The huge Marine ship that took us all the way from G-4 to here, Marineford, docked. The marine soldiers moved in an orderly fashion, carrying the crates and various supplies out of the ship, to elsewhere in the Marineford. The awaiting shipwrights immediately began to inspect the state of the ship, in order to make sure that there is no issue regarding the safety during the sail.
Garp was long gone already, saying that he needs to pay a visit to his friend. Bogard, on the other hand, was busy ordering his subordinates.
'Marineford Bay,' I noticed as I looked around, 'along with the plaza over there, where Ace, in the canon, almost had himself executed on top of.'
I was simply amazed. My heart thumped rapidly as the ship, which I stood on top of, now sat within this circular Marineford Bay—I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the mighty view of the Marine's greatest stronghold.
"For 3 days, you will be given the time to familiarize yourselves in Marineford." One marine soldier stated at Hina, Bastille, and me in a friendly manner, "The specific details will be given by your colleague here."
Next to Bogard stood one teenage girl. Raising her hand up lazily, she introduced herself, "I'm Doll, a trainee who's partaking in the Elite Marine Officer program like you three."
Hina and Bastille nodded simultaneously.
"Hina is Hina."
"Nice to meet you, Doll. I'm Bastille-dara."
'Doll, ugh, hold on.' I inwardly frowned, trying to think just where I'd seen that name while reading the manga, 'Uh... yeah, no idea.'
Then, when I woke up from my thought, I noticed that Doll was staring at me intently.
"And this distracted idiot here is Smoker." It was only when Hina introduced me for my sake, did I realize what Doll was waiting for.
Turning around with a huff, she motioned with her hand, telling us to follow, "Come. I'll introduce you to the others."
__________
The four of us, with Doll at the front, were walking across the town. Apart from the initial mightiness that brought me into awe, Marineford surely did possess liveliness, with children running across the streets without any worries and the civilians watching them with smiles of their own.
"The majority of Marineford is composed of households for the civilians," Doll explained as we passed through, "and all of them are the families of the marines."
Stopping momentarily, Doll turned and looked at us with a shade of sadness on her expression, "Surprisingly enough, this place, termed 'Marineford Town,' wasn't established too long ago."
"Huh? Why though-dara?"
In contrast to Bastille, who tilted his head in confusion, Hina and I realized what she was speaking of.
"Holding marines' own families as hostages," My eyes narrowed, "It surely would've been a glaring weakness back then."
"7 years ago," Doll continued with her hands in her pockets, "one Marine Admiral lost his wife and son, due to a pirate who harboured hatred for him. The following result was the heartbroken man who's unable to go through even a single day without nightmares."
I listened seriously while watching the peaceful view around us.
"This not only affected the former Admiral himself, but also every other marines. After all, if even the hard-willed Admiral is reduced to such a state, what about the other marines? What will they do if their loved ones die due to the pirates whom they failed to catch?"
Doll muttered before turning back and resuming her walk, "Therefore, the plan to establish this Marineford Town has been issued by none other than the Fleet Admiral Kong himself, although I am not sure how he managed to acquire the necessary funds."
"That..." Bastille seemed to be shaken.
Hina, who exhibited a stern expression, spoke up softly, "That was the story of the instructor Zephyr, wasn't it?"
Doll didn't respond, but her silence was enough of an answer.
Continuing to follow Doll, I felt as if I was filled with complex emotions.
'Should I be happy that I have no family member? That there will be no such risk for me?' Sometimes, when I gaze at the stars at night, I would fall into the pit of loneliness, shivering and wondering why I was sent here.
'Losing your loved ones, or not having any from the start... heh, pick your poison.'
I felt my fists clenching up unconsciously.
__________
Eventually, the four of us arrived in front of what seemed to be a quite huge building. Standing out from the nearby households, this building, rectangular in overall shape, seemed to exhibit cold and harsh traits just by the view alone.
"And here, is where we stay." Doll placed her hand out, with palm facing above, "The Elite Marine Training Facility, built by the personal request of the instructor Zephyr. Just like you three, I only came here around a month ago, but I can tell you with confidence that he is, without a doubt, the best teacher in the whole world."
It seemed that wherever I went, everyone was boasting and praising how great Zephyr was as a teacher. However, I already am placed under Garp's guidance, and honestly, hearing these words about Zephyr alone, irked me.
'Honestly, although Garp-sensei's training is undoubtedly tough, the resulting improvement is beyond what one can imagine,' I huffed as Doll continued to voice her admiration for Zephyr, 'Tch, Zephyr? Best instructor? I bet that it's nothing but an inflated rumour. I mean, he was called "Black Arm" Zephyr, but lost his arm against Edward Weevil in the future!'
"I didn't get to come across the instructor Zephyr before. Is he really that great as the others say?" Bastille asked in curiosity.
Doll, in response, lifted her chin up and puffed her chest out, proclaiming loudly, "Definitely, without a doubt—"
"Nah, Garp-sensei is the best," Without thinking, the words came out of my mouth, causing Doll to freeze. Hina and Bastille looked at me weirdly.
Hina then whispered to Doll, "Worry not. He's simply suffering from Stockholm syndrome."
Having heard Hina's words, I immediately retorted, "No, I'm not."
Hina squinted her eyes at me, "Says the one who was throwing all kinds of insults at Vice Admiral Garp just a day ago. Hina amazed."
Doll stared at me as if looking at an alien, "Never have I seen in my life, someone who is insane enough to undertake Vice Admiral Garp's training routine."
Scratching her head with a small chuckle, Doll turned around and grabbed the door handle. Creaking it open, she motioned us to enter, "We can talk more after. For now, get inside."
Inside the building that we could see through the door,
"Fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two,"
One muscular teen was seen to be doing a steady bicep curl for his right arm.
"Yo, Smoker," Bastille leaned in and whispered, "Did you notice it too? His left arm is bulkier."
My eyes narrowed as I commented, "I see that he's the man of culture."
Walking up to the guy, I spoke up casually, "Hey, I'm Smoker. What's yours?"
The guy looked up at me with his face sweaty from the exercise. Without answering my words, he placed the dumbbell down and wiped the sweat off of his body with a towel, before shouting at Doll, "Hey ya, Doll! You didn't tell me that the newbies are coming today!"
"You were freaking asleep, Maynard!!"
My initial impression of this guy was... rude.
Throwing the towel away, Maynard stood up. He was far taller than me, and now that I got a closer look, the beard has started to grow from his chin. He then leaned down on me, and growled,
"Well, nice to meet you, kid. But know this. In here, I am the best, I am the strongest, and I am your senior. Treat me as if treating a king—"
"Hey," As I watched this dude's antics casually, Bastille suddenly interrupted the scene, "Who do you think you are? Smoker was simply greeting you, wasn't he?"
"Huh? Who the f*** are you?!"
Hina and Doll, who were standing at the back, rolled their eyes simultaneously,
""Boys as always.""
Maynard, noticing that Bastille was taller than him, took a step back.
'...Is he intimidated by Bastille?' I thought.
Then, Maynard started posing all of a sudden,
"You can't compare to me! I've been taught under Zephyr-sensei for a year, and look at all these muscles that I've gained already! Hnnnnggg!!!"
"Pff—" Unable to conceal my amusement any longer, I exploded in laughter, "Hahahaha!!!"
Maynard fell silent, with his face increasingly getting furious.
Wiping the tears from my face, I exclaimed, "Haa... haa... you're really funny, I can't even breathe properly—hahahaha!!!!!"
Bastille, looking at me laughing uncontrollably, had his shoulders shaking. Eventually, being unable to suppress his laughter, he began to laugh along with me, "Daradaradaradara!!!"
"Oi, you two!!! Why are laughing?! Why are you laughing?!!" Maynard growled, bumping his fists together, "F****** hell... go eat s***, wimp!!"
He then brashly threw a heavy punch at me, who was still laughing.
"Oh boy," At the back, Doll facepalmed, "That Smoker boy is done for."
Hina refuted with her arms crossed, "Hina disagrees."
"...Maynard is someone who already out-competed some of our seniors. What can that thin boy do against him?" Doll turned at Hina with her eyebrow raised.
"Smoker caught a pirate with a devil fruit ability." Hina continued to speak with certainty, "You should pray that Smoker doesn't kill that pea-brained fool by accident."
Tap. Just when Hina said so, I effortlessly grabbed Maynard's punch without the utilization of my fruit ability, causing Maynard to frown in a confusion.
"...What?" Doll's eyes widened in shock.
"Uh oh," Bastille took a step back, with his laugh stopped.
Then, before Maynard could do anything,
"Well, you started it," I blasted my punch onto this huge guy's face,
BOOM!!
Causing him to crash through the wall of the building. When the dust was cleared, Maynard was unconscious, with his broken nose bleeding.
Hina sighed, as if having expected this.