At the Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The Great Fortress of Justice rises in the center of the island, with the seagull statue symbolizing peace proudly spreading its wings atop the fortress.
In front of the Fortress of Justice lies a vast crescent-shaped plaza.
In the early summer heat, the scorching sun hung high in the sky.
In the plaza, rows of navy soldiers dressed in blue and white uniforms were training under the sun, practicing various exercises.
Running with heavy loads to build endurance.
Sword-fighting drills with wooden swords to enhance their resilience to blows and flexibility in combat.
High-intensity leg-raising exercises, specifically designed for mastering the Navy Six technique, Soru.
Each physical exercise was repeated no less than a thousand times.
There were soldiers collapsing from exhaustion during the intense training.
At that moment, military medics standing by would quickly rush forward to administer first aid.
After a short break, the soldiers would resume their intense training.
In this large plaza, it was rare to see soldiers slacking off or slowing down.
If they didn't meet the training standards set by the instructors, these recruits from the Four Seas, the Grand Line, and the New World would be sent home, meaning they would lose the chance to join the main headquarters and become elite warriors.
The sailors who had passed numerous tests and were granted the chance to train at headquarters were people of strong will, seizing this rare opportunity.
Beyond the significant difference in rank between headquarters and branches, the resources available for training soldiers and leaders at headquarters, along with the pay and benefits offered, were incomparable to those provided by the Navy's branches.
In this place, if you proved yourself outstandingly, you wouldn't lack opportunities for exceptional promotion!
At this moment, in the middle of the plaza, there was an empty space surrounded by ropes and wooden posts, where a simple square arena had been set up.
The arena was spacious, and on the platform, two newly enlisted soldiers with slender bodies were practicing hand-to-hand combat.
The sounds of repeated hand and foot strikes echoed continuously.
Although the rank of the two soldiers on the platform was only First-Class at headquarters, the speed and power of their punches showed that their physical capabilities were excellent.
"Hmph, I don't think they're any good. Training at this level is extremely dull. This batch of recruits is not up to the mark."
Under a canopy beside the arena, several senior officers from headquarters were standing or sitting, watching the fight on the platform.
Among them, a Colonel in headquarters wearing a white coat was half-lying on a chair, yawning as if he was bored.
This indifferent attitude irritated the other officers, who were all at least Colonel rank, making them frown.
The Colonel on the left, with a stern and cold expression, sneered while looking at the other Colonel: "What's that? Dos, are you going to start talking about that little recruit from the North Blue again?"
Dos chuckled lightly, then sat up from his relaxed position, with a clear, mocking smile on his face, and replied harshly: "Talking? No, my dear Colonel Benjamin, I wasn't talking. In fact, I suspect that the little recruit you mentioned from the North Blue might just be able to beat you, the Colonel of Headquarters."
"What did you say?!"
A loud cracking sound echoed.
The noise startled not only the officers standing beside him but also frightened the two new soldiers in the arena, who stopped fighting and stood puzzled.
The table placed between them was broken with a single strike from Colonel Benjamin.
Benjamin stood up in anger, pointing at Dos furiously and shouting: "Dos! Stop glorifying that little recruit from the North Blue, claiming he can beat thousands of the new recruits training here. Do you know what that means? Even Colonel Smoker, when he was a recruit, wouldn't have claimed he could defeat everyone here, despite possessing a Logia-type Devil Fruit."
He pointed at the curly-haired, white-haired officer sitting beside him, who was smoking two large cigars, and angrily criticized Dos.
Benjamin spoke confidently, even though Dos was higher in rank, he wasn't a combat officer but a military doctor.
The status of military doctors in the Navy Headquarters isn't low, but compared to powerful officers, it doesn't hold much weight.
In this world, power is what rules, even within the Navy.
The strong naturally earn respect.
For example, Colonel Smoker.
Although Smoker's rank is the same as Benjamin's, his strength far surpasses him, so even officers of higher ranks treat him with respect.
Not to mention, Smoker possesses a natural ability, making him favored among the top leaders at headquarters.
"Hmm? Do you dare to speak in such a tone to someone of a higher rank? My dear Colonel Benjamin, are you itching for a fight?"
A smile appeared at the corner of Dos's mouth as he slowly rose from his chair.
He stood nearly two meters tall, making him a full head taller than Colonel Benjamin.
As he spoke, he looked down at Benjamin with a condescending gaze.
Because of this arrogant attitude and provocative tone, Colonel Benjamin's face grew darker.
"You're only one rank above me, when did you become my superior? I report to Vice Admiral Doberman..."
"Stop, stop."
Dos motioned with his hand to stop, then placed his hand behind his ear, looking at Benjamin with exaggerated features.
"Vice Admiral Doberman? Did I hear that right? Dear Colonel Benjamin, if that's what you want to say, then I have no choice but to remind you that I am the naval doctor on Admiral Sakazuki's ship. And by the way, Vice Admiral Doberman is one of Admiral Sakazuki's direct subordinates."
Benjamin fell silent, his lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words with difficulty.
His stiff face turned red, and his body began to tremble.
Suddenly, he pointed his finger at Dos's nose and shouted angrily: "I don't care about any of that, if you dare, come with me to the arena, let's spar!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Dos's smile grew even more mocking.
"Are you serious? I don't want to be accused of bullying my subordinates."
These provocative words only made Colonel Benjamin angrier.
Dos smiled sarcastically, and his mockery deepened.
Without speaking, Benjamin used the "Soru" technique and disappeared from in front of Dos, reappearing on the arena.
He motioned for the two new soldiers to leave the platform and then shouted loudly: "Please, Colonel Dos, step into the arena and teach me!"
This shout caught the attention of the surrounding recruits and instructors.
The instructors quickly signaled the soldiers to pause their training and brought large numbers of recruits to watch the event with excitement.
Dos smiled coldly and walked toward the arena calmly.
Meanwhile, Smoker, who had been lying on his chair, glanced at Benjamin with pity-filled eyes.
Could an officer who follows an Admiral be weak?
(End of Chapter)
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