Roya Lets the Old-Timer Go First

Two weeks vanished quickly. The Training Field felt thick with anticipation. When training time arrived, everyone's eyes locked onto Roya, each Marine wondering:

Who's getting it today?

Roya, under their stares, strolled towards Carroll with a friendly smile. "Senior Carroll," he called out clearly, "how about a little practice fight?"

Carroll's face crumpled like old paper. "I... I suddenly have a bad stomach!" he stammered, desperately looking for a way out.

But Roya, as if he knew what was coming, pulled out a small bottle of medicine for diarrhea, holding it out innocently.

Huh?

He even brought medicine for that?

Can't he just give me a break?

Does he have to humiliate me in front of everyone?

Staring at Roya's fake innocence, Carroll's face turned green and then red with anger. He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw hurt and grabbed a wooden sword.

That brat Rookie!

Does he really think I'm scared of him?

"Today, I'll teach him to respect 'Purple Hair' Carroll!"

"Let's do this with swords!"

"Sounds good!" Roya replied, sounding excited.

They walked to the ring, holding their wooden swords ready.

Watching them, the other Marines seemed to deflate, letting out a collective sigh of relief. Some even trembled a little.

"It's 'Purple Hair' Carroll!" someone whispered.

"Ah, poor Carroll. He's done for."

"I give him ten minutes, tops," another replied.

"Ten minutes? Are you crazy? Three, maybe!"

The Marines were genuinely scared.

Ever since Linus accidentally started this two weeks ago, Rookie Roya had been challenging everyone, every day.

The more famous the Marine, the more likely Roya was to pick on them!

Winning was okay, but Rookie Roya fought like a wild animal, leaving most Marines bruised and embarrassed.

Even those who managed to win once were quickly beaten the next day, their small victory turning into a painful loss.

Being beaten by a Rookie was a big hit to their pride, and no one wanted to get beat up for no reason. Linus, who started it all, spent three whole days in the hospital.

And saying no to a challenge?

Impossible. How could they refuse a Rookie's challenge without looking weak and getting laughed at?

"Aaaaargh!!!"

A loud scream broke the tense silence. In less than three minutes, Carroll was on the ground, holding his clearly broken arm, crying like a pig being taken to slaughter.

The Marines instinctively stepped back, feeling a shiver down their spines.

He's unstoppable, completely unstoppable!

----

High up in the Tower, inside the fortress, Colonel Rhodes watched the scene on the Training Field. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.

"That kid is nothing but trouble!" he muttered.

He knew about the recent chaos. Reports about Roya breaking the rules had piled up on his desk, making a huge stack of complaints.

And of course, he remembered Roya.

Young, eager, and full of potential.

It was hard not to like such a promising New Recruit.

He had planned for Roya to improve his skills in the Branch, build a strong base, and eventually become a key member of the team.

But in less than two months, the Marines under his command had become nervous and unsure. If he let this chaos continue, the boy's arrogance would get out of control.

He needed to find a job for this troublemaker!

Rhodes thought hard, frowning.

Sending him after pirates was out of the question.

Besides strong Pirate Crews like the Black Cat Pirates, most pirates avoided fighting the Marines directly. Finding them was hard, and the Marines rarely attacked without good information.

Also, sending New Recruits into a dangerous pirate fight so early was too risky. It wasn't just about strength; real battles were very different from practice fights.

New Recruits needed time to grow.

"We'll go to Syrup Village."

Rhodes made a decision.

The Branch was running low on supplies. Getting new weapons and ammunition was a constant struggle, as they depended on the World Government. The Warship itself needed major repairs after some tough battles.

He needed to get some local support.

----

That evening,

Roya and Fullbody entered the Mess Hall. The noisy atmosphere suddenly disappeared, replaced by an uneasy silence. As Roya walked towards the food counter, the Marines there quickly stepped aside.

"Roya, you go first," they said together, their politeness so obvious it was almost funny.

Ha, it's like I'm bullying them.

"Thank you," Roya replied with a grin. He grabbed the tongs and started piling meat onto his plate. His appetite had grown huge, at least five times that of a normal Marine, and he got hungry very often.

After getting his food, Roya saw that most of the seats were taken.

He would have to share a table.

Linus was sitting nearby. When he saw Roya looking at him, he stiffened and quickly stood up, offering his seat.

His eyes showed a funny mix of fear and helplessness.

"No, no, there's no need," Roya said quickly, waving his hand. He took his plate to the table across from Linus and sat down. "Senior Linus, please sit. I'll just share the table."

"Ah, uh, okay," Linus stammered, hesitating before carefully sitting back down. After a moment of awkward silence, he whispered, "Roya, just call me Linus."

"Great. Then don't expect me to be polite."

Roya didn't like formalities either. They were all just rookies, after all. What was the point of emphasizing rank? Strength was what mattered.

Time to eat!

Nothing was better than a full stomach!

Roya went into "eating mode," and the food on his plate disappeared incredibly fast, leaving Linus staring in disbelief.

He can eat even more than me!

Seeing Roya's plate almost empty, Linus swallowed hard and offered, "Roya, how about I get you another plate of meat?"

"Mmm, sure, thanks!"

"Would you like some juice?"

"Yes!"

After satisfying his hunger, Roya let out a satisfied burp. Even the usually annoying Linus seemed more bearable.

"Linus, are there any other Marines here who are particularly good at swords and close combat?"

"Well, I'm afraid not," Linus said quickly.

The Branch wasn't very big, and the stronger Marines weren't much stronger than him. Besides, Roya had already beaten almost all of them.

"There aren't any?" Roya asked, sounding disappointed.

Fighting was the best way to train. In "The World," he fought ten, even dozens, of duels every day, pushing himself until he could barely stand.

This helped his combat skills improve very quickly.

But the Marines' skill was limited. It had been days since he had faced an opponent who challenged him. What was the point of these easy fights?

Unfortunately, the fighters in "The World" didn't get better.

Linus hesitated, then offered, "Roya, honestly, Sergeant Monka and Colonel Rhodes are the only ones in the Branch who might be a challenge for you."

"I'd really like to fight them," Roya mused, looking troubled.

Most of the Ensigns in the Branch had been promoted because of their time in service rather than their skill. Their abilities were probably not much better than the elite Marines fighting on the front lines.

Monka was different.

Looking at the Branch as a whole, only Colonel Rhodes could effectively control Monka, but Monka didn't seem like the type for friendly practice fights. It would also be hard to find chances to fight him regularly.

Maybe I could make it happen?

Suddenly, the noise around them died down.

Roya looked up to see Monka enter the Mess Hall. He walked straight towards Roya, looking serious.

The Marines at Roya's table immediately stood up straight.

Monka announced in a sharp tone, "New Recruits Roya and Fullbody, get ready. Tomorrow morning, you will sail with the Warship!"

"Yes, sir!" Roya responded, his voice full of enthusiasm, his heart jumping with excitement.

He was going out to sea!

After delivering this single, urgent message, Monka turned to leave. Seeing this, Roya quickly called out, "Please wait, Sergeant Monka!"

"What is it?" Monka asked, frowning.

Roya took a deep breath, his eyes burning with determination.

"I want to challenge you!"

The restaurant went completely silent. The Marines stepped back, their faces showing alarm.

This kid has a death wish!

Monka stared at Roya. After making sure he wasn't joking, a rare smile appeared on his face.

"To the Training Field!"