At this moment.
Curls, still on the cruise ship, was unaware of Major Kahn’s true identity.
He watched the tango dancers and listened to Fullbody’s conversation with his female companion.
With three years left before Luffy sets sail, Fullbody’s rank was still that of a Marine Headquarters Ensign.
What Curls didn’t expect was that Fullbody had been dispatched from Marine Headquarters.
From their conversation, Curls learned that Fullbody was a graduate of the Marine Headquarters Academy and had been assigned to the East Blue.
This indicated that Fullbody had some backing from high-ranking Marines, as he wouldn’t have been sent to the relatively safe East Blue otherwise.
fullbody, knowing his combat skills were average, had requested to be stationed in East Blue, where the average bounty was below 7 million Berries. There, he could easily capture small-time pirates and slowly build his achievements.
Additionally, in a place with fewer superiors, he could relax and enjoy life while searching for female companions.
This was the lifestyle Fullbody aspired to.
Pointing to the scar on his face, Fullbody began narrating his heroic deeds.
“See this scar?”
The woman nodded.
Fullbody continued, “I got this while fighting a pirate with a 30 million Berry bounty. We were evenly matched and fought for a day and a night before I finally took him down. Even now, this scar still aches.”
“Really?” The woman, hands clasped near her ears, feigned shock.
“Of course.”
fullbody replied without a hint of shame, though he internally admitted the lie.
The scar was actually from a fight with a pirate with a 3 million Berry bounty.
A 30 million Berry bounty pirate was beyond his capability.
The woman looked at Fullbody with admiration, “Ensign Fullbody, you’re so brave! This scar is a symbol of your courage!”
“It’s nothing.”
fullbody took a sip of his drink, internally marveling at how easy it was to deceive women.
With his crafted heroic image, he estimated it wouldn’t be long before he had her under his spell.
“Are you a Marine too, mister?” Verisia, having finished her cake, asked curiously.
“Yes.”
fullbody looked at the well-dressed little girl, feeling a bit irritated.
Mister? I’m only twenty-five!
But to maintain his demeanor in front of his date, he didn’t get angry at a child.
“My brother is a Marine too!” Verisia boasted.
Hearing this, Fullbody looked at Curls.
Seeing Curls’s handsome face, Fullbody felt a surge of jealousy and disdain.
Noticing his date’s eyes drawn to Curls, he felt even more irritated and asked in a condescending tone.
“Oh, what’s your rank?”
Curls, who initially just wanted to listen to Fullbody’s pickup lines, now found himself drawn into the conversation by his sister.
He replied simply, “I just finished my rookie period and haven’t been assigned a rank yet.”
“I see.”
Fullbody thought little of Curls’s response, assuming he was just a low-ranking soldier who hadn’t earned any accolades.
This pretty boy may look good, but how could he compare to an Ensign from Marine Headquarters?
Fullbody’s date, upon hearing Curls had no rank, lost interest. Though Curls was handsome, his lack of rank suggested a low future potential, unlike Fullbody, who had a promising career.
Fullbody, though ordinary-looking with slightly dark skin, was an officer dispatched from Marine Headquarters, with a bright future ahead.
Curls’s sister asked, “Brother, when will you get your rank?”
Curls thought about the credit for defeating the Black Cat Pirates that he had transferred to Major Kahn. His rank should be decided in a few days.
He brushed his hair back and said, “I should get my rank when I return.”
Verisia, curious, asked, “What rank will you get?”
Curls considered the merit from defeating pirates with bounties of 7 million and 10 million Berries, and answered, “Probably Ensign.”
At the next table, Fullbody dismissed Curls’s words as a joke to please his sister.
Promoting to Ensign required significant achievements, which Fullbody had barely managed after seven or eight years of constant battles.
A newly graduated Marine getting an Ensign rank immediately?
Unlikely.
Such “monsters” might exist, but not in East Blue.
…
Not long after, Fullbody’s date decided to take a walk on the deck.
fullbody followed her, albeit a bit later.
As he passed Curls, Fullbody, still irritated by the handsome Marine, patted his shoulder and condescendingly advised.
“Young man, honesty is important for a Marine.”
Without waiting for a response, Fullbody walked away, following his date.
Hmm?
Curls was puzzled by Fullbody’s sudden comment.
Realizing it was related to his earlier conversation, he understood.
“Brother, what did that mister mean?” Verisia asked, confused.
Curls thought for a moment and replied, “He feels guilty for lying and is going to apologize to that woman.”
“What lie did he tell?” Verisia asked again.
“Well, he actually can’t defeat a pirate with a 30 million Berry bounty. Don’t tell anyone, or he’ll be embarrassed.” Curls whispered to his sister.
“I understand!”
Verisia’s face lit up with understanding, similar to when she changed her test score from seventy to one hundred to get candy from her brother.
Then, she asked curiously, “Brother, can you defeat a pirate with a 30 million Berry bounty?”
Curls shook his head. Besides summoning shadows, his overall strength wasn’t there yet.
“Not yet, but I have a powerful knight who can easily defeat such pirates.”
“A knight?”
“Yes.”
“What’s his name?”
“His name is [Ralos].”
…
Become a Patron read up to 40 chapter ahead public release ^_^
Please join Discord Server so we can talk ^_^
