Do You Want to Join the Marines?!

Do You Want to Join the Marines?!

"Bring him into the Marines?!"

"How is that possible? He's a—"

Hearing Yoriichi's words, Aokiji had just been about to say that the other man was a gladiator when he suddenly stopped.

Come to think of it, the Marines really were not that picky about identity. As long as someone's background was clear, they were not a pirate, and they had not committed unforgivable crimes in an allied nation, they could become a member of the Marines.

Aokiji did not know that Kyros had entered the arena because he was a murderer, but even if he had known, it would not have mattered.

Kyros had already been pardoned by the king of Dressrosa. The Marines would not use Marine swords to execute a citizen of Dressrosa, especially since he had not committed any further crimes.

"What do you think, Kuzan? Let's ask him later!"

"At the very least, let me spar with him privately. I really want to fight him!"

Yoriichi said excitedly, showing an intense desire to fight Kyros.

Battles between swordsmen could generally be divided into two aspects: "skill" and "power." Yoriichi surpassed Kyros by far in speed, strength, and perception, but setting those aside, in terms of skill alone, Kyros was worth defeating.

"Uh... all right. We'll ask him later, but don't get your hopes up too much."

"There's a good chance he won't want to become a Marine."

"It's my first time in Dressrosa, but I've heard about this arena. Some gladiators come here to temper themselves, some are death-row prisoners, and some are slaves."

"Many gladiators are consumables."

Seeing Yoriichi's eager expression, Aokiji did not refuse outright, but he did not want Yoriichi getting his hopes up too high either. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

"It's fine. We're just asking."

"Maybe he'll be interested."

Having settled on it, the two did not continue watching the matches. They hurried from their seats and planned to find Kyros backstage. But obviously, the arena staff would not let two strangers meet one of their gladiators for no reason.

Kyros was different from the other free gladiators. In a sense, he was still a criminal and did not have freedom.

At that moment, Aokiji's status as a colonel from Marine Headquarters became quite useful. After confirming Aokiji's identity, the tournament specifically assigned someone to lead Aokiji and Yoriichi to Kyros.

It was somewhat different from what Yoriichi had imagined. Kyros was actually being kept in a prison inside the arena. He had thought the arena would prepare better lodgings for such a "cash cow."

It was a private cell of roughly ten square meters, surrounded on all sides by bluestone walls. A small ventilation window sat at the very top of one wall, divided into tiny squares by steel bars as thick as thumbs. It was barely wide enough for a cat to squeeze through.

The room's furnishings could be seen at a glance: a bed, a table and chairs, a squat toilet connected to the room, and a crude washbasin. On it lay a pale yellow towel, a half-used bar of soap, a toothbrush and cup, and a small box of tooth powder.

Kyros had already returned to his "room" after the battle. His sword rested against the wall.

It was clear that although he lived in a prison, Kyros was still different from ordinary criminals. He had quite a few privileges, and his freedom was not restricted.

With Kyros's combat ability, escaping the arena would be easy if he had a sword in hand.

Aokiji and Yoriichi entered Kyros's room and looked over his living quarters. Kyros, meanwhile, looked at the two visitors with some surprise, his bright eyes studying Tsugikuni Yoriichi and Aokiji.

He had already heard from the person in charge that a colonel from Marine Headquarters wanted to see him. It seemed that the tall man was the one. When Kyros saw Aokiji's face, he looked somewhat surprised. He had not expected someone so young to be a Marine colonel.

"What do you two Marines want with me?!"

It seemed Kyros had not spoken with outsiders for a long time. He sounded somewhat lacking in confidence.

He was completely different from how he had been in the arena.

Before Aokiji could speak, Yoriichi walked up to Kyros, held out his hand, and greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, my name is Tsugikuni Yoriichi. I'm not a Marine yet."

"Kyros, I really admire your fighting techniques. I was wondering if it might be possible for us to spar."

"Not in the arena, just a private spar."

"To be honest, I'm your fan."

Yoriichi praised Kyros at every turn, afraid that Kyros might refuse.

"S-spar?" It was Kyros's first time hearing that word. Every battle in the arena was a fight to the death. Sparring? He had never heard of such a thing.

And besides...

Kyros looked down at Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who was only a little over 170 centimeters tall, then at Yoriichi's youthful face. He truly had no desire to spar with him.

If Yoriichi had not also been carrying a long sword with a black scabbard, Kyros would not have thought Yoriichi qualified to fight him at all.

Sparring? Kyros was afraid he might accidentally kill him.

"I... I've never sparred with anyone. All my life, I've fought people to the death."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back. If that's why you two came, then forget it. I can't help you."

Although Kyros reached out and shook Yoriichi's hand, he crouched down as he spoke, addressing Yoriichi as though he were humoring a child and refusing him.

"Uh..." Yoriichi sensed Kyros's attitude. He appreciated the "concern" in Kyros's words, but hearing them still made Yoriichi feel underestimated.

However, Yoriichi was not angry. Judging people by their appearance was normal, and since Yoriichi had entered the Realm of Selflessness, he seemed like an ordinary person whenever he was not fighting. He gave off no dangerous aura at all.

"Mr. Kyros, I don't think you need to worry about that."

"I think you won't find fighting me boring."

As Tsugikuni Yoriichi spoke, he swiftly drew the long sword at his waist with lightning speed. After a single straight thrust, he immediately sheathed it again. A dull boom exploded beside Kyros's ear. When he turned to look, a small hole two fingers wide had somehow appeared in the bluestone wall.

Sunlight streamed through the hole and into the room.

At the sight, Kyros's pupils contracted sharply. Just then, he had not even seen how Tsugikuni Yoriichi had drawn his sword. He had only felt a breeze brush past his waist, followed by the dull boom beside his ear.

"S-so strong!"

Kyros muttered, and the way he looked at Tsugikuni Yoriichi changed completely. After a long silence, Kyros walked to the wall, grabbed his sword, and stepped outside. There happened to be an open space outside his cell. Though it was less than a hundred square meters, it was enough for a spar.

Seeing this, Yoriichi smiled and followed him out with his sword in hand. One after the other, they arrived at the open space outside the door. Yoriichi did not even remove his sword from its scabbard, simply standing before Kyros.

From beginning to end, Aokiji stood quietly to the side, watching without interrupting.

Since it was Tsugikuni Yoriichi's idea, he should say it himself and handle it himself. That was what Aokiji thought.

"Then, I'll begin."

"Young Mr. Tsugikuni, be careful."

Kyros gripped his sword with both hands and readied himself. From Tsugikuni Yoriichi's earlier strike, Kyros had already seen the gap between them. He knew he was no match for Tsugikuni Yoriichi, but Kyros would not lose his fighting spirit over something like that.

He was a swordsman too!

Thud!

Kyros acted contrary to expectations. Without waiting any longer, he launched an attack, rushing before Tsugikuni Yoriichi with his sword held in both hands and thrusting straight toward Yoriichi's chest.

Tsugikuni Yoriichi took in all of Kyros's movements, raised his sword to block, and knocked aside the other man's blade.

"Hmm?!" Aokiji, who had been watching the fight from the side, suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise. He realized that Yoriichi had not fully unleashed his speed or strength.

It looked as if he was deliberately suppressing those abilities.

It seemed he intended to fight the other man on the same level.

However, though Yoriichi had deliberately restrained his strength and speed, the Transparent World could not be blocked by human will. Kyros's every movement remained fully within his sight.

Yoriichi accurately seized an opening in Kyros's chest. As he blocked and redirected the force, he lunged forward, driving the sword hilt into Kyros's lower abdomen and sending him flying.

Bang! Kyros's body slammed heavily into the ground with a dull thud.

Yoriichi immediately stopped after landing the strike. He had not expected things to turn out this way. He had originally wanted to have a dazzling sword fight with Kyros, but...

Yoriichi furrowed his brow slightly and said somewhat apologetically, "Kyros, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"It was an instinctive move."

Even with Yoriichi suppressing his speed and strength, as long as he had the Transparent World, his combat power remained terrifying. He and Kyros were still not on the same level.

"Kyros, do you want to join the Marines?"

"I think if you become a little stronger, fighting you would be very interesting."