The next morning.
Warm sunlight streamed over the window sill into the room. From time to time, military training chants could be heard from outside. Cavendish murmured softly in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes.
"What is this place?!"
“.”
"Tsugikoku Yoriichi!!!"
Cavendish stared at the unfamiliar ceiling with sleepy eyes. After regaining his consciousness, he looked around at the surroundings.
This is a small room of less than ten square meters. The furnishings in the room are very simple. Apart from the bed under him, there is only a desk and a chair by the windowsill.
Cavendish's head was groggy, and it took him a long time to remember what had happened before he lost consciousness. The handsome face of Tsugikoku Yoshiichi surfaced in his mind.
"I'm not in a cell?!"
"what happened?!"
When Cavendish thought of this, he subconsciously wanted to rub his eyes with his hands, but as soon as he exerted force, a slight sound came from the head of the bed and a slight pain came from his wrist.
Turning his head to look at the head of the bed, Cavendish suddenly found that his hands were handcuffed to the headboard.
“!!!”
“Hello, is anyone there?!!”
Cavendish's face changed slightly, and he immediately started shouting. He suddenly realized that he seemed to have not yet escaped the identity of a criminal.
No one answered for a long time.
Just as Cavendish took a deep breath and was about to shout again, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open, and a gentle young man wearing loose training clothes and a high ponytail walked into the room.
Next to this young man were two children, a boy and a girl. The girl was slightly older, looking about ten years old, while the boy was much younger, with short, messy green hair, looking rather chubby.
"No need to shout, aren't they here?"
The young man who walked into Cavendish's room at this time was Shimotsuki Koshiro, and the two children following him were his daughter Kuina and his favorite disciple, Roronoa Zoro.
Kuina and Zoro walked into the room and looked at Cavendish, who was handcuffed and leaning against the head of the bed, with curiosity.
"You you are"
"The new Navy Chief Instructor, Mr. Shimotsuki Koshiro?!"
Cavendish looked at Shimotsuki Koshiro for a long time, and suddenly recognized him, and shouted in a slightly excited tone.
Before he came to Wanguo, he had collected a lot of information about the new navy. Although Shimotsuki Koshiro had long since retired behind the scenes and was not well-known, he was one of the founding fathers of the new navy after all, and the information about him had long been leaked.
It's not surprising that Cavendish could recognize Shimotsuki Koshiro.
"Oh? You know me?"
"It seems that you know our new navy very well."
Shimotsuki Koshiro showed a gentle smile on his face. As he spoke, he walked to Cavendish's side, took out the key from his arms, and unlocked Cavendish's handcuffs.
Cavendish, who was released, rubbed his wrist, his eyes fell on Shimotsuki Koshiro, and asked in confusion:
"Mr. Shimotsuki, where is this place?"
"Why am I here? What are the new navy planning to do to me?"
Cavendish had countless questions in his mind at this moment, and he asked them all at once when he faced Shimotsuki Koshiro. Koshiro didn't answer Cavendish's questions directly, but simply pulled out a video phone from his pocket and placed it on the bedside table, then walked to the window and drew the curtains.
"This is the Cake Island of the Ten Thousand Nations, the military academy of the new navy."
"You can see for yourself what happened."
"You are sick and need treatment."
"Where are your parents, relatives and friends now?"
"There are some things we need to explain to your guardians."
"Your illness is very serious. If not treated properly, it will cause great harm. You cannot leave the Wan Guo until you are cured."
As Shimotsuki Koshiro spoke, he returned to Cavendish's bed and reached out to press the play button on the video Den Den Mushi.
The picture was reflected on the white wall opposite the bed.
"Military school?"
"I'm sick? Could it be..."
Cavendish said to himself, and looked up at the picture on the wall.
The place where the video was recorded seemed a little dim, but what happened was recorded verbatim. Cavendish only saw that the "himself" in the picture had turned into a strange appearance like a demon. He grabbed the knife and directly cut through the prison bars, attacking Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Then
After just one encounter, Tsugikoku Yoshiichi grabbed the "throat of fate" and lost consciousness.
“Here, here.”
"What's going on?!"
Cavendish saw what happened in the picture with his own eyes, and his heart was shocked. He couldn't believe that he would actually attack Tsugikuni Yoshiichi. He even didn't think that he could use a knife to cut through those thick steel fences.
However, Cavendish did not doubt the authenticity of the video. "As we all know," videos cannot be photoshopped.
“I… this is…”
Cavendish's mind was completely blank. He had no recollection of the events in the video. Only now did he realize something beyond his comprehension had occurred to him. The "disease" that Tsuchikuni and the others had been talking about actually existed.
"Where are your family members? You will stay here for treatment."
"You can't leave Cake Island until your illness is cured."
Seeing that Cavendish's face was full of shock and confusion, Koshiro gently sat down on the edge of the bed, patted Cavendish's back softly, and asked again.
Shimotsuki Koshiro is a kind and gentle person, and since he had a daughter, he has become even more gentle.
Among the new navy, Yixiao's personality and Tsugakuni Yoriichi are the two most similar. Although these two people have soft personalities, they are also extremely fierce when it comes to taking action.
Mihawk, on the other hand, always had this stern face, looking dignified and powerful.
Koshiro and Kuma have similar personalities, being kind and gentle, but there is a huge difference between Koshiro's gentleness and Kuma's honesty. However, both of them share the same characteristic, which is their strong affinity.
After hearing what Koshiro said, Cavendish unconsciously revealed a hint of loss in his eyes. Although this emotion was fleeting, Koshiro still captured it accurately.
"I have no family."
"I am an orphan."
Cavendish's tone was a little deep, but when he looked up at Koshiro, he forced a smile.
Zoro, who came here with Koshiro, couldn't help but look dim when he heard this. Although he quickly returned to normal, there was a slight change in his gaze towards Cavendish.
Amidst curiosity, there is also more sympathy and bitterness when seeing "our kind".
"You came to Wanguo to join the new navy, right?"
"In that case, you will stay here from today on."
Koshiro said, pulling out an application form from his pocket and handing it to Cavendish. Within a day, the New Navy had thoroughly investigated Cavendish's every move since entering the Wan Guo. Naturally, they also knew that Cavendish wanted to take the exam to become a new navy officer.
"Coco"
Cavendish, who was full of longing for the new navy, showed a look of surprise on his face when he heard this, but soon this emotion was replaced by a deep sense of loss.
Cavendish had reached an age where he could understand things. Knowing his own situation, he thought of a lot of things at this moment.
He looked back on his life and guessed why he was abandoned by his parents and why all his good friends over the years distanced themselves from him, leaving him alone.
The self in that video even dared to attack someone like Tsugikuni Yoshiichi. It is hard to imagine how many people this body of mine has attacked over the years without my knowledge.
Cavendish was very scared. He didn't want to think about those things, but his mind still couldn't help but think about them.
He couldn't imagine what he would be like as a new navy officer. Would he raise a knife in his sleep and attack his companions and comrades?!
The more he thought about it, the more miserable Cavendish became. It turned out that all the suffering and loneliness he had endured over the years were caused by himself.
Before he knew it, the young Cavendish's eyes had become moist and tears were flowing down.
"Don't worry about it. Just stay here and get your treatment in peace."
"We will find a way to help you solve all your worries."
Shimotsuki Koshiro gently held Cavendish's head and spoke in a soothing voice. Tsugikuni Yoriichi had already entrusted all matters concerning Cavendish to him.
Yoshiichi believes in Koshiro's ability and character. He believes that Koshiro will create a "warm" living environment for Cavendish and guide Cavendish on the right path. One day, his main personality will be able to completely dominate this body.
"Report!"
There was a knock on the door of Jiguo Yuanyi's office.
"Come in."
Jiguo Yuanyi, who was standing behind the desk, looked up, recognized the presence of the person outside, and said with a smile. The office door was pushed open, and Tianzheng, dressed in a smart suit, walked into Jiguo Yuanyi's office with a pile of documents in his hands.
Coming to Yuanyi's desk, he placed the document on the table with a "dong" sound.
"These are all the applicants who meet the requirements."
"According to your request, family background is not the most important screening criterion."
“We only look at the applicants themselves to see if they meet our requirements.”
"Not only combat personnel, but also medical personnel, craftsmen, and so on, all those with specialized skills have the possibility of becoming members of the new navy."
"Nearly 20,000 people."
"What should we do next?"
Tian Zheng helped organize the documents while inquiring about the next assessment plan. Organizing such a large-scale recruitment effort was extremely challenging. Not only did reviewing the documents and conducting background checks take a considerable amount of time, but how to conduct the assessment was also a major issue.
The conscription conditions released by Jiguo Yuanyi can be said to have no threshold at all. There are nearly 100,000 people who have registered, and only tens of thousands of people can pass the preliminary assessment. However, the workload is enough to make Tianzheng drink a pot.
In terms of the world's population, the registration base of nearly 100,000 people is really not very impressive, but you have to know that these people are the ones who can successfully cross the ocean to come to the world!
Everyone who arrives here successfully is not a "powerless" person.
These nearly 20,000 people are a very powerful force.
"What's next?"
"After the initial selection, the nearly 20,000 people will be organized into 200 new recruit companies. I will personally promote some veterans to become commanders of these new recruit companies."
"Next, we will train normally, observe the quality, and eliminate those who are unqualified."
"In half a year, we will organize a 'military district competition'. Those who stand out in the competition will be promoted as exceptions."
"The promotion range ranges from ordinary sergeants to lieutenant general-level commanders."
"Select five good devil fruits from the ones you've collected over the years as rewards to motivate these young people."
"During this period, let Xiong work hard. If any of the new recruits have families who want to come and live in Wanguo, please let them report it and let Xiong go to pick them up and settle them down."
Tianzheng listened carefully to the subsequent arrangements made by Jigoku Yoriichi, and was a little surprised. He had thought Yoriichi would screen the candidates again, but unexpectedly, he did not seem to have any intention of further screening.
This simple and crude selection method is bound to make those "strong men" who are already very strong feel dissatisfied. Those people come to the new navy obviously not to be soldiers.
But judging from what Tsugikuni Yoshiichi said, he didn't seem to have any intention of giving those people preferential treatment.
Did you forget?!
"Yuichirō, those who signed up may be new recruits after joining the new navy, but among them are some of the most powerful and renowned."
"Well, based on the information I have so far, there are even people with natural abilities among these people."
"Looks like you ate the Sen Sen Fruit?"
"Will it be effective if we train such talented people together with ordinary people in a recruit company?"
Tianzheng expressed his concerns. He was afraid that Jigoku Yoriichi had overlooked this point, so he reminded him.
"Nature-type, user of the Mori-Mori Fruit?"
"It sounds like he has real potential. If he had eaten the Devil Fruit earlier, his strength would probably be very strong!"
"but."
"Are people with special abilities no longer human?"
“When the strong and the weak live together, one can better see a person’s true nature.”
"Will those 'strong' ones act condescendingly in front of these future companions? Or will they carefully support the weaker ones? Or will they even disregard the weaker ones, becoming arrogant and insolent."
"Isn't this a good opportunity to see what those new recruits understand about justice?"
"I hope that my future companions and subordinates will be people who can empathize with the weak."
"Only people like this can truly change the world!"
A divine light flashed in Jigoku Yoshiichi's eyes. It was not until now that Tianzheng truly understood Jigoku Yoshiichi's intention.
No more assessment?
No, the assessment has always existed, and the real test has just begun!
Didn't Tsugikoku Yoriichi give those who were truly capable a chance? No, he would give them a chance, but only after half a year.
The so-called competition is a stage specially prepared for the "strong ones".
But the prerequisite is that these "strong men" are qualified to step onto this stage.
Tsugikoku Yoriichi will not allow those who bully the weak to ascend to high positions in his new navy. This would only bring trouble to himself.
It is better to be without than to be rotten, and Yuichiro Tsugikuni still understands it.
(End of this chapter)
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