Hey everyone! 🌟
I'm thrilled to introduce some updates to the tier system on Patreon! 🎉 With these changes, you'll have more options for accessing advanced chapters of my fanfictions. Here's the breakdown:
✨ Quantum Spark: Get 15 chapters in advance 📚
✨ Astral Bolt: Get 35 chapters in advance 📖
✨ Cosmic Tempest: Get 55 chapters in advance 📘
✨ Supernova Charge: Get 75 chapters in advance 📔
I hope these new tiers help you enjoy the stories in your preferred way. Thank you so much for your support—it means the world to me and keeps the stories coming! 🙏
Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts! 😊
Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: p@treon.com/CosmicKaminari
----------
There, a burly man nearly 7 meters tall, holding what seemed to be a Bible with "BIBLE" on the cover, was sitting quietly.
It was a replica of Bartholomew Kuma.
"Kuma, you know best where to find large uninhabited desert islands, so I'll leave that to you."
Akira walked over and placed the deformed leaf into the Bible.
Kuma closed the book, stood up, and said in his gentle voice:
"My lord, I'll handle it now. But I must remind you of two things: First, my physical strength is limited."
"Second, I can't transport all the food made from so many Streusen on my own."
Clearly, Kuma was suggesting that another copy, or even several, might be needed.
Akira nodded: "Got it, we'll copy one each tomorrow and the day after."
Even though the Kuma in memory didn't perform many tasks, the physical strength required to replicate him is many times greater than that for Streusen.
So, it's not wise to casually replicate Kuma in the wild, as it could easily leave him in a weakened state.
"Alright, I'll take the meat here to the designated place first."
"The next destination is the Kingdom of Mannoroc, which isn't far."
Whoosh.
The Paw-Paw Fruit sent the meat placed in the open space flying.
In an instant, the meat disappeared from everyone's sight.
...
Grand Line.
In the Kingdom of Mannoroc, a brand-new Marine Base had been established.
Now, with the presence of soldiers, not only had peace been restored, but the lives of the people were also improving.
"Honey, the meat fell from the sky this morning, and I brought it for our dinner."
A soldier, rough-looking with a sturdy build like a mountain but with an ordinary appearance, strode toward the open space behind.
Weaving through many hanging clothes and sheets,
He finally spotted a familiar figure staring off into the distant sky.
The tall soldier instinctively smiled, walked up behind the woman, and wrapped his arms around her slender waist.
"Honey, thanks for helping with the laundry. I'll hang it up with you."
"Ah, it's fine, I can do it. You've been training all day; this isn't something you need to worry about."
The woman was startled at first, but when she heard the familiar voice, she relaxed.
She turned her head, wiped her cheeks, and quickly placed the clean Marine clothes she was holding onto the drying rack.
"Honey, why are you crying?"
The tall soldier, completely focused on his wife, immediately noticed her reddened eyes and the tear stains she hadn't managed to wipe away.
"Stop messing around and tell me, who made you cry? I'll go teach them a lesson."
"No, no one made me cry."
"Then why are you crying?"
"I…" Seeing the worry in her husband's eyes, the woman's emotional barrier broke, and she buried her face in his chest, sobbing.
"I dreamed about my dad and my brother."
The tall soldier was momentarily stunned, then wrapped his arms around her small frame, letting out a long sigh.
He knew about his wife's tragic past. Her entire family had been killed by pirates, leaving her alone in the world.
Even though she had him to rely on now, she was still haunted by memories of that horrible day, waking up from nightmares each night.
"Damn pirates, I swear I'll wipe them all out," the tall soldier muttered fiercely.
"Yes, I believe in you. With the Marines, the pirates will disappear."
The woman looked up and nodded with conviction. "After all, my husband is the bravest soldier in the entire Marine."
"Hey! That's right, I am the bravest around here." The tall soldier grinned widely.
They held each other for a while before finally remembering their original plan and walked hand in hand.
Before long, they arrived at the bustling cafeteria.
As soon as they entered, they drew everyone's attention.
"Look, the big guy and his beautiful wife are here for dinner."
"Oh~~~ How are you, sister-in-law? Come sit with us."
"Big guy, how did you manage to marry such a beautiful wife? I'm so jealous!"
"It's because he's a brave fighter, that's how he caught her eye."
"..."
Under the "angry" and "jealous" stares of everyone, the tall soldier, like a victorious rooster, proudly held his shy wife's hand and boldly took a seat.
Soon, a chef brought their food to the table.
The woman straightened up the utensils, picked up a large piece of meat with her chopsticks, and fed it to the tall soldier.
He grinned, enjoying every bite with a smile.
This made the other soldiers groan in exaggerated frustration.
"Hey, big guy, how's it going? Is your wife treating you well?"
Someone suddenly called out, their voice carrying over the entire cafeteria.
Without missing a beat, the tall soldier replied, "Very well! Of course, I'm satisfied."
"Oh, there he goes showing off again. I shouldn't have even asked."
"Honestly, if it weren't for his connection with the Secretary of the Acting Fleet Admiral, the big guy probably wouldn't have found a wife in his lifetime."
"Don't be jealous, everyone. As long as you fight bravely against the enemy, the headquarters can take care of you, and there will be many benefits in the future. Your families will be well taken care of, guaranteed."
"Those damned pirates, why haven't they shown up lately? I can't wait to take them on."
"..."
...
While the cafeteria buzzed with activity, things were happening outside the base as well.
A group of more than a dozen people approached the area marked "Recruitment Office."
"Hello, do you recruit soldiers here?"
A soldier, busy eating from a big bowl of rice, looked up at them, nodded, and said:
"Yes, we're recruiting, but there's a difference in how recruits and veterans are treated. Are you recruits?"
"N-No, we're all retired, but we want to rejoin now," the leader said, looking a bit shy.
"Retired?" The soldier frowned, noticing their somewhat embarrassed appearance, and quickly understood.
Most of these young retirees were likely soldiers who deserted during the recent upheaval. Now, for whatever reason, they had returned, ready to join the fight against pirates.
"Hey, if you're brothers, there's no need to hide anything. You left from other places before, didn't you?"
"Don't worry, I'm back too. Hahaha, the Acting Fleet Admiral said that anyone willing to come back is a brother, and that makes everyone brothers here."
"The Great Pirate Era caused by that bastard Roger scared even many generals at headquarters at first, let alone those of us on the front lines."
"Rest assured, neither the base commander nor the brothers will treat you any differently because of what happened before."
Seeing the soldier's sincere attitude, the leader and the others exchanged glances and finally felt relieved.
They had been really worried that they would be looked down upon or targeted because of their past actions.
The main reason they returned was because of a statement they read in the newspaper from Akira, the Acting Fleet Admiral:
"My brother believes in me and is willing to come back and fight the pirates with his life, which shows that justice is still in his heart."
"Who dares to bully them because of the past, no matter how high their rank, even an Admiral, I won't let it slide."
This statement gave them the confidence to reveal their status as veterans.
"But brothers, I've got to tell you something first."
"The Marine is stretched thin right now. Salaries will start from the time you rejoin the base, but they'll only be paid monthly, and the first payout will be at the end of the second month."
"However, we provide food and lodging here."
"If you're okay with that, you're welcome to stay. If not, there's nothing we can do."
"The Acting Fleet Admiral also said, let's endure this tough time together, and he'll work on improving conditions as soon as the staff is sufficient."
"While we do have meat to eat, it's not the best quality, just enough to fill your stomach."
"But it's not all bad. The locals send fresh vegetables daily, and the chief sometimes takes the brothers out to sea to catch fish and seafood for a change of pace. So really, it's not too bad."
The soldier, who was eating his dry rice, didn't hold back about the situation at the base.
In the days to come, everyone would build lifelong friendships, and it was important to lay everything out from the start to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts later on.
Plus, these detailed explanations about the Marine's situation were specifically requested by Akira. After all, they had to be upfront—only recruiting those who were truly willing to serve.
The dozen or so men who had gathered clearly understood the situation and didn't seem fazed by it.
"As long as there's something to eat, it's good enough."
The leader responded, and then, encouraged by the eager eyes of those behind him, he pulled out a stack of crumpled newspapers.
Scratching his head, he asked a bit sheepishly:
"Is it true that the headquarters helps the big guys find wives? I even heard there are celebrities among them."
"Hahaha, of course, it's true. But if you're cowards and not on the list of 'heroic soldiers,' don't expect any girl to consider you," the soldier chuckled in response.
Hearing this, the dozen men's eyes lit up with determination.
They all pounded their chests and declared:
"We fought our way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood; we're no cowards!"
"I'm going to kill a hundred pirates and bring back a beautiful wife to show my family."
"I'm rejoining the Marines to wipe out pirates."
"..."
The soldier didn't delay any longer. He set down his bowl, pulled out a pen and paper, and began to register them one by one.
Just then, another figure approached from the distance.
"Are you recruiting soldiers here?"
"Yes, but recruits and veterans are treated differently. Are you a recruit?"
Thud.
A corpse was casually tossed onto the ground, and the voice continued:
"Yes, I'm a recruit, but I'm strong. I took down this pirate with a 3-million-berry bounty on my own."
"So, can I get the same treatment as a veteran?"
The soldier was speechless: "..."
The others were stunned: "..."
...
...
Scenes like this were unfolding at various Marine bases across the seas.
"I don't want money; I'm not interested in that. I just want to join the Marines and kill pirates."
"Let's be honest, I'm here for a wife. Rose from my village told me to bring back a 'heroic soldier' certificate before she'll marry me."
"I heard the base provides food, lodging, and even arranges marriages. My family's struggling, so I came here."
"My name is Hogback, I'm a surgeon, please let me join the Marines."
"..."