Benimaru was running with sweat dripping down him like a faucet. He was shirtless, just like most of the male recruits, his skin glistening under the afternoon sun. His mouth felt dry, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth, and his legs felt like they were going numb with each step he forced himself to take.
The training grounds track seemed endless, stretching out in front of him as his vision blurred slightly from exhaustion. His breathing was ragged, each inhale burning his throat and lungs.
"Alright, that's enough!" Instructor Voss's voice cut through the air. "All of you, rest for a bit. We'll end today's lesson with sparring."
Benimaru immediately stopped running, hunching over as he gasped for air. His hands went to his knees, trying to support his weight as his chest heaved violently. He could barely get oxygen into his lungs fast enough.
He stumbled over toward an open field of grass just off to the side of the track and dropped onto it without much care. The cool grass pressed against his back as he lay there, staring up at the sky, still gasping for air like a fish out of water.
"I feel you, man... I feel you," Marcus said, walking over and sitting down beside him. He was also out of breath, but not nearly as much as Benimaru was.
Then Troy came over too, gasping for air with his tongue hanging out like a dog. He dropped onto the grass directly beside Benimaru, placing his hand out to stop himself from completely face-planting as he tried to regain his breathing. "This sucks!... that bastard is killing me."
Reina and Kai also made their way over, both dropping into the grass and gasping for air. Reina lay flat on her back, one arm draped over her eyes, while Kai sat with his knees pulled up, his head hanging forward as he breathed heavily.
"I swear... he's trying to actually kill us," Reina said between breaths. "Like... literally."
Troy let out a weak laugh that turned into a cough. "Nah... he just wants us to suffer... death would be too merciful."
Marcus chuckled slightly, though even he looked more worn down than usual. "You guys are being dramatic. It's just cardio."
"Just cardio?" Troy lifted his head to glare at Marcus. "Bro, we've been running for like an hour straight. That's not cardio, that's torture."
"Hour and fifteen minutes," Kai said quietly.
Benimaru finally managed to get his breathing somewhat under control, though his chest still burned. He stared up at the sky, watching a few clouds drift by lazily while his body screamed at him to never move again.
"Yeah yeah..." Troy said, waving Kai off. "Why did I even join the Marines... I should've just become a doctor like my mom said." He leaned back into the grass, staring up at the sky.
Marcus raised a brow. "Yeah, why did you join the Marines?"
Troy raised a hand up, looking through his fingers as the clouds passed by overhead. "To live a comfortable life..." he said simply. "I mean, joining the Marines gets you money, right? So I'll climb through the ranks one day and make enough money that I'll live comfortably."
Marcus hummed, like he agreed with what Troy said, but a flicker of sadness crossed his face for a fraction of a second that Benimaru noticed before a smile widened on his face. "I guess we're the same..." he said truthfully.
However, there was obviously more to the story, but nobody was going to press further since Marcus didn't look like he was open to sharing his reasons.
Benimaru groaned as he sat up straight, grass clinging to his sweaty back. "You guys asked me why I joined the Marines... but didn't tell me what the rest of yours were." He looked around the group. If he was going to be here for a couple months with people who'd be his friends for the meantime, he might as well find out why the rest of them were here.
He turned to Kai. "Why did you join the Marines...?" out of everybody, he was especially curious about Kai, given he was the quietest out of the bunch.
Instantly Troy perked up, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Oh yeah! Out of everybody, I'm curious why you joined."
Everybody's gaze landed on Kai, as everyone waited for an answer.
Kai stayed quiet for a moment, seeming to search for the right words to answer the question. His expression was thoughtful, distant, like he was looking at something far beyond the grass and sky in front of them.
"I want to eradicate every problem in the world and create a peaceful world, where nobody has to suffer from the hands of pirates and live a normal life," he said finally.
The words hung in the air for a moment.
Troy blinked, his mouth opening slightly like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Marcus's eyebrows raised, his usual calm expression replaced with genuine surprise. Even Reina lifted her arm from her eyes to look at Kai properly.
Benimaru just stared at him. Out of all the answers he'd expected, that wasn't one of them. It was... idealistic. Almost naively so. The kind of goal that sounded impossible, especially in a world like this one where pirates were as much a part of life as the ocean itself.
But Kai's face was completely serious. There wasn't a hint of doubt or irony in his expression. He meant every word.
"That's... a pretty big goal," Marcus said carefully, breaking the silence.
Kai nodded once. "I know."
Benimaru felt a little sad for Kai in that moment, since he knew Kai wouldn't achieve his goal. Because Kai was nowhere mentioned in the manga, and he'd probably never get strong enough to achieve something that ambitious. Or he'd die trying, like so many others. It was either one of the two, honestly.
The world of One Piece didn't reward idealism. It rewarded strength, luck, and often just being in the right place at the right time. Kai had conviction, sure, but conviction alone wasn't enough when you were up against people who could level islands with a single attack.
"Man, compared to that, mine is a little selfish..." Reina said with a smile. "I want to prove that I'm just as capable as any man in the Marines. My old man always said women should stay home and be a good wife. So I joined to show him and everyone else who thinks like that...that they're wrong."
She stretched her arms above her head, still lying in the grass. "Plus, I want to make enough of a name for myself that no one can ignore me. And climb high enough that my abilities speak louder than anyone's outdated opinions."
Troy grinned. "Hell yeah. That's actually pretty badass."
"Right?" Reina said, her smile widening.
With everyone finishing their motivations for joining the Marines, Benimaru felt not only bad for Kai but everyone. Since most of them wouldn't achieve their goals, except for Troy and Marcus.
Troy's goal was probably the most realistic out of all of them. That was achievable if you kept your head down, did your job, and didn't get yourself killed. The Marines had a pretty clear structure for advancement, and as long as Troy didn't try to become an Admiral or something crazy, he'd probably be fine.
Marcus, though... Benimaru still didn't know what his full story was. There was clearly more going on beneath the surface, something Marcus wasn't ready to share. Whatever his real goal was, it was buried under that smile. Hard to say if he'd achieve it or not without knowing what it actually was.
But for Reina, it'd definitely be difficult but possible. Kai's goal, though? That was near impossible. Even Joyboy couldn't do what Kai wanted to accomplish.
But it also made him question his own goals. Even with his future knowledge, could he get to the level of power he wanted? Could he actually track down and kill the person who destroyed his village? Could he survive long enough in a world where people like Imu, Kaido, Big Mom, and Whitebeard existed?
His meta-knowledge gave him an advantage, sure. But knowledge didn't equal strength. Knowing that Luffy would become Pirate King didn't make Benimaru any stronger. Knowing about Advanced Conqueror's Haki didn't mean he could use it or that he even had Conqueror's Haki to begin with.
He was starting from zero. Worse than zero, actually, since he'd lost months to recovery from his injuries. And he was competing in a world where the top tiers had decades of fighting experience, monstrous genetics, broken Devil Fruits, or all three combined.
It was definitely a sobering thought.
Was his goal no different from Kai's?
"ALRIGHT YOU MAGGOTS! BREAK'S OVER! FIND A PARTNER AND SPAR!" Voss's voice cut through the air, bringing Benimaru out of his thoughts.
Immediately, everybody groaned, but they got up and did it anyway.
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Benimaru sat on a cushioned examination table in the medical barracks. Medical supplies were organized neatly on shelves along one wall and beds with thin mattresses lined the opposite wall, separated by curtains for privacy.
A female doctor stood in front of him, carefully unwrapping the bandages around his torso. She was pale-skinned with black hair tied back in a messy bun, a few loose strands falling around her face. She wore thin-framed glasses that she occasionally pushed up with one finger, and a white doctor's coat over her standard Marine uniform. She looked fairly young, probably in her early twenties, with a slim build and long fingers that moved with practiced efficiency as she worked.
Benimaru had to do this every two weeks to check if he was recovering properly, as suggested by Ryota's Marine doctors when they left.
The woman finished removing the bandages and examined his wound with an unreadable expression. Her eyes moved methodically across his body, taking in every detail without giving away what she was thinking.
"Well, it's definitely healing... but slow," she began to explain, her tone matter-of-fact. "The skin should've completely healed by now, but with your training, it's slowing down that process."
She then held out her hands, and Benimaru placed his in hers. She examined them briefly, turning them over to look at his palms and the backs of his hands, noting the calluses and minor abrasions from training. She then looked down at her clipboard, flipping up a few papers to reveal X-rays of Benimaru's hands held up against a light panel on the wall.
"Same goes for your hands," she continued, adjusting her glasses with a blank expression. "You'll need to stop training if you want to completely heal without any complications."
Benimaru knew stopping his training was completely out of the question right now, but he also knew recovering properly was important. He groaned and ruffled through his hair in frustration.
"Isn't there a medicine I can take or something to heal it faster?" Benimaru asked desperately, pulling for any strings of hope.
The doctor, her nameplate read "Dr. Haku", gave him an even blanker stare than before.
"Well, if there was such a thing, I would've recommended it to you already," she said flatly. "But there isn't...Don't worry though, it's not a big issue and you can still train. Just try and be more careful."
Immediately, Benimaru released a relieved sigh. "Thank you."
She nodded, then paused, her eyes lingering on his face. Specifically, the dark bags under his eyes.
"Have you been sleeping lately?" she asked. "You look real bad, kid."
Benimaru hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yeah... I've been having trouble sleeping properly with constant nightmares."
"Hmm... I guess you have a common case of insomnia," Haku deduced very quickly.
Benimaru hummed in acknowledgment. He knew he had it, but he didn't see it as an issue at the current moment, but more like a blessing in disguise, giving him more time to train. But still, having sleep was valuable and would boost his recovery. "So will I be fine?"
"No." Haku's expression remained neutral. "Insomnia is caused by a combination of factors including stress and anxiety, or trauma. Without proper rest, your body can't heal efficiently... your muscle recovery slows down, your immune system weakens, and your cognitive function deteriorates. Combined with the intense physical training you're doing, you're putting yourself at risk for serious burnout, injury, or even dying."
She paused, then continued. "But don't worry...We do have pills that'll help you sleep better at night."
She walked over to a metal cabinet mounted on the wall that was secured with a lock. Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out a small key and opened it. Inside were rows of pill bottles, all labeled with medical terminology. She scanned the labels methodically before selecting one and closing the cabinet.
She handed him the bottle.
"Thank you..." Benimaru said, looking down at the bottle in his hands before looking back up at her.
He was about to open his mouth to say something, but she already cut him off by raising a hand.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about your condition. Even though you can tell fairly easily just by looking at you, it's patient and doctor confidentiality, so I'll keep it a secret if that's what you're worried about." She took a seat in a nearby chair with a slight grunt, settling back and placing her hands in her pockets.
Benimaru sighed in relief. He preferred keeping this on the low and didn't want rumors spreading. "Thank you very much," he said sincerely.
He grabbed his shirt from where he'd left it on the examination table and put it on, since he didn't need his bandages anymore. With the pill bottle tucked into his pocket, he headed toward the door and left.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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