BANG!
As a single gunshot echoed, the bullseye two hundred meters away was instantly pierced. Thunderous applause erupted from the Marine Headquarters' recruit training camp.
"As expected of Cage! The Marines' top marksman, truly lives up to his name."
"His markmanship is simply incredible!"
"Heh... no matter how skilled, he's just a marksman. He can only rely on sneak attacks. Real duels are head-on battles. What good is that?"
The new recruits at the camp had mixed reactions. Some were utterly impressed by Cage, while others were openly dismissive.
Of course, ultimately, it was just pure envy, jealousy, and resentment.
"Excellent work! A perfect shot, one hundred points!"
A strongly built man walked up to Cage, patting his slender shoulder with delight. "You're one of the most outstanding marksmen I've ever seen. Keep up the good work, and you'll definitely become a pillar of the Marines in the future."
"Understood, Zephyr-sensei. Thank you."
The young man, known as Cage, respectfully nodded, then quietly stepped aside, allowing others to take their turn at the shooting range.
It was the height of summer. Cage found a shady spot to sit down, plucked a blade of grass from the ground, and idly chewed on it.
"Time really flies. It's already been eighteen years since I came to this world."
Cage gazed at the azure sky, his eyes lost in thought as he recalled his past.
He wasn't a native of this world; he was a bona fide transmigrator. Born on an island in the New World, his parents were ordinary hunters. Cage had followed his father hunting in the mountains since he was a child, and he started playing with guns at five or six years old. By now, he'd been using guns for over a decade.
Even as a transmigrator, Cage had never held any extravagant hopes or expectations for this world. He had no ambition to conquer the world; he simply wanted to live a peaceful and stable life.
While the days of a hunter were mundane, constantly roaming through the wilderness and connecting with nature, with leisurely strolls in the mountains when boredom struck, it had its own unique charm. His family had lived in harmony.
However, all that beautiful life was shattered half a month ago. The small island where Cage lived was attacked by pirates. These savage executioners were utterly inhumane, looting everything they saw and killing everyone they encountered. Cage's parents also perished in the chaos.
Though the Marines arrived quickly as reinforcements, it was too late. The vicious pirates had already fled.
Cage was only alive because he had gone hunting in the mountains alone, thus narrowly escaping disaster. When he returned home, all he found were the cold bodies of his parents.
Later, Cage single-handedly dug a grave, personally buried his parents, and then resolutely left with the Marines. He sought revenge.
And so, he had become a Marine soldier.
"Hello, Cage."
A pleasant voice suddenly came from beside him. Cage's slightly narrowed eyes opened, revealing a youthful face. The girl possessed smooth, long, sea-blue hair. She seemed unaccustomed to speaking with boys, as she bit her lip, her cheeks flushed, appearing exceptionally shy.
"You're Ain, right? Do you need something?"
A faint ripple of surprise flickered in Cage's eyes. As fellow members of the recruit camp, Ain was hard to ignore, because there were two Devil Fruit users among the new Marine recruits. One was Ain, a user of the Return-Return Fruit.
The other was Binz, a Paramecia user of the Grow-Grow Fruit.
"I failed my firearms assessment, and I was hoping you could help me," Ain's voice was soft, laced with a hint of difficulty and nervousness.
It was her first time speaking to Cage.
When Cage joined the recruit camp, everyone's first impression of him was that he was aloof and rarely interacted with others.
"Guns aren't really suited for girls; they're not toys for you," Cage said indifferently. "Aren't you a Devil Fruit user? Focus more on your Devil Fruit ability; that's what will protect you in the future."
"Cage!"
Ain's small face suddenly tensed, her blush vanishing as she emphasized sternly, "I just want to discuss marksmanship techniques with you. You can't discriminate against all girls just because of me!"
"..."
Cage fell silent at her words. Women's thought processes truly were unique. He simply stood up and walked away.
"You!!!"
Ain was furious, glaring at Cage's retreating figure. Just as she was considering whether to chase after him, Cage's voice drifted back.
"There's no special trick to it. You just need to control your breathing, ignore the gazes of those around you, calm yourself, and immerse yourself in your own world. That's enough."
"And most importantly, especially for you... confidence, that's the source of everything."
"Remember, practice more. Practice makes perfect."
"With enough practice, you can even hit a moving target with your eyes closed."
All the Marine recruits were stunned by his words. When did this guy become so approachable? He actually told Ain his techniques.
"Tch... just showing off. Anyone can talk big. Does he really think he's a sharpshooter?"
A discordant voice rang out. Everyone's eyes instinctively turned towards the source, revealing a lanky man with a pink headscarf tied from his head down to his chin, and a katana slung across his back.
This was one of the new stars of the Marine recruit camp—Binz.