Chapter 25

Yamakaji's smile faded. "You killed Kado?" he asked, mildly surprised.

The Marines stationed across the Four Blues weren't weak. But their jurisdiction was so vast that, spread among all the Marine Bases, their average strength was relatively modest.

Yamakaji had once led Marines from his base in pursuit of Kado. But Zoan Devil Fruit users had extraordinary stamina and recovery, and the Honey Badger Fruit's defensive power was especially astonishing. After a brief clash, Beast Kaido had escaped with ease.

Yet only a few months later, White Ghost had killed him.

His reputation was well deserved!

Yamakaji opened the wooden box. One glance was enough to confirm that the head belonged to Beast Kaido.

"I happened across him while he was raiding a town," Adrian explained casually.

Yamakaji nodded. On the boundless sea, "happened across him" might sound far-fetched, but it was how most encounters occurred.

"Marine Headquarters recently ordered the branches across the Four Blues to expand recruitment next year," Yamakaji said suddenly. "Would you consider joining the Marines, White Ghost?"

"Join the Marines?" Adrian waved the suggestion away. "I'd rather not. I can't stand being tied down by too many rules."

After a pause, Yamakaji tried again. "White Ghost—"

"Call me Ad—" Remembering what had happened in the Flower Country, Adrian changed course. "Call me Tao Ya. Being called White Ghost all the time gives me the creeps."

And the next time I see the beautiful Gion, I can use the Tao Ya identity to get close to her again...

"Tao Ya," Yamakaji said readily, "joining the Marines now would also bring you a rare opportunity."

"Oh?" Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Is Major Yamakaji planning to..."

What Adrian had left unsaid was obvious: abuse his authority, pull strings, or something of the sort.

"No, no. I couldn't offer that kind of 'opportunity.'" Yamakaji shook his head repeatedly, smiling wryly.

Then he explained in earnest, "Marine Headquarters is about to open a new class at the Elite Training Camp. With your talent, Tao Ya, joining the Marines now would surely earn you a chance to train at Headquarters!"

"That does sound like quite an opportunity..."

Adrian rubbed his chin.

In Sea Circle Calendar year 1490, the Marines had established the Elite Training Camp. The current Marine Admiral, Black Arm Zephyr, served as its chief instructor, training outstanding Marines selected from the Grand Line and branches across the Four Blues to keep fresh talent flowing into the force.

The Elite Training Camp was dedicated to producing high-caliber officers. Its first class had yielded Sakazuki and Borsalino, and its third had yielded Kuzan. It was a gathering place for Monsters through and through!

Huh? Did I just use a forbidden word?

Ahem...

If Adrian remembered correctly, the future three Marine Admirals—Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji—the two Admiral Candidates, Momousagi and Chaton, and more than a dozen elite Vice Admirals in their prime had almost all come out of that camp!

Its success rate was terrifying!

To be fair, Black Arm Zephyr had an incredible gift for teaching!

The man had first seen real combat at eighteen, taken until twenty-eight to become a corporal and learn the Six Powers, then risen to Marine Admiral in just ten more years. He was a Monster through and through!

His titles said even more.

"Black Arm Zephyr" spoke only to his mastery of Armament Haki!

"Non-Killing Admiral" revealed his true strength—and his Awe-Inspiring combat skill!

Countless people on the sea dreamed of receiving personal instruction from the Non-Killing Admiral.

Anticipation shone in Yamakaji's eyes.

Without question, this dutiful West Blue major badly wanted to bring the West Blue legend White Ghost into the Marines!

After all, White Ghost's actions showed that he despised Pirates and other criminal forces. Anyone who stood in his way, whether Pirates roaming the seas or gangsters throwing their weight around, met the same end.

But...

"I refuse!" Adrian declared, with an Aramaki-style dramatic color shift.

"Why?" Yamakaji asked, baffled.

Adrian fell silent for a moment, then answered with ringing conviction. "My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror. Everything I do is justice."

The future Marine Vice Admiral was instantly filled with respect.

Another Pink-Haired Little Girl

By the time Adrian left the Marine Base, evening had fallen.

Remembering how Yamakaji had looked before he left—as though he wanted to raise a glass with him and talk heart-to-heart for another three to five days—made Adrian's expression stiffen.

Better keep the grand speeches to a minimum from now on.

A little flirting attracts the opposite sex.

Too much posturing only attracts the same sex...

And since when was Adrian's heart and actions "as clear as a mirror"?

"My heart and actions are as shady as Ito" would be more like it!

Carrying a suitcase full of Beli out of the Marine Base, Adrian looked at the fiery sunset in the western sky. He abandoned his plan to leave the island and decided to explore nearby and find an inn.

It was a fairly typical midsize island in the West Blue, with four or five towns and no national government, which allowed the Marines to station a base there.

At dusk, the town streets bustled with people. Elderly residents went for after-dinner walks, women set out to begin their nightlife, and, most numerous of all, evening-market vendors hawked their wares along the street.

Suitcase in hand, Adrian strolled along at his leisure while considering his short-term plans.

He hadn't spent the past three months merely drifting aimlessly at sea.

He had gained plenty besides experience!

[You have gained a new profession: Navigator. Your Stamina has increased slightly, Intelligence +2, Charm +2. You have gained 3 Free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point!]

Just a few days earlier, Adrian had completed the Navigator Profession Upgrade Quest. His map of the West Blue had also been accepted by the system panel, officially unlocking the upgraded Navigator profession and, along with it, the upgraded version of Basic Navigation: Advanced Navigation!

That wasn't all.

There had been another pleasant surprise.

[You have captured a total of five Pirates with bounties exceeding 1 million Beli. You have gained a new profession: Bounty Hunter!]

[You have gained a new profession: Bounty Hunter. Your Stamina has increased, Strength +1, Stamina +1. You have gained 2 Free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point!]

Bounty Hunter was his sixth Secondary Profession—the upgraded Navigator had replaced his previous Navigator profession and didn't count separately—so the experience required to level it had risen considerably.

After spending his accumulated experience to raise both new Secondary Professions to the maximum level of LV10, Adrian received another boost to his attributes.

His six attributes now stood at Strength 110, Agility 90, Stamina 84, Intelligence 458, Charm 45, and Luck 1. (Come to think of it, the numbers were wrong before, and nobody even noticed...)

Strength had officially passed 100, while Agility and Stamina were no longer weak points.

Most striking was his Intelligence of 458, thanks to the Ghost Fruit Specialty that doubled it!

More importantly, Adrian had accumulated 74 Skill Points again—enough to bring a skill straight to maximum level!

But after several days of hesitation, Adrian had decided against immediately maxing out Ghost Creation. His current skills were mostly sufficient, but the main reason was the max-level buff from Ghost Body.

As he had noted before, max-level Ghost Body acted like an "automatic experience buff" for the other two Hollow-Hollow Fruit skills.

With that buff working day and night, Ghost Creation had already reached LV2, and Spirit Projection was close to leveling up as well.

Adrian intended to keep enjoying the free progress for a while before upgrading them himself. That would save him a few Skill Points.

After all, he could never have too many Skill Points.

Especially when he still had Haki to learn!

Adrian didn't expect to acquire Conqueror's Haki. He might have been a transmigrator, but he still respected the basic rules.

Someone without enough ambition and force of will could never awaken Conqueror's Haki!

That was why, in the entire vast Marine force, only Sengoku possessed it.

The justice Sengoku the Buddha truly pursued had always been a justice in which the Marines ruled supreme!

As for the other Marines?

Most were merely puppets obeying orders from above.

But back to Adrian.

Conqueror's Haki was a castle in the air. Even Skill Points probably couldn't help him obtain it.

Armament Haki and Observation Haki, though, would undoubtedly consume a huge number of Skill Points in the future!

Remembering the dizzying experience bars for upgrading his Hollow-Hollow Fruit skills made Adrian's scalp prickle. Who knew how much experience Haki upgrades would require...

"Forget it. No point dwelling on depressing things." Adrian shook his head, cast those unpleasant thoughts aside, and turned his attention back to the bustling market.

"Hm?" Adrian bent down and picked up a small woven bag from a nearby stall. "What a lovely little shoulder bag. Little Robin should like it when I go back to Ohara."

The vendor was a pink-haired girl of about ten. Most of the woven bags at her stall were exquisitely made from tough rattan. Rattan was among the most common materials for woven crafts, but its texture made it all too easy to cut one's hands.

Adrian could already see the many cuts on the girl's fingers. Slightly yellowed bandages wrapped her small, slender hands. Even those cheap bandages were clearly expensive enough that she had to reuse them.

Seeing him pick up a bag, the girl gazed at him hopefully, her clear eyes shining with anticipation.

"Do you like that one, sir?" the girl asked, gathering her courage. This was the first time anyone had stopped to look at her wares. "It's very cheap. Hina made them herself. It's only 50 Beli."

"50 Beli?" Adrian asked in surprise.

"If that's too much, 40... 30 Beli is fine too." The girl hurried to lower the price. She was clearly new to selling things. "Hina only needs 30 Beli..."

"No, I think 50 Beli is too little for such a beautiful bag," Adrian said. "The smallest bill I have is 5,000 Beli, so this bag is far too cheap."

"5,000 Beli..." The girl's head spun. At her age, she couldn't even imagine how much money that was.

"Your name is Hina, right?" Adrian picked up two more woven bags. "I'll take these three. Can you work out the total?"

"150 Beli," little Hina murmured.

"Hmm?"

"15,000 Beli..." Her voice was even quieter this time, almost inaudible.

"15,000 Beli. What a fortune." Adrian sighed theatrically, then told a casual lie. "I don't have that much cash on me, so I can only offer you a job instead. Would you be interested, little Hina?"

"What kind of job?"

"Well, the nearby Marine Base seems to be recruiting, and I happen to know Major Yamakaji, the officer in charge..."

Adrian saw Hina's eyes light up at once and deliberately paused.

"Can Hina become a Marine too?"

"Of course," Adrian said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll grow up to be an excellent and beautiful Marine officer."

There was no doubt about it. This little pink-haired girl with her distinctive way of speaking was the future Black Cage Hina, one of the Marines' four great beauties!

Adrian personally escorted the pink-haired girl to the Marine Branch Base.

Major Yamakaji had no idea why White Ghost had suddenly brought him a little girl, but he accepted Hina and appointed her on the spot as the Marine Base's...

Kitchen assistant...

There was no helping it. Hina was too young for any other job, and Yamakaji didn't want to turn White Ghost down. After racking his brains, he had come up with the relatively unimportant kitchen position.

Before saying goodbye, Adrian patted the tearful little Hina on the head, and an odd thought popped into his mind.

Come to think of it, do I have some sort of "run into pink-haired girls" constitution? How many pink-haired female characters have appeared now?

The Moonlight Pirates

Early the next morning.

Beneath a cloudless, crystal-clear sky stretched an endless blue sea. White gulls wheeled freely overhead, occasionally casting curious glances below.

A simple white one-man boat drifted with the waves. Adrian, who had slipped away from town, lay on his back on the deck with his hands behind his head. He gazed into the clear sky, humming a tune he couldn't remember where he had heard.

I wonder if little Hina will be sad and cry because I left without saying goodbye. But I can't help it—I'm just not into little girls... Beautiful older women are much more fun, in every sense of the word...

Now I finally understand why most Pirate crews have someone like a Musician. Drifting alone at sea is so monotonous. Should I look for a similar lifestyle Secondary Profession? Musician, painter, something like that? I still have no idea how to unlock one, though. Surely I don't have to spend two or three years learning it for real...

"Huh?"

Adrian abruptly sat up and looked toward the distant sea.

A tiny black speck had appeared on the horizon, barely visible.

Mini Hollow: Swift Scout.

Adrian sent a tiny Ghost scout flying out, using its eyes to investigate what lay in the distance.