"Phew~"
Captain Moore slowly exhaled a stream of smoke, sizing Cross up with a relaxed gaze. With a smile, he said, "I thought you'd take longer to get here. Didn't expect you so soon!"
At that moment, Dom's expression didn't change, but inside, he was surprised. He hadn't expected the Captain to greet this new boy so personally.
"I got delayed by an injury. Otherwise, I would've arrived even earlier," Cross replied calmly, unfazed by the attention.
"I heard from Vice Admiral Tsuru that you did well in the Lvneel Kingdom," Captain Moore said as he rose from his chair and stepped around his desk, approaching Cross with a warm tone. "I'm Arendt Moore, Captain of the Marine 201st Branch. Welcome to the Navy."
"It's an honor, Captain Moore."
Cross smiled and followed Dom's example, raising his hand in a sharp salute.
Captain Moore returned the salute with equal respect.
"Dom, good work. You're dismissed for now," Moore said, waving his hand casually.
"Thank you for the praise, Captain!"
Grinning ear to ear, Dom gave another salute and left the office briskly.
"Take a seat. Cigar?" Moore offered, settling onto a nearby sofa and gesturing to a fine redwood humidor on the coffee table.
"Are you seriously trying to get a kid to smoke?" Cross said with a wry smile as he sat down across from him.
"Hahaha! My mistake, I forgot for a second!"
Moore laughed, remembering that his guest was only fifteen years old. He promptly put the cigar back in the box.
Cross's gaze drifted toward a photo frame on the table. In the picture were a younger Moore and a middle-aged Marine, arms slung over each other's shoulders, smiling broadly.
"Captain, that's you when you were younger, right? Who's the other man?" Cross asked, narrowing his eyes. The middle-aged Marine looked vaguely familiar.
"Yeah, that was me at twenty. Hard to believe it's already been fifteen years," Moore said with a fond smile, glancing at the photo. "The other guy is the one who brought me into the Marines, Captain Dofman. He was also the previous commander of the 201st Branch."
"Ah, that explains it. I guess he's retired now, living by the docks and fishing," Cross muttered to himself.
"Oh? How do you know he retired—"
Moore paused, then laughed in understanding. "So that's why you asked. You've already met him, huh?"
"Yeah. Captain Dorfman gave me directions," Cross said, his voice growing heavier as he recalled the encounter.
Seeing Cross's tone darken, Moore's expression turned slightly awkward. Remembering Dofman's infamous sense of humor, he quickly changed the subject.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru mentioned that if you joined the Marines, she'd recommend you for the academy at Marine Headquarters. For now, you'll be provisionally assigned to my 201st Branch as a recruit until further orders. Any objections?"
"No, sir. I follow orders," Cross said, shaking his head.
"Good."
Moore nodded with approval and stood up. "Come on. I'll show you to your quarters. You can join us for morning drills starting tomorrow."
"Thank you, Captain," Cross replied, standing and smiling.
Together, they left the office and made their way down the corridor. Along the way, officers and enlisted men alike stopped to salute Moore. Cross took notice: Captain Moore clearly commanded genuine respect in the 201st Branch.
Soon, Moore stopped in front of a door, opened it, and stepped inside.
Cross peeked in and blinked. "A single room?"
The modest thirty-square-meter space had a single bed, a wardrobe, a storage chest, a hardwood desk, and a chair, sparse and practical.
"For someone like you, of course you get special treatment," Moore said with a grin, spreading his hands. "I also heard you're a noble, a count, even. So I'm not sure if you'll be able to handle such… humble lodgings."
"Don't underestimate me," Cross replied with a chuckle, stepping into the room and stretching his arms. "I can take a little hardship."
It didn't compare to the luxury of his current life's estate, but back in his previous life, his apartment had barely been thirty-five square meters. This wasn't so bad.
"In that case, I won't worry," Moore said, nodding in satisfaction. "Now, let me give you the rundown of the fortress layout…"
As Moore explained, Cross quickly grasped the basics.
The first floor housed the mess hall and bathhouse. Breakfast was served from 7:00 to 8:00 AM, lunch from 11:30 to 12:30, and dinner from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. The baths were open 24 hours, but hot water was only available at night.
The second and third floors were barracks for enlisted Marines.
The fourth floor held single rooms for officers ranked Lieutenant and above, department offices, and the Special Weapons Storage Room.
The rooftop served as a sea watchtower, monitoring the surrounding waters and any ships passing near the base.
Additionally, the fortress had a basement level used for storing weapons, gunpowder, rations, and fresh water, enabling the base to withstand a prolonged siege if necessary.
"Got all that?" Moore asked.
"Yes, sir. Thank you, Captain," Cross replied with appreciation.
"Good. Rest for today. I'll call you for dinner later. Tomorrow, we'll assign you to a unit." Moore bit down on his cigar, gave Cross a pat on the shoulder, and walked out of the room.
As the door closed behind him, Cross turned his gaze back to the room, set his cloth pack on the desk, and began pacing, a complicated look in his eyes.
"Two lifetimes… and this is my first time enlisting. This isn't quite how I imagined it…"
...
Meanwhile, back in his office, Captain Moore locked the door behind him.
He moved behind his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a small pink Den Den Mushi, placing it on the desk.
"Phew~"
Seated, Moore stared blankly at the snail, a thin plume of smoke rising from his lips. Then, he dialed.
Pere... pere… pere… Click.
A voice came through, laced with malevolent amusement.
"Fufufufufu~ I bet you've got something interesting for me, Captain Moore!"
If Cross had been here, he'd have instantly recognized that sinister laugh, it belonged to none other than Donquixote Doflamingo.
"Joker," Moore said coldly, "the kid you asked me to watch has arrived at the 201st Branch. He's joined the Marines."
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