The temporary training grounds of the 16th Branch.
A week had passed since the instructors took over. All the new recruits had completed their adaptation training and were now gradually increasing their intensity.
Among this batch of recruits, there were two "lunatics."
One was Ace, and the other was Sophia, whom Lucci had brought back.
Because Ace already had a strong foundation, he was far superior to the other recruits in terms of physical fitness and martial arts—even though he hadn't yet reached the age he was when he first set sail in the original timeline. For him, the standard training load was practically child's play.
After some deliberation, the instructor team decided to create a customized regimen for Ace. The volume of this specialized plan was more than ten times that of the other recruits.
As for Sophia, she naturally lacked Ace's innate talent; after all, she had previously been a civilian. Had it not been for the Great Pirate Era, she likely would have married in a few years and spent her life in her village, raising children and supporting a husband. In fact, her baseline physical condition was initially lower than that of the other recruits.
Yet, she was the most frenetic of them all, second only to Ace.
Even after completing the day's assigned tasks, she would grit her teeth and push herself through extra training during her rest periods. On several occasions, she had pushed herself so far that she simply fainted.
Sanders had never seen anything like it. After learning about Sophia's background from Lucci, he found her drive understandable. However, understanding was one thing—continuing at this pace was another. If she kept this up, her body would collapse before her strength ever improved.
That wouldn't do.
But just as Sanders prepared to step in and stop her, he noticed something strange.
The daily tasks and the extra training Sophia had been doing suddenly seemed much easier for her. No—they seemed significantly easier. By the following day, Sophia had increased her training volume even further. Although it was more strenuous than the day before, she completed every single rep.
Sanders was completely baffled. Two days ago, she was fainting from exhaustion; now, it was as if she had become a different person.
To solve the mystery, Sanders ordered Sophia to undergo a test with the Doriki meter.
The result...
Doriki... 15?
Every recruit had been measured at the start of training. At that time, Sophia's score had only been 7.
This situation was far too bizarre to ignore. Sanders immediately reported the findings to Sean.
To his surprise, Sean didn't look shocked at all. He simply replied, "I see..."
"Send Lucci to my office."
"Yes, Commodore!"
Once Sanders left, Sean summoned a messenger. He had a rough idea of what was happening with Sophia.
"Commodore, you summoned me?"
"Lucci, did you give Sophia some Sea King jerky?"
"I did. I am ready to accept my punishment."
"Did I say I was going to punish you?"
"Then..."
Privately giving Sea King jerky to a recruit still in training was a clear violation of the rules. Not every recruit would necessarily be commissioned; those who failed the final evaluation would be sent home. Furthermore, the six-month boot camp was the best time for Sean and his officers to observe the recruits' temperament and character. Anyone with a warped set of values would be kicked out long before the final exam.
For these reasons, Sean hadn't rushed to give them the jerky, intending to wait until they were officially enlisted after six months. Lucci's actions were a direct contradiction of Sean's orders—he had secretly given it to Sophia, and it appeared he had even given her his own portion.
Since Sea King jerky was one of the branch's most vital resources, it was guarded twenty-four hours a day. Without Sean's command, even Lucci couldn't just take it. Therefore, the source of Sophia's jerky could only have been Lucci's own allocation.
"Forget it. I just didn't realize you thought so highly of Sophia that you'd give up your own shares," Sean said. "I'll order Lieutenant Conte to increase the daily rations by seven portions. Five will go to the instructors, and the other two to Ace and Sophia."
Sean then looked at Lucci with a strange expression. "Speaking of which... Lucci, do you have a thing for this girl?"
Lucci remained expressionless, showing none of the flustered reaction Sean had hoped for. He simply replied flatly, "No such thing."
Sean found this incredibly boring. He sighed and shook his head. "Sigh, Lucci, if you keep this up, you're going to end up old and alone..."
Come to think of it, Sophia was truly beautiful. She was tall with refined features—a genuine village beauty. Even in the East Blue, she would likely rank among the top beauties.
For some reason, the more indifferent Lucci acted, the more Sean felt the urge to play matchmaker.
"Right, Lucci. In three days, your six former colleagues from CP9 will arrive. I plan to have them return to their original line of work. What do you think?"
"Is the Commodore establishing an intelligence agency?"
"Exactly. To combat pirates, we need intelligence support. We can't just rely on luck while sailing the vast ocean."
"That is no problem. They are all highly experienced."
"Mm. But not all of them will be in intel. I plan to put Kaku and Jabra into the branch's combat sequence. Their strength is too impressive to waste on intelligence work. The other four will handle the future intelligence department."
Lucci nodded. Indeed, among the CP9 members, Lucci, Kaku, and Jabra were the strongest. While not as powerful as Lucci, the other two would likely exceed 2,000 Doriki within three years, placing them at the level of a standard Marine Vice Admiral. With the special Sea King meat Sean provided, it wouldn't even be surprising if they hit 4,000 Doriki in three years.
The other four barely met the threshold of a superhuman; the gap was significant. Putting Kaku and Jabra in intelligence would indeed be a waste of talent. Only by placing them in the combat sequence could their strengths be maximized.
"Additionally, until I determine a head for the intelligence department, you will temporarily oversee those four. Any objections?"
"None."
"Very well. One last thing."
"What is it?"
"Are you 'really' not interested in Sophia? Do you want me to create a few more opportunities for you two?"
"No. If the Commodore has nothing else, I shall take my leave."
Watching Lucci walk away with a blank face, Sean let out a soft sigh.
'As my adjutant, how can he be so boring?'
"No, this won't do. Lucci's personality absolutely needs to be overhauled!"
Little did Lucci know that, at this very moment, someone had already devised...
An utterly ridiculous personality reformation plan!