Chapter 50: That Kid’s Sword Isn’t Half Bad!

"Yoriichi, can you believe the mission we've been assigned is helping out in the boiler room?"

"The commanding officer of this branch must really think low of us."

Inside the engine room of the Navy's 133rd Branch warship, Kyros stood bare-chested, shoveling a load of solid fuel into the roaring furnace. After closing the boiler door with a sigh, he glanced at the boy beside him, Yoriichi Tsugikuni and muttered his complaint.

"Whether he looks down on us or not... how would I know?"

"This is my first time setting out to sea as a Navy Seaman Third Class. By regulation, we're technically combat personnel, so work like this shouldn't fall on us."

"But on this ship… maybe this is just part of the job for a third-class seaman."

Yoriichi wore the standard sailor uniform of a Navy recruit. Gloved hands gripping a shovel, he stared into the blazing furnace as he replied evenly.

He had imagined his field training at sea would be more like his time aboard Garp's ship—fighting pirates when they showed up, and training during the downtime. At the very least, he'd expected a role more like a normal third-class seaman: taking watch, going on patrol, maybe participating in a battle or two.

What he didn't expect was to be tossed into the engine room like a common deckhand, tending the boiler alongside Kyros from the moment they boarded.

Navy warships, unlike the purely wind-driven sailing vessels that dotted the seas, relied on combustion boilers for propulsion.

The fuel they used was a kind of black rock. Yoriichi had examined it closely—it resembled coal, but clearly wasn't the same. It was much denser and heavier. Perhaps it was a special resource unique to the world of pirates.

To keep the warship running, Yoriichi and Kyros had to constantly feed the boilers. If not for Kyros's speed in handling the fuel, they'd barely have a moment to breathe.

"Part of our job? I don't think so. Warships do have a designated group for menial labor. This kind of work should be handled by them, not us."

"We may be third-class seamen, but we're also cadets from the Navy Academy. If our field training is just shoveling coal, what's the point of the training?"

"Besides, if boiler duty falls to third-class seamen, then where are the ship's laborers supposed to go?"

"Back on Vice Admiral Garp's ship, this kind of work was always done by the labor crew."

Kyros had taken the time during his academy studies to understand the Navy's operational structure. He'd even asked junior officers and non-coms about typical assignments aboard ships.

And during the time he'd spent aboard Garp's vessel, returning from Navy HQ, he too had been a Seaman Third Class. His duties then had included patrol, lookout, furling sails, and raising anchors. The work had been varied and exhausting—but never once had he been tasked with stoking the boiler.

Apparently, Kyros hadn't picked up on the hidden meaning in Yoriichi's words. He asked, puzzled.

"Hm? Who knows."

"Oh, and Kyros."

"Don't ask about this anymore."

"And one more thing, whether we're on this ship or once we reach the 133rd Branch, don't mention that you're a cadet from the Academy."

Yoriichi's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke offhandedly.

Kyros gave him a confused look. Sensing that his friend didn't quite understand, Yoriichi said nothing more. Just as Kyros opened his mouth to press the issue, the engine room door swung open with a clang.

In walked a young sailor, about 175 centimeters tall and dressed in the standard Navy uniform. After quickly sizing up Yoriichi and Kyros, he broke into a friendly smile.

"You two must be the new recruits assigned to the 133rd Branch, huh?"

Yoriichi and Kyros exchanged a glance and gave him a polite nod.

"Heh… Headquarters elites, huh!"

"I'm Joseph, Sergeant of the 133rd Branch. Looks like we'll be shipmates from now on."

"Oh, right, what are your names?"

The young sergeant gave a casual self-introduction, then turned to ask theirs.

"Nice to meet you, Sergeant Joseph. My name is Tsugikuni Yoriichi, age seventeen, Seaman Third Class!"

Yoriichi replied with a warm smile. But the moment he mentioned his age, Kyros froze for a beat, his expression twitching ever so slightly.

Kyros knew for a fact that Yoriichi was twelve.

Sure, Yoriichi stood at 170 centimeters, tall enough to pass for a full-grown adult, but Kyros had no doubt about his real age. Still, he didn't say anything.

He wasn't dumb enough to expose Yoriichi's lie at a time like this.

Snapping out of his brief shock, Kyros followed up with his own introduction:

"Hello, Sergeant Joseph. My name is Kyros, I'm seventeen years old, currently ranked Seaman Third Class."

Joseph nodded, then suddenly grinned and joked with the two of them.

"Oh! Yoriichi Tsugikuni, you really do look young. Baby-faced, aren't you?"

"And you, Kyros, what a build! You don't look like you're just seventeen, hahaha!"

Yoriichi simply gave a modest smile, neither drawing too close nor keeping too distant. Kyros scratched his head sheepishly, his demeanor honest and down-to-earth.

"Yoriichi, Kyros, from now on, we're friends and comrades," Joseph said sincerely. "Let's work together and have each other's backs in the days ahead."

He paused for a moment, then asked, as if something had just occurred to him, "By the way, how did you two end up stationed at HQ? And why were you transferred to West Blue's 133rd Division?"

Kyros opened his mouth to reply, but Yoriichi beat him to it with a cheerful smile.

"To be honest with you, Sergeant Joseph, the two of us were originally bounty hunters. About a month ago, we got caught in a shipwreck and were rescued by a rear admiral from HQ."

"To repay that kindness, we decided to join the Navy and enlist as seamen third class."

"As for being assigned to the 133rd Division... maybe it's just because you're short on manpower, hahahaha."

He laughed it off casually, spinning a story on the fly. Though Kyros was puzzled, he didn't show it and nodded silently beside him.

Joseph's eyes drifted, seemingly without intention to the blade at Yoriichi's waist and the longsword strapped to Kyros's back. He nodded again, then smiled and said, "Bounty hunting is never as stable as being in the Navy."

"You made a wise choice!"

"Well, I've got other duties to attend to. We'll talk more another time."

"Oh, and I'll inform Captain Hager about your situation. It'd be a waste of talent to have former bounty hunters doing grunt work."

"But for today, just carry on with your current task. Wait for my word."

Waving at Yoriichi, Joseph turned and left the engine room. Yoriichi and Kyros smiled and nodded until he disappeared from view. Once the door closed, Yoriichi turned his gaze back to the boiler. He opened the furnace door and casually shoveled in two loads of fuel.

The fire roared with heat, painting Yoriichi's face a bright crimson. Kyros turned to glance at him, lips parting slightly—as if to speak—but in the end, he swallowed his questions and stayed silent.

—

Suddenly, the door to the 133rd Division's office burst open.

A waft of smoke slithered out, quickly dissipating into the hallway. Joseph stepped in briskly and shut the door behind him.

This was the office of Captain Kane, the commanding officer of the 133rd Division. At the moment, Kane was sprawled on a couch, legs resting on the coffee table, a cigar dangling from his lips. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, smoke curling around him.

His disheveled, carefree posture stood in stark contrast to the stiff, disciplined demeanor he'd shown when reporting to Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

"Well? What did you find?"

Catching sight of Joseph from the corner of his eye, Kane blinked and turned his head slightly, his gaze sharpening.

"Hehe, Captain, nothing unusual. Just two fresh recruits," Joseph replied.

"Said they were bounty hunters before joining the Navy a month ago."

Kane gave a slight nod. But then, Joseph's eyes gleamed with excitement as he leaned in.

"Captain, that red-haired kid—he's got a fine weapon on him. Once we reach West Blue, do you think maybe—"

Before he could finish, Kane's face darkened. He sat up abruptly, grabbed Joseph by the collar, and yanked him forward.

"You said the kid's weapon is good?" he asked in a low, cold voice.

"How good?"

Joseph was stunned. He hadn't expected such a reaction.

"W-Well... the scabbard looked exquisite. I didn't get a look at the blade, but with a scabbard like that, the sword can't be cheap. Probably worth a good sum."

Tch.

Kane pushed him away and walked over to the window. He stood in silence for a long while, then let out a quiet, mocking laugh.

"Bounty hunters, huh... Heh. You take me for a fool?"

"If they want to play games, fine. Let's play."

*********

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