A True Genius Crawls Out of a Pile of Corpses!

On his first day in the Marines, Rochi received his appointment as a probationary Marine without any surprises.

Not only that, but because he had displayed overwhelming, monstrous strength on the first day of boot camp—nearly knocking over the scar-faced instructor notorious for his brutality—the lieutenant saw him as heaven-sent key to promotion.

As long as he safely delivered this monster, whose raw physical strength alone rivaled Marine Headquarters' elite, to Marine Headquarters, the rank on his shoulder would definitely jump two grades!

Thus, Rochi had assumed he would immediately receive a gun and be sent to the front lines to wipe out pirates and slaughter his way across the seas.

Who would have thought that for the next two full days, his daily assignment would be... patrolling this safe little base town!

"Ma'am, I've gotten your cat down from the tree."

"I've tied up the bread thief outside the security station."

Rochi walked expressionlessly down the sunny, peaceful streets.

As he listened to the grateful praise of the townsfolk around him, it felt as though ten thousand alpacas were stampeding wildly through his heart.

[Current EXP: 0/10 (Your current situation is even more leisurely than an old man's life in a retirement home. There is no possibility of becoming stronger.)]

Seeing the utterly motionless system panel in the corner of his vision, Rochi clenched his fists until they crackled.

He had patrolled this town for two days, caught three thieves, and mediated two bar fights. And the result?

He had not gained a single point of experience!

The system's judgment was clear: only by killing or defeating enemies with genuine "hostility" and a certain level of threat could he gain experience.

"At this rate, forget awakening and upgrading my Sharingan. I'll want to start over from scratch."

Rochi took a deep breath, casually tossed the patrol gong in his hand to an old Marine beside him who was staring at him with awe, and coldly spat out two words:

"I quit."

With that, he ignored the old Marine's stunned gaze, turned, and strode directly toward the base's main building.

Bang!

The lieutenant's office door was violently shoved open. The solid wood panel slammed heavily against the wall with a deafening crash.

The lieutenant, who had been sitting on a leather sofa, happily sipping freshly ground coffee while planning his bright future, jolted so hard that he nearly spilled the scalding coffee into his lap.

"Who the hell dares... Ro, Rochi?"

The lieutenant had been about to explode, but the moment he looked up and met Rochi's deep, icy black eyes, which seemed to be brewing a storm, he swallowed the rest of his curse. A fawning smile instantly spread across his face.

"Oh, it's little brother Rochi!"

"Patrolling must have been exhausting, right? Come, come, sit and have some tea. These tea leaves were purchased from the Grand Line at a high price..."

"Lieutenant."

Rochi did not sit. Instead, he walked straight to the desk, planted both hands on its surface, and stared down at the lieutenant. His voice did not rise or fall in the slightest.

"I didn't join the Marines to help old ladies find cats in the street."

"I want real combat. I want missions that draw blood."

The smile on the lieutenant's face stiffened slightly before he began persuading him earnestly.

"Rochi, I know you're full of passion, but you're only fifteen! You may be strong, but there are muskets and cannons on these seas!"

"You're the most perfect uncut gem I've ever discovered. Once you get through these few months of basic training, I'll recommend you to Marine Headquarters."

"Before then, I can't watch you risk your life! What if you get hit by a stray bullet? My prospects for the rest of my life would be ruined!"

Hearing those extremely protective yet selfish words, Rochi did not feel grateful. Instead, an exceedingly dangerous sneer curled across his lips.

Crack!

Rochi casually extended two fingers and pinched a solid brass ingot on the desk that was being used as a paperweight.

Before the lieutenant's horrified eyes, the incomparably hard brass slowly deformed between Rochi's fingers as if it were putty, until he forcibly twisted it into a spiral!

"Sir, it seems you've gotten one thing wrong."

Rochi casually tossed the ruined brass ingot onto the desk with a dull thud. The fierce aura emanating from his black eyes pressed down on the lieutenant so hard that he could barely breathe.

"Flowers raised in a greenhouse will meet their death with their first rainstorm."

"On these seas, true geniuses and monsters have never been forged through safe training camps. They crawl out step by step from piles of corpses and storms of blood!"

"If you make me waste my time patrolling again, I don't mind taking off this uniform right now and becoming a bounty hunter who specializes in killing pirates."

Dead silence.

A pin drop could be heard in the spacious office.

The lieutenant stared blankly at the deformed brass on the desk, then at Rochi's young face, which radiated endless killing intent and madness. Cold sweat slid down his forehead.

Only then did he truly realize that this fifteen-year-old boy before him was not some greenhouse genius who needed his protection.

He was a terrifying beast wearing human skin, one that desperately craved blood and slaughter!

"Gulp..."

The lieutenant swallowed with difficulty, and the scales in his heart finally tipped.

He knew that if he did not agree today, this monster would leave the Marines immediately.

"Fine... I understand."

The lieutenant finally put away all his contempt and slickness. His expression became incomparably serious and solemn as he looked deeply at Rochi.

"Go back and wait for word. As soon as pirates show up in the surrounding waters, I'll put you in a combat squad immediately."

"Deal." Rochi turned and left without hesitation.

Rochi did not have to wait long.

Just the next morning, a piercing highest-level combat alarm wailed miserably over the entire Marine branch!

"All combat personnel, assemble on deck! Move, move, move!"

"Repeating! This is not a drill! This is not a drill!"

Inside the barracks, recruits and veterans alike descended into chaos, grabbing their weapons and sprinting toward the harbor.

Amid the crowd, Rochi moved faster than anyone else. The corners of his mouth even rose uncontrollably into a mad curve.

"It's finally here!"

As they boarded at the harbor, a veteran captain standing on a raised platform gave a grim-faced pre-battle briefing.

"Half an hour ago, the branch received a distress call! A gang of vicious pirates landed on Oak Island, only ten nautical miles from us!"

"There are twenty pirates, fully armed, and they are rampaging through the town on Oak Island, burning, killing, and looting!"

"Our mission is to get there as quickly as possible and wipe out this pack of scum! Everyone aboard! Move out!"

Boom!

The warship's engines roared at full power, its enormous sails billowed, and it tore through the waves like an enraged beast, racing straight for Oak Island.