Pirates' Magic Odyssey: Unveiling Eight Skills At The Beginning - Chapter 9

At Goa Kingdom, Harbor.

A Navy warship with a carved figurehead of a dog’s head is docked here.

The Navy’s internal hierarchy is clear, and officers of different ranks are equipped with warships of varying levels.

This particular warship is 65 meters in length, 14 meters in width, with a draft of 78 meters, equipped with 100 main cannons, capable of storing 30 tons of gunpowder and 110 tons of shells, capable of continuous sailing for over half a year, with a standard displacement of 3450 tons and a maximum load of 19201 tons.

Currently, the power of Navy warships still relies primarily on the three sets of sails, with the mainmast at a height of 61.3 meters, the foremast at 54.1 meters, and the mizzenmast at 45.7 meters, enabling it to reach a speed of 9 knots solely with the power of the sails. The ship can accommodate up to 730 crew members.

Underneath the hull of the warship, there is a layer of seastone to prevent harassment and attacks from sea kings.

Placed anywhere, such a Navy warship is essentially a mobile fortress at sea, challenging to be sunk by conventional means.

Yang Ming is dressed in a Navy novice uniform, bidding farewell to Ace, Sabo, and Luffy one by one.

Although they have spent only a short two to three months together, Yang Ming has impressed the three with his actions, becoming their good brother.

Of course, this brotherhood is higher than ordinary friendships but has not yet reached the level of sworn brothers.

The relationship between Ace, Sabo, and Luffy can be described with a single sentence:

“Not born on the same day of the same month, but hoping to die on the same day of the same year.”

Yang Ming stands at the bow of the ship, waving to the three on the shore:

“After I leave, there won’t be anyone pushing you to work so hard, but don’t miss me too much.”

Ace and Sabo’s mouths twitch slightly. Yang Ming manages to evoke bittersweet memories at such a melancholic moment.

It’s all thanks to Yang Ming’s presence that their training has intensified, not to mention daily scoldings from Garp.

“Look at Yang Ming; he gets it after I teach him once. I’ve taught you so many times, and you still don’t get it. Start over again!”

“Yang Ming practices extra every night, which is why he’s made such progress. You rabbit cubs better learn from him. Starting tonight, you’ll all practice extra!”

“Work hard! Keep going! Strive! Are you telling me you’re not even as good as a latecomer like Yang Ming?”

Ace and Sabo’s ears still seem to reverberate with Garp’s frustrated yelling. They’re not feeling so great.

Of the four, Luffy is the youngest, inheriting Garp’s fine tradition of not feeling embarrassed, so he hasn’t experienced how tough the training used to be. He vigorously waves his arms and shouts:

“Yang Ming, the next time we meet, I’ll definitely become the Pirate King!”

Yang Ming, Ace, and Sabo all facepalm.

“This guy is shouting such a slogan in front of at least five hundred Navy officers and soldiers.”

Yang Ming believes that if Luffy weren’t Garp’s grandson, he would have been directly hung up and whipped by the Navy personnel who rushed over.

“Luffy, when we meet next time, I hope you’ve made some progress. Don’t let me catch you, alright?”

Yang Ming’s voice fades as the warship sails further away, leaving only the sea breeze, laden with moisture, blowing at the shore.

After boarding the warship, Yang Ming didn’t receive any special treatment due to his relationship with Garp.

On the contrary, because of this relationship, Garp directly threw Yang Ming into the lowest ranks, starting from a novice trainee.

Trainee cadets live in single rooms with only enough space for a single bed, no extra space, and certainly no windows to see the outside world. It makes living conditions quite miserable.

They also have a variety of chores, sweeping, mopping the floor, washing dishes, and doing laundry, these are all basic tasks.

Every morning, trainee cadets, along with other officers and soldiers, go to the deck for daily training.

In addition to work and training, life for trainee cadets is quite demanding. They are required to make their beds neatly, eat at specified times, and follow strict routines.

Furthermore, in the evening, Yang Ming also receives additional educational instruction from Garp’s assistant. It provides him with knowledge about this world’s language, geography, maritime knowledge, and cultural environment.

Yang Ming feels like he’s back in the days before the college entrance exam; constantly pushing himself to complete a massive amount of work, training, and studying, like a top spinning without stopping.

Ordinary people wouldn’t withstand this high-pressure environment; they’d probably have collapsed early on.

But deep inside, Yang Ming has a determination, persisting through it all. And like a withered sponge, he’s absorbing all kinds of knowledge, constantly enriching himself.

Initially, the Navy officers and soldiers on the warship thought Yang Ming was someone with connections, treating him with politeness.

But after this period of interaction, whenever everyone talks about Yang Ming, they all give him a big thumbs-up.

People who haven’t wandered the seas tend to have various fantasies about this unknown ocean, praising the ocean with wonderful words like poetry, depicting it as if it were a fairyland.

But only those who’ve spent years at sea understand just how monotonous and testing for one’s willpower it is to sail on the vast ocean without sight of land.

After more than a month at sea, the warship didn’t immediately return to the Navy Headquarters. Instead, it wandered around the East Sea. Garp was clearly taking it easy, not wanting to return to the headquarters too soon for duty.

On the warship’s deck, a boy in novice attire is mingling among a group of Navy soldiers, engaged in their daily morning exercises.

“Hah! Hah! Hah…”

The boy’s legs are spread apart, his knees slightly bent, swaying with the ship’s movements but standing firm, and swinging his arms as if throwing punches.

The rising sun casts its light, bathing everything.

Despite repeated exposure to the sun, the boy’s skin hasn’t turned dark but instead reveals a healthy olive hue.

With daily rigorous training and coupled with the substantial qi nourishment obtained through food from the Six Sensei Thieves, Yang Ming not only hasn’t worn down his body but also appears stronger than others of his age. His muscles are more defined which serves as the best evidence.

This day, after the morning exercise, Yang Ming doesn’t head to clean the deck with a bucket as usual; instead, he’s summoned by Garp.

Garp gazes kindly at the boy before him, feeling genuinely satisfied.

Garp had initially planned to send Yang Ming to the lowest rank to temper his sharpness and test his character.

A soldier’s duty is obedience. Regardless of how talented a soldier might be, they must learn to obey. Those who don’t understand this principle find it challenging to reach high ranks in the Navy.

Fortunately, Yang Ming has done remarkably well, exceeding Garp’s expectations.

Since entering the lower ranks, Yang Ming has been willing to do whatever is asked of him. Never a word of complaint, diligently performing his duties, earning the recognition of the officers and soldiers on the warship. Such behavior is exceptionally commendable for someone his age.

What surprised Garp even more was that Yang Ming didn’t resist being assigned to learn from Garp directly.

Every Navy officer is the soul of a warship.

If a Navy officer doesn’t understand the vast sea regions, they’ll be unable to navigate smoothly once the helmsman dies in battle.

When a Navy officer doesn’t comprehend the cultures of different countries, can’t handle interactions with local naval bases, and local factions during missions, it becomes easy to fall into a passive state. Additionally, it is unable to gather enough information from the area. In some cases, if the two sides become hostile, the local forces might secretly sabotage them, making it difficult to carry out their tasks smoothly.

Such an officer is not qualified to be a Navy leader.

Garp appreciates Yang Ming, hoping he can become an all-rounded Navy officer, not one with a narrow perspective.

There are already too many narrow-minded Navy officers; one more Yang Ming won’t make a difference.

Surprisingly, the Navy currently lacks a leader-level officer.

The current Navy Admirals have power and strategy, but they lack the drive for progress. They’re good at defending but lack the spirit of pushing forward.

Garp has always hoped to train someone who can inherit the position of Navy Admiral.

Unfortunately, Garp’s previously high hopes for his son, Dragon who led to disappointment. Dragon was too radical and unexpectedly raised the banner of overthrowing the Celestial Dragon’s rule.

This time, Garp doesn’t want to experience another failure.

“Yang Ming, you’ve worked hard for so long. Take a day off today.”

“After today, the warship won’t linger in the East Sea but will return to the Grand Line through the Calm Belt.”

With a rare opportunity for rest, Yang Ming naturally won’t refuse.

It seems Garp is intentionally making it up to Yang Ming. The warship makes a sharp turn, heading in a particular direction.

In less than three hours, the outline of a structure appears on the horizon.

It’s a restaurant floating on the sea, the famous Baratie Sea Restaurant in the East Sea.

The warship docks smoothly by the side of the restaurant. Garp and Yang Ming step onto the extended deck of the restaurant.

Just at this moment, a young man with blonde hair is kicked out of the restaurant, tumbling at the restaurant’s entrance.

The blond young man gets up, dusts off his clothes casually, and simultaneously shouts into the restaurant:

“Old man, my cooking method is the right one. That’s the way to satisfy the guests!”

When Yang Ming passes by the blond young man, he has already recognized him as Sanji, pausing briefly.

Yang Ming turns his head to look at the blond young man; the curly hair around his eyes is quite distinctive, and his face still bears a disgruntled expression. He couldn’t help but say:

“From the moment you step into the kitchen, you bear the responsibility of cooking delicacies.”

“I believe this is the attitude a chef should have.”

Hearing this, Sanji’s expression briefly reveals surprise.

He originally thought that someone speaking such philosophical words should be an experienced and seasoned chef.

But when Sanji follows the sound, he finds that the person is a boy not much older than himself, causing his nose to wrinkle in annoyance.

“What qualifies you to lecture me?”