Chapter 13
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"Is this the Navy Headquarters, Marineford?" Jack asked in awe, gazing at the imposing structure of the Navy Headquarters as he stood at the port.
"Haha, boy, take it all in. This is where you'll be living from now on!" Garp said cheerfully, giving Jack a hearty pat on the shoulder.
"So, Vice Admiral, what am I supposed to do now?" Jack asked helplessly, turning to Garp.
The soldiers from the ship had already dispersed to their respective assignments or homes, leaving Jack standing there, unsure of his next steps.
"Head to the recruit registration office. They'll guide you on what to do next," the Bogard interjected, appearing behind Jack without warning and gesturing toward a modest building in the distance.
With a shrug, Jack bid farewell to Garp and Bogard before making his way to the recruit registration office.
Before long, Jack had registered his information and was issued four sets of marine recruit uniforms. He was then assigned to a six-person dormitory to begin his life at Marineford.
"Morning exercises start at six o'clock sharp every day," the officer explained as they walked toward the dormitory. "Recruits are required to study the Navy Manual in the mornings, undergo physical training in the afternoons, and have rest time in the evenings. The canteen is over there, and meal times are fixed. If you miss them, you won't get any food. Also, that's the Navy's family area—stay away unless you have a valid reason. Over there is a small town; if you need anything, you can head there to make purchases."
Jack nodded, absorbing the information, but after a moment of thought, he asked, "So, when can I go out to sea and catch pirates?"
The officer chuckled and replied, "Recruits aren't allowed to go to sea. Only after completing the recruitment period will you have the opportunity. There are two ways to do this. The first is through assignments from above. These are mandatory missions and usually happen about four times a year, depending on when captains or above officers go to sea and require soldiers. The second way is to volunteer through the missions office. If you sign up there, officers with missions might take you along."
Jack considered this for a moment before asking, "What rank do you need to reach to go out to sea and catch pirates at your discretion? And how do promotions work in the navy?"
The officer glanced at Jack, intrigued by his eagerness, and said, "To operate independently at sea, you'd typically need to reach the rank of captain or higher. As for promotions, it depends on a combination of merit, achievements in missions, and recommendations from your superiors. The better you perform, the faster you'll rise through the ranks."
The veteran smiled at Jack and said, "So, you just want to go to sea? That's no easy feat. If you want to command a warship and set sail, you'll need more than just rank—you'll need strength to back it up! As for promotions, the navy operates on a merit-based system. Every time you go to sea, you earn merit points. Outstanding performance during missions is another way to earn merit. You'll get the hang of it soon enough."
In the veteran's eyes, Jack was just a young man full of ambition—a spark of vitality the navy needed to continue growing and thriving.
After escorting Jack to the dormitory, the veteran left. The room was empty; the other navy personnel were likely out training. Jack looked around briefly before turning inward, focusing his thoughts.
"Status" he muttered silently, bringing up his stats in his mind.
Name: Jack
Race: Human
Life: 1080/1080
Chakra: 103/103
Strength: 92
Speed: 89
Skills: Intermediate Strength Training Level 1, Intermediate Mental Strength training Level 2, Basic Fighting kill Level 3
Experience: 10,234/50,000
Combat Power: 806
Comprehensive Evaluation: You can be considered a little Superman now.
Level: 10
Diamonds: 2200
Skill Points: 0
Jack studied the attributes with satisfaction, pondering his next steps. "Looks like I've got quite a way to go," he thought, his determination growing.
Jack closed the status panel and opened his inventory. Apart from the basic novice outfit, a plain katana, and the Chakra training manual that he still couldn't learn, it contained some daily essentials he had already organized. His eyes landed on a food item—a chicken drumstick. This peculiar item was stored in his inventory and could restore a small amount of vitality. It was a reward he'd received in a lottery after completing a mission.
Yes, that lottery spin was awarded to him after successfully capturing Ace. The prize? A chicken drumstick worth a mere 10 diamonds. The sheer absurdity of the situation left Jack so stunned that his jaw almost dropped. Since that incident, he hadn't dared to spend any more of his diamonds, even though he had accumulated over 2,000.
Jack had decided to save up 9,900 diamonds to unlock the ability for ten consecutive draws, a new feature available after reaching level 10. According to his own reasoning, such a batch draw should guarantee at least one decent reward. At worst, he hoped it would yield something more valuable than a chicken drumstick. With that plan in mind, he even refrained from purchasing the Intermediate Fighting Skill Manual and focused entirely on saving for a big opportunity.
However, based on the information he had so far, Jack estimated that he would likely remain stationed at the Navy Headquarters for quite some time before earning a chance to go to sea. Without the ability to undertake frequent system missions, his diamond income would be severely limited. Given this, he began considering whether it might be wiser to invest his resources differently. Perhaps he should first focus on upgrading his three intermediate skills to their maximum levels. If he achieved that, he wouldn't need to worry about being unable to learn advanced techniques or secret manuals in the future.
For days, the sight of the Chakra training manual sitting idly in his inventory tormented Jack endlessly. Not being able to use it felt worse than if he didn't have it at all.
Early the next morning, after changing into his uniform, Jack joined his dormitory companions for the daily morning exercises. The day passed uneventfully, filled with simple and slightly monotonous routines. Later, he found a quiet, deserted spot where he could practice his meditation—his proficiency was on the brink of maxing out.
It was his first official day as a member of the navy, so Jack kept a low profile. While observing his surroundings and gathering information, he bided his time, patiently waiting for his Mental Strength to reach its maximum level so he could finally unlock his Chakra completely.
A month later, the moment finally arrived. When the system notification chimed, informing him that his Intermediate Mental Strength had advanced to level 3, Jack could barely contain his excitement. He had spent every spare moment over the past days practicing, and now the long-awaited reward was within his grasp.
Without hesitation, he opened his inventory, selected the Chakra training Skill manual, and clicked to use it.
"You have successfully learned to control Chakra to some extent. The Chakra Skill manual has been consumed."
Jack stared at the system message, his heart pounding with exhilaration. Finally, he was one step closer to his ultimate goal.
After using the manual, Jack immediately felt the chakra within his body condense and transform. Now he can use chakra similar to how a normal final-year academy student in Naruto.
"This power... it's truly worthy of a world like Naruto!" Jack muttered to himself, marveling at the transformation. He couldn't resist testing the potential of his sizable chakra pool. His chakra had become incredibly dense, giving him the ability to sustain attacks and techniques far longer. Even without utilizing any specialized moves yet, his chakra felt fluid and boundless, like an endless stream of clouds. His control over it was sharper and more precise than ever before.
That afternoon, during physical training, Jack decided to put his newfound strength to the test. Without hesitation, he challenged the training instructor—a move that shocked everyone present. To their astonishment, Jack defeated the instructor with a single move, causing a ripple of disbelief and whispers among the recruits.
"Who is that guy? I've never noticed him being this strong before. How did he get so powerful so suddenly?" one recruit whispered.
"Do you think he's strong enough to join the training camp for elites?" another speculated.
"What do you know?" another cut in dismissively. "Getting into the elite training camp isn't just about strength. Without the right connections or background, it's nearly impossible to get in!"
The murmurs spread throughout the group, but Jack simply smiled to himself. This was just the beginning.
"Hmph~ You really don't know, do you? I heard Vice Admiral Garp brought him from the East Blue!"
"Oh, so he's one of Garp's protégés? That explains it!"
Jack returned to the dormitory amidst the hushed discussions of his fellow recruits. Earlier, he had intentionally provoked the training instructor and then used the opportunity to challenge him under the pretext of avoiding physical training. His plan worked perfectly—he not only skipped the grueling drills but also managed to make a name for himself among the recruits.
However, back in the dormitory, Jack was unaware that the news of his victory over the instructor was already spreading like wildfire across Marineford. Unfortunately, the story had been twisted in various ways.
One version of the rumor claimed that Jack had sneak-attacked the instructor when he wasn't paying attention and then used the incident as an excuse to refuse further training. Another version was even more outlandish, asserting that Jack was a Devil Fruit user—perhaps even of the rare and coveted Logia type—and had openly declared his intention to defeat an admiral and claim the rank for himself.
**Marineford Infirmary**
"Sir!" The recruit instructor, now bandaged and lying on a hospital bed, struggled to sit up as someone entered the room. His injuries were minor, but his pride had suffered a far greater blow.
"It's all right. If you're injured, take time to rest. I'm just here to get the details," said a man in a navy captain's uniform as he approached, placing a reassuring hand on the recruit instructor's shoulder with a faint smile.
"I'm ashamed to admit it, sir. I wasn't seriously injured, but… I was defeated without even being able to make a single move against Jack," the instructor confessed, his face reddening with embarrassment.
"Defeated in one move? What exactly happened?" The captain's smile faded, replaced by a frown of concern.
Before arriving, he had heard rumors about a recruit who allegedly defeated the instructor through a sneak attack. Since the instructor had once been his subordinate, he felt compelled to investigate the matter personally.
The instructor sighed wryly and explained, "I've heard the rumors going around, but they're far from the truth. Jack did challenge me outright and even placed a bet to excuse himself from training if he won. The battle was completely fair, and I was beaten in an open confrontation. There was no sneak attack. I lost fair and square. The speed and strength he showed me made me realize that I was out of my depth. One moment he was 6 feet from me, and the next, he was right in front with his punch connecting with my gut."
The captain's brows furrowed further as he listened, and after a brief pause, he nodded firmly. "If you were outmatched, there's no shame in admitting it. But allowing a new recruit to skip training is out of the question, no matter how skilled he is. Even you don't have the authority to grant such an exception. Don't worry—I'll handle this matter personally," he said with a serious expression.
The recruit instructor watched the departing captain, hesitating for a moment before swallowing the words on the tip of his tongue. Deep down, he suspected that even Captain Stalin wouldn't be a match for Jack. However, he didn't dare voice such thoughts.
Meanwhile, Jack had just finished his training and was heading toward the cafeteria for dinner. Missing the scheduled meal times meant he'd have to figure out his own food, and as his strength grew, so did his appetite.
"Are you Jack?" a voice called out. A navy captain stood at the entrance to the recruits' dormitory, blocking Jack's path.
Straightening up, Jack saluted and replied politely, "Yes, Captain. I'm Jack, a new recruit. Is there something I can do for you?"
The captain, who was none other than Stalin, nodded subtly, observing Jack with a critical eye. He had initially come with a poor impression of the recruit, fueled by rumors of arrogance and insubordination. However, after speaking with the recruit instructor and now seeing Jack's polite demeanor firsthand, his perception began to shift.
Jack carried himself with a certain air of righteousness. It was hard to view him as the unruly troublemaker that the rumors suggested.
Still, rules were rules. Exceptions were not tolerated in the recruit camp, and Captain Stalin felt obligated to address the situation. "I hear you defeated your instructor earlier this afternoon. Is that correct?" he asked directly, his tone calm but authoritative.
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