The Marine

“Bunk check, Bunk check!”

Hustling to her feet, Sasha rolled off her bed and smoothed out the wrinkles on the covers.

She didn’t know what time it was; these checks were meant to harass the cadets more than anything else.

It had been a month since she and Ricky were reassigned from South Blue HQ to the cadet academy at Marineford.

Their reassignment came as soon as the first recruit inspection took place, for Ricky and her, who had been trained since they were ten by Aramaki, there was no surprise that they outclassed the great majority of their age group.

Of course, for cadets to be reassigned they had to sign new paperwork and that came with certain benefits. The benefit here was she had a chance to make Rear Admiral straight out of the academy!

They had learned that unlike other naval academy’s, the Marineford Cadet Academy was a ranked system. The person who ranked first in their class could be given the rank of Rear Admiral, and those in the top ten could be given the rank of Captain.

Graduation in this academy was non-standard, and there was no ceremony.

At the end of each year cadets would be given the option to graduate and take a commission in line with their rank or stay another year and fight for a higher rank. After two years, each additional year the cadet stayed the lower the points they received were.

If after three years the cadet wasn’t in the top ten rankings, they were directly kicked out and reassigned by their instructor’s whim.

In a class of merely fifty recruits, where everyone was the best of the best, competition was brutal, especially for those third-year cadets.

On top of the inherent difficulty of the program, due to being transferred Sasha and Ricky started later in the year, which resulted in them having lower scores than the rest of the recruits.

Last time she checked, she was ranked forty-four.

That’s why she started sleeping on her bed mostly dressed and on top of the covers. These random bunk checks didn’t add points, but they could take them away.

Up on here feet, Sasha stood at attention.

While her eyes looked forward, she scanned the room with her periphery vision.

All of the recruits here were under the age of twenty-five, but many of them were over twenty.

The current first-ranked cadet was a man named Diez Drake, he had apparently been in the Marines for several years before an officer in the North Blue took notice of him. At twenty-four he was one of the oldest cadets, but his ability wasn’t simply due to age.

Naturally competitive and very confident, he was her target.

After the bunk check was done, the drill sergeant yelled out to the cadets they had fifteen minutes to eat and assemble in the practice field.

Having been mostly dressed already, Sasha threw on her proper shirt, tied her boots, grabbed her sword, and made it to the cafeteria in under two minutes.

The cafeteria had every kind of food imaginable, from cupcakes to steaks the cooks spared no effort.

As wonderful as it was, it was a trap for most cadets.

The cadets were pushed to their limits every day. Be it sparing, shooting, weapons training, or just baking under the sun studying navigation and learning carpentry, every day was hard.

On most days, if a cadet actually enjoyed the feast set in the cafeteria, then that cadet would throw it up by lunch.

But she and Ricky weren’t normal. Spending nearly six years in the various climates of the archipelago the two had learned long ago how to eat and keep it down.

Sitting down with a plate of towering fried eggs and a side of greens, she began to shove the food in her mouth.

As she did so, Ricky joined her table and without speaking jumped into his plate.

Eating quickly, Sasha thought that despite the troubles at least there was Ricky here.

She knew in her heart that she outclassed the other cadets, but a single lion could lose to a pack of hyenas.

Since they were little, Ricky had always been her number two, this worked well.

“We’re doing hand to hand combat today.”

Breaking up her thoughts, Ricky spoke, and Sasha frowned.

Since they had joined the academy, the head instructor had made just about all of their combat training hand to hand fighting. Something Sasha derided as being beneath her.

Oh, there were strong people who relied on their fists. Of the few peers she had, two of them did so.

But she was a noble swordsmen, like her teacher.

And so, replying sharply, she said: “How do you know this?”

Ricky had always been the least burdened by tact, and so speaking through each bite he said: “Heard some of the others speaking about it. Instructor Zephyr will be there in person and they’re going to allow the devil fruit users use their abilities.”

Hearing this, Sasha slammed her fist on the table, just hard enough to not break the thing.

Speaking up loudly she said: “Those trifling?! I suppose we can’t use our swords?”

Still eating, Ricky said shrugging: “Apparently not.”

Though Sasha was physically strong, unlike the others she hadn’t learned any martial arts and solely practiced swordsmanship.

She hadn’t even had all that much time to train the Polygonal Sword Art due to the schedule maintained at this academy.

In all of this, she was indignant.

Squeezing the fork tightly, the metal started to bend, and with a ‘lets see’ she went back to eating in silence.

Time was short, but the two managed to finish their plates, took up their swords, and made it to practice field with about a minute to spare.

They were not the first ones to arrive, four cadets were already present.

Sasha had memorized all fifty cadets, as of now the six cadets in the practice field were:

Rank 1 – Diez Drake, age twenty-four, third year

Rank 20 – Saga, age eighteen, first year

Rank 31 – Ain, age nineteen, first year

Rank 32 – Binz, age twenty-one, first year

Rank 44 – Sasha Zima, age sixteen, first year

Rank 45 – Riccio Occhiali, age sixteen, first year

Standing with Ricky, away from the others, they waited in silence for the other cadets to come in over the next minute.

None of the fifty cadets would dare be late, they all knew this was their future.

As the crow had assembled, Sasha saw the cadets break up into their little cliques. Besides she and Ricky, the only ones without any group were Saga and Drake.

On one hand, Sasha didn’t mind forming a group, if Bill and the others were here, they’d definitely form a group of five.

But what Sasha could never tolerate was being subordinate to someone she saw as beneath her, and from her first interactions, she determined that none of the cadets she had met could be her superior.

Thus, since nobody joined her, she only had Ricky.

After a short while, a group of old men walked into the field from the building on the far side of the academy, this signified that they were at least moderately high-ranking Marines.

Leading the group was the academies Head Instructor, Zephyr.

While Sasha didn’t know the others, she did recognize one. Ricky must had too because he was repeatedly jabbing her side with his elbow.

Whispering at a volume where nobody could hear, besides Sasha, Ricky said: “That’s Garp… the Hero of the Marines!”

As he said ‘Hero of the Marines, his voice broke the silence, and like a flood, all the cadets started whispering.

Seeing Garp even moved Drake and Saga.

“Bwuhaha!

Look at this Zephyr, your recruits are happier to see me than you!”

The cadets’ whispers were dominated by Garps loud voice.

To Garps provocation, Zephyr just nonchalantly replied: “heh, They just don’t know how troublesome you are. They’ve only heard the good stuff.”

To this, Garp just laughed louder, and by doing so grew even more in the eyes of the cadets.

Though she didn’t want to admit it, Sasha was also drawn in by Garps personality.

After bantering another few rounds, Zephyr, Garp, and the others following them got down to business.

As Garp stood off to one side with a few older Marines, and others were setting up a board, Zephyr spoke up: “Today is the end of a quarter, and your first assessment will be combat. After that will be grading in the skills we’ve been learning for the last few months.”

As Zephyr kept talking, Sasha’s eyes widened, and it all suddenly made sense.

‘No wonder! That’s how they teach here, they teach us a bunch of things each quarter and that’s how rankings are determined!

But they didn’t even tell me! Ricky and I were just placed and let go?!’

After her realization, Sasha first thought it was unfair, then felt annoyed.

No matter what, she and Ricky would do poorly on the skill assessment. Back on Vallipo, both of them had focused on one skill-set.

She had focused on being a Surgeon and knowing medicine. Surely, she did not have the experience to be called a doctor, but she could realign bones, treat infections, and do most other things needed for combat medicine.

Ricky had mostly focused on intelligence gathering and general logistics. From his own natural ability in speech, he had sharpened his skills by working with the base’s intelligence operatives.

He could be sneaky if he needed to be, but what he had really learned what how to direct conversations and where to look for intel.

Needless to say, when the two of them transferred to the Marine Academy Cadet Training program, they had practically no experience in the carpentry and sail making they were made to do.

So, all of their points would have to come from the combat test because they were bound to be the worst on the skill tests.

Thinking so Sasha again felt Ricky elbow her, as she looked at him, he pointed towards the board.

As she looked, Zephyr made his closing remarks: “The matches here have been randomized. If a first-year cadet faces a third-year cadet that’s just their luck.

Remember, on the sea anything can happen, as we stand between the innocent masses and the scum who prey on them, it’s not always in our favor. We must remain strong.”

Looking at the very first match slotted, Sasha narrowed her eyes.

Diez Drake vs Riccio Occhiali

Looking back to Ricky, she saw he was worried, but not too much so.

Ricky may not be as strong as the others from their group in Vallipo, but despite how he sometimes acted, he had his pride.

How could he not? Ricky was someone she acknowledged.

“It needs to be repeated, the combat test today is hand-to-hand combat. Cadets may only use their bodies to fight. The fight will end when one cadet either forfeits or can no longer fight.”

Saying this, Zephyr motioned to Garp and the others and they moved aside.

The practice field was a huge space in the middle of Marineford, and apparently there were no rings for this fight.

Once the old Marines had moved, Drake began to walk forward, and though she wanted to do something, Sasha could only watch as Ricky handed her his swords and followed suit.

They walked a good distance away from the others, then spaced about twenty meters apart.

Scanning the people around her, Sasha was disgusted by the cadets who seemed eager. She thought that they must be waiting to see a slaughter.

As for the old Marines, they didn’t show anything. Even Garp’s aloof posture had straightened, he looked completely focused.

“Begin!”

To Zephyrs call, Ricky immediately used the Wave Step and zipped in a zig-zag motion towards Drake.

Sasha had expected this. Aramaki had taught them that unless there was a massive difference in strength, the first person to attack usually had the upper hand.

Evidently, the proactive attack took the cadets off guard.

“Whoa!”

“How’s he moving like that!”

“What movement technique is that?!”

Various cadets spoke, but Sasha was focused on the fight.

Dashing in the left, Ricky feigned a left hook but connected with a right uppercut.

He was using Rumble Swordsmanship without his swords!

This move had apparently taken Drake by surprise, but Ricky could only muster meager strength and there wasn’t much done.

Having been knocked back a little, Drake attempted to fight back by using his legs.

Drake couldn’t know that Ricky had watched Ranse for years, and so, as Drake kicked Ricky zagged under and swept the man’s other leg off the ground.

 Whereas Ricky normally would make a quick succession of slashes, without his swords he was relegated to a single awkward left-handed jab.

Connecting with Drakes midsection, the man bounced back about a meter, but was able to land on one knee.

Like with the uppercut, besides his pride, Drake was more or less unscathed from the jab.

Standing with his hands down and slightly turned to the side, Ricky watched as Drake stood up.

After being hit twice, the older cadet wouldn’t easily let it happen a third time, and with a grunt, he moved towards Ricky.

“Shave!”

As Drake appeared almost instantly in front Ricky, he attempted to grab him.

But if nothing else, the Wave Step specialized in sporadic back and forth movement, and as soon as Drake moved, Ricky did the same.

Drake missed by a hair, but now Ricky was on the run.

Using Shave, Drake put Ricky on his heels, and despite Ricky’s best efforts it wasn’t long before the older cadet caught up.

With a nasty crunch, Drake leveled Ricky with a single hit.

Watching this on the side, Sasha could barely stay sane. She desperately wanted to grab her sword and cut that hand off.

In her heart, she believed she could do it.

At this moment, the only thing that saved the older cadet from unknowingly creating feud with her was that he didn’t press the attack when Ricky had fallen.

Standing up on slightly wobbly legs, Ricky unconsciously looked over to her. When he did this, she couldn’t help but screaming: “Attack if you’re going to! Stop running!!”

As the other cadets looked at Sasha, no doubt thinking she was crazy, the eyes of some of the older Marines raised up.

Nodding his head, Ricky didn’t wait for Drake to move, using the Wave Step to the greatest degree he could, the boy launched a flurry of jabs and uppercuts.

But no matter what, Ricky was not trained to fight with his bare hands, and Drake was not ranked first among the cadets for nothing.

Despite being hit all over, the older cadet only defended until he saw his opening.

When he attacked this time, he connected a powerful kick to the side of Ricky’s head, causing Ricky to fold over instantly.

This time, Drake would not let Ricky up. From his point of view, this sixteen-year-old first year had already embarrassed him.

Drake moved fast, attempting to give another kick to the downed boy, but Sasha had moved as soon she saw the first kick being delivered.

What she lacked in technique, she had in pure physicality.

Crossing the fifty or so meters in a split second, she made it in time to grab Drake by his shoulders and throw him hard to the ground.

Kicking up dirt from the impact, Drake groaned before sitting up to see Sasha between him and his opponent.

He had been in this program for three years and never before had someone interfered with a combat test, so he just looked at the girl in somewhat surprise.

Then without thinking, Sasha drew her sword and loudly sent a challenge: “You seem to be confused?! Stay down! Or should I help you understand what that means?!”

Most of the cadets who looked on could barely breath. The mood had turned heavy.

Drake by nature was not a rotten person, but Sasha’s tone pushed a nerve.

As he stood up, the whites of his eyes started to turn yellow and his pupils red.

“That’s enough!”

Before Drake could act, Instructor Zephyr materialized between the two.

“Ms. Zima, do you think what you’re doing in appropriate?!”

Zephyr was a big man, but Sasha didn’t back down and snapped.

“Appropriate? You tell me how appropriate it is to have this match in the first place!

You say these matches represent the random threats on the ocean?”

Saying this, Sasha narrowed her eyes.

“Well let me tell you! Marines shouldn’t put its people in random situations in the first place!

It’s called Intelligence! Maybe you’ve never heard of it?!”

When she finished, Zephyr’s face dropped, and Garp nearly dropped to the ground laughing.

“Bwuhahaha! Old Zephyr, she’s got you there!!”

Snapping his head over towards Garp, Zephyr then turned back towards Sasha and said sharply: “The best laid plans always contain unknowns. People are not chess pieces. If you can’t understand this simple fact, Ms., I think you need to reconsider who’s ‘confused’.”

Looking down, then to the side, Sasha started nodding her head: “Fine, that’s right, but there’s always a backup plan.”

Pointing her thumb over her shoulder towards the boy who was now just waking up.

“AND I’M THAT PLAN!”

When she said this, most of the cadets gasped.

It had to be known, Zephyr was a former Admiral! No cadet contradicted him!

Turning his head back to Drake, Zephyr looked back at Sasha and said with a calmness surprising those watching.

“So, you’re the backup plan?

So, you’re going to save your comrade?

But if you lose, then what?”

Looking at the instructor unfazed, Sasha said: “If I lose, I’ll bear the consequences!”

Nodding his head, Zephyr said: “Good! Good! Now you will take Riccio’s place! And if you lose, you’ll get deducted for both losses!”

If Sasha lost both the match and failed the skill tests, it would be very difficult to rank in the top thirty by the end of the year.

But this was irrelevant. Even if she directly lost her place in the academy, how could she have let her friend get hit while he was down?

When he said this, Zephyr walked over to Sasha and snatched her and Ricky’s swords before she had time to react. He then went to Ricky, and by an untrained eye yanked him up hard.

But Sasha could see, the instructor hadn’t addled his head or neck, and only made it look bad.

Turning back to Drake, Sasha started to walk directly forward.

Having taken more damage from her throw than all of the other cadet’s punches combined, Drake was in no mood to play.

“Shave!”

Appearing directly behind her, Sasha instinctively threw her fist back, connecting with Drakes face she then elbowed his chest hard enough to send him flying back.

The ratpack group of cadets exploded into chatter.

As for Sasha, she considered the noble T-Bones as her teacher. Though she knew she was not as noble as he was, she couldn’t bring herself to hit a fallen Marine.

In terms of physical strength, Sasha was not as strong as Bill – who had mastered Life Return – but she was comparable to Ranse, whose kick could split a ship.

Getting up with a bloody nose, Drake’s had no grogginess in his motions and as Sasha started towards him, he transformed.

Seeing him take a half human form, Sasha didn’t hesitate and picked up for pace.

Sending a strong right hook, she cleanly connected on his big maul.

But whereas she had the edge in strength before, in his current form, Sasha had met her match.

She had seen Bill and Ranse fight, but when it came down to it, she fought like a brawler.

Relying on her instincts, she was slowly beaten up to the point where it became impossible to think, much less move.

The ending came when Drake swung his tail around, Sasha tried to grab it but instead of lifting him up, the tail trapped her.

Not able to move, and too weak to dodge, the older cadet hit her hard in the face with his half-transformed strength.

Sasha didn’t hear the wet crunch. The next thing she knew, she was looking at a ceiling.

Groaning a bit, she barely moved her head, and Ricky jumped in her view.

“Sasha!”

Seeing him with a wide smile, she asked weakly: “What happened?”

Shaking his head, Ricky just said: “Nah, don’t worry about it. Drake is a rat turd. He’s just older.”

That line told her what she needed to know. She had lost.

“What about the rank?” she said softly.

Shaking his head now harder, Ricky said quickly: “It doesn’t matter. We can get out of here if you want to. We should had stayed in the South Blue anyway. Puh! Rear Admiral! What a joke.”

“What about the rank?” she said again.

Now not shaking his head, Ricky said quietly: “You dropped to fifty...”

To this news, Sasha didn’t shout or complain. She had known the risks and would do it again.

Looking straight up at the ceiling she just said: “Fine.”