There Was Only One Requirement

Cold was life's most primitive fear. Almost every creature instinctively dreaded the winter.

The cold claimed lives even faster than combat. After all, a single unexpected blow could decide a fight, while enduring the cold for a long time was often unbearable.

Conrad had his own way of looking at it. When wintering, he never tensed his muscles to fight the cold. He simply recited the Heart-Freezing Art in his mind.

He always stayed relaxed, letting the cold wind pass through him. He imagined himself becoming one with nature, observing his body's sensations like an outsider.

He always found a way to face discomfort as comfortably as possible.

When the number of recruits on the ice peaks reached two hundred, a winding slide of ice crystals connected all ten peaks, leading straight to the platform where Aokiji stood.

The frost had yet to melt, but the temperature had already risen rapidly. The warmth of the sunlight was unmistakable.

"From this moment on, I'm your commanding officer." Aokiji's lazy expression turned a little more serious. "I have only one requirement for you: complete your assigned mission."

"Will we be disqualified if we fail?" The question came from Binz, whose pink octopus hairstyle looked ridiculous.

Aokiji looked around at the marines and shook his head. "No. If you fail, you die. Anyone who makes it to the end passes."

"Report to Pier One at ten o'clock three days from now." With that, his long, thin legs bent like steel bars. He pushed off with nothing but his own strength and crossed over a hundred meters, landing outside the training field.

Conrad tried a standing jump too, but managed less than five meters. He scratched his head helplessly.

The gap between the human limits in this world was really enormous. Still, he was satisfied—at least he could jump higher than he used to.

Making an effort brought progress and results. That alone was fortunate, and a sign of exceptional talent.

"Huh?" Conrad copied Aokiji's movements. Just before landing, he lightly stepped on the air with his right foot—and bounced up a few centimeters.

Dorm 108.

Bling Bling sat soaking in a tub of hot water, sneezing and sniffling, his face purplish-blue.

Drake paced in circles. He had admired the marines since he was a child, and used to secretly wear his father's marine cap. He had never expected his first mission to be so dangerous.

It wasn't that he was afraid. He just felt uneasy, lost in the face of something he knew nothing about.

Conrad slept peacefully. To him, nothing mattered more than waking up refreshed the next day. Staying up late made him tired and affected his growth.

So the dormitory looked exactly the same when he opened his eyes as it had before he went to sleep. One roommate had been wasting time and fretting, while the other was sick.

Conrad, meanwhile, had gotten a full night's rest. It was barely dawn. The deep-blue sky was still mostly gray, and the day had yet to shake off its sleepy haze.

"Going for a morning run. You coming?" Conrad sprang up, squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush, and brushed his teeth with one hand while using the toilet with the other.

"Let's go!" Drake and Bling Bling answered in unison.

The three of them walked along Marineford's blue-brick streets. Most people here had a habit of running in the morning, so they weren't unusual.

As the sun rose over the sea and the world gradually brightened, Conrad felt himself waking up, too. Most people were drawn to the light, which was why they talked about absorbing the vitality of the morning sun.

He arrived outside the guard post at the entrance to the officers' residential district. The guard already knew him and pointed in a direction.

Baby-5, in a red dress, stood inside the iron fence with an insulated lunch box in her hands.

Conrad walked over, and Baby-5 opened the box and took out some bread.

He reached through the fence, took it, and began eating. Baby-5 then took out a bowl of noodles with soup and seasonings and started stirring them together.

By the time he finished the bread, the steaming bowl of noodles was ready.

Only then did Baby-5 speak for the first time. "Kujaku said you're going on a very dangerous mission?"

"It's not dangerous. She made that up." Conrad chewed with his mouth full and waved his chopsticks with a smile.

"I'm going with you." Baby-5 said it as a statement, not asking whether Conrad wanted her to come.

"Then let's go ask." Conrad wanted Baby-5 to come along too. Whether they agreed or not, they might as well ask first.

Baby-5 beamed. "Okay! Then hurry up and eat!"

Conrad looked surprised. "You're actually hurrying me along?"

"Huh?" Baby-5 looked nervous. "I didn't mean to—"

"That's good." Conrad opened his mouth and shoveled down half the bowl in one huge gulp. Then he walked over to the guard. "Sorry to trouble you, but could you call Vice Admiral Tsuru's residence for me?"

The officers' residential district wasn't open to visitors. Residents had to give their permission before anyone could enter.

The guard was an old man with a handlebar mustache, bright eyes, and a large frame that filled out his uniform. He picked up the Den Den Mushi's receiver and dialed.

The other end answered quickly. It was Kujaku. The guard set down the receiver and smiled kindly as he unlocked the gate. "Go on in."

Conrad could have easily vaulted over the gate, but this old man was the only thing keeping him from doing so.

The residential district was beautifully landscaped, and the air smelled of plants. There was plenty of space, with gardens around the widely spaced houses. It was nothing like the tightly packed row of dormitories.

Conrad and Baby-5 knocked on Vice Admiral Tsuru's door. Kujaku answered. She had just gotten up and hadn't put on her hat; her blond hair was a tangled mess.

The old woman was having breakfast in the living room, still sitting upright and eating slowly.

"Granny Tsuru." Conrad greeted her, then sat down on the sofa with Baby-5.

Tsuru didn't speak until she had finished eating and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I'll leave Kujaku in your care."

"Grandma! I'm supposed to take care of him!" Kujaku threw herself against Tsuru's stomach and shook her arm in protest.

"All right, I will." Conrad nodded. "There's something I'd like to ask—"

"Take Baby-5 with you," Tsuru said, stroking Kujaku's blond hair. Her own hair had been dark blue when she was young. "Bring her back to Marineford afterward. Remember, this is a promise."

Conrad paused for a moment, but immediately agreed. "All right."

Joy spread across Baby-5's flushed face. She tugged at Conrad's clothes. "Thank you, Granny Tsuru."

Tsuru stooped over. "Anything else?"

Conrad shook his head. "Then I'll take her with me."

"Mm, go ahead." Tsuru took Kujaku's hand and turned toward the bathroom, smiling. "Time to wash your hair."

"Again~?"

Kujaku was a slender five-foot-seven, and the over-six-foot Tsuru bent down and placed her hand on top of her head. "When you grow a little taller, I'm afraid I won't be able to wash it for you anymore."

"Then I won't grow any taller. I won't get taller than you, Grandma, so you can keep washing it for me." Kujaku swayed her hips from side to side and smiled sweetly.

Conrad and Baby-5 left the house hand in hand, closing the door behind them.

It was the first time the two of them had walked side by side somewhere safe and free. Baby-5's face felt hot. Without anyone watching them, she had no idea how to act around Conrad, and felt awkward for the first time in her life.

Conrad, on the other hand, gazed at the observation pavilion on the hilltop and said, "If you're coming with me, we definitely can't stay in the dorms. I'll need to come up with enough money for a hotel or a rental."

Baby-5 didn't say anything. She just felt warm inside and edged closer until their shoulders touched. In a soft voice, she said, "I can work too. I can be a maid and clean..."

She used to be a pirate and simply steal money, but now she was a marine's girlfriend, so she couldn't steal anymore. Granny Tsuru reminded her of that every day.