"Just what?" The head handyman looked at Ren with cold eyes.
"The job you assigned to me is very good, but I don't want to do it." Ren chuckled, completely ignoring the coldness in the handyman leader's eyes.
"Ren, do you know what you're saying?"
"Did you become stupid overnight?"
"If you don't agree to this job, do you think you'll walk out of this room?"
As soon as Ren finished speaking, the other six people immediately surrounded him.
"Haha, if you kneel down and beg for mercy now, maybe I'll spare you this time." The handyman leader twisted his lips into a sneer and waved his huge fist in front of Ren's face.
"Ren, kneel down and kowtow. We'll pretend you never said anything!" Another one of them stepped in, standing beside Ren with a mocking smile.
"Thanks!" Ren smiled sincerely. "But I'm in a hurry and don't have time for such boring things."
Ren chuckled, and with a slight sway, he dodged the handyman leader's fist and punched him in the stomach.
Bang!
The handyman leader flew backward before he could react, hitting the wall with a dull thud and fainting.
"I hope your boss is strong enough!" Ren chuckled and walked away.
Ren's clattering footsteps brought the dumbfounded handymen back to their senses. Some couldn't believe what had just happened. They rubbed their eyes and asked blankly, "What happened just now?"
One of them looked at the slumped handyman leader, mouth twitching, voice trembling. "It seems that Ren punched the boss and sent him flying."
"When did Ren become so strong?" Another, who had mocked Ren earlier, spoke with a trembling voice and shaky legs, fearing Ren might hit him the same way.
One of them looked at the motionless handyman leader, then at his companions, and hesitantly asked, "Is...is the boss dead?"
At those words, cold sweat broke out on all six of them. They mustered the courage to step forward, finally checking on the foreman. When they saw his collapsed abdomen and the cracked wall behind him, they were filled with horror, mouths hanging open as if they could fit a duck egg.
"Ren, he...he...how is he so strong?"
"Is he going to come after us next?"
The six of them looked at each other, cold sweats running down their backs. They had given Ren a hard time before, and if he wanted revenge...they didn't dare imagine the consequences. Each silently vowed that the next time they saw Ren, they would treat him with the utmost respect.
The base's training ground was a large green lawn where soldiers conducted routine drills every morning. As Ren approached, he could hear their shouts and chants.
Walking into the training ground, Ren saw four formations of more than 2,000 naval soldiers training in an orderly manner. He watched quietly for a few seconds, then headed straight to the platform where Colonel Morgan stood on the other side of the field.
To become a naval recruit at this base, where Morgan had the final say, the fastest and most effective way was to approach him directly. Going through anyone else would just waste time.
"Becoming a new recruit might be more hassle than just defeating Morgan directly. This broken system should have a live-stream option. So much potential for rewards will be wasted without it!"
As Ren crossed most of the field, his conspicuous clothing drew nearly every eye in the area. Many were curious, though others watched eagerly, anticipating his demise.
"Looks like someone came to entertain us early this morning. This is shaping up to be a great day."
"I've seen that handyman before. He used to get pushed around by other handymen. Maybe he's here to complain to the colonel!"
"Complain? That's a death wish."
"Maybe he's just had enough and is looking for a way to die in style!"
The soldiers nearby started commenting, casting curious glances at Ren.
Morgan also noticed Ren but looked at him with mild indifference. To him, a mere handyman trespassing onto the training grounds wasn't worth any real attention.
"Stop!" When Ren was about ten meters from the platform, six of Morgan's men exchanged glances, and one of them barked out the command.
Morgan valued his dignity above all else, and even though he ignored Ren, everyone present knew that his tolerance only stretched so far. Scolding Ren was the best way to avoid the wrath of their leader after he inevitably snapped.
Ren glanced at the person who'd called out to him, walked a few steps closer, then stopped. He looked directly at Morgan, ignoring the lieutenant beside him, and spoke his intentions without hesitation. "My name is Ren, and I'm here to be promoted to a new recruit."
Morgan's appearance was no different from the comics, though his aura felt even more menacing. The iron axe in his right hand gleamed coldly under the sunlight, capable of splitting mountains and rocks with one swing.
Before today, Ren might have bowed his head, showing respect before this brutal Axeman Colonel. But now, he confronted him directly, a gleam of fighting spirit in his eyes.
Ren's manner and tone were a blatant challenge to Morgan's authority. The colonel stroked the iron arm of his axe, looked down at Ren, and said calmly, "Kill him."
"Yes, Colonel!" A lieutenant by Morgan's side immediately responded, jumping down from the platform and walking toward Ren.
"So things aren't going to be easy, after all!" Ren thought, glancing at the lieutenant. His gaze held no fear, only a burning desire to fight.
Luffy would arrive in this town soon, and Ren needed to test his strength to adapt to his new powers and abilities. He wanted to be prepared to face Luffy in a serious fight when he inevitably caused trouble at this base.
The thought of a live-streamed duel with Luffy was enough to get his blood pumping. If the audience was his former world, he'd become a super popular streamer with tens of millions of followers in a day.
Ren's eyes sparkled with excitement as he anticipated the coming battle, but Morgan spoke up suddenly, stopping his subordinate. "A mere handyman isn't worth the effort of a lieutenant. Have the new recruits handle it."
"Yes, Colonel!" The lieutenant immediately abandoned his stance, saluted, and ran toward the formation of training soldiers.
"Form up!"
The lieutenant shouted to the recruits, while Ren frowned slightly. What he wanted was a real fight with those possessing strength, like the lieutenants and the colonel. Fighting new recruits would be a waste of time—it'd be like knocking down bowling pins one by one.