One Piece: Son-in-Law King, That's My Destiny!

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The exams continued: sit-ups, squats, frog jumps... Apart from the rope climb, which was a bit tough, the rest of the challenges were a breeze for the new recruits.

By 11 AM, the training was over.

Morgan looked at the small notebook in his hand, where every entry next to Loya's name said "Excellent," placing him in the top three of all the new recruits.

He closed the notebook.

"Free time. Meet back here in half an hour!"

"Yes, sir!"

The recruits responded loudly. While a few who hadn't performed well realized they might be sent home, the rest couldn't hide their excitement. They had trained hard for months for this moment.

As the recruits enjoyed their free time, the officers became busy, looking at their scoring books and discussing the performance of the new recruits.

Morgan approached Colonel Rod with a serious expression.

"Colonel, new recruit Loya has performed exceptionally well. I suggest we focus on nurturing him. If he slacks off in any of his duties, he should be disciplined, but please don't target him unnecessarily."

"Huh?"

Colonel Rod was a bit confused.

When did he ever say he would target Loya?

Such an outstanding recruit, he should be cherishing him, not the other way around.

Realizing that Morgan had misunderstood, Rod chuckled: "I get it, Morgan. Don't worry, I'll handle things fairly."

"Thank you, sir!" Morgan replied, relieved, saluting before returning to his post.

Resources at the 153rd branch were limited, and it was rare to find such a promising new recruit. It would be unfair if personal emotions caused him to be mistreated.

Half an hour passed quickly.

The recruits lined up, awaiting Colonel Rod's orders.

Rod stepped in front of the recruits, saluted them, and then began calling out names.

"Fullbody!"

"Here!"

"Exam result: Excellent!"

Achieving an "Excellent" grade didn't just bring personal honor but also meant a promotion to second-class soldier. Real, tangible benefits.

"Loya!"

"Here!"

"Exam result: Excellent!"

Loya's heart jumped. He had anticipated his score, but hearing it announced publicly still made him feel overjoyed.

"Rokak!"

"Here!"

"Exam result..."

As the results were read, some were happy, while others were disappointed, especially those who had barely missed the "Excellent" grade.

To be promoted from third-class soldier to second-class soldier could take three to four months if done by the book, and possibly even longer.

Once the results were read, 18 out of the 20 recruits passed, with four earning the "Excellent" grade.

Colonel Rod personally placed the marine shoulder insignia on each recruit, with one stripe for third-class soldiers and two for second-class soldiers.

"You all did excellently..."

Rod gave an encouraging speech and then took out two stamps, walking over to Fullbody and Loya to pin them with a badge.

"And one more thing. This month, both Fullbody and Loya have excelled in their duties and are being awarded the Duty Star badge!"

The Duty Star!

The two now had a small red flower on their chests.

The recruits stared at them, their faces filled with amazement. They might as well have written "awesome" on their faces.

The Duty Star didn't sound like much, and its practical use was limited, but earning such a distinction was no easy feat. After all, the work was dirty and tiring, and few recruits treated it seriously, let alone to the point where Colonel Rod would personally praise them.

Did they even clean the toilets?

Damn, these two are tough!

Clap clap clap!

"Alright."

Rod waved his hand with a smile.

"You must be hungry by now. In the afternoon, Morgan will take you to get familiar with your new environment. For now, dismiss!"

"Yes, Colonel Rod!"

The recruits stood tall, their chests puffed out, and snapped to attention.

"Salute!"

Watching the officers leave, the recruits relaxed immediately, excited and jumping around. Those who hadn't participated in the exam rushed over to join them.

The new recruits surrounded Loya, excitedly shouting.

"Loya, you're amazing!"

"To get an 'Excellent' rating is unbelievable!"

"You were the most impressive in this exam!"

"You really made us proud!"

Loya's performance wasn't the best. Several recruits performed just as well as him, but his status as a new recruit made him stand out, earning him extra attention.

The new recruits were proud.

Even though they hadn't been able to perform well themselves, Loya was strong, and as their peer, they felt honored. Plus, Loya might end up covering for them later.

After a while, Loya's stomach growled.

"Let's go eat."

"Haha, we'll get your food for you!"

"Heard today's lunch is special!"

Perhaps to celebrate, the food at the mess hall was much more generous than usual, with large chunks of sea beast meat.

After eating their fill, Loya returned to the dorm with the new recruits' support, then locked himself in the bathroom.

"Ahhh!"

He enjoyed a cold shower.

Loya pressed his hands on the sink, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

After a month of intense training, his once frail body had gained significant muscle, with clear muscle contours now visible. His eyes, once dull, now gleamed with a sharp intensity, the kind forged through sweat and pain.

He looked like a completely different person.

He had really gotten stronger!

Loya grabbed a hair tie, pulling back his dark, shoulder-length hair into a short ponytail. Without his hair obscuring his face, he looked even sharper, ready to unleash his power.

This was the look he had been aiming for.

He longed to shine under the spotlight!

Knock knock!

"Loya, it's almost time to gather."

"Got it!"

In the afternoon, Loya and the new marines gathered on the training ground.

No training, no chores.

Their task was to follow Morgan and get familiar with the responsibilities of a formal marine. Aside from regular training, there would also be patrol duties and other daily tasks.

Morgan led the group to another training ground in the branch, where many marines were practicing swordsmanship.

"Morning was all about physical training, and when there are no tasks in the afternoon, we'll focus on combat skills..."

Morgan explained to the new recruits.

Swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat were mandatory for all marines. There were also some specialized courses based on the recruit's performance, determining their future role.

For example, recruits who were good with firearms might be assigned to the sharpshooter team, while others might end up in the close-combat assault team, artillery units, and so on.

Some of the weaker recruits, however, might be assigned to support units, where they'd handle things like reloading ammunition—safe, but it would be hard to stand out.

"Hey, Loya."

Fullbody nudged Loya with his elbow, whispering, "Which unit do you want to join?"

"Me?"

Loya looked at the training field, his eyes lighting up.

"I want to try them all!"

Note: At this moment this story is published up to chapter 17 on my patreon go take a look and remember if you reach 20 stones of power I will publish the next chapter