Chapter 261

Meanwhile, inside the makeshift dining tent.

Issho entered to get his food, doing nothing out of the ordinary. Like the recruited refugees around him, he held his tray obediently and waited in line. His earlier claim wasn’t entirely true, he had actually eaten a decent meal that morning. But part of it was true enough. He was hungry now, and he had genuinely gambled away his travel expenses at a roadside tavern.

Why had he come here? Initially, he headed for the Marine HQ drafting point to formally sign up. On the way, he heard someone loudly discussing the strange actions of the East Blue Marines and followed the rumor out of curiosity.

Issho held his food tray quietly, yet his closed eyes swept over the surroundings as if his blind gaze could truly see every detail. Recruiting refugees, providing hot meals... seeing children wasn’t surprising, as Marine HQ often recruited talented orphans. But that man over fifty with graying hair, who trembled while walking? Him too? That was strange. Maybe after these older folks ate their fill, their bodies would strengthen and they could walk properly, but that still didn’t meet standard conscription requirements anywhere in the world.

Issho had heard whispers of this so-called East Blue Marine faction, though he wasn’t deeply familiar with their politics. He only knew that after a mutiny in a strong East Blue branch, they declared themselves independent of the World Government.

Before long, it was Issho’s turn.

Noticing the towering blind man, the cook handling the ladle froze for a second. Since the guards had let the man in, he didn’t question it further. "What do you want?"

"I... have quite the appetite."

"Hahaha, coming here, do you think we’d let you starve?" The cook laughed loudly with booming voice. "Eat as much as you want! Get more if it’s not enough! Just don’t waste it!"

With the new crop varieties supplied by their territory, they no longer lacked food, but wasting it remained strictly forbidden.

"In that case, I won’t hold back." Issho smiled, "This! This! And this! Also, could I get a bigger bowl for the rice?"

"Of course! One moment!"

In no time, the cook brought out a wooden bowl the size of a small washbasin. Issho fell silent, he hadn’t expected the man to actually swap it for something so massive. The cook didn’t mind, scooping a brimming mountain of rice and piling the food tray high with meats and vegetables before looking back at Issho.

"Is that enough? Get more if it’s not!"

"...Enough, that is more than enough."

"That’s not much at all." The cook looked oddly disappointed. "I thought you’d break the record!"

"Break the record?"

"Never mind! I just saw on the network that a Straw Hat kid ate a whole tub of rice in one meal and still wasn’t full. Hearing you, I thought I’d run into a real glutton today."

’Network? Straw Hat?’ Issho was confused. He didn’t understand what the man was talking about. Seeing the cook return to serving the next person, Issho didn’t ask further. Carrying his heavily laden food tray and oversized bowl, he found an empty seat inside the tent and sat down.

Looking around, he "saw" people eating with tears streaming down their faces, children, teenagers, elderly couples, entire displaced families. His heart trembled slightly at the raw emotion radiating from them. He sighed in resignation.

"I hope it is not what I suspect."

The moment the words left his lips, a puzzled voice came from directly across the wooden table.

"Suspect what?"

Issho stared silently at the man who had suddenly appeared before him. He hadn’t expected the recruiter to follow him right now. Before confusion could spark a question, the man frowned and demanded, "Just as I thought... you’re no ordinary ronin. Were you sent by Marine HQ? Or the World Government?"

"Why could I not be sent by the pirates?"

"You don’t look like one. You don’t have the aura."

"My gratitude to you, sir." A faint smile touched Issho’s lips. "Rest assured, I am currently neither a member of Marine HQ nor the World Government. I speak truthfully, I am truly here to interview for the Marines."

"Is that so? I’m guessing the Marines you’re joining aren’t our East Blue Marines." The man dismissed Issho’s clarification and sat directly across from him. "Speak. What’s your purpose in coming here?"

"I have heard that the East Blue Marines are a rebel faction of Marine HQ."

"What rebel faction? Watch your mouth!" The man’s eyes narrowed in clear displeasure. He pulled an armored Den Den Mushi from his pocket and set it on the table. "We are Marines recognized by the Fleet Admiral himself. We are no rebel faction."

A projection screen flickered to life on the device. A familiar figure immediately appeared: wearing a seagull hat, with a long braided goatee hanging from his chin. It was none other than the current Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Sengoku the Buddha.

Sengoku sternly spoke on the screen. "I can acknowledge the East Blue Marines..."

Before the recording could finish its sentence, the recruiter shut the feed off with a sharp click.

"You see, don’t you?" The man stared sternly at Issho. "We are no rebel faction. We are the East Blue Marines, and even Marine HQ has acknowledged our legitimacy."

"..."

That carefully cut projection, those specific words out of context... They silenced Issho completely. He felt the guy was full of bullshit, but he chose to say nothing more. The recruiter didn’t let him off the hook, maintaining his stern expression as he asked, "You can speak now. What is your real purpose in coming here?"

"I have no particular purpose. I merely heard your faction had some peculiar recruitment requirements, so I came specifically to take a look." Issho kept his expression flat. "Of course, if I discover any filthy deeds here, do not blame me for being impoliteness."

"What filthy deeds?" The man frowned. Following Issho’s blind gaze toward the refugees, he looked over at the frail girls and older women. Seeming to realize something, he laughed in spite of himself. "Relax, we aren’t running a slave ship, and we have no intentions of exploiting them."

"Then why..."

"Wondering why we’d recruit these frail, useless people, right?" The man cut Issho off before he could finish. "After all, we are recruiting soldiers, and these people don’t seem to meet the physical requirements for combat."

While Marine HQ also took in some frail individuals, the numbers were small, and the vast majority were youths with potential. The East Blue Marines? They recruited anyone. As long as they were passable, even if they were missing an arm or a leg, if they were willing to work, they took them in.

"Because we are not just recruiting soldiers, we are also hiring civilian workers." The man looked at the group, a gentler edge to his tone. "They have all signed contracts. Those who pass the physicals will be sent for combat training, and those who don’t will still be assigned logistics or construction work. The wages will be lower, but it’s an honest living." He spread his hands. "We need people willing to work, and the higher-ups demand recruits from every location. Even if our quota isn’t huge, it’s certainly not the dark scheme you think it is."

"Is that so? It seems I misunderstood. However, I still have concerns. Could you take me to East Blue so I can see for myself?"

"Suit yourself. Go if you want."

The recruiter waved a hand, making no move to refuse, yet frowned deeply. "So, was everything you just said at the entrance a lie?"

"I apologize, there were circumstances."

"Did you lose your travel expenses gambling or not?"

"I did lose my travel expenses gambling."

"Then what are you apologizing for?"

"I had breakfast this morning. I haven’t gone three days without food."

’That’s it?’

The recruiter stared in silence at Issho, who had already finished off a massive plate of food and a huge basin of rice. He actually believed that part. His mouth twitched, but he said nothing more about it. He stood up abruptly.

"In that case, once you’ve eaten your fill, get ready. It’s time for us to head back."

"So soon? I heard many nearby villages still lack food."

"We’re mostly done. We can’t take any more people on the ships anyway." The recruiter sighed. "Besides..." His voice hardened. "If we stay too long, the official Marines will probably come to chase us off."

Although they were recruiting at their own designated stations, this wasn’t the East Blue. A few days of recruiting were sufficient. If they grew too blatant, even with a fake promise from the Fleet Admiral, Marine HQ would still make a move on them.

Saying that, he waved a hand, offered no further words, and walked outside the tent.

Issho watched the man’s retreating back in silence. Only after the recruiter walked out did he sigh in resignation, touch his shikomizue, and murmur to himself, "East Blue Marines..."

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