One Piece: A Guide for Ordinary Players

Seeing Robert's calm expression, Gurant seemed quite dissatisfied: "In the recruit camp, you have to abandon all your previous identities. No matter how high your rank is, what special unit you are in, or what relative you are to some big shot, you have to start from the most basic position here."

Robert continued to nod. This was good news for him. Vice Admiral Tsuru had said that many of the new recruits were transferred from the naval branches of the Four Seas to the Grand Line, and their ranks were definitely higher than his.

"There won't be any other navy personnel on board specifically taking care of everyone's daily life. We are sailors, navigators, cooks, cleaners. Everyone has to balance training and their regular duties. What are your special skills?"

Robert looked a little puzzled, not because he was dissatisfied with the situation, but because he felt that it would be difficult for the forty-odd people present to drive such a large ship.

"What? You're not satisfied? Or do you think that being in the navy is all about fighting and that you've never worked in any other position?"

Robert quickly shook his head: "No, I'm just curious how such a big warship can be operated by so few of us. I can cook and can be a chef."

Some of the navy officers started winking and teasing a blonde girl, saying, "Hibari, someone's trying to steal your job."

The blonde girl smiled shyly: "It's okay, I can compete for the lookout position. Besides, I'm finding the cook's job quite difficult."

The man named Gurant frowned and said in a skeptical tone, "Don't think that being a chef is a job you can slack off in. Remember what I just said, we must balance training and our regular jobs. If you don't complete your training tasks, you can't cook, and if you neglect cooking, no one will let you off the hook."

Robert checked the time: "So if I've taken on the role of chef, shouldn't I start preparing lunch now?"

Granter had a smug look on his face: "That's what I mean, but since you've already joined the training, you have to finish your morning training session before you can go."

Robert frowned and said, "It's not like you guys were standing at attention like that, is it? If it's a task that requires a lot of time to complete, I have no way of managing it. It shouldn't be my responsibility to delay cooking."

Seeing that Grand had given him a good beating, Zefa said, "Of course I won't ask you to do a task that you can't possibly complete. You can choose to chop two tons of firewood with your bare hands."

Without hesitation, Robert walked toward the neatly arranged pile of logs to the side. He wasn't angry at all about the almost harsh conditions; it's normal for a newcomer to be challenged when joining a group.

The more you procrastinate, the more you'll be looked down upon. It's better to seize the time and work hard to complete the task, which will earn you more favor and recognition from the veteran members.

Since his Devil Fruit powers are currently limited, he would have to rely on Haki to split a log with his bare hands.

The other naval personnel continued to stand on the deck and complete their own training programs, but most of their attention was focused on the newcomer, Robert.

Robert activated his Observation Haki first, clearly probing the texture inside the log. He then applied Armament Haki to his fingers and, with almost no effort, simply touched the cross-section of the log, causing it to crack into several pieces.

His relaxed and carefree demeanor surprised everyone. Those who could join the Zephyr Training Camp were all elite naval personnel, and everyone could tell that Robert had used Haki.

In the navy, anyone who can master both types of Haki can generally hold a commodore rank or higher.

Most of the Marines who come to the Zephyr Training Camp are young people who have already reached the threshold of a certain kind of domineering aura and are being trained as future main forces.

Many people can split a log with a single finger, but to do it so easily and with such precision requires an intimate understanding of the wood's internal structure.

Anyone with a modicum of knowledge could see that Robert was a master of both types of Haki.

The internal structure of each log is different. When Robert first started splitting the logs, he needed to split the larger pieces a couple more times. As he became more familiar with the process, he could divide a log into equal parts of uniform size with just one finger, making him extremely efficient.

The two tons of firewood were chopped up in less than half an hour. When Robert stood up to ask where the kitchen was, the others hadn't even finished their training.

Zefa didn't make things difficult for him and readily told him the way to the kitchen:

"Kid, I hope your cooking skills are as good as your abilities. Little Lark's cooking is just edible."

Robert exuded a powerful aura: "Don't worry, I'm more confident in my cooking skills than in my abilities. How many people are dining on our ship? Does anyone have any dietary restrictions or requirements?"

Zefa's serious face broke into a smile: "There are 65 naval personnel on the ship. We eat together regardless of rank and there are no taboos. Everyone has been training a lot these past two days, so let's try to prepare more meat dishes."

Robert gave a military salute and walked briskly toward the cabin.

Zephyr watched Robert disappear onto the deck, then turned to Sengoku and said, "Tsuru has discovered a promising talent this time. If his cooking skills are truly as good as he claims, we'll all be in for a treat these next few months."

Sengoku smiled broadly: "Yes, I heard that his original profession, which he used to conceal his gangster identity, was a chef. His cooking skills probably aren't too bad..."

"not good!"

Sengoku's expression suddenly changed drastically, and then he vanished from his spot in a flash. The speed at which he shaved his head left all the marines present in awe, marveling that he truly lived up to his reputation as a former Fleet Admiral.

Only Zefa looked surprised and quickly chased after them, leaving the ship full of new recruits looking at each other in bewilderment.

Robert, who had reached the kitchen doorway, was leading a small lamb he had found along the way:

"Hey there, let me show you around the grill area before you start!"

Chapter 5: If you need it, I can recite the cast list for The Godfather from memory.

No matter how fast the razor moved, it had to slow down and turn inside the cramped ship. By the time Sengoku arrived at the kitchen, Robert had already closed the oven door.

Sengoku's aura suddenly surged, and his body faintly glowed with golden light. He was about to transform into the form of a Buddha and kill Robert with his palm.

Zephyr quickly arrived and wrapped one arm around Sengoku from behind, saying, "Don't be impulsive!"

Robert looked at the two old men arguing at the door with a puzzled expression: "I've been complained about before because the guests only got upset after the food was served. Is the old marshal so short-tempered? I haven't even started cooking and he already knows it's not to his liking?"

Zefa exclaimed urgently, "The lamb you roasted was his pet!"

Robert pointed to the corner: "Are you talking about that one? I have the ingredients for roasting a whole cow in the oven."

Following the direction Robert was pointing, Sengoku saw his beloved lamb eating celery leaves in the corner.

Warring States period was filled with tears. He went forward and hugged his little lamb tightly, refusing to let go.

Robert skillfully handled the ingredients: "A clean and tidy little lamb is wandering around the rest area by itself. I wouldn't be stupid enough to mistake it for food, and besides, there's not enough meat for everyone."

Zephyr glared at Robert, then pulled his old friend, who was overjoyed at having regained what he had lost, away from the kitchen. Robert whistled and was in a great mood, cooking even faster.

When the new recruits on the deck finished their training and rushed into the mess hall with a critical eye, they were greeted with a dozen or so hot dishes, including nine meat dishes, eight vegetable dishes, and a whole roasted cow, golden brown inside and out.

The little red-haired Glenn's eyes practically popped out of their sockets: "You did all of this by yourself?"

Robert used a knife to slice the cooked outer layer of the roast beef into portions and place them on plates, allowing the charcoal fire underneath to continue grilling the tender meat inside.

"Are there other people here? I can't have just conjured all these things out of thin air, can I?"

In fact, Robert did use his food storage ability, but instead of taking things out, he put them in.

He sensed that future training missions would not be as simple as today, so he took advantage of the ample time to prepare a lot of sauces and ingredients, which he placed in the food storage space.

Although Robert had mastered the cooking skills of C-level cuisine, it was difficult to make the dishes very delicate when preparing a large pot of food to feed more than sixty people at the same time. In addition, Robert did not have any feelings for these people, so the food he made was at most D-level, and some did not even receive a system rating.

Even so, the naval recruits enjoyed the food immensely.

After stepping down as marshal, Sengoku completely let loose, even fighting with new recruits for food without any regard for his image.

Robert also saw the other people besides the recruits on the deck. These people had a calm and focused aura, and were clearly the elite of the elite. They were also obviously older than the recruits.

The blond, blue-eyed former chef, Lark, stepped forward to introduce Robert: "Those are our instructors, all of whom were Professor Zephyr's students. They were on a mission when you arrived."

Robert gave Hibari a grateful smile. He had noticed the young girl earlier. She was going to be a member of the Navy's Sharp Blade Squad and seemed to have a crush on Kobi. According to analysis, she was related to Akainu, and now she should have just joined the Navy.

A white-haired, long-faced navy officer approached and asked warily, "What are you two talking about?"

Robert was quick-witted and had been watching closely ever since Lark approached. He hadn't said a word to Lark before he came over.

"Oh, we were talking about 'simps'. I heard that the more someone follows a girl around like glue, the less likely they are to even hold her hand."

Several people around were either spitting out food or coughing violently; it was obvious they were eavesdropping.

But that long-faced guy didn't understand and kept asking what "licking dog" meant.

Robert wasn't interested in peacocks, let alone larks, and naturally didn't want to get involved in any romantic entanglements, so he picked up his plate and left the place of trouble.

Zefa waved from a distance, then turned and left the restaurant.

Robert walked over very sensibly, until he entered a cabin that resembled an office.

Sengoku seemed to still be holding a grudge against Robert for teasing him with his lamb, and sat on the sofa with a stern face, refusing to look at Robert.

Zephyr sat down in his seat and looked Robert up and down: "Who exactly are you?"

Robert looked at him strangely: "Is the Navy's work efficiency really this low? I've been with them for several days now, and they haven't even done a background check?"

Zefa wasn't angry: "We've seen your file, but I don't believe that a North Sea gang can't train someone like you. Or rather, if a gang could train a cleaner like you, they could go straight into a real fight with the Navy."

Robert shrugged: "Those bastards really couldn't have trained someone like me. Most of my abilities were learned on my own."

Zefa's tone was serious: "For example, Armament Haki? Observation Haki can be awakened through talent, but Armament Haki is different. It requires constant training to comprehend and strengthen, and you also need guidance from a master to learn some advanced usage methods."

Robert remained completely unfazed: "Isn't it normal for me to have a master?"

Zephyr's expression froze for a moment, as if what Robert said made sense. There were countless powerful figures on this sea, so it was perfectly normal for Robert to have a master who could teach him Haki.

"Can you tell me who your master is?"

Robert looked nostalgic: "He said he was a member of a legitimate gang family from the West Blue, and a cousin of the pirate godfather Marlon. Later, Marlon died on Beehive Island, and my master was also squeezed out of the power center by the family. He could only hide in the North Blue and start developing the gang from scratch. I am his last disciple."

Zhan Guo sneered, "It's a wonderful story, but I don't believe a word of it. I do know Ma Long, but I've never heard of any of his cousins ​​being any good enough to teach such a well-rounded disciple as you."

Robert curled his lip indifferently: "Seniors, you should understand one thing. It wasn't me who begged to join the Navy. It was the Navy that needed me in the Rocky Harbor incident. If you have any doubts about my identity, you can just kick me out."

Zefa leaned back in his chair without changing his posture and said casually, "That's not what I meant. I just feel that the current pace of the recruit camp isn't going to be very effective for you. So either you graduate and leave, or I'll increase the intensity of your training."

Robert squinted: "How much more?"

Zephyr met his gaze without backing down: "As strong as the one who trained Akainu and Aokiji back then!"

Robert smiled slightly, instantly thawing his tense demeanor: "We can give it a try. If they can hold out, I should be able to too."

Zhan Guo seemed a bit persistent: "You still haven't told us what your master's name is."

There are countless people in this world who use pseudonyms, aliases, or have their names registered incorrectly. Robert, who was initially very cautious about his identity, has now completely disregarded the World Government's household registration system.

Just make up any name and let the navy investigate. Even if they find out I've left the navy, they might not find anything useful.

"My master's name is—"

Marlon Brando!

Chapter 6 Creating Something from Nothing

Robert originally intended to coast through his time in recruit camp before rushing back to carry out his evil plans in the Navy, but he didn't expect Zephyr's training to be so interesting.

Since agreeing to follow the training standards of a Navy Admiral, Robert's eyes have been blindfolded and his ears have been fitted with noise-canceling headphones. Zephyr requires him to use only Observation Haki to perceive the outside world, and he cannot neglect his normal training tasks or cooking duties.

Robert is no longer a minor and doesn't feel that everything others do is deliberately making things difficult for him.

In medicine, there is a term called compensation, which refers to the body's spontaneous use of other healthy organs to make up for the damage caused by the dysfunction or structural damage of certain organs.

For example, blind people may have enhanced hearing and smell, and in the same dark environment, their balance may even be better than that of sighted people.

Now, sealing Robert's Devil Fruit ability and blindfolding and plugging his ears is equivalent to forcing Observation Haki to take on the task of perceiving the entire world.

Zefa didn't explain any relevant experience; he just made demands and completely adopted a laissez-faire teaching style.

For the first two weeks, Robert failed to complete his tasks every day, and the food he cooked was so bad that even he felt like vomiting.