Tsugikuni Yoriichi's Tomorrow's Star Project was steadily moving forward. With Kuina, Zoro, and Yamato confirmed as the three candidates, the work of filling out the remaining roster progressed rapidly as well.
Yamato's arrival had expanded the Tomorrow's Star Project's selection range, setting the age limit for crew members at under twenty-five. A large number of new candidates reappeared in Tsugikuni Yoriichi's sights, making his work considerably easier.
For an ordinary human, their peak years generally fell between eighteen and thirty-three. Twenty-five was a relatively reasonable cutoff point. New Marines older than that had largely settled into their ways of thinking, and their strength growth had begun to slow. They were no longer worth investing major resources into training.
However, broadening the age range brought a new problem: Kuina and Zoro, the two children Tsugikuni Yoriichi had chosen as the leaders, were rather young compared to the other crew members.
Although their strength ranked in the upper-middle tier among all fifteen members, the disadvantage brought by their age could not be overlooked. After the team was formed, Tsugikuni Yoriichi noticed that Kuina and Zoro had some difficulty keeping their older, higher-ranking companions in line.
As the initiator of the project, Tsugikuni Yoriichi could have personally stepped in to resolve such internal conflicts. Yet after noticing the issue, he did not come forward to help Kuina and Zoro.
For young people Kuina and Zoro's age, wasn't learning how to get along with companions they did not see eye to eye with equally important?
Besides, Tsugikuni Yoriichi had confidence in Kuina and Zoro. In the Pirate World, where strength ruled supreme, as they spent more time together, Kuina and Zoro would naturally earn their crew's recognition.
And those crew members who had not gotten along very well with Kuina and Zoro would naturally