Common Sense Squad

A hood printed with seagull patterns pressed down his greasy, tangled, unwashed-looking curls. With high cheekbones, amber sunglasses perched on his nose, and lips curved into some inexplicably strange shape, his disproportionate features became all the more pronounced. The whole man radiated an oddly comical air, his temperament strikingly similar to... well, the kind of pathetic comic-relief extra in a movie who would not survive even a minute.

But this was Borsalino, codenamed "Yellow Monkey." At the Marine Academy, throughout the Marine system, and even across every department under the World Government, he was unquestionably one of the monstrous geniuses.

However.

Geniuses often marched to their own beat.

For certain reasons, Borsalino had been kicked out of class by the Marine Academy's newly appointed head instructor and made to stand in punishment in the corner between two wings of the teaching building. Bored out of his mind, he spotted Brad and Tornado and decided to tease the children for fun.

The result—

"Uncle? Looking like that, you make it really easy for people to call the police on you."

That one sentence nearly choked Borsalino to death.

"Honestly," Borsalino muttered. Rising to his feet, he revealed a lean but far from frail frame, exceptionally toned and capable-looking. At around two and a half meters tall, he was quite imposing. "Brat, you're not cute at all."

Tornado tugged on Brad's hem, her lips pursed. Clearly, she had started fretting about her height again. After all, without comparison, there was no hurt.

"Fine, let's go." Brad turned around.

Tornado took two steps, then abruptly spun back and cursed indignantly, "Sooner or later, someone's going to break your legs, you damn bamboo pole! So what if you're tall! You oversized idiot!"

"..." Borsalino was briefly stunned before replying carelessly, "Even if someone broke my legs, I'd still be taller than you."

Tornado was rendered speechless. Pointing at Borsalino, she turned to Brad with a face full of grievance, begging for help.

After pondering for a moment, Brad put on an intentionally soft and sweet voice, though his words were razor-sharp. "Forget it, don't talk to him. You can tell at a glance that he's the kind of guy who doesn't study properly and gets kicked outside by his teacher to freeze in the cold! Not only is his character terrible, but his face is an insult to humanity. He must be rotten from head to toe. Bad company corrupts good morals, so let's get away from him before he contaminates us."

"..." Borsalino.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle~~~ An insult to humanity!"

Brad grabbed Tornado, whose mood instantly brightened, and ran off. For now, he had no interest in Borsalino. What interested him was the Marine Academy's head instructor—the legendary admiral who had retired from the front lines, "Black Arm" Zephyr.

What a pity.

"Whose children are you?" A guard outside the teaching building stopped Brad and Tornado, smiling as he said, "You're not allowed to wander around. This is a military restricted area."

The guard escorted Brad and Tornado out of the Marine Academy.

Their unsuccessful infiltration operation came to an end.

Tornado returned to normal, and Brad gained a little more peace and quiet as well. He continued his training with diligence bordering on harshness.

More than a month passed.

At the beginning of the new year, Sea Circle Calendar 1491.

The Cipher Pol Agent Academy humanely granted two days of leave for agent cadets with relatives so they could reunite with their families, while the orphan cadets without relatives celebrated the holiday together.

During that time.

A fat, middle-aged man chewed on meat as he visited the Cipher Pol Agent Academy alone. He was the World Government's public spokesperson—and secretly, Cipher Pol's highest-ranking official—Minister Honest.

"M-Minister Honest?! What brings you here!"

"Huh?"

"Minister Honest!"

"..."

Greeting instructors and teachers affably along the way, Minister Honest eventually stopped outside the instructors' office for the "Rookie Agent Reserve."

"No need for formalities." Minister Honest wiped the sweat from his brow and unceremoniously sat down in a chair, crushing it until it creaked and groaned under the strain. After catching his breath for a few moments, he said, "How is the children's training progressing, my dear gardeners?"

The instructors looked at one another.

As their representative, Gozuki replied, "We've achieved some initial results."

"Initial results? Too slow." Minister Honest was dissatisfied.

Gozuki remained neither servile nor overbearing. "Sir, they are children. They need adequate time to grow."

"I don't care. That's your job." Minister Honest was forceful, unreasonable, and overbearing.

"Is there a special mission?" Gozuki hesitated, his brow deeply furrowed. "Many of them are promising talents, with the potential to become the absolute backbone capable of supporting Cipher Pol's future structure. Personally, I am extremely unwilling to risk their young lives."

Minister Honest spun his chair. "There is indeed a special mission, but it isn't convenient for me to disclose the details! In any case, if they die, that only proves they were no better than that, doesn't it? Stop dithering and give me a few names, Gozuki!"

"Six months. In six months, I will personally send them to your side to await your orders." Gozuki tried to dissuade Minister Honest. "They still have too much training left to complete, including training in loyalty."

Minister Honest shook his head. "The mission will not wait, Gozuki. This is an order! You don't get to bargain."

"I..." Gozuki sighed. After weighing the matter again and again, he gritted his teeth and said, "The most outstanding student of this class is Tornado, but she is an important experimental subject of the Science Unit. You will have to speak with them! Aside from that: Baltes Esdeath, Melard Augbel, Kurando Akabane... and Brad Hyman."

"Brad is only six, not even seven yet!" someone said, unable to bear it.

Gozuki was thoroughly agitated. "But the other children haven't even mastered Nen!"

"Hehehe~~~" Minister Honest laughed instead, waving his hand. "No need to get worked up. I understand how you feel. They are seedlings nurtured through your painstaking efforts! Besides, I am Cipher Pol's highest-ranking official. I don't want to find myself with no capable subordinates in the future either. If they truly are as outstanding as you claim, then you know I am no miser. I will grant them better conditions for growth."

January 3rd.

Esdeath, Melard, Kurando Akabane, and Brad formed a four-person team, though the four-person team conventionally had five members, as Mosquito Girl was counted as part of Brad's personal combat power.

As for Tornado, the Science Unit's scientists spat all over Minister Honest's face when he came to demand her.

The incident happened too suddenly. Brad only had time to leave Tornado a letter.