The Marine issues military pay every month.
Therefore, the Marine Base must have a large amount of Berries stored in its treasure vault.
As long as Kaguya is careful and doesn’t take too much each time, he will definitely not be discovered.
However, before stealing the treasure, he needed to first understand the situation within the Marine Base.
“Gulp~”
Just as Kaguya was about to scout the perimeter of the Marine Base, his stomach protested.
“Uh…
I should go fill my stomach first.”
The aroma of roasted meat drifted from the street corner, and Kaguya followed the scent to a small restaurant.
Pushing the door open, he saw that most of the patrons were dockworkers and vendors, creating a noisy but lively atmosphere.
He found a corner seat, ordered two large meat legs, a plate of seafood fried rice, and a glass of orange juice.
All of this cost Kaguya two thousand Berries.
While waiting for his food, Kaguya perked up his ears, trying to catch useful information from the surrounding conversations.
Restaurants and taverns like this are good places to gather information.
“Did you hear?
The Marine is recruiting again.”
“Recruiting again?
Didn’t they just recruit a few months ago?”
“I heard they encountered the Buggy Pirates some time ago and suffered heavy casualties.”
“Is that the red-nosed clown’s Pirate Crew?”
“That’s right, it’s that Pirate Crew.
I heard their Captain is a Devil Fruit user.”
“The Marine’s casualty rate is so high now, will anyone really sign up?”
“Of course.
I heard that to attract more people to join the Marine, their monthly salary has doubled.
New recruits can now receive a salary of 20,000 Berries per month.”
“Twenty thousand?
That’s not much.”
“That’s a new recruit’s salary.
What can a new recruit do?
Every day, besides training, they just patrol the island.
There’s no danger, and food and lodging are provided.
This money is practically free.”
“Hearing you say that, I almost want to sign up too.”
Soon, Kaguya’s order arrived.
He ate while listening to the conversations of the diners in the restaurant.
After eating, Kaguya had an idea.
“Perhaps, I can infiltrate the Marine Base by signing up.”
Kaguya walked out of the restaurant, the afterglow of the setting sun casting a golden sheen over the streets of Shells Town. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
He decided to go to the Marine recruitment office first to check out the situation.
The recruitment office was set up in a plaza on the outskirts of the Marine branch, where several Marine soldiers were lazily sitting behind tables.
There weren’t many applicants, only a few scattered young people filling out forms.
“Name?
Age?”
A Mustached Officer asked without lifting his head.
“Locke, 17 years old.”
Kaguya deliberately lowered his voice to answer.
“Why do you want to join the Marine?”
“For justice.”
Kaguya said this standard answer without changing his expression.
The Mustached Officer finally looked up and sized Kaguya up and down.
“Good physique.
Report tomorrow morning at six for the physical fitness test.”
Kaguya took the temporary identification tag and nodded.
Back at the inn, Kaguya meticulously planned his course of action.
He needed to perform well enough in the physical test to be accepted, but not so outstanding as to attract attention.
More importantly, he had to quickly find the location of the treasure vault.
In the dead of night, Kaguya quietly slipped out of the inn, using the cover of darkness to reach the perimeter of the Marine Base.
Based on his daytime observations, he easily scaled the wall and evaded the patrolling sentries.
Kaguya used the Moonlight to get a general look at the Marine Base’s situation.
Mainly to see if there were any escape routes.
If he was exposed while stealing the military pay, he could still escape.
The 153rd Branch wasn’t large, and there were soldiers standing guard in front of several buildings.
Clearly, these were important places.
Kaguya secretly noted the locations, and just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.
“Who’s there?”
A deep voice demanded.
Kaguya held his breath and quickly hid in the shadows.
A figure cloaked in a Marine overcoat slowly approached.
In the Moonlight, Morgan’s fierce face was clearly visible.
He seemed to be inspecting something, and the double-bladed axe at his waist gleamed coldly under the Moonlight.
“Strange, I clearly heard something…”
Morgan mumbled, circled the area once more, and then left.
Kaguya breathed a sigh of relief only after the footsteps completely disappeared.
“This is no place to linger.”
Kaguya quickly climbed over the fence and returned to the inn.
The old woman had already gone to rest, but perhaps considering guests who liked to go out to taverns at night, the inn’s main door was not closed.
The next morning at six, Kaguya arrived at the Marine Base training ground on time.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and more than twenty applicants were already lined up.
Kaguya subtly blended into the team, his gaze scanning the surrounding building layout.
“Attention, everyone!”
A muscular Instructor blew his whistle.
“First test, five-kilometer weighted run!
The last ten will be eliminated directly!”
Kaguya put on a twenty-kilogram sandbag, deliberately staying in the middle of the pack.
As he ran past the east side of the base, he noticed two armed guards standing in front of a two-story building marked “Logistics Department,” which was very likely where the military pay was stored.
“Second item, combat sparring!”
The Instructor’s voice interrupted Kaguya’s observation.
Kaguya was assigned to fight a short-haired strong man; he deliberately entangled him for three minutes before taking him down, both showcasing his strength and not revealing his true level.
After the two tests, Kaguya was officially accepted.
Because of the urgent need for new blood, the Marine didn’t even conduct a background check.
Kaguya, an unregistered person, successfully infiltrated the Marine Base.
Over the next week, Kaguya figured out the Marine’s night patrol routine and shift change times.
At the same time, he also confirmed the location where the military pay was stored.
Because Kaguya happened to arrive on the day military pay was distributed.
Although he didn’t receive any military pay.
He clearly saw which building the military pay was brought out from.
Next, he needed to figure out how to deal with the two guards at the entrance.
This day, after half a month of infiltrating the Marine, Kaguya finally got a day off.
He refused his dorm-mates’ invitation to drink, put on a mask, and went alone to the town’s Pharmacy.
“Boss, do you have any medicine that would make people fall asleep if they smell it?”
Kaguya asked in a rough voice.
The Pharmacy Owner looked Kaguya up and down, then shook his head sternly.
“That kind of medicine is prohibited from sale.”
Kaguya pulled out the flintlock pistol he had confiscated from the Scar-faced Man, then took out the last of his Berries.
“That’s not the answer I want to hear.”
The Owner looked at the flintlock pistol, his face turning pale with alarm, and quickly said, “Yes, yes, I’ll get it for you right away.”
Then the Owner turned around and took out a small bottle from a secret compartment.
“When you use this, pour out a little and sprinkle it on the target.
As soon as the target inhales it, they will immediately fall asleep.
The duration of sleep depends on how much is inhaled.”
“That powerful?”
Kaguya poured out a little and, before the Owner could react, sprinkled it on him.
Looking at the Owner who had fallen asleep instantly, Kaguya nodded with satisfaction.
He tucked the medicine bottle into his pocket and turned to leave the Pharmacy.
As for the cost of the medicine, Kaguya certainly didn’t pay.
He couldn’t let the Owner make a mistake, after all.