Chapter 13: A New Source for the Bait of Victory! The Birth of the "Little Glutton"

Chapter 13: A New Source for Victory Bait! The Birth of the "Little Glutton" (Please bookmark and recommend!)

In the spacious and bright cafeteria of the warship, Cui Ze devoured a meal meant for ten people in one go, as if a storm were sweeping through the clouds!

It should be noted that this was high-calorie, high-protein food specially prepared by the ship’s cooks for the elite marines, and many of the ingredients were sourced from powerful Sea Kings. Typically, an ordinary marine would be completely full—perhaps even bloated—after eating just one serving.

Yet, Cui Ze remained unsatisfied. His lower abdomen was like a bottomless abyss, accepting everything sent to his stomach without the slightest hint of bulging. Cui Ze suspected this was a "side effect" of his new talent, [Wild Physique], though he had no proof. However, as he consumed more and more food, he could feel his physical state constantly optimizing; his body, which had been somewhat weak, was becoming increasingly powerful.

Hmm... absolutely delicious!

Watching the mirror-smooth white plates on the table stack higher and higher, Hina, sitting across from him, couldn't help but swallow hard. The fragrant, exquisite food combined with the wild yet elegant, handsome man—two sources of happiness overlapping, bringing her even more joy.

But why, why was Hina... so hungry?!

As Hina frantically gulped down her saliva, Cui Ze had already finished a full twenty servings. His pace finally slowed, giving him time to speak with the beautiful marine.

"My apologies, Miss Hina. I seem to have been a bit impolite."

"Just call me Hina."

Watching Cui Ze’s hearty way of eating, Hina subconsciously swallowed again, but she took the initiative to perk herself up. "You were severely injured and just woke up; it’s probably better not to eat so much at once."

"It’s fine, I can feel my physical state—slurp—it’s excellent!" As he spoke, Cui Ze easily finished another serving.

"Gulp~" Hina reached out a small hand to cover her mouth, masking her embarrassment while wiping away imaginary drool from the corner of her lips.

"Let me explain the general rules of the training camp to you first."

"I am truly grateful!" Cui Ze managed to interject between bites.

Hina didn't dwell on trivial details, getting straight to the core information. The two most critical rules in the elite training camp were "Assessment Battles" and "Merit Rewards."

The training camp cultivated the most elite new blood within the Navy. It is no exaggeration to say that every member who graduates from an elite training camp can immediately become a field-grade officer at a branch in the Four Seas! Even at a Grand Line G-branch, they could start as a commissioned officer.

Therefore, the "Assessment Battles" in the training camp covered a wide range of subjects, essentially aiming to create "reserve officers." There were minor exams every week and major exams every month. The content spanned "Hand-to-Hand Combat," "Swordplay," "Marksmanship," "Navigation," "Internal Affairs Training," "Desert Island Survival," "Simulated Naval Warfare," and more.

Of course, this did not mean every member had to be tested on everything. Except for the most basic "Navigation," the other courses were essentially "electives." This situation relieved Cui Ze, a "fake native" with no foundation, quite a bit. Not knowing how to fight, lacking sword skills, and never having touched a gun didn't matter! As for navigation, that was just reading and taking tests—how could a high-achieving youth of the new era like Cui Ze be afraid of that?

"Merit Rewards" were the other pillar supporting the training camp. During the course of the camp, naval warships patrolling the Grand Line would, based on intelligence from Headquarters or branch bases, specifically select targets for the recruits to "resolve." These "targets" were mostly pirates causing chaos, and in rare cases, situations like the Zombie Island, where ordinary branches were powerless to intervene. The difficulty level generally would not exceed what an elite recruit could handle.

In the process of resolving these targets, the marines would continuously earn merit. Merit was primarily used for rank assignments after the training camp ended. But there was another very important function: "Merit Redemptions"! Benefits, money, firearms, famous swords—everything was within the scope of what could be exchanged for merit! Naturally, this included the high-level secret techniques of the World Government and Navy Headquarters—the Six Powers!

Cui Ze was particularly interested in the latter. The Six Powers were unique maritime martial arts techniques: Shave, Iron Body, Paper Art, Moon Walk, Tempest Kick, and Finger Pistol. The technique Cui Ze cared about most was none other than the legendary [Iron Body], said to be impenetrable! Don't be fooled by the fact that in the original story, this "god-tier" defensive technique didn't seem to block anyone... it was highly likely related to the [Haki] attribute that Cui Ze had yet to unlock! Armament Haki!

Cui Ze filed this information away. He had just joined the training camp and had zero merit, so he couldn't exchange for any of the Six Powers yet. He would have to plan for it later.

After explaining the two key points, Hina mentioned a "hidden rule."

"According to Instructor Zephyr's requirements, every member of the training camp, in addition to daily training tasks, must also take on chores on the warship."

Cui Ze asked, "What specifically does that entail?"

"Cleaning the cabins, washing clothes, scrubbing the deck, maintaining weapons..." Hina counted them off on her fingers. "There are plenty of things to do! Sometimes even Hina finds these endless chores troublesome."

Cui Ze suddenly felt a bit nervous; he pursed his lips. "Hina, does kitchen work count as a 'chore'?"

"Kitchen work?" Hina blinked, seemingly misunderstanding something. "You wouldn't be planning to sneak food while working in the kitchen, would you?"

"Of course not!" Cui Ze’s face darkened. "It’s just that I’ve recently developed a strange illness where I feel terrible if I don't kill sea beasts."

"There’s no such thing as a strange illness like that!" Hina rolled her eyes, giving him a look of disdain. "But yes, kitchen work is indeed included in the chores, and they do need people!"

"That’s good..." Cui Ze let out a sigh of relief.

In truth, the real name of his "strange illness" was the "I'll feel terrible if I don't get Victory Bait" disease. Joining the Navy training camp, Cui Ze had been worried about how to continue harvesting "Victory Bait." After all, the freedom in the camp couldn't compare to the zombie island, and there weren't as many people on the ship for him to harvest bait from. He hadn't expected the opportunity to come knocking on his door!

"Cui Ze, are you really not thinking about working in the cafeteria just to sneak food?" Hina was still a bit worried.

"Really not!" Cui Ze said helplessly. "How about when I go to work in the cafeteria, you come along with me?"

Hina nodded immediately. "No problem! Hina will keep a close eye on you, you glutton!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a few lines of text flashed in the corner of Cui Ze's vision.

[You have obtained the F-grade information entry: "Little Glutton"!]

[F-grade entry: Little Glutton]

[Entry effect: Gain +1 F-grade bonus to your Durability attribute.]

"..."

Cui Ze was speechless. I just ate... well... twenty-something servings of food, didn't I?! Did you really have to give me a "Little Glutton" evaluation? Life is hard; a handsome guy sighs.