One piece : Armor of Justice

Bill's mother didn't believe Aramaki when he claimed he intended to let Bill choose the cadet school himself if he passed the final test. She considered it a convenient excuse and demanded that her husband rectify the situation.

Thus, this gift became an attempt to reconcile with his wife, but Bill wasn't complaining. After all, he really needed this technique.

With a sigh, Bill didn't have high hopes, but in this scenario, working with an admiral didn't seem so far-fetched, so he tried to stay optimistic.

Lost in thought, Bill heard a quiet voice behind him.

"Excuse me..."

Turning his head, Bill saw a red-haired girl, her eyes hidden behind a thick fringe, and she looked about thirteen years old. At her feet was a soapy bucket and a long mop.

"Can I help you?"

When he said this, the girl blushed but still responded: "I just... I just want to clean where you're standing."

At that moment, Bill was at the far end of the deck and, thinking about it, guessed that the girl intended to clean from one end to the other.

"Oh, sure."

Stepping aside, Bill asked if the girl needed any help.

Although Bill was technically a Marine recruit, he hadn't been assigned to any station before arriving at the academy. Because of this, he didn't have any duties on the ship and was essentially just traveling as a passenger.

However, that didn't mean he had forgotten how to lend a helping hand.

In response to his offer, the girl glanced at Bill from under her fringe, her face turning red. Watching her quickly decline his help, Bill nearly burst out laughing.

He had to admit, he looked quite elegant in his white-and-blue uniform.

But, trying not to embarrass the young girl, he changed the subject.

"Well, my offer still stands. Tell me, what field are you planning to go into?"

He thought it was a good neutral question. After all, the girl seemed to be at the age when young cadets start their specialized training.

The girl answered his question without looking up.

"…Logistics specialist."

When she said this, Bill cheerfully responded: "Ah! An excellent career choice! Did you know that for every special operator or artilleryman, there are eight support staff? And you guys in logistics have to handle both directions!Seeing that the girl still wasn't responding, Bill decided to end the conversation by wishing her all the best.

As he turned to leave, the girl mumbled, "W-wait! What's your name?"

Turning back to her, he replied, "My name is William D. Oaks, but my friends call me Bill!"

Hiding her face with her bangs, the girl hopefully asked, "Can I call you Bill?"

Laughing, Bill said as he turned to leave, "I think you can! Well, in the future, if you ever end up in charge of supplies, don't forget about me!"

With those words and a wave goodbye, Bill headed down to the lower deck and began studying the Moon Step manual.

The rest of the journey went by relatively quietly. A few times, small sea kings were spotted beneath the ship, but the stone hull rendered them invisible. They also twice spotted pirate sails far in the distance.

As the days went by, Bill occasionally chatted with the red-haired girl, whose name was Rosa. If at first Bill had merely politely stated that he could be her friend, by the end of the journey he would readily call her a friend.

In addition, he trained and observed the ship's captain, learning what responsibilities an officer had.

Bill and the captain got along well, as Bill was attentive enough to listen when the captain spoke and smart enough to ask the right questions.

The ship occasionally stopped at Marine bases along the way. Bill learned firsthand about the fleet's most essential tool—the Eternal Log Pose. These devices greatly saved travel time, as marine navigators could seek the necessary weather conditions on each island they needed to cross, knowing only their destination.

Finally, at the end of the two-month journey, Bill saw the massive Marine Headquarters. The size of the structure was astounding. From his perspective, it appeared at least four times larger than the base on the island of Vallipo.

After saying goodbye to Rosa and the rest of the crew, he stepped onto the bridge leading to the dock before being called back by the captain.

Giving him a firm pat on the shoulder, the man said, "Recruit! Pick your jaw up off the ground. If you think Marineford is impressive, wait until you see the Gates of Justice!"

Laughing with the captain, Bill replied, "Yes, sir," before being stopped again.

"Kid, keep your head on your shoulders, and you'll make a great Marine! Once you graduate from the academy, it would be an honor to serve alongside you."

Appreciating this, Bill replied respectfully:

"I'll be looking forward to it, Captain Maynard."

With those words, Bill left the ship and continued on his way. As Bill made his way to his destination, he noticed people glancing back at him.

Although he was just over sixteen, he already stood over two meters tall, clearly on his way to reaching his father's height of three meters.

In addition, Bill was classically handsome. He wasn't stunningly beautiful, but he appeared dependable and had a body honed by years of hard work.

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