Marine Headquarters, Marineford, Dormitory Area 3, Building C.
Nearly two hundred Fish-men, uniformly dressed in Marine sailor uniforms, stood in a neat square formation. Each of them was nearly two meters tall, robust, and had a resolute look in their eyes.
They gazed straight ahead, facing Jinbe and Aladine.
By now, these two had officially become a Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Commander and Major, respectively, serving as the commander and deputy commander of the Fish-man unit. Naturally, they wore the Justice Coats that symbolized their officer status.
It must be said that, combined with the seriousness on their faces, they truly exuded an imposing presence.
However, they were waiting for someone.
Soon, a Colonel walked over alone, smiling as he looked at Jinbe.
"I believe you received the Fleet Admiral's notice yesterday. Today, I, Harrington, will take you around to familiarize yourselves with the island's environment, as well as the training content and general tasks you'll need to undertake in the future."
"Yes, we appreciate your guidance!" Jinbe responded loudly without a hint of a smile. Having originally come from the Neptune Army, they had no trouble adapting to this, which greatly pleased Colonel Harrington.
Despite his warm smile, Harrington was very particular about the hierarchy and rules of respect.
Before coming, he had thought that if these Fish-men acted arrogantly, relying on their so-called tenfold strength, he might have to step in to assert authority. But now, it seemed completely unnecessary—these Fish-men were quite well-behaved.
"Alright, follow me," Colonel Harrington said casually, walking ahead with his hands behind his back. Jinbe and Aladine followed a step behind, with the nearly two hundred Fish-man Marines marching in formation behind them. The grand procession exited the gates of Dormitory Area 3, immediately catching the attention of passing Marines of all ranks.
However, those who had seen them yesterday merely glanced and went about their business, as there were no beautiful Mermaids among them to catch their eye.
As for those seeing them for the first time, those in a hurry would at most glance a few times while walking, while only those with free time would stop to watch.
So many Fish-men, all dressed in Marine uniforms, was indeed a rare and spectacular sight. Where else could one see such a large gathering of Fish-men? "Walk straight along this road for about three hundred meters, then turn left, and you'll see the mess hall. From the mess hall's entrance, head right, and you'll find the Headquarters hospital."
Colonel Harrington, aged 34, walked while introducing the surroundings to the two behind him, completely unfazed by the Marines' stares.
"You haven't eaten yet, right? I'll take you to breakfast first. The mess hall has no time restrictions—you can go whenever you want. There are always chefs available, and you can eat as much as you want, free of charge. However, wasting too much food will result in punishment."
"Do we Fish-men receive any special treatment, such as having a designated area for us in the mess hall?" Jinbe hesitated but eventually asked.
"Special treatment?"
Colonel Harrington gave him a puzzled look and countered, "Are you Fish-men that special? Why should the mess hall clear out a special area just for you?"
"Ah, this..." Jinbe opened his mouth, unsure how to respond, only to see Colonel Harrington smile and say, "Relax, there aren't that many troubles here in Marineford. Our Navy isn't just made up of Fish-men; even the Giant Tribe can freely come and go from the mess hall."
"If you ever encounter someone who discriminates against you because of your race, just curse them back. If they start a fight, don't hesitate—hit them first. The MPs will handle it later, and they'll figure out who's right and who's wrong."
Hearing this, Aladine asked, "What if the MPs are biased?"
"Look around at the Den Den Mushi. Besides, it's not just the MP department that's in charge here. They can't cover everything up. If an MP is found to have issues, they'll be directly taken to Enies Lobby for trial. The consequences are much more severe than a simple fight." Colonel Harrington shook his head and laughed.
"By the way, let me tell you about the general situation of your Fish-man unit."
"Simply put, during normal times, your Fish-man sailors will participate in daily training alongside human sailors. It's not too difficult—just 200 laps on a 500-meter standard track, 2,000 standard push-ups. If they're not done properly, the officers nearby will ask for two more. Then there's climbing a 100-meter-high rope 100 times back and forth. Finally, there's combat training—whether bare-handed or with wooden swords, you fight until the opponent is completely knocked out. The winner can rest, while the loser will be revived and then fight again. Regardless of the outcome, the training ends there."
After saying this, Colonel Harrington chuckled, "Of course, if you Fish-men feel this isn't enough, as long as there are no missions, you're free to add more training. No one will stop you."
"This is daily training?" Major Aladine exclaimed, his eyes wide. Behind him, dozens of Fish-man sailors who were closer also widened their eyes, feeling a sudden sense of foreboding.
Their training intensity in the Neptune Army was much lower than this.
Colonel Harrington nodded with his hands behind his back.
"Yes, daily training. Unless there's some special circumstance, this is the unshakable routine. Unless you get promoted to an officer, then it's up to you."
"Daily training usually ends before 9 a.m. After that, if there are no missions, it's considered free time. As for your Fish-man unit's tasks, they're not complicated. If a dispatched warship needs Fish-man support, you'll need to send a squad to board the ship and follow the team. Or if there's a combat plan that requires Fish-man cooperation."
"I feel that once most officers experience the benefits of Fish-man sailors, you'll be kept busy. Even one day, the G-series branches outside might request to transfer Fish-man sailors over."
This colonel had already learned about the Fish-man tribe's powerful abilities in the sea—fast swimming, great strength, the ability to breathe underwater, and even communicate with fish.
For the Navy, this was simply the best ally!
"Take me, for example. In a few days, I'll also be going on a mission, and I'll definitely take a team of Fish-man sailors. When the time comes, you two better pick the best!"
After listening to such a long speech, Jinbe felt much more relaxed and happy, finally showing a smile on his face. "Don't worry, we'll definitely send our elites."
At the same time, the group arrived at the Marine Headquarters cafeteria. Jinbe, Aladine, and the other Fish-men were immediately struck by its sheer size, spaciousness, and liveliness.
It was currently breakfast time, and the cafeteria was at its peak activity. A dense flow of Marines of various ranks moved in and out, while the aroma of delicious food permeated every corner of the air.
What was most astonishing was the sight of several Vice Admirals from the Giant Tribe casually walking out, patting their slightly bulging bellies as they strolled around.
This alone gave a sense of just how massive the cafeteria was!
Inside, one could see round tables of various sizes, including enormous ones over ten meters wide, piled high with mountains of food.
Strong and robust waiters carried trays several meters wide, moving about with remarkable agility. When the crowd blocked their path, some even used Moonwalk to leap into the air and walk over people's heads.
The surrounding Marines, however, paid no mind to this.
"So this is the Marine Headquarters…" Jinbe murmured to himself. Though it was just a cafeteria, it was a small glimpse into the immense power and scale of the organization.
"Colonel Harrington, I'd like to learn human swordsmanship. Would that be possible?" Aladine, having snapped out of his daze, seized the opportunity to ask.
"Swordsmanship, huh? There's daily training for that, including practical sparring. As long as you're holding a wooden sword, there are officers skilled in swordsmanship who can give you pointers. But you're already a Major, so you don't have to participate in the training," Colonel Harrington replied, his mind already wandering to what he would eat later.
"I can't participate?"
"Well, you can, as long as you don't feel embarrassed training with a bunch of Marines. Actually, I'd recommend getting to know a Swordmaster officer and asking them to spare some time to teach you privately. Do you know anyone like that?"
Aladine sighed helplessly. "The only person I know is Vice Admiral Aokiji…"