Doriki Value Test

Marine Headquarters, Second Training Ground, entrance passage.

Beneath the blazing sun, the orderly Marineford was brimming with youthful energy.

Conrad and Bling Bling queued up to enter. Most of those around them were Marines in their early twenties, each robust and clearly well-trained.

There were plenty of older, more mature-looking men, too. Most had scars and sharp eyes. They had honed their skills over years as Marines and were hoping to seize a chance at promotion through the training program.

At just 167 centimeters tall, Conrad stood out among the elite troops. His handsome, boyish features had yet to mature, and his face still retained a hint of roundness.

The screening officer at the entrance wore a brown, round-brimmed fisherman's hat. His cheeks puffed out like a fat hamster's, and he had a raffish air about him. Beneath his Marine coat, he wore a loose shirt, and his bare feet were stuffed into wooden sandals.

He had been sitting there, waving everyone through with a bored, "Next, next." But when Conrad's turn came, he took in the boy's substandard height, opened his narrow eyes, and checked the paperwork. "Name?"

"Conrad," Conrad answered, looking him straight in the eye.

The man before him was Tokikake, nicknamed Chaton. Though he had appeared only once in the original story, Conrad remembered him quickly.

That was because he had an impressive title: Marine Admiral candidate.

Tokikake found Conrad's file by its letter. It was almost entirely blank, with just one line in his record: orphan rescued from Minion Island in the North Blue.

But the remarks below bore the words "Special Approval" in large letters, along with the Marine recruitment office's seagull stamp.

"Kids these days are always in such a hurry. They don't know how to enjoy a carefree childhood," Tokikake sighed. He took a cigarette from his pack, put it in his mouth, and said, "Go on in."

Conrad walked inside. The Second Training Ground was more solemnly decorated than the Third, where he usually trained.

There were no places for young and old to relax. The broad, square grounds were open and empty, a parade ground encircled by stands. Just inside the entrance, he could see the huge Marine flag fluttering over the oath-taking platform.

He followed the crowd to the waiting area, where they formed up in ranks. There were no seats, so they stood at attention beneath the scorching sun and waited for the event to begin.

Bling Bling stood beside him. His nervousness had faded, and he seemed to have settled into the atmosphere as one of them. A soldier's discipline seemed to flow from his very bones.

But standing at attention wasn't mandatory while they waited for the selection to begin. Some did as they pleased, sitting cross-legged to one side or even lying on the ground.

The one lying down was a green-haired young man in a baseball cap with a long brim. His Marine uniform jacket was open, revealing a muscular chest and abs with barely any body fat.

"Prince Grus," Bling Bling said seriously. "He's the most famous young recruit this year, from the West Blue, and very strong. They say his Doriki Value is already close to three hundred."

The man reached into his hat, pulled out a bag of potato chips, tore it open, and shoved a big handful into his mouth. Chewing, he said,

"Standing there without moving, like a bunch of idiots. Only people who can't cut it need to follow the rules. Talents like me don't have to. Hahaha!"

His sudden remark was especially jarring in the solemn atmosphere.

The Marines standing at attention all frowned, their faces darkening. But the guy was undeniably strong, so they couldn't argue with him.

Conrad glanced over, his brows immediately knitting together. He was standing there minding his own business, yet this guy had insulted him for no reason. How could he put up with that?

"Are you a dog?"

His voice was quiet and calm, carrying unmistakable confusion and reproach.

Prince Grus, lying on his back and munching chips, abruptly stopped chewing. He let out a startled "Ah," and a chip went down the wrong way. He coughed violently.

He sprang to his feet and frantically pounded his chest, coughing for seven or eight seconds before turning toward one of the formations and snapping, "Who was that just now? Who called me names?"

"Are you a dog?" Conrad repeated, raising his voice. He didn't gesture, since he was standing at attention, but Prince Grus could still pick him out.

"I'm not a dog!" Prince Grus stormed over to the formation. He was over 190 centimeters tall, and his muscular build made him quite imposing.

But Conrad hadn't been intimidated by Vergo, who was far more formidable and fully armed. Why would he fear some brat like this?

"If you're not a dog, why do you bark at people? If you're not a dog, why are you lying in the sun in the middle of the day? Can't you see all these people with long legs standing around?"

Conrad looked at the Marines nearby. "We're all people, right?"

"Right! Hahaha!" Bling Bling and the Marines answered, laughing heartily.

Prince Grus wanted to argue, but it was as if his brain had crashed. He lacked the wit and knowledge to come up with a retort, so he could only clench his fists and say, "I like lying down! If you've got the guts, you lie down!"

Conrad frowned in confusion, stepped out of formation, and walked to an empty patch of ground. He sat down and stretched out on his back, then turned his head to look at Prince Grus like he was an idiot. "Is it hard?"

The face beneath Prince Grus's wavy green hair turned red in an instant.

Conrad calmly got up and returned to his place in line. "It's not hard to let yourself go and do whatever you want. Is that really worth bragging about? You're a Marine, not a pirate. What's the point of competing to see who's worse?"

The Marines fell silent. After all, they stood beneath the sun, in Marineford, Marine Headquarters. The officers' coats bore the word "Justice" on the back, and their duty was to protect the peace of the world.

Standing among the troops, Conrad wasn't singled out for his boyish looks or small frame. He stood out because he was one of them, and because of his upright bearing.

Prince Grus glared at him. He was competitive and hated to lose. Even though he didn't know how to argue back, he had only one thought: he had to save face!

He flexed his arm and bulged his biceps. "What's the point of all that talk? Today's about strength! Strength is what matters most in the Marines!"

Conrad didn't argue. He thought the boy was right, so he nodded. "We'll see on the field."

Prince Grus stared at Conrad, turning redder by the second. He was nearly thirty centimeters taller than the kid. Even if he beat him in a face-to-face match, no one would praise him for it.

He flicked his hand and walked to the gap between the two Marine formations. Standing in front of one of them, he lifted his head and shouted, "I'll take first place!"

Boom—

A clear, ringing bell sounded, and a seagull flew through the open sky above the training ground.

A spinning brown figure flipped through the air and landed on the oath-taking platform.

Tokikake snapped his coat and announced, "The Doriki Value test begins!"

Figures gradually filed into the circular stands, though there weren't many officers. This was only the first test, after all, and most of those watching had come to pick out useful subordinates from among the ones who would be eliminated.

But for ordinary Marines, this was a chance to prove themselves. If they were selected, having "Headquarters" added to their title was practically like receiving advanced training.

Afterward, they would be assigned to a branch in one of the Four Blues, and their rank would be treated as three grades higher. They would be promoted rapidly.

The north gate of the training ground rose. In the darkness, a pair of enormous blood-red eyes appeared. With the rumble of heavy footsteps, a massive silhouette gradually emerged.

Its iron-gray, moss-covered skin was slowly exposed to the sunlight, revealing the head of a ferocious giant green turtle.

"Hit the Hand-Match Turtle with your strongest attack. It'll show your Doriki Value."

Tokikake leaped into the air and casually kicked the center of the thick, nine-square-patterned shell as the turtle slowly crawled out.

The Hand-Match Turtle's glowing red eyes shot out a ring of light, projecting its reading onto the screen on the backdrop behind the oath-taking platform: 3060.