The sanitary conditions on the Marine warship were far better than those on the slave ship Jake had been on before.
The most crucial difference was the absence of the kind of stench that could knock a person out upon opening a door.
In an era where most ships relied on sails, neither the Marine nor pirates paid much attention to hygiene.
The reason was simple: with freshwater being extremely scarce, using precious water for bathing was considered a luxury.
Yet voyages often lasted months, resulting in a foul stench clinging to many crew members.
If you bathe with seawater, the high salt content will leave your skin feeling tight and your hair dry and brittle afterward.
If you have any open wounds, the experience becomes even more unbearable.
Not bathing for extended periods isn't just about the unpleasant smell—wound infections and fungal infections are the real dangers.
The Navy, with its fixed islands and supply routes, requires marines to bathe at least twice a week.
Pirates however, are different.
After plundering a town, they often face long periods of sailing aimlessly, so most pirates with half a brain choose to ration their freshwater supplies carefully.
And by "carefully," they usually mean no bathing, no brushing teeth, no washing faces and never cleaning the ship's cabins or decks...
While this does conserve water, it also leads to all sorts of bizarre illnesses.
And once a crew member falls sick—even if there's a chance of recovery—pirates will usually toss them overboard.
No one knows if the disease is contagious and no one is willing to take the risk for the sake of a so-called "comrades."
In the world of pirates, kindness and camaraderie are nothing more than a cruel joke.
In fact, if resources run critically low, pirates won't hesitate to consume their dying crewmates—a practice all too common in this world.
Meanwhile, in the Marine's dining hall, lively chatter filled the air—a rare moment of relaxation for soldiers who could die at any moment at the hands of pirates.
For them, a good meal was the best way to relax.
The sound of the dining hall doors swinging open was followed by the booming voice of Ms. Elibam.
"Old William, you damned drunk! How many times do I have to tell you? Not a single drop of beer today—not even one! I know you're off duty, but that doesn't mean you get to drink! That wound on your stomach is bleeding again, you old fool! Sit down and stay put!"
"And you, John-chan! How many times must I warn you? Stop training with that injured arm! I know you want it to heal, but severed nerves don't magically reconnect, you idiot! Quit pushing yourself!"
"Jess, you little rascal, remember what I told you—"
The moment Ms. Elibam stepped into the hall, her voice drowned out all other conversations.
Under her scolding, most of the soldiers lowered their heads, wearing sheepish grins like children being reprimanded by a teacher.
Just as Jake was lost in the chaos of Ms. Elibam tirade, she suddenly grabbed his arm and barked at the crowd.
"Now, I'm going to introduce someone to you bastards. Marine Petty Officer Third Class, Jake, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. The exact model is currently unknown, but he has excellent healing abilities. Starting today, he's my adjutant and I expect all of you to support him! And you, old William, start by showing us that damn belly of yours and let Jake heal you!"
At Ms. Elibam's words, a flush of excitement crossed old William face.
He wanted a healthy body so badly that he'd trade almost anything for it!
The reason was simple.
On the night his child was born, old William had gone to the neighboring town to buy some celebratory wine.
When he returned, all what greeted him was his home burned to ruins by cannon fire.
On the wall of the house still hung the photo of his child he'd just put up before leaving.
He dug through the rubble for a long time, his fingernails torn off, his bloody fingers seemingly numb to pain amidst the debris and stones.
It wasn't until white bone showed that he finally uncovered his family.
The bodies were barely recognizable by then, but he remembered that dress—the one he'd specially bought from the neighboring town for his wife on their wedding day.
His wife had barely worn it.
That day was only the second time she'd put it on, to celebrate their child's birth.
Beneath his wife's body was their child.
The little one's form was well-protected—his wife had used her own body to shield the baby from falling rubble.
But when old William touched the child, he realized the baby had been dead all along.
He should have known.
A child that small couldn't possibly survive a whole night without care.
Old William wept bitterly that day.
Holding the bodies of his wife and child, he knelt on the ground and cried until his vocal cords tore.
T-Bone ran into him and forcibly knocked old William unconscious.
The reason was simple: if old William kept crying like that, he'd literally cry himself to death right there.
The next day, T-Bone brought the head of the pirate who'd bombed old William's family and knelt before him, saying.
"If only I'd been stronger, I could have patrolled more waters. I could have saved more lives."
From that day on, old William burned what remained of his home through tears.
After burying his wife and child, he became an ordinary soldier on T-Bone's ship.
Old William was just an ordinary man with no outstanding talents.
So during a battle with pirates, a blade pierced his abdomen and some of his organs spilled out, he simply stuffed them back in, clutched his stomach and charged forward anyway.
That day, old William killed three pirates.
Looking at the gaunt, frail old man before him, Jake felt a weight in his chest.
The hope in the old man's eyes pressed upon him with immense gravity.
The next moment, a rough hand patted his shoulder lightly.
Old William grinned, revealing a missing tooth.
"I'm just an old relic. It Doesn't matter if its fail."