Sword

Chapter 28

**PSA: From here on out, we're using One Piece physics (even though we kind of already have been). Just use your imagination lol 

It was a sunny day in the Grand Line. The seas were calm, and the sky was clear. Zoro couldn't understand why everyone made such a big deal out of navigation in the Grand Line. Sure, Nami seemed good enough at her job, but how hard could it be, really? Especially when the weather was this nice.

The entire crew was in the dining area having breakfast, along with their new companions, Vivi and her large pet duck Karoo. Zoro was sipping on some tea, quietly pondering whether Nami would allow him to repay is debts by helping with navigation in place of money when there was a sudden, excited shout from the captain.

"Ah! Zoro, look at this!"

"Eh?" Zoro blinked back into reality to see Luffy pointing excitedly at the newspaper. When is there ever anything interesting in a newspaper? Aside from bounty posters...

Nami voiced her own confusion at Luffy's excitement. "It's just a picture of the Navy," she said.

"Yeah, but look who it is!" Luffy pointed at the picture. Zoro frowned. There was a face scrunched up in fear, covered in tears, and Zoro was certain he didn't know anyone who was such a crybaby.... 

Wait.

"Hey, it's Coby!" he realized out loud. He squinted at the photo. "And is that...?" Just next to Coby, there was a female Marine, bracing herself against the ship deck's railing. Her face wasn't visible, but he could tell from the way her hair was tied up in a top knot, and from the burn scars that covered her left arm... "That's Shoko!"

"Yeah!" Luffy beamed. "So what's it say?" he asked Nami.

Nami began reading the paper out loud. Something about a Vice Admiral in the Marines arriving at Marine headquarters somewhere in the Grand Line.

"Woah! So Coby has entered the Grand Line," Luffy observed, pride for his friend evident.

Shoko's here too, then, Zoro thought. He grinned, hoping that meant he would be able to run into her again. I wish I had time to say something back in Loguetown. He glanced at Luffy. That guy's impulsive behavior can sure be inconvenient sometimes. Hm. 

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When Shoko first arrived at Marineford, it appeared to be everything she had imagined: soldiers training their strength, endurance, and combat skills in different training fields, platoons marching in orderly lines, and chore boys in military uniforms cleaning windows, all to the sound of high-ranking officers barking out orders.

Shoko's first task at Marine Headquarters was to help unload supplies from the battleship. Since she didn't know her way around the area, she was forced to follow more experienced soldiers who could direct her where to go.

Once her task was done, she and the other new recruits—including Coby and Helmeppo—were directed to an orientation of the base, where they were shown the important buildings in which they would be working and living. This orientation concluded with a long presentation about rules, expectations, and the resulting consequences which followed any rule-breaking or failure to meet expectations.

Finally, after a short and orderly meal in the mess hall, Shoko was directed to the women's living quarters, where row upon row of cots were laid out, separated by small night stands where soldiers were allowed to keep a limited number of small personal belongings, such as letters or other sentimental objects. Under each cot was a drawer where uniforms should be neatly folded, and a cubby where two pairs of shoes could be kept—uniform formal and uniform casual, of course.