Chapter 28: Chapter 23

Zipping through the air three youths dodged a forest of snapping plants and an army of Super Baboons.

“Sasha take right!”

“Ricky take left!”

Shouting to his two childhood buddies, Bill and his friends ran across huge waving tree roots.

This was going to be their last time training in the forests of Vallipo. Ricky, the youngest of group, had turned sixteen the week before and they had decided to sign up at the same time.

Ranse and Fia had left Vallipo nearly a month ago, being Chore Boys, they hadn’t the option of when to leave. However, Aramaki decided to hold Ranse back until Fia’s birthday in order to let them go together.

Although Vallipo held the South Blue’s premier cadet academy, it was custom to send promising new recruits away for training.

The reason for this was twofold.

Firstly, due to the hazards faced in the open ocean, the youths of most middle-class and wealthy people never actually traveled beyond their own home island.

Secondly, most navy officers were relatives of previous officers. Due to these youth’s familial connections, it was frowned upon for family to administer their kin into the Marine organization.

It was possible and legal for a father to have his son train under him, but the cost for such a thing would be his reputation.

And in a globe-spanning military organization, one which gave its executive officers a high degree of freedom, reputation was worth more than gold.

So now, with two of the squad gone, Sasha and Ricky jumped into action.

“Acute Angle FLASH!”

“Current SLASH!”

Dicing up the couple dozen vines on each side, Bill kept running hard through the middle.

Today’s test was special, it was a version of capture the flag mixed with flag football. The goal was to capture the target without getting hit. Any hits resulted in failure.

Since this was the last test, Aramaki told the trio that there would be a reward for success, and the punishment for failure would be the lack of a reward.

As Sasha and Ricky were catching up, a giant root burst from the ground.

Large enough to hit all three at once, Bill sprang into action.

“Seismic Stomp!”

Meeting the root head on, both seemed to freeze in midair before with a shout Bill kicked the thing back, folding onto itself.

Not minding the huge crash ahead of them, the three continued to push forward, every now and then the two swordsmen taking the lead in cutting vines and rocks thrown by the Baboons.

After running for what seemed like a long time, the trio came to a slow stop.

Looking upwards, the three saw the largest tree they’d ever seen. Bill guessed it stood over two-hundred meters tall, thinking surely a creation that could only exist due to his father’s devil fruit.

Due to its nature, the top of the tree wasn’t a sprawling canopy but was instead a giant merry-go-round on which hung massive vines which radiated spores visible to the naked eye.

In the distance, Bill could see that the flag was a Marine banner and was on top of the spinning plant.

Unable to spare much time, Bill called out to the others.

“You two hold back the Baboons, I’ll get the flag and throw it back, don’t wait for me and run!”

Getting to grunts in approval, Bill rushed off for a few hundred feet until the ground burst open with three cages holding Super Tigers.

Super Tigers were the apex land predator on the Archipelago, and Bill hadn’t faced one until his fifteenth birthday.

Seeing the three cages, Bill’s adrenaline went into overdrive, and he dashed towards the nearest one.

With a leap, he pulled one cage down unto its door, hopefully trapping its captive but before he could get to the others, he heard a single *Clink*.

Then with a roar, Bill turned around to see the massive tiger bound forward.

As it did so, he focused in before hearing: “Straight Angle Slash!”

Stopped in its tracks by a flying cut, the Tiger roared in outrage before switch it’s target. Seeing his chance, Bill bodied the large beast on its side sending it tumbling.

“Go! I got this!”

Hearing Sasha yell this, Bill immediately looked around to the other two cages, on one side, the gate had never opened and on the other the beast was unable to push over the flipped cage.

Looking back to Ricky, Bill saw the youth weaving in and out of the Baboons. His Rumble Sword was made for such a fight but with the rule that they couldn’t be touched, it was hard to say if he could do it.

“Ok! Watch out, that cage hasn’t opened yet!”

Having got a nod from the girl, Bill turned back to the massive merry-go-round tree and ran on.

Dodging through the grabbing roots, biting plants, and tripping creepers Bill finally reached the base of the tree.

Looking up to see the spores, he held his breath and jumped.

Having jumped a few dozen meters, Bill dug his fingers into the tree and launched himself again and again.

Tired before from the running, by now his lungs started to burn from lack of oxygen. Glancing back down the tree he saw Ricky and Sasha still fighting off their adversaries but by now they were also getting slower.

Before looking back up, he gave a once over to the view, seeing colorful trees, huge beasts, large twisting plants and roots he would have sighed if not for holding his breath.

Although he didn’t need it by now, but this view reinforced the fact he lived in a fantasy world.

Knowing time was short, he lunged up for a final time to grab a slick vine. Working his way up, he caught glimpse of a final, but familiar, foe.

Stepping from the merry-go-round was a twenty-foot tall Super Gorilla looking at Bill with a resolute expression.

Over these last two and a half years, his father used the same gorilla frequently, and as a result the creature had also grown stronger.

Looking at the beast, Bill made the quick choice to start swinging side to side despite the vine’s being slippery.

After all, the Super Gorilla didn’t have to beat him, it only had to hit him.

Seeming to catch on, the gorilla beat its chest and jumped down, now racing in a circle the two were playing a dangerous game more than one hundred fifty meters in the air.

As powerful as Bill was, the Gorilla weighed more and so swung faster. By the time he was halfway up the vine he was having to dodge incoming strikes while holding his breath.

As he looked up knowing he couldn’t outpace the ape, Bill decided he had to take a risk.

Gaining some slack on the vine, Bill waited for the gorilla to swing by and as soon as it did, he launched into action.

As it came in with a big swing, Bill flipped his body over. Using the slack in the vine he tied up the gorilla in a split second.

After he thought the ape was tangled enough, he leaped away just before the thing could use its hand-like feet.

Now with the last obstacle out of the way, Bill pushed forward hard, lungs now burning.

Jumping to the top of the merry-go-round, Bill walked to the center and grabbed the flagpole.

The trip back would be easier than the trip there, he thought, and so he sucked in a deep breath of air before wrapping the flag around the pole.

Walking to the edge of the tree, held the flagpole like a javelin.

“SASHA!”

With a yell, he through the flag like a dart, disrupting the Super Tiger but missing it by a hair.

Thankfully the girl was smart, and without being prompted she sent a flying slash towards the tiger before promptly running away with the flag.

As for Bill, he didn’t stand to watch, holding his breath again he used the vines to slide down about a hundred meters before jumping in the direction of the tree.

‘Damn, I need to learn Moon Step!’

With that and thanking heaven he could breathe again in mind, Bill rushed off in the direction of home base.

He ran with few obstacles, but the same couldn’t be said for Sasha who held the flag. It was like every animal in the test aimed directly at her, and although Ricky could help some – he was exhausted from fighting off a whole troop of Super Baboons without so much as a scratch.

Still, the two did admirably since by the time Bill caught up, they could see home base. Aramaki was standing there waiting for them.

The closer they got; the fewer animals were there but the more plants went wild.

Closing in fast, Bill noticed off to the side a new plant, one he never seen before appeared. As he looked, the world seemed to slow, and the pea pod started shooting at Sasha.

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In a made dash, Bill closed in, making it just in time to push the girl to the side. As he did so, he cartwheeled to Ricky, lifted him by the trousers and gave him a throw to the finish line.

With Ricky squared away, by the time Bill ran back to Sasha she was on her feet mouthing a thanks.

Now smiling, because he knew they had won, Bill dodged a pea and turned on a dime. Taking one step forward, now slightly behind Sasha he…

Fwu?!

Ah!

Thump!

‘I tripped….?’

Still on his belly, Bill lay confused for a critical second, as he did so the pea plants changed target and before Sasha knew what happened Bill was peppered with stinging shots.

It had all happened so suddenly that by the time Ricky had stood up and Sasha crossed the line, Bill was still sitting in confusion.

‘I don’t trip… so how did…’

“Bill!”

“Get up!”

Hearing the calls from Ricky and Sasha, Bill stood up slowly while still getting peppered. Tiny welts forming with each pea that hit him.

The rest of the day went by in a blue. There had been a big party with the Super Gorilla, Super Baboons, and all the other animals the squad had faced.

None of the trio were rowdy. Ricky and Sasha lamented Ranse and Fia missing it while consoling Bill that it was ok, he just tripped.

But to Bill, he knew.

‘I don’t fall.’

This was eating at him, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say Bill had always had good coordination, but after mastery Life Return, he had become literally super humanly agile.

After the party they all went to bed, waking up early the next day to get back to base.

This had been the day they decided that were going to officially enlist, and around noon walked together to headquarters.

Of course, going to the bases commander to join the Marines wasn’t necessary, there were recruitment stations throughout ports around the world.

But for Bill and his friends it was different.

Walking into his dad’s office, Aramaki sat behind a clean desk with only three empty forms and three quills beside them.

Looking at the trio standing straight-backed Aramaki spoke first.

“Once you sign this paper you belong to the navy for eight years.

But before you sign, let’s talk about your last test and both your successes and failures.”

Thinking for a second, he stopped and said: “Well, first, your rewards.”

Saying this he handed Sasha a journal.

“You practice the Angle Sword Art you got from T-Bone; this is a more advanced version that I was only able to get with great difficulty. It’s called the Polygonal Arts.”

After this he explained that the difference between the two techniques was the Polygonal Arts completed the angles, forming shapes with each slash.

“There are no curves or no bends in this sword art. I imagine if you show it to that prude he’d greatly approve.”

As Sasha got the journal, she started flipping through it, not minding this Aramaki turned to Ricky.

Pulling out two swords and a pamphlet Aramaki said to the boy: “I got you two things.

Firstly, I wasn’t sure I was going to give these to you. But after seeing you compete with the Super Baboons, I decided you were worth them.

These are two Skillful Grade Swords, and one of the only sets in that list. You will be their first user, which means you will shape their nature. This is an important opportunity! Don’t waste it!”

After he said that, he put down the two swords and lifted another journal.

“Secondly, this is a technique called Wave Step. It shines in side-to-side movements.

Use it together with the Rumble Arts and the sky is the limit.”

With that said, Aramaki handed the items to Ricky, who like Sasha started looking through the pamphlet.

Clearing his throat, Aramaki stood up and said gravely.

“Yes, you got your rewards, but remember during that test you lost your friend.

If that had been a real mission, William would have died pushing you to victory.”

When he said this, the room got uncomfortably silent.

After a minute of silence, Ricky tried to protest: “Well, we didn’t think he’d fall!!”

“I thought he was right behind me.”

Bill stayed silent during the other protests; he didn’t think they were to blame though.

As for Aramaki he dressed down the three, including Bill, for being reckless. At the end of it he said: “Listen, you can never take it easy or take your comrades skill for granted. The sea is unpredictable and if you become complacent you put the lives of your men at risk.

You are all going to be someone, someday. Never forget that even the unthinkable can and will happen during combat. People will rely on you to not make assumption, don’t let them down.”

After he said this, Aramaki presented contracts to Ricky and Sasha. They were both going straight to Officers training in the main Headquarters of the South Blue. If they finished with honors, it was possible they’d get the rank of Commander along with their own ship upon graduation.

Furthermore, they would be eligible to be re-stationed to Marine Headquarters after a short period of time.

This path had both pros and cons, according to what Bill had been told by his mother and Ms. Angie.

Once that was done, Aramaki dismissed the two and told them to spend the next week at home with their families. For a long time, they’d only have communication via Snail.

Once they were gone, Aramaki sat back at his desk and looked at Bill.

“Son, sit down.”

Answering with a ‘yes sir’ Bill did as he was told.

Looking somewhat sympathetic Aramaki addressed Bill for the first time since the final test.

“I’ve got to say, son, you past that test with flying colors! The way you dealt with the Tiger cages was so quick, I didn’t even see you damage lock on the third cage! You climbed the tree and dealt with Barnie masterfully!”

So… how did you fall?

When you turned, you had great balance, you just tripped over your own feet…”

Hearing this question, Bill answered truthfully: “I don’t know how it happened. I thought for sure I was going to make it… I had just crossed that area… it’s almost like the ground itself moved… but I don’t know.”

Shaking his head, the large man said.

“Are you sure this is what you want? The sea is unpredictable, you aren’t like the others. You could live a good life here. Damn, we could send you to your mom’s kingdom and get you in the administration!”

After answering that this is what he wanted, the two talked for a long time.

After several hours past, there was a knock at Aramaki’s door.

Waving away the Lieutenant Aramaki said finally.

“Remember, the deal was I’d train you and your friends but in return you’d go where I sent you without protest.”

Seeing Bill nod along, Aramaki continued:

“Then sign here and here.”

Handed two pieced of paper, the first was the standard enlistment form. While the second read:

[Officer Candidate School: Science Division]