Chapter 59: Entry Assessment

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

At the lowest level of the vast fortress, the marines recruits’ training was held. The area was extremely spacious, with a height of more than ten meters, with the capacity to accommodate hundreds of recruits to practice there.

Although Ron had a special recommendation from Garp, except special cases of world government conscription and promotion, anyone who joined the marines had to enter the newcomer camp. After passing the entry assessment, they could formally become a marine.

The marine HQ was particularly strict here. Even the three admirals Akainu, Kizaru and Aokiji, which had a great strength when they first joined, but they still had to pass the newcomer camp entry assessment.

“Is this his limit?”

“It’s too weak…”

In the spacious training hall, many marines were looking at someone, supposed to be a special recruit. It was Ron, who was undergoing his initial assessment. They were laughing in secret and making jokes about him.

After all, Ron’s performance in the camp was a bit poor.

Whether it was weightlifting, running, or other physical tests, he barely managed to reach the minimum required. It was mediocre results for the man who was supposed to be the strongest pirate hunter in the East Blue.

Some marine recruits said with a chuckle: “He is from East Blue, after all, the weakest one of the four seas. Of course, it cannot be compared with the Grand Line.’’

Under the attention of everyone, Ron was holding an iron weight marked 300KG, lifting it up with all his strength, he barely managed to lift it slightly, and then let go.

The weight hit the ground.

“I said, don’t hit the ground with the weights! Baka mon (you foul)! The resulted potholes will affect the training!”

Another marine recruit stood by and watched this scene, making complaints about the ruckus as he stepping forward, picked up the 300KG iron weight casually, as if he was carrying a bag of cotton, and grinned in arrogance after putting it down easily, then walked aside.

A lieutenant commander in charge of rating the recruits’ performances, shook his head and wrote the scores down.

Ron didn’t pay attention to the nearby recruits mocking him, but looked at the 300kg iron weight thoughtfully.

With his physical strength, of course, it was impossible for him to pick up such a heavy thing.

For Ron, this test was an excellent opportunity to test the additional power that his mental power could provide. Finishing the test, he roughly could judge the impact of his mental power on his physical strength… In short, except for flying, it had no other effect. He still had to rely on the runes and magic to have enough power.

Perhaps reaching 100 points of spiritual attributes, once again, Ron would be able to achieve something new without relying on runes.

At that time, his spiritual attribute was 96 points.

It took six days from the time he got on Garp’s warship to reach the marine HQ. However, Ron did not rush to improve his mental strength during this trip. Instead, he tried to get hold of the earth system runes and other magic.

Because of his level at that time, he was able to easily understand the rules of the derivative runes. It was almost a trivial task for him to explore them and delve into second-level magic.

In less than half a day, he mastered the eight derivative runes of the earth system, and in the next few days, he successfully performed two second-level earth magics… Heavy Load and Rock Spikes.

The Rock spikes technique, as the name implies, Ron could manipulate the ground to make it bulge with sharp rock spikes, while the Heavy Load technique could make the enemy or any object suddenly become heavy.

Both magics were a great asset to Ron.

The Rock Spikes could be used either for direct attack or to block the enemy way, making it easier to target the opponent, as for the Heavy Load, reducing the flexibility of the enemy, was a critical ability that Ron needed the most!

Although his mental strength didn’t exceed the 100-point level yet,
But with the addition of these two abilities, Ron felt that he could win against a rear admiral, which uses the Moonwalk and Haki!

[where can I find a rear admiral…to practice with…]

Ron was looking around. He was eager to find an HQ rear admiral to practice with. On the one hand, he wanted to test his strength. On the other hand, he wanted to vent his dissatisfaction, after the rude comments and the mockery during the “physical test”.

Judging a magician based on his physical strength was like judging a fish based on her capability to fly…!

Ron was very upset.

In particular, he was despised by a group of cocky recruits. The proud magician couldn’t accept such mockery from suck weaklings!

“Last exercise, 3 points.”

“Ten physical tests, 27 points in total.”

The lieutenant commander responsible for the entrance assessment, after rating the last exercise, he added up the previous results and reported the final result.

He looked at Ron, but he did not show any expressions of ridicule, but nodded: “Don’t be disturbed by those recruits, it’s okay to get this score in the camp assessment, it is not the worst. If you work hard, you will be able to catch up sooner than you think.”

“…”

Ron didn’t want to talk.

He was standing there in silence, but deep down, he felt like a berserker ready to start a war! He was too eager to find an opponent to make those b shut up!

“Well, you called Ron, right?”

A recruit approached and smiled at him: “Don’t be discouraged. When I first came here, my grades were worse than yours. Now, except for two people from the third team, I can dominate the others. Don’t be scared by the veterans. They always bully the newcomers who just entered the camp. Some people dropped before the final exam, well, it was too much for them.”

Ron: “…”

He thought it was a provocation, and he had already brewed his mental strength and was prepared to put down his opponent directly.

Veterans?!

What about provocative people?!

Ron lost it…He was depressed with no way out.

At that time, the instructors of the new camp came over.

“What is the newcomer’s assessment score?”

Instructor Gumir asked Shen, who was in charge of the assessment.

The lieutenant commander saluted and responded: “A total of 27 points for the ten exercises.”

“27 points?”

Gumir stunned slightly [Is the East Blue this weak?].

A few moments after, he shook his head again and said: ” If he has 27 points…put him in the 10th team! All recruits, line up!”