Chapter 403: The Orphanage in Amigasa Village

The opening of Onigashima had created a vital trade channel, allowing a flood of Wano Country's handicrafts to be exported. This gave many families a newfound way to earn a living.

Moreover, Luffy redistributed the land that once belonged to the samurai and nobles back to the people. Large-scale construction projects across Wano Country and Onigashima created numerous jobs for farmers and craftsmen alike, providing them with the means to support their families.

In no time, from 80-year-old elders to 3- and 4-year-old children, everyone was filled with gratitude toward Luffy and the Marine. They were seen as the saviors of Wano Country—the benevolent figures who had rescued them from hardship.

Now, with news spreading that they too could join the Marine and serve under Lord Luffy, young people enthusiastically signed up, eager to seize this rare opportunity.

In the quiet village of Amigasa in Kuri, within a modest orphanage run by the Marine, a dozen children, big and small, sat clustered around an elderly woman with white hair and a kind smile. Their eyes gleamed with hope as they stared at the recruitment flyer she held in her wrinkled hands.

The elderly woman was the orphanage director. Known for her kindness and love for children, she had been invited by the local Marine branch to care for these young orphans. Though two other village women helped manage the orphanage, the children adored their "grandma" the most.

That day, when the older children returned from school, they overheard the adults talking about the Marine's nationwide recruitment. Excitedly, they rushed back to the orphanage to tell their younger siblings.

The news spread like wildfire among the children. They gathered around their grandmother, voices full of excitement, all eager to sign up and join the Marine.

Seeing their enthusiasm, Grandma had no choice but to fetch a recruitment leaflet from town.

"Alright, alright, don't be so impatient. Let Grandma take a look first," she said, adjusting the reading glasses gifted to her by a kind Marine girl.

After calming the children, Grandma looked down at the flyer and began reading aloud from the front:

"To all citizens of the Land of Wano:

Out of our duty to defend Wano Country, protect Onigashima, and eliminate pirates,

The Marine G66 Branch has decided to conduct recruitment throughout Wano Country starting today.

This recruitment is entirely voluntary, with no force or coercion involved.

However, we urge all applicants to consider carefully before signing up. Think thoroughly and avoid hasty decisions you may later regret."

As soon as she finished reading, the orphanage erupted into a flurry of excited chatter.

An older boy, whose once-thin frame had filled out after months of good nutrition, shot his hand into the air and shouted:

"I won't regret it! My dream is to become a Marine soldier!

I'll do exactly what the flyer says—beat up the bad guys, catch pirates, and protect Grandma!"

With him taking the lead, the other children quickly followed suit, shouting in agreement. They all wanted to protect their loved ones and fight pirates, just like the Marine brothers and sisters they admired.

Grandma watched these lively children with a satisfied smile, finding their noise endearing rather than bothersome.

"You're all good kids," she said gently. "But if you want to join the Marine, I'm afraid you can't do it just yet."

As she spoke, Grandma flipped the flyer over and showed them the details on the back.

"Look here—it's written in the recruitment requirements.

Regardless of gender, you must be at least 16 years old to register.

For now, you should just focus on school and sign up when you're older."

"Eh——"

The children's excited cheers immediately turned into groans of disappointment.

The oldest child there was only 12, still four years shy of meeting the recruitment age. The others, especially the little ones aged 5 or 6, were even further off.

Upon hearing the age requirement, some of the younger children began counting on their fingers, trying to figure out how long they'd have to wait.

When they realized it would be nearly 10 more years before they could join the Marine, their faces scrunched up in frustration. One by one, their pouts turned into full-blown tears.

As the first child began to wail, the others quickly followed suit, their sobs filling the orphanage. Soon, the entire place echoed with crying, except for a few of the older kids who managed to hold back their tears.

Grandma rushed forward, trying to soothe the children, while the two village aunts, who had been cleaning nearby, hurried in to help calm the chaos.

But the disappointment of not being able to join the Marine was a heavy blow to the young hearts, and no amount of comforting seemed to work.

Just as things seemed hopeless, the oldest boy grabbed the flyer, his eyes scanning the fine print. Suddenly, he gasped and shouted excitedly:

"Everyone, stop crying! Look here—the flyer says that if you're a Devil Fruit user, the age requirements can be ignored!"

His words worked like magic. The children's crying stopped almost instantly, replaced by wide, hopeful eyes. A few soft sobs lingered, but the despair had lifted, and curiosity took its place.

"Brother Yuta, what's a Devil Fruit user?" one of the younger children asked, raising a hand timidly.

The boy, Yuta, scratched his head, holding the flyer in one hand as he tried to come up with an answer.

"Uh… Devil Fruits are… strange fruits from the sea… and if you eat them, you get special powers… um… yeah, all kinds of abilities…"

As an orphan, Yuta had only begun learning to read over the past six months. He had a vague idea of what Devil Fruits were from the flyer, but the details were still fuzzy in his mind.

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