Starting Today, I'll Be a Top Student!

The trainees in the Training Camp have three missions.

Training!

Training!

Training!

The Reserve Navy in the Reserve Camp also have three missions.

Training!

Training!

Training!

However, there is a difference between the two.

The training in the Training Camp is purely physical training, along with simulated combat training within the academy. The slightly more dangerous part is entering the back mountain to fight ferocious beasts in the forest.

As for the training in the Reserve Camp, besides basic physical training, it's actual naval warfare!

Setting sail on ships to capture pirates!

Those in the Reserve Camp are not called 'trainees' but 'Reserve Navy'.

They are the future of the Navy, the most outstanding Navy soldiers, and upon graduating from the Naval Academy, they will start as naval officers.

Naval officer is a general term, divided from bottom to top into Officer, Captain, and Commander.

How to obtain a higher position upon graduation?

That depends on the performance in various assessments during the Reserve Camp period, with naval warfare assessments carrying the most weight.

Naval warfare not only provides an evaluation but is accompanied by bounties and the number of pirates captured, with each person's military merits being recorded.

Accumulate military merits by capturing pirates.

The stronger one is, the more pirates they capture, and the faster their military merits accumulate.

The military merits accumulated by an individual are the basis for promotion after graduation.

The Reserve Camp operates in one-year terms, with naval warfare assessments conducted every three months. The Elite Class within the Reserve Camp is slightly different.

The next morning at eight o'clock, it was time for the Elite Class to report.

Morito walked into the classroom right on time.

The instructor would enter the classroom to officially begin the lesson at 8:30 AM, and the classroom was still a bit noisy.

But the moment Morito stepped into the classroom, the entire room fell silent.

Pairs of probing, curious, and subtly hostile gazes all focused on Morito.

There were already quite a few people in the classroom, around twenty or so in total.

Among them, Doberman and Kazan were from the same cohort as Morito.

Morito recognized many of the others.

Strawbery, Momonga, Dalmatian, Bastille, and others. These individuals were younger than when they appeared in the story. Morito might not have recognized them if they were elsewhere, but within the Naval Academy, Morito recognized them at a glance.

Scanning the room, he saw a bunch of misfits.

Gion was not present.

Morito immediately lost interest and walked towards a seat by the window with a sea view.

But when everyone noticed Morito's movement, they saw him heading towards the back window seat, and their expressions turned as if they had seen a ghost.

"No way, he's not thinking of..."

"It really is!"

"He sat down!"

"Every villain gets their due; it seems we don't need to make a move."

Some rising stars from the Hawk Faction had intended to put Morito in his place today. If they 'accidentally' broke Morito's arms and legs, it would just be an accident!

At this moment, seeing Morito take a seat in the back of the classroom with the best sea view, they immediately changed their minds about teaching Morito a lesson.

Because someone else would teach him a lesson later!

The Elite Class has a very small number of students, and even fewer join each cohort.

In the same cohort as Morito, there were only Doberman and Kazan. Onigumo was also qualified to enter the Elite Class, but he was already crippled.

From the first cohort to the current sixth cohort, the total number of students in the Elite Class is only a little over thirty.

Unlike the Reserve Camp, which has four naval warfare assessments per year and operates in one-year terms with a minimum graduation requirement of Officer, which is Sergeant (Corporal).

As long as they don't die in the naval warfare assessments, they will generally be at least a Sergeant or above after four assessments.

The Elite Class also operates in one-year terms, but the minimum graduation requirement is Commander, which is the rank of Major.

Without an extraordinary opportunity, the military merits required for the rank of Major are by no means something that can be accumulated through just four naval warfare assessments.

Moreover, every single Reserve Navy member in the Elite Class is exceptionally talented. Geniuses always have a bit of pride, and no one wants to graduate with the bare minimum requirements.

So, aside from Doberman and Kazan, all the Reserve Navy members in the classroom are those who were held back from previous terms.

Each of them has a goal in mind: not to graduate until they reach Captain, or even Rear Admiral.

The reason the Reserve Navy members in the classroom were shocked was because Morito was sitting in a seat he shouldn't have been.

Even though they were all in the Elite Class, there were still differences between individuals.

Before entering the Elite Class, they were all geniuses, exceptional talents among men.

But after entering the Elite Class, they became just a bunch of ordinary people.

There were only three true geniuses in the Elite Class!

It would be more fitting to describe them as monsters!

Even when those three weren't present, everyone would tacitly avoid three specific seats in the classroom, leaving them open for them!

The strong are respected everywhere.

Morito happened to be sitting in a seat favored by one of those monsters.

Not a single person reminded Morito; everyone chose to watch with cold indifference, and many even had eyes glinting with schadenfreude.

Today was the orientation day, and the chances of the three monsters appearing were high.

Suddenly, Morito, who had been gazing at the sea from the window, turned around and smiled.

Everyone was stunned, but then they heard him say:

"It's natural talent; you can't envy it."

Everyone: "???"

What the hell?! Is this kid too narcissistic?

It wasn't because Morito was good-looking that they were looking at him.

The Elite Class's first impression of Morito gained another point—he looked like a decent human being.

Rustle, rustle.

Lazy footsteps suddenly echoed from the hallway outside the door. Everyone's expression shifted, and they immediately straightened up.

That unique gait was too recognizable; there was no mistake, it had to be that guy!

Borsalino, in his twenties but with the face of a fifty-year-old, appeared at the doorway. He blinked and looked at Morito.

"Huh? Am I seeing things? Why is there someone sitting by the window?"

That's right, the seat Morito had chosen was Borsalino's favorite window seat.

Not just Borsalino, they also remembered the favorite seats of the Elite Class's three monsters, including Sakazuki and Dragon!

Morito propped his arm up as he watched the sea, suddenly feeling a shadow fall over him.

He turned his head and saw an old face, full of wrinkles, leaning in close.

"Kid, I don't think I've seen you before!"

Kizaru?

He should be called Borsalino, because Kizaru was Borsalino's codename after he became an Admiral. He wasn't an Admiral yet.

"Newcomer, Ōtsutsuki Morito."

Morito smiled and extended his hand, introducing himself.

Under normal circumstances, Morito was quite easy to get along with, especially when facing strong individuals.

However, Borsalino merely glanced indifferently at Morito's outstretched hand, a flicker of disdain in his eyes.

Ōtsutsuki Morito?

Sorry, never heard of him!

"Kid, could you do me a favor and move seats?"

"I quite like sitting here!"

Borsalino pouted and said in a sarcastic tone.

Morito raised an eyebrow, then sighed inwardly.

Great, another one jealous of my good looks.

Why is it that only women like to be friends with him?

This is so difficult!

Morito retracted his hand as if nothing had happened, leaning back against the windowsill, his entire backside settling into the chair.

"What a coincidence, I quite like sitting here too!"