A New Side Quest

58 million Beli?

The moment they heard the bounty, the recruits on deck were stunned, wondering if their ears had deceived them.

Had someone gotten something wrong, boss?

We're only recruits who've been in the Elite Training Camp for a year! We haven't even mastered the Six Powers yet, and now we're supposed to take on a pirate captain of this caliber?

Noah was just as taken aback, though his attention was drawn more to the pirate captain's name.

Capone? If he remembered correctly, Capone Bege, one of the eleven Supernovas of the Worst Generation, was also from the West Blue. Could the two of them... be connected somehow?

"You seem to have misunderstood."

Aokiji spread his hands. "Let me repeat myself. Your mission is to retake Celeste Island. This island is just one of the many islands under the control of the Capone Pirates, albeit a larger one."

"Mr. Kuzan, does that mean Capone Beate isn't on the island?"

A Marine soldier mustered the courage to raise his hand. "We only have to deal with the pirates stationed there, right?"

"That's more or less right."

Aokiji nodded slightly. "But the Capone Pirates grew out of an underworld family, and they have a large number of members. According to Marine intelligence, at least five hundred pirates are stationed on Celeste Island, including more than a dozen officers with bounties. They're not to be underestimated."

"So, there are a few things I need to make clear first."

His gaze swept over the young faces. Suddenly, his expression turned serious, and he held up one finger.

"First, do not act recklessly!"

"This is your first real battle. Blood and smoke often make those who are new to the battlefield lose their composure. When you encounter an enemy you can't handle, remember to think clearly. Should you call for reinforcements or retreat for the time being?"

"Having courage is a good thing, but if you're too reckless, you'll only throw your life away for nothing!"

"Second, although your rankings in this combat assessment will be determined by your contributions, I hope that won't affect how you work with one another."

"Remember who you are. If you trip up your teammates or leave them to die just to get a higher ranking in the assessment, then you'll have betrayed the justice you're supposed to uphold. You'll be no different from pirates!"

"Third, and last!"

Aokiji paused. Only when everyone's attention was fixed on him did he continue in a grave voice:

"The assessment begins the day you land on the island and will be over after 48 hours. I'll be watching the entire time, but unless absolutely necessary, I won't step in to save you. You'll have to rely on yourselves!"

"I've said all I need to say. Is that clear?"

A thunderous chorus rang out across the deck. "Yes, Vice Admiral Kuzan!"

"Good."

After speaking at such length, Aokiji was thirsty. His adjutant promptly handed him a bottle of water. He thanked the man politely, unscrewed the cap, and tipped it back.

Just then, a hand rose from the crowd. "Mr. Kuzan."

"Go ahead." Aokiji glanced at the person who'd raised their hand. It was a beautiful blue-haired girl.

"What about Commodore Gion?"

The girl, whose blue hair fell to her waist, stole a subtle glance at someone to her right, then turned back and looked steadily at Aokiji.

"Was she also appointed as an examiner by Teacher Zephyr? Will she stay on the island this time and supervise us with you?"

"..."

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but when Aokiji met the girl's gaze, he somehow sensed a hint of hostility toward Momousagi.

"No."

Though he found it a little strange, he answered directly.

"Commodore Gion has another assignment. She's heading to the West Blue as well, so she's just traveling with us since it's on her way."

"Oh."

The blue-haired girl nodded lightly, lowered her eyes, and said no more.

Aokiji scratched his head, not giving it much thought. After a few brief instructions, he dismissed them and turned to head into the ship's cabin.

At that moment,

Momousagi, who had been quietly standing behind Aokiji the whole time, raised an eyebrow before leaving. With an interested look, she glanced at the blue-haired girl, then at Noah in the corner of the crowd.

Then she turned with a knowing smile and followed Aokiji inside.

"So I really was misunderstood!"

In a corner at the back of the crowd, Noah watched Momousagi walk away. His rigid military posture relaxed at once, and he couldn't help sighing and rubbing his brow.

Before Aokiji had explained the rules, he'd been staring at Momousagi behind him.

For one thing, it was his first time seeing the woman who would one day be a candidate for Marine Admiral, so naturally he was curious. For another, the moment Momousagi appeared, the system panel had refreshed with a new mission.

But Shiya, who had been quietly watching him from the crowd, had seen the whole thing. She seemed to think he'd fallen for Momousagi, and had instantly grown jealous. Her reaction had been so obvious that Momousagi had noticed, too.

This was so awkward...

Noah recalled the knowing, amused look Momousagi had given him before leaving, as if an adult had caught a young couple flirting. Feeling the blue-haired girl's occasional glances from somewhere in the crowd, he shook his head helplessly.

It seemed that even though he'd firmly rejected Shiya that night, and she hadn't approached him since, she still hadn't given up on pursuing him.

What a pain. It wasn't my fault I'm handsome.

He prayed that the girl would soon give up on her unrealistic fantasies. At the same time, he opened the system's mission list absentmindedly and glanced at the newly appeared side quest.

Side Quest: Superior's Confession

At last, an outstanding woman has appeared by your side. Congratulations! How about making her the first difficult challenge in this game of love and winning her over?

Mission Objective: Get Gion to say, "I like you, Noah," within fifteen days.

Mission Reward: 150,000 points, 2 random attribute points

After reading the side quest, Noah wondered for a moment whether this lousy system had been sent by the heavens just to mess with him.

Why did it keep giving him missions with such absurd rewards and even more absurd levels of difficulty?

Get Momousagi, a complete stranger, to confess to him within fifteen days... Noah figured he'd have an easier time if the system assigned him a mission to become Fleet Admiral within fifteen days.

When he'd crossed over in his previous life, the manga's story had only just reached Wano Country. Momousagi, the candidate for Admiral, had appeared only twice, so he didn't remember much about her.

But no matter how you looked at it, she was among the very best in the Marines in both potential and beauty. To ordinary recruits like them, she was an untouchable flower atop a high peak.

Momousagi also had high standards. As far as he knew, even Chaton Tokikake, who was also a candidate for Marine Admiral, had confessed to her over a hundred times in the original timeline, only to be rejected every time.

"So no matter how I think about it, it's impossible. Should I invite her to play truth or dare and trick her into saying it?"

Noah walked over to the railing and rested his chin on his hand, gazing out at the endless sea. After a long while, he scratched the back of his head and muttered with a troubled look, "Points from missions... really are hard to earn!"