The Golden Trio
Chapter 1
Notice: I am sorry for not continuing Dear Marimo kun. I will be starting that up again, but for now, here's another One Piece fic. I am sorry for not updating as I have been quite busy.
New World - Coby's ship
"I'm going to be an Admiral of the Marines. I-I promise."
Coby leaned against the rail of a Marine ship, ferrying them home after a job well done. Coby's unit was assigned to capture two pirates who had a combined bounty of 100,000,000 Beli. It was easy work; the trip going to and from their hideout was more exhausting. He looked up at the night sky, the stars twinkling brightly down as the ship's surroundings were illuminated by lanterns, too weak to outshine the celestial bodies.
He felt strange remembering the promise he made back at Shell Town. Maybe because she was coming to work with them? As he was busy mulling over his thoughts, an officer approached him and saluted.
"Captain, we just got done with the final check up of the prisoners for the night."
Coby waved a hand and said, "At ease, Lieutenant." He then chuckled and added, "You're too stiff, Helmeppo-san."
Helmeppo relaxed and stood lazily, putting all his weight on one leg. "Really? Well someone has to set an example around here." He walked over to a cargo box and sat on it. "Our unit's getting bigger because everyone got wind that you're not as strict as the other captains."
Coby smiled. It was true that he was known for being light on the formalities, but he himself knew that it was just because of his shy and timid nature. He acknowledged that he had no leadership qualities nor combat power comparable to the people who matter. To Helmeppo, he was just being too modest.
"It's going to get even bigger, Helmeppo-san. This time, you'll like it even more."
Helmeppo was having doubts about his captain's enthusiasm, however. "The last time you were this hyped up about something, we got severe burns. Remember how you said getting the Spider-Firefly was something revolutionary in terms of lamp-making?"
"That was that, this is this," amended Coby, moving his hands from one area to another in support of his reason. "Trust me, you'll like the new hirees."
"Yeah right," Helmeppo muttered, scowling at Coby's smiley face. "Like I'd get excited for manly recruits and burly warfreaks."
Coby laughed and Helmeppo joined soon after as they sailed for home and shore leave in Marineford.
Marineford- Military Personnel Division Bldg.
Thunk, thunk.
Sounds of stamping filled the air as Rika clutched her transfer papers close to her chest. It was crowded in the room, as everyone was lining up to get their recruitment papers authenticated and verified. The final step before someone could work at their new designation or job, it meant that hundreds of people crowded inside one medium-size room on a daily basis. As a result, the air was hot, the floors were poorly maintained, and the smell of packed people rivaled that of a dumpster.
The person before Rika slowly got up with his papers, dancing a jig as he no longer had to endure the torture of standing in wait while bathing in heat like dried fish under the sun. She sat down the monobloc chair and presented her documents to the officer in charge, an old lady with messy grey hair and red rimmed spectacles.
"Rika from Shell Town, formerly worked as a waitress. Correct?"
"Yes ma'am."
The officer pursed her chapped lips as she read through her resume.
"It says here that you entered the Marines just last year and rose in the ranks at record time, from Chore Boy to Petty Officer in three months, then for the remaining 9 months, rose to Warrant Officer."
"That is correct, ma'am."
"What I'm more curious about is how you did it," started the officer, glaring at Rika. "How does a lowly waitress like you rise that fast? You have no prior weapons training, your physicals are absolutely average, and your education and tactics are nothing special."
"Hard work and dedication was my drive, ma'am. I already knew I was not special, so I tried hard and put in twice the effort as the other recruits," Rika replied respectfully. She had prior warning that the signing was going to double as an interview, but she never realized it was the harsh kind.
"So you're saying all the officers who rose through the ranks don't put in the kind of effort like you did?"
"I did not say that ma'am, and I believe those men and women have put in just as much effort to gain their titles." Rika found it hard to maintain a smile infront of the harsh interrogation as well as the sweltering heat. While inside she was irritated, she gained respect for the people who sat behind the desks everyday in that kind of atmosphere.
"I am still at a loss on what made people approve this recruitment," said the officer, shaking her head. "The unit you're trying to get into is made up of people who have talent and the effort to back it up. You might have all the effort, but the talent isn't there."
"I consider it a blessing to be chosen ma'am," said Rika, bowing her head. The old lady peered at Rika once again, squinting her eyes at Rika's childish face.
"It says here that Captain Coby was the one who vouched for you personally. He also came from the Shell Town base." The lady paused, looked around, and motioned for Rika to lend her ear. "Are you sure you're not the captain's girlfriend?"
"No ma'am, definitely not," waved Rika with a sheepish smile. "I haven't seen Coby- ah, the captain in a long time. We do mail each other when we can and maintain correspondence."
"What about the other guy?"
"What about him?"
The officer finally stamped Rika's papers in a practiced way, one rhythmic thunk after another. When she was done and gave the papers back to Rika, she stopped the warrant officer for a minute.
"Like you, Captain Coby rose through the ranks through prodigous effort," said the officer, looking intently at Rika. "Do not shame his name."
"Yes ma'am."
"Oh, one other thing," said the officer, raising her hand. "The captain is quite famous in the Marines, so if you ever decide to make a move on him, remember that you'll be dealing with his fans. It's hard to believe that a girl like you has no interest in him."
Rika gave a parting smile and walked out of the furnace to look at her crumpled but definitely valid recruitment papers. She couldn't wait to see Coby. Well, Helmeppo too but Coby was the one who really made an effort to maintain communication whenever he could.
Loudspeaker den den mushis attached to the ceiling blared out the announcement for the new recruits to assemble at the training grounds.
Rika took a deep breath, and strode out of the MPD building doors wearing a determined face, hurrying down the stone steps by skipping two at a time.
Marineford - Training Grounds
Helmeppo sat on one of the benches surrounding the training grounds. Many recruits were turning up, looking around excitedly like kids in a candy store. On one side, people were training their Observation Haki. On another side, the Marines were practicing their Tekkai. It was a completely new sight for the new people, being a place where you had to be on top of your game all the time.
Desks and chairs were assembled on the grounds, complete with the name of the commander of the group you wanted to join. Helmeppo sighed once again, seeing it pointless to go down and sit on the chair. Most of the men in Coby's unit were either rejects from other units or recommended by Coby himself. He had heard from the man that for this batch, he recommended one person. Helmeppo doubted that he or she would turn up though. The men usually settled for the more prestigious units and the women weren't any different. If they wanted safe desk jobs, Vice Admiral Tsuru's unit was the way to go. So technically, he was following orders to keep an eye out for potential recruits.
A drill instructor came out and gave an overview of the units prepared to accept them. He went through each unit, detailing their achievements and rattling off the popular names assembled there. When it came to Coby's group, only his name was mentioned, his prowess as Garp's protege, and the overall gist was that the group did odd missions that the Marines didn't bother with. Helmeppo mentioned this to Coby and all he said was, "If we do our best in the missions given to us, no matter how big or small, we will be recognized in time."
He still admired the optimism his captain showed, even at the obvious discrimination just because they were Garp's students. Nothing could get him down, and Helmeppo vowed to follow Coby because of that quality.
"All right, girls and boys, line up! Slots are limited so hurry up! At the count of three... One, two, three!" He shot a gun into the air, and at the instant the crack sounded everyone raced for the line.
The recruits used all the speed or trapping moves in their arsenals to become first in line, or close to it. Those with devil fruits held an advantage as well as the fast ones. The big ones could just outmuscle everyone, and the crafty ones who formed groups worked together to take down individuals. The whole event was just to make the recruiters see who had potential and who had none. There was no harm involved and Marine medics stood by in case of accidents.
Helmeppo watched as the other tables filled with potential applicants while theirs was as empty as a basket filled with nothing. He was ready to give up and go home when there was one girl who walked up to the table, clasping her hands and asking the adjacent table where the recruiter for her table was.
"Hmm," snorted Helmeppo as he walked towards the chair he was supposed to sit on in the first place. "Let's see what you got."
Training Grounds - Rika
Rika lined up as a drill instructor came out and explained how things would work. She had been hearing rumors about a race to sign up. Her confidence plummeted. How am I going to get into Coby's unit now?
"Hey babe, where you from?" Rika didn't answer until she was slapped on the bottom. Taking care not to scream and slap the person who did, she looked at the culprit. It was a white man with yellow curls and a broad defined body. She was sure it was chiseled, since the clothes he was wearing stuck to his skin.
"Shell Town, East Blue." Rika decided to call him 'Butt Man' for what just happened.
"Rank?"
"Warrant Officer." At this statement, the Butt Man's eyebrows creased.
"What's a warrant officer doing here? Gimme your papers."
"No- ah, hey!" Butt Man grabbed them unceremoniously. Rika only released them for fear of having them torn. His eyes roved all over the paper. He showed his buddies the data and all of them laughed.
"Are you sure you're in the right place, kid?" he asked. "You're going to be assigned into the New World. That place is hell. You have no credentials except your unexplainable rise in rank." Butt Man sniggered and added, "You must be one hell of a ho to get to where you are now." His buddies laughed with him.
"Go home!"
"Let me do you for free! I'll put in a good word for you!"
"Get back to your kitchen in East Blue!"
Just at that moment though, a gunshot sounded, and everyone was bewildered. When they spotted the recruits at front make a mad break for the tables, everyone followed suit. Butt Man did too but not before scattering Rika's documents in the air.
"Stay calm, Rika. Everything will be fine," she told herself, as she skillfully nabbed her papers one by one. She then started running towards the table that said 'Captain Coby' to make up for lost time, but slowed down almost immediately. After all, no one was lining up and no one was present there.
"Um, excuse me sir," she asked the recruiter of Vice Admiral Ronse, whose table was beside Coby's. "Where is the captain's recruiter?"
"Just wait."
She was prepared to stand there all day when the same group whistled at her down the line.
"Why are you joining that sorry excuse of a unit? Oh right, you're a sorry excuse too!" Laughter was to be had as a lot of recruits in Ronse's line sniggered in approval. "Captain Coby is known as a poster boy. Who wants to join a group whose leader's achievements only consist of posing for recruitment posters?"
Rika had enough. "I'll have you know that Coby is not like that! He's kind and understanding! He gives it his all! Who are you to judge him like that!?"
"Who are you to address him without his rank huh?" said Butt Man, retaliating. "Ah, you're the captain's ho! Are you? Or are you planning to advance in rank again using your body on him? This is why the Marines are going to the dogs. Those posters will bring nothing but unskilled horny women to HQ."
Just then, a kukri knife was placed on the skin of Butt Man's neck. "That is no way to speak to a woman, soldier." Silencing him right up, a man with weird shades came and sat on the recruiter's chair.
"A-are you the recruiter, sir?" asked Rika tentatively. "I wish to sign up for Captain Coby's unit."
The man waved away all the words and told her to affix her name, signature, and thumbprint on the list. As he looked through her papers, his eyes bugged out of his sunglasses.
"Rika? Hey Rika, it's me," laughed the man, removing his shades. "It's Helmeppo."
"Helmeppo-saaaaaaa- I mean, Lieutenant Commander sir!" greeted Rika back, excited to see an old friend. Helmeppo extended a hand to which Rika shook wholeheartedly.
"I'd hug you now but we'd be making a scene," quipped Helmeppo as he reversed the table sign to 'Closed'. "Now I know why Coby was so excited! He knew you were coming!"
"I know! I was shocked when the recommendation came," she revealed happily. "He told me in our letters that there was a surprise coming, but I didn't expect it to be something like this."
They walked to where Rika put her bags, and Helmeppo offered to help. Normally, her rank would dictate that she do the hard work, but after the exhaustion of the day's events she let the guy do it. She resolved to do something later as thanks.
"So he sent you letters?" asked Helmeppo. "He never said anything."
"Really? He said you sent your regards to me," replied Rika, equally as bewildered.
"Well, you might have crossed our minds when we talked about Shell Town, but he never told me about- ahhhhhh." Comprehension suddenly dawned on Helmeppo and nodded to himself. He smiled at Rika, who showed him a confused expression.
"Ahhhh?"
"Ahhhh. It means you can ask him yourself," said Helmeppo, as they stopped at the female Marine dormitories. Coby was right at the gate being swarmed by fan girls, signing posters with his face on them and dodging sneak kisses and hugs. Being a celebrity was hard work.
"He seems busy," remarked Rika, stating the obvious.
"Trust me, he's not," replied Helmeppo, still smarting from the fact that his captain wrote Rika letters in secret. He was going to have a field day with the new info.
A/N: I'm back with a new story whoo! Please read and review! Reviews are important, uhuh. The reason why Rika is being looked down upon is because the usual recruits to Marineford are of Lieutenant to Ensign level. At least, that's how it is in the fic.