Variable

Zephyr had joined the Marines in the same generation as Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru. He had not stood out at first, only becoming a Marine petty officer at the age of twenty-eight. He could not compare to Garp or Sengoku, yet through sheer physical prowess and peerless Armament Haki, he had gradually risen to prominence. In just ten years, he had ascended to the seat of Marine Admiral!

Whether now or in the future, Zephyr was immensely popular within the Marines. Both his past experiences and his character made him a model Marine.

It was not until a year ago, after the God Valley Incident, when Garp earned the title of "Marine Hero," that Garp's popularity surpassed Zephyr's in one stroke. He became the Marines' biggest star, a bona fide rising sensation.

Xia Luo's thoughts turned, and he could not help feeling a little expectant. I wonder if I'll get the chance to head to Marine Headquarters ahead of time.

But on second thought, Xia Luo felt that was too unlikely. Sakazuki and Borsalino had probably joined Marine branches first as well, gradually made names for themselves, and only entered headquarters after the Marine Elite Training Camp was established.

It could not be that the Marines had established the elite training camp because Sakazuki and Borsalino joined, could it? And then, by coincidence, Zephyr's family was killed by pirates, leaving him so disheartened that he transferred from admiral to instructor?

Or perhaps the Marine Elite Training Camp had just been established when Sakazuki and Borsalino immediately joined the Marines?

That would be far too much of a coincidence, wouldn't it?

Xia Luo would rather believe that Sakazuki and the others, like him, had joined a branch first before entering Marine Headquarters.

Besides, strictly speaking, Xia Luo was not a true One Piece fan. He had watched the series on and off. He had school and homework, then later became obsessed with novels and games. Most of the plot after the Dressrosa arc had been fed to him through short videos on Kuaishou and Douyin.

Then there was the fact that Oda loved pulling the rug out from under people. The most famous example was the Paramecia-type Gum-Gum Fruit being abruptly changed into the Mythical Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit, Nika Form.

Therefore, even though Xia Luo knew some of the plot and could be considered foresighted, he would only treat it as an important reference. He would never regard it as gospel.

The future was never set in stone. Leaving everything else aside, his very existence was the greatest variable.

"Glug, glug..."

Countless bubbles rose across the sea as the Blood Axe Ship slowly sank, until it was completely swallowed by the ocean.

Everything and everyone aboard the Blood Axe Ship had been transferred to the warship. As spoils of war for the 15th Branch, after the portion that had to be turned in was deducted, the rest was enough for every Marine involved in the operation to receive a handsome "travel allowance."

Capturing pirates was certainly dangerous, but risk and reward were often directly proportional. When luck was on their side, the money they received could equal several years' salary.

Take Xia Luo this time, for example. He would definitely receive a sizable share. Though there were no explicit rules, the customary practice was that during pirate-capturing operations, whoever contributed more received more. Everything depended on strength.

West Blue, 15th Marine Branch.

Two days later, Xia Luo and the others returned safely to the Marine base.

During that time, they had already inventoried all their gains. Xia Luo's share of the Beli and treasure came to roughly three million Beli, second only to Colonel Whiteman's.

The other Marines received anywhere from a hundred thousand to over two hundred thousand Beli, equivalent to nearly half a year's wages.

They had only been at sea for a few days, yet they had completed the mission perfectly. Only a few had suffered minor injuries, and no one had died. It was practically the same as going out to pick up money.

Thus, when they returned to base, everyone's faces were filled with joy and smiles.

It was all thanks to Sergeant Xia Luo. Luckily, he had been there. Otherwise, things would never have gone so smoothly.

For that reason, the Marines looked at Xia Luo with eyes full of respect. If there were similar missions in the future, they would definitely rush to volunteer. Who would not want to carry out a mission alongside a strong person?

Under everyone's gaze, Xia Luo, who was following behind Colonel Whiteman, gave them a slight nod. A faint smile remained on his face throughout.

If it came to gains, he was undoubtedly the biggest winner this time. Leaving everything else aside, he had earned over ten million Beli from this trip alone!

His three-million share, plus half of Ghost Hand's 7.5-million bounty, came to a total of 10.5 million Beli!

Not only that, Xia Luo's rank had risen from sergeant to staff sergeant.

Ranks below commissioned officer were not difficult to advance through. As long as one had sufficient military merit, one could be promoted. Above commissioned officer, however, an appointment from headquarters was required.

This was also one of headquarters' methods of keeping the branches in check, preventing branch authority from growing too great and slipping beyond headquarters' control.

After greeting Colonel Whiteman, Xia Luo carried a full suitcase of Beli back to his residence.

After recruit training ended, Xia Luo had been assigned a house of his own.

His home was on the third floor and measured around sixty square meters. Fortunately, though small, it had everything he needed: a bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen, and balcony. It was standard housing for a non-commissioned officer.

Once one became a field-grade officer, one could own a standalone villa and bring one's family over to live together.

Colonel Whiteman lived with his family. Once, he had invited Xia Luo to visit his home, and Xia Luo had met his family as a result. Aside from his wife, Colonel Whiteman had a five-year-old daughter whom he doted on shamelessly. He was a complete daughter lover.

After returning to his room, Xia Luo casually set down the suitcase full of Beli and headed straight into the bathroom.

Freshwater was an important resource while sailing at sea and could not be wasted on bathing. Seawater, meanwhile, could not wash one clean. It left the body sticky and uncomfortable afterward.

Therefore, the first thing most Marines did after disembarking was go home and take a bath.

"Sure enough, a bath feels so much better. I feel completely refreshed!"

Xia Luo dried his hair, changed into fresh clothes, and headed outside again.

Because food supplies on the ship had been limited, his energy reserves had not increased during this voyage. Instead, they had decreased quite a bit. So, he planned to go to the mess hall and replenish himself, making up for his losses.

When the cafeteria ladies saw Xia Luo, fearful expressions appeared on their faces. He had only been gone for a few days, and this bottomless pit was back already!

Xia Luo, on the other hand, looked at the cafeteria ladies as though he were seeing family. An affectionate smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

"Long time no see. Is there still food today? Give me fifty portions to start with."

"Yes. Wait a moment."

Because Xia Luo had arrived, the cafeteria ladies became busy once more.

Soon, vigorous eating sounds echoed through the mess hall.

Just as the cafeteria ladies were about to collapse from exhaustion, Xia Luo finally stood up, rubbed his stomach, and smiled.

"Thank you for the meal."

"Whew... What is wrong with you, kid? How can your stomach hold so much?"

"I'm curious about that too."

"You have to enter this year's big eater competition. I won't watch it without you!"

Looking at Xia Luo's flat stomach, the cafeteria ladies wore expressions of disbelief. Good heavens, it was too incredible. He had eaten so much, yet his stomach had not changed at all!

Xia Luo remained calm. Of course not. Everything that entered his stomach was broken down instantly. It would be strange if there were any change.

Huh, did I just hear something about a big eater competition...?

Xia Luo's eyes flickered.

"Alright, I'm full. Time to walk it off." He stood and waved farewell to the cafeteria ladies before heading to the training grounds to work out seriously.