One piece : Armor of Justice

As they were nearly at the base, Bill noticed something new out of the corner of his eye that he hadn't seen before. When he looked, time seemed to slow down, and a pea pod plant started shooting at Sasha.

In a swift move, Bill managed to push the girl aside at the last moment. Then he rolled towards Ricky, grabbed him by the pants, and threw him to the finish line.

With Ricky safe, Bill ran back to Sasha, who was already on her feet and thanked him silently.

Now, knowing they had won, Bill dodged a pea and quickly turned around. Taking one step forward, now slightly behind Sasha, he...

Whoosh?!

Ah!

Boom!

"Did I trip...?"

Lying on his stomach, Bill was confused. As soon as this happened, the pea plants changed their target, and before Sasha realized what was happening, Bill was bombarded with stinging shots.

It all happened so quickly that by the time Ricky got up and Sasha crossed the line, Bill was still sitting, bewildered.

"I don't trip... so how did this..."

"Bill!"Get up!"

Hearing Ricky and Sasha's calls, Bill slowly stood up, continuing to take hits. Small blisters formed with each pea shot.

The rest of the day went by in a haze. There was a big celebration with the Super Gorilla, Super Baboons, and all the other creatures the unit had encountered.

None of the trio were particularly loud. Ricky and Sasha felt sorry that Rance and Fia missed it, comforting Bill that it was okay, he just tripped.

But Bill knew.

"I don't fall."

This gnawed at him inside; it couldn't be said that Bill always had great coordination, but after mastering the Return of Life, he became literally superhuman in agility.

After the party, everyone went to bed, waking up early the next day to head back to base.

That day, they decided to enlist officially, and around noon, they all headed to Headquarters together.

Of course, there was no need to go to the base commander to join the Marines—recruitment stations existed in ports around the world.

But for Bill and his friends, it was different.

Entering his father's office, they saw Aramaki sitting at a tidy desk, with only three blank forms and three pens beside them.

Looking at the trio standing with straight backs, Aramaki spoke first.

"As soon as you sign this paper, you belong to the Fleet for eight years. But before signing, let's talk about your last trial, your successes, and your failures."

After thinking for a moment, he paused and said, "Well, first, your rewards."

Saying this, he handed Sasha a journal.

"You practice the Art of the Angular Sword, which you got from T-Bone; this is a more advanced version that I managed to acquire with difficulty. It's called Polygonal Art."

He then explained that the difference between these two techniques is that in Polygonal Art, the angles are completed, forming shapes with each strike.

"In this sword art, there are no curves or bends. I imagine if you show it to that nitpicker, he'll be thrilled."

As Sasha received the journal, she began flicking through it, paying no attention to him, while Aramaki turned to Ricky.

Taking out two swords and a brochure, Aramaki said to the boy, "I have two things for you.

First, I wasn't sure I would give them to you. But after seeing you fight the Super Baboons, I decided you earned them.

These are two Skilled Level Swords, and they are among the few on this list. You will be their first user, which means you will shape their nature. This is an important opportunity! Don't miss it!"

Having said this, he placed the two swords down and picked up another journal.

"Secondly, this technique is called Wave Step. It is particularly effective for lateral movements.

Use it together with the Art of Thunder, and the sky will be your limit."

With these words, Aramaki handed the items to Ricky, who, like Sasha, began studying the brochure.

Clearing his throat, Aramaki stood and said in a serious tone:

"Yes, you've received your rewards, but remember, during this trial, you lost a friend.

If this had been a real mission, William would have died ensuring your victory."

As he said this, the room became unbearably silent.

After a minute of silence, Ricky tried to object, "Well, we didn't think he would fall!!"

"I thought he was right behind me."

Bill remained silent while the others protested; he did not consider them at fault.

As for Aramaki, he reprimanded all three, including Bill, for their recklessness. In the end, he said, "Listen, never relax and never take your comrades' skills for granted. The sea is unpredictable, and if you become overconfident, you will endanger your people's lives.

You will all become someone significant one day. "Never forget that even the unimaginable can and will happen during a fight. People will rely on you to not make assumptions, don't let them down."

After this, Aramaki handed contracts to Ricky and Sasha. Both of them were being sent directly for officer training at the Southern Blues Headquarters. If they graduate with distinction, they might earn the rank of commander along with their own ship upon completion.

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