Welcome to the Navy

When had this guy lit that cigarette?!

Burns wasn't angered by his subordinate's disrespect. Instead, all his attention was on the other man's "strength."

Before this, he had gone outside the Ideal restaurant to inspect the battle site. He could also punch two huge holes into a wall.

Therefore, Burns held no hostility toward this newly recruited troublemaker. Instead, he considered subduing him and training him into a trusted subordinate.

The man posed no threat to him and was a rare talent. Why not?

But now, Burns changed his mind.

The only sound in the office was the pen scratching across paper. Yet in the now-silent room, he hadn't heard John flick a lighter or strike a match.

This guy might be stronger than him!

That meant he was a threat. He had to be dealt with!

"Did Reed not tell you that the Navy soldiers of the 153rd Branch are forbidden from interfering in local affairs?"

At the question, life returned to John's eyes. His pupils shifted as he looked down at the seated Burns.

"No."

The lie came right out of his mouth.

"..."

Such a firm denial left Burns silent, all the dismissal speech he had prepared stuck in his throat.

Before summoning John, he had first gone to Reed for confirmation.

Reed had pounded his chest and assured him that he had clearly explained the 153rd Branch's rules to John.

Yet now, John lied without even blinking, and somehow looked completely justified while doing it.

Burns's brow gradually furrowed, fury surging wildly in his chest.

His authority had been challenged!

But in the end, Burns took a deep breath and calmed himself without lashing out.

If it had been an ordinary Seaman Third Class, he would have ordered the man to pack up and get out without question. But standing before him now was John, who might be even stronger than he was.

What if this guy didn't respond to pressure and suddenly attacked?

If Burns won, everything would be fine. But what if he lost?

Burns's gaze flickered. He rose to his feet and smiled as he extended a hand to John.

"Ignorance is no crime. Welcome to the Navy."

"All for justice."

John also revealed a meaningful smile and shook Burns's hand.

Oh! From the surface, he truly seemed like a thrifty, considerate, diligent, and exemplary officer!

Unfortunately...

"I have Mantra. Everything you think is laid bare before me."

On the training grounds, John looked toward the office with light shining through its windows and shook his head in boredom.

The thoughts others needed a system to eavesdrop on were, for him, an everyday matter accomplished with a single thought.

He could even catch the fleeting thoughts that flashed through an enemy's mind during battle, let alone someone sitting before him and racking his brains to think.

It was like stripping naked and letting him inspect everything with a magnifying glass.

"What a pain. I should use Mantra less, or everything will become too boring."

John still didn't want to rely too heavily on Mantra. Otherwise, if he encountered a powerful enemy with Observation Killing someday, suddenly losing that support could easily leave him flustered and helpless.

"But joining the Navy really is great!" John couldn't help recalling everything that had happened after noon.

He hadn't bothered with Hughes and that group of gangsters at all. Reed had contacted the Navy soldiers on duty to take them away and lock them in the base prison.

He ate dinner at the base cafeteria. There was fish, meat, and milk, and he didn't even need to wash his own dishes afterward. Nor did he have to worry about being poisoned.

Especially those "errand hands" ranked below Seaman Third Class. A simple wave of his hand summoned them over, and they served tea and poured water with practiced ease.

Most importantly, none of it cost money, and they had already been trained for him.

As for all the other day-to-day operations, he didn't need to worry about those either. The Navy soldiers each handled their own duties and took care of everything.

Once he had stayed at the base for a full month, the World Government would even pay him a salary!

"Coming to the Navy really was the right choice. I just have to enjoy fighting, then enjoy everything else."

Looking at the gorgeous sunset hanging in the distant sky, John felt that life had become wonderful. With his hands in his pockets, he leisurely headed toward town.

The Navy dormitories were far too cramped and shabby. He was going to buy an estate and raise his quality of life to the absolute limit.

Harbor

Inside a warehouse filled with the faint scent of alcohol, a beam of light cut through the darkness. Guided by a flashlight, two figures slowly walked through the gaps between wooden crates stacked like walls.

"Vincent, what are we doing here?"

"Dragon, what do you think an uprising needs most?"

Vincent stopped walking, turned around, and asked Dragon, who was following behind him.

Hearing this, Dragon stroked his chin and thought seriously. After a long while, he gave his answer.

"I think it's rules. After overthrowing the corrupt old order, we must establish a completely new set of rules to improve the people's lives."

"Mm, that is very important."

Vincent nodded, first affirming Dragon's thoughts.

Then he shook his head.

"But it isn't the most important thing, because before that, we must first overthrow the old order."

"So what we need most is force!"

Vincent turned back around, carrying the flashlight as he continued leading the way.

Before long, the two reached the depths of the warehouse and stopped before a huge rectangular object, four meters long and one meter wide, covered by waterproof cloth.

Vincent yanked away the cloth, revealing four wooden crates arranged side by side.

He casually opened one crate. Inside were neatly arranged long objects wrapped in oil paper.

As a former Navy man, Dragon was very familiar with these long objects and recognized them at a glance as flintlock rifles.

He wasn't surprised. Instead, he was worried.

"Is this all the weaponry? Just these four crates? That isn't enough to overthrow a kingdom's regime."

"Of course it isn't enough, but soon we'll obtain more—enough to start a massive war!"

Vincent placed his hands on his hips, slightly raised his chin, and the fire called "hope" flickered in his eyes.

Dragon nodded and glanced sideways at Vincent.

"Do you have a plan?"

"In three months, Leon Kingdom will pay the Heavenly Tribute to the World Government..."

"You're going to rob the Heavenly Tribute?!"

Before Vincent could finish, Dragon interrupted in alarm.

"Robbing the Heavenly Tribute could bring Navy vice admirals, or even admirals! Those monsters are beyond anything we can handle!"

Dragon couldn't help picturing his old man. That was a monster capable of destroying an entire country alone.

And his old man was only a vice admiral. He couldn't imagine how terrifying an admiral would be.

Vincent looked at the cold sweat on Dragon's face, unable to understand why he was so afraid, and reassured him.

"Don't worry. We're not robbing the Heavenly Tribute."

"Before paying the Heavenly Tribute, Leon Kingdom will collect taxes from the towns and villages throughout the kingdom. Those taxes are our target."