The sunlight was just right.
This time, Renzo was sitting by the doorway, lazily basking in the sun, staring blankly at the waves, thinking about how to get the next fruit into his mouth without having to move.
Vice Admiral Tsuru didn't approach right away.
She observed the young man from a distance, handsome, but with an air of inescapable laziness between his brows. His eyes were hollow, as if nothing in the world could interest him.
She smiled faintly and said to her aide, "Wait for me here."
Then she walked forward alone, slowly.
The closer she got to the small house, the more the air around her seemed to "stagnate", a drowsy, lethargic atmosphere hung over the place.
But her iron will stood like a rock, effortlessly resisting this unseen influence.
She only felt a little "unmotivated," not enough to be called sleepy.
Renzo noticed the dignified old woman approaching. He frowned slightly and said nothing, but his face clearly said, Great… another one. What a bother.
Tsuru stopped at a comfortable distance and spoke in a gentle but direct tone.
"Renzo, right? I am Vice Admiral Tsuru of Marine Headquarters."
Renzo didn't even lift his eyelids. "Oh… you're here...about the pirates? Wasn't me. I don't know. I'm sleepy."
The classic three-step salted fish rejection.
Tsuru smiled. She had met countless people, but this kind of unfiltered, pure laziness actually amused her a little.
"I'm not here to hold you accountable. Quite the opposite, I'm here to thank you. The Black Shark Pirates have plagued the West Blue for years. You've done us a big favor."
"Oh… don't mention it."
Renzo's reply was as flat as a glass of water. "You done? You can leave now. You're kind of in the way."
The aide beside Tsuru twitched at the corner of his mouth. There weren't many people who dared talk to the Vice Admiral like that.
But Tsuru didn't mind. She had a card to play, a temptation that, for Renzo, was practically irresistible.
"I looked into your situation. Living alone must be inconvenient, right? Food's a problem too, always eating wild fruit… not very nutritious."
Renzo's motion of biting his fruit paused.
"At Marineford, Marine Headquarters, we have the best mess hall in the world. Open 24/7. Steaks, roasted meat, seafood, ramen, ice cream… unlimited buffet, different menu every day."
Renzo's ear twitched ever so slightly.
"There are single dorms with an ocean view, private bathrooms, and specially designed mattresses, some say the most comfortable in the world. Perfect for… resting."
Renzo's eyes opened just a slit.
"If you join the Marines, you won't have to fight or even check in daily. I can arrange a special position for you, something like a Strategic Logistics Consultant."
"The job is simply to… offer advice when needed. The rest of the time, you're free to do as you please."
Seeing the faint hesitation on Renzo's face, Tsuru went in for the final blow.
"In other words, you can relax in a better place, with the Marines taking care of all your daily troubles. You only need to 'feel bothered' once in a while, when something we really can't handle comes up."
"How about it? Interested?"
The fruit in Renzo's hand was completely forgotten.
His brain entered an intense, high-energy internal debate:
'Option A: Stay in the village, keep eating wild fruit, live in a drafty shack, constantly bothered by pirates, Marines, and curious villagers.'
'Option B: Go to Marineford, live in a sea-view room, sleep on luxury bedding, eat unlimited gourmet food, with every trivial need taken care of, only occasionally having to "feel bothered.'
'Was this even a choice?!'
'For long-term, high-quality, sustainable laziness… a little effort to move house seemed… acceptable.'
He took a deep breath, summoning all his day's willpower, and looked at Tsuru, trying hard to sound indifferent.
"The mess hall… really unlimited? Steak… as much as I want?"
Tsuru smiled and nodded. "As much as you want. The head chef's an old friend of mine, I can even have him make you something special."
Renzo was silent for three whole minutes, as if making a decision that would change the world.
Finally, he sighed and said slowly, in the tone of someone taking a heavy loss:
"Sigh… fine…"
"Sounds… slightly less bothersome than staying here…"
"When do we leave?"
"…Can we go soon? I'm kind of hungry."
Tsuru's smile deepened.
"The ship's at the port. Your luggage?"
Renzo pointed at his faded, worn clothes. "Just this… couldn't be bothered to pack."
And so, under the mixed gazes of the townsfolk, surprise, and confusion, Renzo, the laziest "recruit" in Marine history, carrying his troublesome yet powerful Sloth Fruit ability, boarded the warship to Marine Headquarters.
His life goal hadn't changed: Eat, sleep, and coast through life.
He'd simply upgraded to a more luxurious, comfortable pond.
The warship glided smoothly through the Calm Belt. Giant Sea Kings swam distantly by, uninterested in the seastone-hulled vessel, merely casting indifferent glances.
Renzo was given a special seat in a quiet corner of the officers' dining room.
The Marine chef, clearly under Tsuru's orders, served a perfectly cooked steak, crispy on the outside, tender inside, paired with golden potato wedges and fresh green vegetables, which Renzo ignored.
The aroma brought a faint glimmer of life back to his otherwise dull eyes.
But upon seeing the whole steak and the utensils beside it, his brows furrowed again.
"So troublesome…"
He muttered softly, and that intense "too lazy to move" thought rippled outward like a command.
Then, a strange and funny thing happened: the steak, as if "too lazy" to stay whole, broke into neat, bite-sized pieces.
The shining fork floated up as if held by an invisible, half-asleep hand, wobbled toward him, and gently fed him a piece.
Renzo just had to open his mouth.
As he chewed, his eyes narrowed in contentment, like a cat being scratched under the chin.
Tsuru sat opposite him, sipping her steaming tea, calmly watching the supernatural scene unfold.
Her face showed no surprise, only serene insight.
"To use your power for everyday chores… quite the unique application."
Her tone was gentle, somewhere between praise and observation.
"Mm…" Renzo mumbled, chewing slowly, swallowing before adding lazily, "Energy intake… necessary for survival… minimizing effort loss… important."
Another piece floated into his mouth.
"When we reach Marineford, the canteen is open all day, with even more variety," Tsuru said.
"Oh…" Renzo's reaction was as flat as ever, but his chewing noticeably quickened.
He yawned, tears of drowsiness welling at the corners of his eyes, and asked one of his most pressing questions.
"The dorms… single rooms? The bed… really that comfy?"
"Far better than that drafty straw mat of yours," Tsuru confirmed calmly.
"I guarantee it's softer and quieter than anything you've ever slept on."
"That's good…"
Renzo's head started to nod off, as if even his eyelids couldn't resist the weight of sleep, or the thought of food and comfort.
"Don't lie to me… or I'll find that… very, very 'bothersome'…"
His voice faded, the last few words swallowed mid-sentence.
Then, as if completing an important mission, he slumped back, found a comfortable angle, and instantly fell asleep right there in the dining chair, his breathing slow and steady.
Tsuru looked at the boy who had practically engraved the word lazy into his soul,
even in sleep; his brows were faintly furrowed, as if dreaming itself was too much effort.
Her lips curved into the faintest but most genuine smile.
This trip to the West Blue was turning out far more interesting than expected.
She didn't wake him, just waved a hand lightly to her aide to keep quiet.
The warship sliced through the deep blue waves, carrying the laziest "strategic-level asset" in Marine history toward the heart of Marine power, and what Renzo imagined would be his ultimate paradise of idleness: Marineford.