The Marine Headquarters' third training ground, passageway at Gate 2.
"During peacetime, this training ground is open all day for Marineford's residents to relax or train."
The three of them walked down the central passage. Bling Bling cheerfully explained, "The field on the right is for people looking to relax, like the elderly and children. They can stroll around and play. The area on the left has training facilities, including running tracks, dummies, and swimming pools of varying depths."
A Marine flag bearing a seagull clutching a set of scales stood tall on the central flagpole.
Drake listened to the shouts on his left and watched children run with balloons on his right. His eyes filled with longing. "My father told me he grew up here, but later they assigned him to a post at the North Blue branch."
Bling Bling gazed up at the great Marine flag and said matter-of-factly, "There are only so many positions at Headquarters. The elite Marines from all Four Blues want to get in, so naturally, some people can't make the cut."
He paused, then turned and waved his hands apologetically. "Of course! I'm sure your father worked hard! He probably wanted to give you a better start in life, too! It just didn't work out so well. The competition really is fierce."
Drake's face fell. He regretted saying anything. He really was better off keeping quiet.
Conrad said, "His dad defected and became a pirate."
Bling Bling's eyebrow twitched, and his figure-eight braid swung. After an awkward couple of seconds, he gave a loud, forced laugh. "Haha! Everyone's got a relative who defected and became a pirate! Times are tough these days. It's only natural..."
Drake stared at him as if he'd found a kindred spirit. "Your dad's a pirate too?"
"Uh... no. He's an ordinary Marine in the East Blue." Bling Bling's eyes darted from side to side. "But my maternal grandmother's cousin's eldest grandson became a pirate. He didn't even last two years before a bandit killed him."
Drake nodded, looking much more relaxed. "There are bandits where you're from, too?"
"You bet! They caused a real ruckus. There were several gangs!" Bling Bling clenched his fist without realizing it. He was his family's pride, having made sergeant at a young age and already surpassed his father's rank.
He'd even caught the eye of the colonel at Branch 77, who'd recommended him for the elite selection in Marineford.
He couldn't let down his parents, his younger brother, or the colonel!
With that thought, he started high-kneeing on the spot. "Let's start running! I can't wait!"
Just then, a voice called from the circular stands.
"Hey, Conrad! I knew you'd come here!"
The voice was all too familiar. Drake instantly bristled and started high-kneeing at a furious pace. "I can't wait either! Let's run first!"
"Yeah! Let's go!" Bling Bling shot forward, vaulting the railing with one hand and landing on the track.
Drake showed off his jumping ability, leaping straight over. The two started running side by side.
At the edge of the stands, Kujaku rested her arms, wrapped in a whip, on the wall and smiled as she beckoned with a finger. "Come up."
Who did Conrad think he was? He wasn't going to come running just because she beckoned, then leave whenever she waved him away.
"No." He waved her off and headed for the track.
"Hm? You're not coming?" Kujaku's emerald eyes curved into crescents. She pulled a girl in a red dress, with a bow on her clothes, over from beside the wall. "Baby-5, he doesn't want to see you."
Baby-5 bit her lower lip, remembering those words that would last forever, then shook her head hard. "He wouldn't refuse to see me, Con..."
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Conrad sprang into action, racing up the stairs to the stands. He rushed over to Baby-5 and pulled her into a hug. "Are you comfortable here? I've missed you."
She was delicate and soft, and her black hair carried the fresh scent of shampoo.
Baby-5 felt as though Conrad were going to pull her right into him. His embrace was warm and comforting.
Her little hands slipped naturally inside Conrad's coat and wrapped around the bandages on his back. "Does it hurt?"
"It's fine! I'm all better. I'll take them off in a day or two." Conrad let go and took her hand. It was smooth, and smelled of soap and laundry detergent. She'd clearly just finished doing chores.
"What happened to your old clothes?" Conrad asked.
Kujaku, standing nearby with her arms crossed over her chest, answered, "Of course she washed them and changed. That was a padded coat. How could she wear it in this sunny weather?"
Baby-5 nodded, her face flushed. "This is one of Kujaku's old dresses. It fits me just right. Do I look nice?"
"Yeah." It might have been an old dress, but Conrad could tell it was clean and in good condition. She probably hadn't worn it many times.
"Are you worried I'm mistreating her?" Kujaku wound the whip around her hand and raised it high, smiling as she narrowed her eyes.
"This is a Combat Whip, with steel mixed into it. If you're scared, hmm... I could give you a few lashes and teach you a lesson! Then you won't take your bad mood out on her!"
"Go ahead." Conrad had always been straightforward. He spread his arms and bared his chest.
Kujaku froze. She hadn't expected him to agree so readily. She studied him carefully, but couldn't see any sign that he was enjoying it.
"Don't! Kujaku hasn't hit me!" Baby-5 hurriedly stepped between them.
"How boring!" Kujaku suddenly pressed down hard on her hat, pulling it over her bangs and eyebrows. "I want you to beg me to whip you!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A sudden volley of gunshots rang out from the center of the training ground, followed by heart-rending cries.
"Spare us! Please let us go!"
Conrad followed the sound and saw seven or eight teenage Marines holding rifles, surrounding a group of terrified-looking pirates.
"Did you think about this day when you were robbing and killing people?" shouted a young Marine with a round head and a cross-shaped scar above his right eyebrow. "Tie them all up!"
There were plenty of die-hard Marines, but it was obvious at a glance that this young man was among the most devoted. He'd even tattooed the word "MARINE" across his broad chin.
Conrad closed his eyes and thought back. He remembered the man's name.
Very Good, a Devil Fruit user with the Berry-Berry Fruit. In the original story, he was one of the colonels summoned by the Buster Call during the Enies Lobby war.
The Marines tied the pirates to wooden posts used for sword-cutting practice.
Then they excitedly ran half a track—two hundred meters away—pulled out their own bows and arrows, and began shooting at the live targets to see who could score the most points.
Very Good drew his bow first. An arrow whistled through the air and struck a pirate, whose nose was running and eyes were streaming, right between the brows. It pierced his head and pinned him to the post.
"Hahaha! Ten points!"
Another Marine hurriedly shot an arrow too. It hit the eye socket of a pirate who'd fallen forward, and he shouted excitedly, "Ten points for me too!"
The ones who followed weren't as accurate. Their arrows struck the pirates' torsos and thighs. Then they went up and pulled them out, leaving bloody holes all over their bodies as the pirates screamed in agony.
"How annoying. They're so filthy. Every time these people come around, they get blood everywhere." Kujaku looked disgusted and turned away. "Let's go. We'll come back after they clean up tomorrow."
"Were these pirates sentenced to death?" Conrad asked with a frown.
"Some of them were, some of them weren't." Kujaku propped her face in her hands. "I'm signing up to become a Marine this year, too, so I'll be your competitor."
She waited a few seconds, but got no answer. She turned her head.
Conrad was already leading Baby-5 down the stairs, heading toward the archery range.
Kujaku hurried after them. "Hey, hey! I'm in charge of looking after her right now! You can't take her away!"
As Conrad walked, Bling Bling and Drake stopped running and came over to join him.
Drake couldn't stand to watch. He felt sick, just as he had when he'd seen the pirates in his crew robbing civilians and killing each other.
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