Graduation Assessment?
The moment the words left Nao's mouth, everyone nearby froze in surprise.
Rosinante couldn't help but look surprised: "No way, Brother Nao, we're still just first-year recruits! Are you really planning to graduate already?"
"Recruit? Looking at the entire Headquarters, is there anyone below the rank of Vice Admiral who can beat him now?"
Shiryu, however, was not at all surprised by this. He snorted, squinting at Nao: "What's the point of a monster like that staying in the Elite Camp?"
I can't just blurt that out.
Didn't I just get a beating from my own wife…?
Nao grumbled inwardly, then looked up at the two and smiled. "There's really not much left to learn, so it's better to go out and see the world sooner. What do you say, you two, give me a firm answer: do you want to join me?"
"I think I'll pass…"
Rosinante hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "I feel like there's still a lot I need to learn from Zephyr-sensei. I still don't understand two-color Haki at all…"
"I'm somewhat interested," Shiryu said, puffing on his cigar and frowning in thought. "Do I have to wait another half a year for the next graduation application?"
"Yeah," Nao nodded. "I asked. The graduation assessment requires a lot of resources to arrange, so they can't just prepare all those procedures specifically for one person outside of the scheduled times."
"Then there's nothing more to say," Shiryu said decisively. "I'm in!"
"No way? Doesn't that mean you're going to leave me alone in the Elite Camp?"
Rosinante grimaced, then suddenly caught on, looking suspiciously at Shiryu. "Hold on, you're so impatient, could it be for your little girlfriend at G-6 Branch?"
The three had been reunited for many days now. Earlier, on the warship, Shiryu was often seen hiding in a corner, giggling foolishly with his Transponder Snail. He and Nao had cornered and interrogated him, extracting the story of his first love on the spot.
Even Shiryu found love!
Rosinante found it incredibly hard to accept at the time, only now barely recovering—Just recently, there were three bachelors in the dorm, and now the only single dog is me.
Is this fair?
"Bullshit."
Shiryu glared at him, then mumbled somewhat guiltily, "There's a little bit of a reason, yeah. I just hope that after graduating, the higher-ups will consider my personal preference and assign me to G-6 Branch…"
"Good luck with that."
Nao smiled and patted his shoulder. "Anyway, it'll be nice to have someone familiar to go through this assessment with. Otherwise, if it's just me, a new face among all the previous batch's people, it'd be pretty awkward."
...
Later that day—
Nao and Shiryu went to Zephyr's office together to submit their graduation assessment applications.
Zephyr was not surprised by this.
Although theoretically, one could stay in the Elite Camp for up to three years, there were always outstanding individuals who applied for early graduation each batch. This had long ceased to be an isolated case over the years, let alone for a monster like Nao, who was truly unprecedented.
Ever since guiding Nao into mastering Haki, Zephyr admitted to himself that even he had nothing more to teach Nao.
If the young eagle wanted to leave the nest's protection and soar alone, then so be it!
The specific time for the graduation assessment was set for next Tuesday at 9 AM. Over a hundred people had already signed up to participate. From Zephyr's words, Nao learned the general outline of the entire assessment process.
It was very simple, just three steps in total.
The first step was the Comprehensive Physical Assessment.
All items were basically the same as the monthly routine assessments: speed, strength, martial arts, stamina… The instructors overseeing the assessment would form a review panel to rigorously evaluate and rank each performance metric.
Even failing one category would result in immediate disqualification and temporary denial of graduation.
The second step was the Battle Merit Statistics.
This step actually didn't require the new recruits' participation. The review panel would allocate personnel to compile the records of all participants over the years. Based on their respective battle data, the new recruits would be categorized into different evaluation tiers.
The third step was the Practical Combat Assessment.
The content of the annual practical combat assessment would vary slightly in form each year. To ensure fairness, Zephyr found it inconvenient to disclose it for now.
However, one thing was certain: in recent years, the practical combat assessments had all been conducted on a desolate, uninhabited island not far from Headquarters, and this time was no exception.
After fully informing them of the procedures, Zephyr told the two to go back and prepare thoroughly.
He also made an exception, allowing them to be excused from the training sessions for the upcoming week, so they could conserve their energy and enter the graduation assessment in their most optimal condition.
Shiryu took this seriously. Nao, however, didn't mind. As soon as he left, he headed straight for the training ground, resuming his hellish, round-the-clock rigorous training.
He'd already gotten a good nap back when CP9 had dragged him away on a speedboat. It had only been twenty days since then—plenty of energy left in the tank.
...
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
Today marked the start of the Comprehensive Physical Assessment for all recruits applying for graduation.
Behind the fortress, in a specially designated testing area, the instructors in charge of the evaluation had arrived early and were busy calibrating the assessment equipment.
Marine Headquarters also dispatched two Rear Admirals to supervise the entire process.
One was named Doberman, nicknamed "Mad Dog," and the other was Dalmatian, wearing a spotted dog-head hat.
Both of them were former students from the Elite Camp, having graduated years ago. This time, being sent as supervisors, they looked at the familiar scene below with emotion, as if seeing their past selves.
"I wonder how many of this batch of new recruits will be qualified to be commissioned as officers," Doberman said leisurely. "I remember in my batch, there were two: one became a Rear Admiral, and the other was Kuzan. That guy actually became a Vice Admiral directly."
"That Rear Admiral was clearly you, wasn't it?"
Dalmatian glared at him exasperatedly. "I was only a Captain when I graduated anyway. If you're going to pretend, can't you be more direct? Do you have to use this batch of new recruits as a preamble first?"
"Heh heh."
Doberman grinned, not denying it. "What do you mean 'preamble'… Anyway, let's see how this batch performs. I'm quite looking forward to it."
It was suddenly 8:30 AM.
With only half an hour left until the assessment began, all participating new recruits had gradually arrived. The open ground was packed with a dense crowd of people.
With nothing else to do, these elites who had arrived early gathered in small groups, privately discussing matters concerning this assessment.
"Did you hear? This time, besides the dozen or so people from the batch below us, there are also two new recruits who've only been in the camp for a year applying for graduation."
"Oh? They dare to apply for graduation after just one year? Who are they? Do they not know how difficult the final practical combat assessment is, to be so bold?"
"Not sure. I asked Zephyr-sensei, but he didn't reveal anything. But they should be clear once they arrive. Whoever has an unfamiliar face, that's them…"
Everyone had something to say.
But it was clear that most didn't think highly of the two junior recruits who had only been in the camp for a year and were already applying for graduation.
After all, even the more seasoned candidates now standing on the assessment field felt a twinge of anxiety—worried they might be eliminated, fail to graduate, or simply fall short of earning the evaluation they were aiming for.
"Hey, quick, look over there. Two people just arrived. Could it be them?"
Someone suddenly let out a soft exclamation.
Hearing this, the other Marines also turned their heads to look.
They saw that walking in front was a burly man over three meters tall, chomping on a cigar, his features sharp and gloomy. One look and you knew he wasn't someone to be trifled with.
Just looking at him, he seems strong, damn… The older batch of graduates exchanged glances, quickly reaching a consensus—No wonder they dared to participate in the graduation assessment in their first year. He really seems to have some tricks up his sleeve.
As for the second person…
That guy had been leisurely trailing behind the burly man. Once they entered the area, the crowd finally managed to get a clear look at him—about 2.35 meters tall, black hair, black eyes, his features so handsome he looked like he stepped out of a painting.
Seeing everyone looking at him, the guy looked up and flashed a gentle, radiant smile. That smile was like a spring breeze, instantly making everyone's impression of him greatly improve…
Wait, doesn't that face look familiar?
Everyone frowned in thought, rummaging through their memories. It didn't take long before they connected the face to someone who had recently dominated the front pages of every major newspaper.
A moment later, they exchanged glances—followed by a collective, sharp intake of breath.
So it's him… Natsuya Nao!
The most terrifying monster recruit since the Elite Camp was founded eleven years ago, the man who could defeat a Warlord of the Sea-level great pirate during his probationary period…
He's also participating in this graduation assessment?
Many secretly wiped cold sweat, and as the pressure suddenly doubled, they finally realized how ridiculous their previous thought was, believing those two new recruits dared to apply for graduation without knowing their place…
————Shia's Journal————
I wanted to take part in the graduation assessment with Nao.
But then Father sent an urgent message—my elder brother is seriously ill, and I need to return home to see him.
He's suffered from a congenital illness since childhood, and his mind's never been quite right… but he's always been kind to me. If he's really in bad shape, there's no way I can just stay here.
Still, with the travel back and forth, I have no idea how long it'll take—or how much I'll miss.
I just hope he recovers soon. Missing the assessment with Nao is one thing…
But I really don't want to miss his commissioning ceremony again.
It's so frustrating...