed his attitude, which I thought would be my greatest reward,” Rougishusaid.
“In truth, my reasons for calling you here are both personal and official,” Captain Adkin said frankly.
“Due to my incompetence, Giant Rhino Alex escaped from the Marines multiple times, leading to the annihilation of several villages. Every moment, my heart has been tormented, and I even considered resigning from the Marines to assassinate him as an adventurer.”
Captain Adkin clenched his fists and said, “So, when I learned that you had killed Alex, my empty heart finally found solace. I wished to meet you personally to express my gratitude.”
Rougishus shook his head, his kind persona speaking passionately: “Anyone with a conscience and the ability would not let a brute like Giant Rhino Alex go.”
“I knew you would say that. No wonder Rear Admiral Jonathan praised you as a rising star of the Marines,” Captain Adkin said appreciatively.
“Now, let’s talk about your future.”
“My future…” Longinus’s heart stirred, and he showed a suitably puzzled expression.
“The Marine Recruit Training Camp – don’t be misled by its ordinary name. It’s the cradle of Marine officers in the eyes of everyone. In recent years, those who have swiftly risen to the ranks of Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral have come from there.”
Captain Adkin took a deep breath, his face showing respect. “Because the head instructor of that camp is none other than the former Marine Admiral, the hero known as ‘Black Arm’ Zephyr, who captured countless pirate felons alongside Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp!”
“Marine Admiral… Black Arm Zephyr…” Rougishumurmured. From the memories of that otherworldly soul, he knew Zephyr was a purely tragic figure.
“Admiral Zephyr retired eight years ago, so it’s normal for you new generation to not know him. But you should understand, anyone who graduates from that training camp starts at least as a Lieutenant Commander. With your talent, reaching the ranks of Commander or Captain in a few years is not out of reach. You can achieve in three years what most Marines accomplish in a lifetime.”
Rougishunodded, puzzled at the right moment, “Captain Adkin, what is your intention in bringing this up?”
“Both personally and officially, I hope to recommend you for that training camp. I sought you out to understand your thoughts on this.”
“Greater power can better uphold justice. Naturally, I wish to further hone my resolve for justice. However, I imagine entering such a high-level training camp isn’t easy,” Rougishusaid said with “eager anticipation.”
“Indeed, I’m just a Marine Captain with limited influence. I can’t directly get you into the main headquarters.”
“In reality, we have a hundred recommendation slots each year. After two years of assessment, nine candidates are chosen for further training at the headquarters.”
“One reason for the two years is to weed out potential threats. Once, a pirate faction infiltrated the high ranks of the Marines, causing significant losses.”
“Another reason is that the training camp is relatively new, and many eyes are on it. Those who have made great sacrifices for the Marines would have their descendants prioritized.”
“Two years, huh? I’ll only be 14 by then. I can wait that long,” Rougishuthought. It wasn’t surprising. In the first batch of trainees, Akainu and Kizaru were 23 and 26, respectively, and even Aokiji in the third batch was 19. Someone as young as him would be an anomaly.
Moreover, after two years, his status would be recognized, and he would become a legitimate member of the Marines, unlike those who joined later and received different treatment.
Simply put, it was the difference between permanent and contract workers.
Captain Adkin was relieved to see that Rougishu had no resistance or discontent. He had worried that Rougishum might be too proud and see the assessment as a sign of distrust.
He genuinely had high hopes for Longinus, believing the young man could become a Marine Vice Admiral someday, so he wanted to be upfront with him.
“Actually, there’s also the government…” Captain Adkin paused, then waved his hand dismissively, “Ahem, you probably have other things to do. I’ll have someone show you around the camp.”
As Rougishu walked out of the conference room, he wondered, “Is it because the Marines have produced three extremely powerful monsters that the government is feeling uneasy?”
“Perhaps, after some high-level negotiations, the Marine top brass decided to give the government two years, hence the two-year assessment period given to the bases.”
“However, the government’s top officials might underestimate the quality of their lower-level personnel. They wouldn’t expect the kind of trash they’d end up sending into the training camp, leading to a significant gap in the first few batches.”
“In other words, the batch in two years might be an explosive period for the Marines after years of dormancy. Hopefully, I’ll meet some interesting people then!”
Become a Patron to read chapters ahead of public release and support me 😉
Read up to 40 chapters ahead on p atreon.
