Battle Without End, Returning in Triumph
"998!"
"999!"
"1000!"
After finishing a thousand squats, the naval officer lunged forward and began training for five hundred push-ups.
Behind the warship, in the huge white training ground, were naval soldiers and officers sweating and dedicating their youth. As the old saying goes: life is like that, since you can't resist it, just close your eyes and enjoy it.
"One thousand! I finished first!!"
"Holy crap, why did this happen..."
"I was so close—"
"Stop talking nonsense, give me the money!"
"My allowance!"
"I'm out of money..."
"No money? We'll deduct it from your military merits!"
Turning the exercise into a gamble, everyone began to find joy amidst the hardship.
Since Roman took them to sea, everyone on the ship has only had four things to do: train, rest, sail, and fight pirates! An endless cycle, never-ending! This has given these Second-generation Marine a sense of awe, thinking, "So this world really is full of pirates."
That is of course:
That's impossible.
A normal navy ship spends a month at sea, drifting for over twenty days, and it's uncertain whether they'll encounter pirates on the remaining days. But their ship, under Roman's 'radar' search, is constantly heading straight for their target! Roman alone has practically wiped out all the pirates along their route.
Furthermore, pirates usually flee at the mere sight of a skilled Marine. But the ship Roman led...
The highest rank he holds is only colonel! Meanwhile, any pirate with sharp eyes could spot Roman lounging on the deck, sunbathing, next to a beautiful female officer, and then look at the other inexperienced marines around him—clearly not even a single veteran among them. —Isn't this some rich kid out for a stroll? Rob him!
Then it will become:
I was so stupid, really, I shouldn't have rushed in...
The pirates wanted to yell at each other, "You're entrapping us! What happened to trust between people?! Can this world ever be any better?"
What's even more absurd is that after the battle, the pirates suffered heavy casualties, while not a single marine was killed. The captured pirates were completely baffled as to why.
This was, of course, because: before the battle Roman had equipped everyone on his side with paper armor, and then had Major Isca, Captain Borgin, and several other capable second-generation fighters hold off the enemy's experts, leaving the rest:
Faced with a Marine force that, once buffed, is equivalent to an average bounty of 30 million per person, how could the pirates possibly avoid defeat?
"Not bad, you've improved your proficiency with the 'Phoenix Page' quite a bit."
Roman was also quite satisfied. The intense battles not only improved his proficiency with the Paper-Paper Fruit, but also resulted in a large number of wounded soldiers every day—even with Roman's double resistance buffs, injuries were still unavoidable. Moreover, Roman's paper didn't offer much reduction in blunt force and impact damage, so each major battle left a bunch of wounded soldiers.
After the ship's doctor set the bones and treated the injuries, it was Roman's turn to practice his skills. He used blood vials to provide life force and Phoenix Page to heal the blue flames. One healer would wake the patient on the spot, two heals would make them lively and energetic, and three heals would leave them radiant.
Then we moved to the training area at the back to continue training!
It was absolutely exhilarating for the Marines!
This is why the warship has been able to maintain such a high level of combat intensity, but now that it has captured thirteen pirate ships, it has reached its limit. — It's not that it can't continue fighting, but rather that it doesn't even have enough manpower to sail the ships.
"Fleet ahead, halt immediately! I repeat..."
"Fleet ahead, please..."
"I'll repeat myself! This is the 211th Naval Detachment led by Colonel Roman, returning... Damn it!"
"I am Borgin, and my father is Vice Admiral! Are you all deaf?! Can't you even recognize my voice?!"
"·······"
"Ahem, Captain Borgin, please calm down. We'll send someone over immediately to verify—"
"These office-bound cowards! They're utterly useless!"
Roman rolled his eyes at Borgin, who was throwing down his Den Den Mushi and unleashing a torrent of abuse. "Weren't you also planning to coast along, get some experience, and then sit in an office just two weeks ago?"
"Alright, I think I understand what headquarters is thinking."
Roman calmly waved his hand.
"When headquarters sees so many pirate ships, they probably think we've been captured and are being used as 'stepping stones' to infiltrate headquarters and cause trouble..."
"Hahaha, what a joke!"
Several second-generation rich kids next to him struck various poses to show off their muscles, laughing heartily with confident expressions.
"How could mere pirates possibly be a match for us?"
"You······"
Looking at this group of guys who seemed ready to 'punch the Four Emperors and trample the Shichibukai ', Roman stroked his chin, seriously considering whether he should find a 'real expert' to show them the cruelty of the sea next time.
Um?
Thud—Thud—!
A figure draped in a navy overcoat flew rapidly from headquarters using Geppo, and after landing on the deck:
"Hello, Uncle Momonga!" XN
Amidst the incongruous salutes of a group of second-generation elites led by Borgin, the newcomer was none other than Vice Momonga, Elite Vice Admiral naval officer dressed in a light purple striped suit and dark blue shirt, wearing a tie, sporting a mohawk and a beard.
"Um,"
After giving a slight, indifferent nod, the naval expert looked at Roman, the highest-ranking officer on the warship.
"Colonel Roman, what about the pirate ship behind your warship—?"
"Just like what they said in the Den Den Mushi, they are all spoils of war that we captured."
At the same time, Roman made way and gestured into the cabin.
"The captured pirates are all in the prison below. Vice Admiral Momonga can go and check them out."
"Um."
As Elite Vice Admiral in the navy, Momonga was undoubtedly skilled and daring, and without hesitation, he followed Roman towards the prison below the ship's hold. As the sight of the crammed, ashen-faced pirate officers on both sides came into view, Momonga's eyes hardened!
Of course, I'm not saying these people are any experts, but rather the sheer number of them:
"Ten pirate crews wiped out in just half a month, Colonel Roman is truly..."
Vice Admiral, Momonga his smooth scalp and only a tuft of hair standing upright, was at a loss for words. — If it weren't so unbelievable, Vice Admiral Momonga would have suspected that Roman was a spy sent by the pirates, using these 'heads' as a pledge of allegiance.
But upon closer inspection, it's unrealistic. After all, pirates are a disorganized bunch, and pirates kill pirates even more ruthlessly! Only someone at the level of the Four Emperors could 'assemble' so many heads to deliver in such a short time.
"60 million bounty on 'The Trumpet' Danton; 44 million on 'Blood Axe' Richie; 32 million on 'One-Hand' Mara;... Goodness, is that 95 million bounty on 'Plague' Wilson? Even though it's just a corpse, it's still a great achievement!"
The reason the Marine Government imprisons Devil Fruit user in Impel Down instead of killing them is to prevent their Devil Fruit from reappearing on the seas after their deaths, causing further bloodshed. Therefore, within the Navy, capturing them alive is far more rewarding than killing them.
"To capture pirates with a total bounty of over 400 million in just half a month, not bad, not bad at all!"
If the flying Momonga had previously harbored some reservations about Roman, a "Parachuting Colonel" with an intimidating background, he immediately became amiable after the latter demonstrated his genuine "military achievements."
"It's excellent that the Navy has a rising star like you, Colonel Roman."
Facing the Momonga who patted him on the shoulder with an air of "I have high hopes for you," Roman twitched his lips, almost blurting out "Serve the people."
"Let's go,"
Vice Admiral Momonga turned to leave. Seeing the pirate captains and officers, some severely wounded, others dead, he realized this couldn't possibly be a pirate prank; it was genuine military merit. Therefore, of course:
"Attention, artillery positions ahead! This is Vice Admiral Momonga!"
As the Elite Vice Admiral with a mohawk stood on the deck and picked up Den Den Mushi, the Marine Headquarters' gun emplacements also received the order.
"Let them through!"
"Wow, 1, 2, 3, 4... a total of 13 pirate ships?"
"It was the naval commander who made the move... Look, it's Vice Admiral Momonga!"
"That's amazing! It's only been half a month since the 'big event,' and it's already—"
As the warship slowly entered the port, the reporters who had gathered around swarmed around it: the seas had been turbulent lately, with all sorts of pirates desperate for fame provoking the navy and attacking towns every day.
Therefore, naval commanders launched attacks in various locations to eliminate these emerging pirates. And the one capable of taking down so many pirates in such a short time must be:
"Gentlemen, I am not in charge of capturing these pirates."
As Elite Vice Admiral in the navy, Momonga had already reached the pinnacle of power, authority, and status. It was unlikely that he would embezzle Roman's credit, especially considering the presence of many of his colleagues' children.
"This is thanks to our newly appointed Navy Colonel Roman!"
After speaking, the Momonga slightly stepped aside to let Roman out from behind him. "Colonel Roman is a powerful new force in our navy! Under his leadership, the Team 211 has achieved brilliant results. I believe that the sea will soon return to calm thanks to the joint efforts of all the officers and soldiers of the navy."
After exchanging a few polite words, the Momonga turned to look at Roman.
"Colonel Roman, come with me to report to the Fleet Admiral."
"OK."
As the two left, a series of dejected pirate captains and officers were also taken away and detained, and reporters approached them:
"This... beautiful major, is it convenient for you to disclose some information about your operation..."
No comment.
"What kind of person is your Colonel Roman...?"
No comment.
······
"I'll do it, I'll do it!"
Borgin ran his fingers through his brilliant blond hair. It has to be said that these second-generation rich kids are indeed very well-off. With a little training, not only do their strength skyrocket, but their military bearing and handsome faces also make them very photogenic.
"You've come to the right person!"
"To explain how, under Colonel Roman's leadership, we made a thousand-mile raid, fought day and night, and defeated 100,000... cough cough, ten pirate groups..."
"What do you know about Colonel Roman? Move aside, let me speak—"
Surrounded by reporters holding pens and camera Den Den Den Mushi), a group of junior officers who had just disembarked were beaming.
These second-generation rich kids are usually hated by everyone. Although others may outwardly fear them, they still scorn and curse them behind their backs. They've never been as glamorous as they are today.
The admiring gazes, heartfelt applause, and cheers made these second-generation rich kids instantly taste the flavor of being 'heroes'.
It makes you feel like you're floating on air!
"Alright, did you all see that?"
In the Fleet Admiral's Office, Sengoku waved his hand, signaling the group of Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral who were peering out the window to be mindful of their image.
"I told you, Colonel Roman is reliable. Don't you believe me?"
"Faith, faith, faith..."
His own sons/grandsons all returned unscathed, their muscles bulging, faces glowing, their strength clearly improved significantly. —And then there was the group of pirates who had just suppressed them.
From now on, if anyone dares to say that my son/grandson got his position through connections, I'll break their legs!
"Everyone, disperse."
After Sengoku issued the order to leave, a group of naval leaders wisely departed, while Sengoku:
This Roman,
He really is an extraordinary genius.
Pity····