I Will Become Hokage in One Piece

Chapter 16: Rodney at 153rd Branch

153rd Marine Branch 

Rodney arrived at the the153rd Marine Branch and handed over a group of artillery pirates to the Marines. In exchange, he received the bounties for Clive Geza and the bamboo pole man.

After collecting the bounty, Rodney decided to find a restaurant to have a meal. He was tired of eating the mediocre food made by pirates. Their meals were barely edible, and he didn't expect much in terms of taste.

"Guest, please enjoy your meal," the waiter said as he brought a large plate of meat that smelled delicious. Just as Rodney was about to dig in with his fork, a loud dog barking could be heard from outside. Moments later, a large wolf burst into the restaurant, heading straight towards Rodney.

But Rodney wasn't about to let the wolf succeed. He swiftly kicked the wolf away, causing the whole restaurant to fall silent.

The wolf, having bumped into the wall, got up and barked at Rodney twice before looking at him with fear. The owner of the restaurant immediately warned him, "Brother, you should run. This wolf belongs to Captain Morgan's son. If you beat his wolf, he won't let you go!"

Rodney seemed to remember the name, Captain Morgan. He was the Marine Captain who had caught Koru and was promoted to the rank of Captain. After being hypnotized, Morgan's temperament changed drastically, turning him into a proud and cruel individual ruling over Shells Town and the 153rd Branch of the Marine.

Just as the restaurant owner finished speaking, a yellow-haired kid with a double chin and slicked middle-part hair entered, followed by two marines with unpleasant expressions on their faces. If they could, they would have loved to beat up the kid, but they knew better than to do so considering the kid's connection to Captain Morgan.

Rodney glanced at the boy, who was dressed in colorful clothes, and instantly knew he was trouble. He heard him sobbing and saying, "Who? Who is it? How dare you beat my pet wolf?"

The wolf Rodney had kicked merely barked at its owner, a guy named Helmeppo. Helmeppo immediately scolded him angrily, accusing Rodney of being a pirate and ordering his men to capture him.

The two marines approached Rodney reluctantly, their faces filled with bitterness. They whispered, "Sorry," before Rodney swiftly knocked them unconscious. Smiling, he grabbed a piece of meat from the plate, ate it with his hands, and walked over to Helmeppo.

"You want to catch me, kid?" Rodney taunted. Helmeppo was terrified and backed away, eventually falling to the ground. He desperately mentioned his father, "My father is Captain Morgan, the strongest man here. How dare you try to harm me?"

Rodney, still chewing on his meat, mockingly replied, "Oh, I'm so scared."

He then slapped Helmeppo, causing half of his face to swell up. The boy covered his face and ran away, crying bitterly.

The restaurant owner, witnessing the scene, urged Rodney to run away. He warned him that Captain Morgan would not be easy to deal with and that beating his son would surely bring trouble. Rodney appeared small and weak, and facing the burly Morgan, it was clear he wasn't an opponent.

However, Rodney reassured the owner and sat back down to continue his meal. The taste was passable, and after the recent slap, it felt even more satisfying.

The restaurant owner grew anxious, worried that a fight would break out and damage his establishment. He didn't want to suffer the consequences and losses. 

In martial arts novels, conflicts often erupted in inns, and it was the inn owners who suffered the most. The owner contemplated running away to avoid the mess, as his small business couldn't afford the aftermath.

Meanwhile, footsteps could be heard approaching. Helmeppo had brought his father not long after. It was indeed Captain Morgan, who had just returned from the marine. Upon entering the town, he encountered his beaten son, fueling his anger and prompting him to bring reinforcements.

Due to his jaw being crushed by Koru, Captain Morgan now had an iron jaw with the marine logo and carried a sharp axe in his right hand. He was tall, towering over others, and exuded a sense of contempt.

As expected of "Axe-Hand" Morgan, he had single-handedly defeated the Black Cat Pirates, overthrowing even the renowned Kuro of a Hundred Plans, with one swing of his axe.

Rodney finished his plate of meat, picked his teeth with a toothpick, and casually asked, "Are you his father?"

Rodney's nonchalant demeanor angered Morgan, who raised his axe, ready to strike. But then his body froze.

"Your... your eyes..." Morgan's body trembled uncontrollably as he felt like he had forgotten something.

But he couldn't remember what it was. In Rodney's crimson pupils, three black tomoe slowly rotated, shattering false memories and replacing them with the vivid recollection of that bloody night.

Morgan's tall figure swayed and fell to the ground.

"Boss, here's the payment for the meal." Rodney threw a belly onto the table, chewed on his toothpick, and left. None of the marine personnel who tried to block him dared to interfere.

Rodney had used his Sharingan to break the hypnosis that had been cast on Morgan by the hypnotist Jango. Now, it was up to Morgan to decide how much he could change. At the very least, he would no longer be as arrogant and cruel as before.

The restaurant fell silent, and all the guests held their breath, fearing that something might happen to Morgan.

Helmeppo cried out, "Dad, Dad, wake up! Don't scare me!"

The marine officer checked and found that Morgan was breathing normally and had no visible injuries. He reassured Helmeppo, "Master Helmeppo, don't worry. Captain Morgan just fainted. It's nothing serious. You don't need to be overly concerned."

"Then why are you still standing there? Take my dad back!" Bellumebo exclaimed.

"Yes, sir."

The marine officer cursed silently, annoyed at the situation. With the help of a few others, they reluctantly carried Morgan away.

...

[Mission: Escort the merchant ship to Cocoyasi Village]

Mission level: D

[Mission reward: 20 mission points.]

...

The mission proceeded smoothly and in an orderly manner. The escort mission was not particularly challenging; in fact, it could even be described as leisurely. Rodney used this time to continue exercising and improve his physical strength.

In the Pirate World, reaching the pinnacle merely required honing the body. For instance, when Garp was young, he and Roger's crew faced the formidable Rocks Pirates. 

None of the members of Roger's crew had consumed Devil Fruits, and Garp didn't need such abilities either. It demonstrated that strengthening the body alone could make one among the strongest in the world.

The Eight Gates must be learned as soon as possible, and the physical body must be raised to a high level so that he can open the Seventh Gate, this is the apex. He will only open the Eighth Gate when he is ready to die with the other party, otherwise, he's either stupid or just crazy. Ah, but he felt that he would never have this chance in his life, because he didn't want to die yet.

Rodney had already memorized Garp's techniques, and now he needed to focus on improving his weak constitution. This was his weakness, shared by most ninjas—high attack but low endurance. Not everyone could be as formidable as Hashirama Senju, Madara, Guy, or Raikage, who had mastered the Lightning Release Armour.

Therefore, Rodney continued his physical training, ensuring he had enough nutrition to support his growth. It was a process that required time and dedication.

He combined his tasks with his exercise regimen, effectively managing both aspects. This was his current routine.