As the supreme power of the seas, Marine Headquarters handled recruitment with strict, standardized procedures.
This wasn't like the relaxed East Blue branches that accepted anyone with a pulse.
Following the instructions, Laurentina first had to register her personal details.
Only after passing the review would she undergo the Doriki Test — the key evaluation of a recruit's physical capabilities.
After that came assessments meant to determine each recruit's future development path.
A normal Marine's average Doriki was around 10.
But at Headquarters, the bar was higher — 15 Doriki was the minimum standard to even qualify for training.
At the registration booth, the attendant handed Laurentina a thick form packed with detailed fields: birthplace, skills, personal history, family background…
What a chore.
Laurentina frowned. Compared to Rhodes Island's straightforwardness, this was overkill.
Sighing, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and began filling the form slowly.
Her handwriting was neat — time seemed to grow quiet around her.
Specialty?
She paused.
Her weapon was a long-handled chainsaw — excellent for breaking enemy lines.
Her Agor-born physique came with two innate traits:
• enhanced stamina
• deep-sea regeneration
Equivalent to increased vitality and recovery in this world's terms.
Combined with her Vampire Zoan — boosting life force and offense…
One-saw style?
Too weird.
Laurentina shook her head and wrote instead:
"Frontline attacker. Skilled in group combat and survivability."
Her birthplace and family background she wrote truthfully.
What truly made her stop was the last two sections — far larger than the rest.
Personal Motto
and
Definition of Justice.
In One Piece, a motto wasn't just a slogan — it reflected one's ideals… and sometimes even one's qualification for Conqueror's Haki.
Laurentina froze for a moment.
Her thoughts drifted far.
Finally, she wrote:
"Pray for the dead.
Fight for the living.
Guide lost souls to peaceful rest."
And for Justice?
A luxurious yet cheap word.
She smiled faintly, the golden pendant on her neck catching the light.
Her pen moved again:
"Justice of One's Own Will."
At that moment, the female Marine who had been stealing glances at Laurentina finally looked down at the form — and her eyes widened.
"That handwriting… it's beautiful! Like something from an art gallery."
"Thank you.
For me, that is the highest compliment."
Laurentina smiled proudly — art was what she truly loved.
Dance, opera, sculpture… and of course, calligraphy.
When she finished, the attendant led her to the Headquarters training ground — a massive open arena with an area designated for Doriki testing.
A row of monolithic stone-like machines sat atop a high platform.
In the center of each device glowed a blue circular pane, about the size of a basketball.
The examiner explaind:
"Place your hand on the circle, and the machine will read your Doriki."
Laurentina queued quietly.
This time, she didn't cut the line — the entire Headquarters hierarchy was watching from the upper balcony.
Every annual recruitment season drew great attention.
From above stood:
• Fleet Admiral Sengoku
• Hero Garp, munching senbei
• Vice Admiral Tsuru, dignified as always
• Zephyr, arms crossed, sunglasses reflecting the sun
Among the Admirals, only Aokiji remaind at Headquarters today — the other two were on missions.
Gion, Chaton, Smoker, Tashigi, and many others observed.
The sheer lineup made every recruit tense.
"Let's see how this year's seedlings look," Sengoku said, hands in pockets, expression stern under his glasses.
"At least Laurentina won't have trouble," Tashigi said smugly, a cigarette held elegantly between her fingers.
"HAHAHAHA! I'll test her strength myself after this!" Garp boomed, crumbs falling from his beard.
"Garp.
Quiet." Tsuru snapped.
On the testing platform, only a few people stood before Laurentina.
"Next — Ni Yan!"
A black-clad man with a giant metal ruler strapped to his back stepped forward and placed his hand on the blue circle.
Ten seconds later, a cold voice echoed:
"Doriki — 13.
Result: Unqualified."
The red X flashed sharply.
The young man said nothing — only smiled bitterly and left the stage.
No one mocked him.
Many were failing at this stage.
"Next — Ain!"
A girl with sea-blue wavy hair, a purple vest, and high-waisted shorts walked gracefully up the platform.
"Oh, she's beautiful."
"She's on the level of Colonel Tashigi or Vice Admiral Gion."
The murmurs rose.
Laurentina glanced up — indeed, Ain was strikingly pretty.
Perhaps the prettiest girl her age she'd seen since raincarnation… aside from herself.
Ain didn't react to the chatter.
She lifted her slender hand and pressed down.
WUMMMMM—
The machine flared with blinding blue light — swallowing her silhouette.
"Doriki — 860!
Result: Qualified!"
Even with the top brass present, the crowd gasped.
The only other person who had broken 500 today was a man named Binz.
Gion smirked and nudged Zephyr.
"Well, Zephyr… looks like you're getting another promising student."
"I'll train them all into monsters," Zephyr grinned, teeth gleaming.
Ever since losing his family, he retaind his admiral rank only on paper — choosing instead to become the Marines' chief instructor.
Dozens of his students had already risen to admiral level.
"Quiet.
It's the little Tashigi's turn soon."
The real Tashigi (big Tashigi) adjusted her sunglasses coolly.
"You really like that girl," Chaton laughed like an old delinquent.
The balcony of officers grew silent.
All eyes turned to the chainsaw-bearing girl — the one rumored to have defeated Supernovas.
What level is she really?
"Next — Laurentina."
Laurentina flicked her hair and stepped up.
Thanks to Tashigi's generosity, she wasn't wearing her nun attire today.
Instead she wore:
a sleek black high-neck sleeveless top
• matching high-waisted black shorts
• long hair tied with a ribbon
Her entire presence radiated dark, noble elegance.
Even her outfit inspiration had been borrowed from a girl named "Quill."
She's… beautiful.
Under the weight of countless gazes, Laurentina walked forward.
Vice Admiral Tsuru narrowed her eyes — briefly stunned.
Under the sun, the entire high platform seemed like her stage.
The noisy world blurred away, leaving only her.
Is this… the future Marine Empress?
Tsuru wondered, half jokingly.
Laurentina reached the machine.
Like a queen taking her throne, she lifted her delicate hand—
…
Nothing?
Confused murmurs rippled across the crowd.
Then a gust of wind swept past—
ZZZZZ…
Sparks sputtered from the machine.
A thick plume of black smoke rose—
BOOM!!!
Without warning, the supposedly unbreakable Doriki stone exploded.
The entire crowd froze.
Then—
Silence.
A long, heavy silence.
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