Assignment Destinations

The captain stood over two meters tall, his arms thicker than Rochi's thighs, his eyes openly radiating arrogance and indifference.

"You're Rochi, the one recommended by the East Blue branch?"

The captain glanced over Rochi's warrant officer insignia, a blatant sneer curling his lips. "I heard they called you a monster in that godforsaken place?"

"Greetings, sir."

Rochi remained expressionless, not even lifting his eyelids.

That level of provocation was like a fly buzzing by his ear to him now. It did nothing but bore him; it could not stir the slightest emotional ripple.

"Hmph, quite the arrogant one."

The captain snorted and tossed a bundle into Rochi's arms.

"Listen up, East Blue brat!"

"Here, that branch warrant officer rank of yours isn't worth the paper you wipe your ass with!"

"By Headquarters regulations, soldiers recommended by the Four Seas branches start from scratch! A first-class private from Headquarters, even if assigned to the Four Seas, is equivalent to a second lieutenant!"

"So put away that country bumpkin pride of yours."

"This bundle contains a private's uniform. Put it on, then report to Plaza One at six tomorrow morning to receive your assignment!"

Faced with that barbed attempt to put him in his place, Rochi did not argue.

He calmly opened the bundle, pulled out the uniform representing the Navy's lowest-ranking private, and casually removed his warrant officer jacket.

"You're right, sir."

As Rochi fastened the private's buttons, he raised those dead-water eyes and looked at the captain, who stood half a head taller than him.

The corners of his lips suddenly spread upward, revealing a smile that seemed somewhat sinister beneath the sunlight.

"Rank doesn't mean shit."

"As long as I can get onto the battlefield and kill pirates with bounties over a hundred million... I'd be willing to be a private, or even a cook aboard a ship."

For some reason, the captain felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine upon hearing those words.

Why did this kid look like a madman desperately thirsting for blood?!

The following morning.

The piercing assembly whistle tore across the sky over Marineford.

More than two thousand recruits from the Four Seas branches and Headquarters' direct forces stood in neat formation at Plaza One.

Everyone held their breath, scarcely daring to breathe.

For on the raised platform before those two thousand recruits stood dozens of powerful Headquarters officers draped in general's coats!

Any one of them was a top-tier powerhouse capable of stirring monstrous waves across the Four Seas!

"Silence!"

A Headquarters Navy Colonel in charge of assignments held up a loudspeaker, his voice booming like a bell.

"Next, we will announce the assignment list for this batch of recruits!"

"First unit, assigned under Vice Admiral Momonga. The names are as follows..."

As name after name was called, some rejoiced while others worried.

Being assigned under vice admirals with relatively mild temperaments and steady tactics meant their chances of surviving on the front lines would greatly increase.

Rochi stood among the private formation at the very back, listening to the list in boredom.

He did not care in the slightest whose command he would serve under. All he cared about was how high the bounties of the pirates he would soon face were.

As long as there was a fight to be had and experience to gain, it was all the same to him.

"Next..."

The Navy Colonel's voice suddenly paused. A trace of complexity flashed through his eyes, and even his tone unconsciously became extremely grave.

"Fifth unit, three hundred personnel in total, assigned under Admiral Sakazuki. Depart immediately for the New World!"

"The names are as follows: Glenn, Marcus... Rochi..."

"Boom—!"

The instant the name "Sakazuki" came from the loudspeaker, all the recruits around Rochi whose names had been called instantly went limp, as though every bone had been sucked from their bodies, their faces turning pale as paper!

"It's over... How did we get assigned there..."

A recruit standing beside Rochi had his legs give way and fell to his knees, bursting into tears of despair.

"I don't want to die yet! Why did it have to be Admiral Red Dog?!"

Rochi frowned slightly, glanced at the sobbing man, and sneered inwardly.

Trash.

"Brother, don't you know?"

Another recruit, who had somehow managed not to kneel but was trembling all over, saw Rochi's calm expression and explained in a shaking voice.

"That's Admiral Sakazuki! The Navy's killing star!"

"Serving under him, those pirates will certainly die horribly. But if we show even the slightest hint of cowardice on the battlefield, or disobey his 'Absolute Justice' to save civilians..."

"He'll unhesitatingly burn us into ashes alongside the pirates with his magma!"

Listening to the terror-stricken descriptions around him, an uncontrollable blaze of fervor suddenly surged from the depths of Rochi's dark eyes.

"Absolute Justice? Uprooting pirates completely?"

"This is practically a heaven-sent grinding party!"

Rochi clenched his fists in excitement.

What he hated most were moderate commanders who still had to consider prisoners, civilians, and humanitarianism during a war.

What he needed was slaughter! Complete, utter crushing and harvesting!

Under an iron-blooded hawk like Red Dog, who cared nothing for lives and only wanted results, he could fully unleash the most efficient mode of slaughter without any reservations!

"Tap... tap... tap..."

Just then, a heavy, oppressive set of footsteps, as though stepping upon everyone's nerves, slowly came from behind the raised platform.

The footsteps were not loud, yet they carried a terrifying heat powerful enough to slightly distort the surrounding air!

The more than two thousand recruits fell utterly silent in that instant.

Even the Navy Colonel who had been reading the list hurriedly stood at attention, saluted, and respectfully stepped aside.

A mountain-like man in a dark red suit, with a rose pinned to his chest and a cap bearing the word "MARINE" on his head, slowly walked to the edge of the platform.

One of the Marine Headquarters' highest combat powers, "Red Dog" Sakazuki!

"Whew—"

Red Dog held a cigar between his lips, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

He said nothing. Those hawk-sharp eyes, filled with endless ferocity and iron-blooded resolve, merely swept coldly across the three hundred recruits assigned under his command.

"Sizzle..."

A visible wave of heat spread outward from Red Dog.

Even from dozens of meters away, the recruits could smell the thick, pungent sulfur in the air, as though anyone he glanced at would spontaneously burst into flames!

"So this is... one of the Navy's highest combat powers!"

Standing amid the crowd, Rochi had already pushed his Observation Haki to full capacity.

In his perception, the man on the platform was not human at all, but a terrifying active volcano that could erupt at any moment and destroy the entire island!

Too strong!