Chapter Text
It was a rough day for the base. In the South Blue trouble as brewing to the frustration of the Commodore. New pirates started their crews and on their way to the Grand Line they pillaged and burned down islands.
Alin was overseeing the recruits training. They were useless and weak no resolute in their eyes. They all enlisted in the hope of holding a weapon or they eat up the big, noble marines narratives they were spoon fed by birth. All weak and sheep he had to send out to be slaughtered by pirates.
All goofed off not caring that they held their swords like farmers held their shovels or they shot their marine issued firearms like children held a nerf gun.
And these bastards were the hopes and dreams of Reida island. Alin to hide his irritation took out his old lighter and started to smoke.
"Commodore Alin, could I have a moment of your time?" He heard a polite request of one of the marines who probably had an order of the higher ups to tell him, den den mushis be damned.
"Beanpole?" Alin asked with a sneer. It was one of his older students Shepherd Jr. He was promoted last week, probably for his uncle's success. "Shouldn't you be on a ship out of Reida?"
"I... had an accident." He admitted sheepishly.
"An accident? Why I did not hear about it?"
"I hit my head sir. Some sort of mild amnesia." He parroted the doctor's expert report. Alin now remembered. Of course when he could finally escape from him, he had to injure his head.
"You should rest then. The headquarters could survive another day without you sailing out." And probably longer if this ponce would just resign.
"It is not about my trip sir, I already asked them if they could put me out on the seas."
"En... Commander Shepherd. You are not in a level of dealing with rogue pirates."
"This is why I want to request your training sire." He bowed his head politely. "I reevaluated my fighting power and I realized that I am not in the best shape. Still I want to continue my job of dealing with pirates. Could you spare your valuable time and train me once more? I promise to be more determined than I used to be."
Alin gaped. Shepherd was bowing his head humbling himself in front of his superior. He knew the boy well. Spoiled rotten, his uncle chatted up the boy's ego. Only promoted to commander because of nepotism. Alin thought the foolish boy will sail out and becomes part of the intelligence part of the marines as a paper pusher, sometimes sent out to inspect marine bases. Sheep had the smarts for sure for inspecting, but he didn't earn this promotion
Maybe the head hit changed the boy? He looked more humble, his long limbs moving around awkwardly, like he wasn't sure of his body. Alin had to look into head trauma and ask sensei about his amnesia.
"I will accept, Sheep. Now start running around, we both know you lack any stamina."
"Yeah 10 kilometer just like Saitama-san." The idiot muttered. He didn't know who was that Saitama, but the beanpole already was an idiot, even in training.
"You can't start with ten when you barely manage one. Do three rounds around the base and see how weak you are." Alin ordered to snap out the foolish boy out of his ridiculous ideas.
The newbies stopped to gawk. All enjoyed a pause of their sword swigs. All laughing at the sight of Sheep running around like a motivated marine. Something changed in Shepherd for sure, at least he started acting like a good marine recruit.
"Unlike him y'all should do one thousand more swings." These marines were weak but more above Sheep's level for sure. The new difference was the driving force. New recruits were lazy idiots, Shepherd was weak and finally found the motivation to become better.