Chapter 202: Young Warriors Yearn for Glory
"You brat... aren't you a bit too mature for your age...?"
Seeing Shyarly's expression, which seemed to suggest she had everything completely under control, Arlong felt that something was incredibly off.
He had come here worried that Shyarly would be bullied all alone after he left for the military. How did it end up with her worrying about him getting bullied?
The internal situation of a military is usually best understood by its own citizens. Different nations' armies possess different characteristics, and they receive different evaluations in the eyes of outsiders.
For instance, the Marines' reputation on Fish-man Island had always been that of the World Government's accomplices. Even today, that view hadn't changed much; the vast majority of the populace still harbored considerable hostility toward the Marines.
And within many armies, the phenomenon of veteran soldiers bullying fresh recruits genuinely existed. Or rather, some armies had developed an ingrained culture of hazing.
Those bullied recruits, upon becoming veterans themselves, would turn into even worse perpetrators, bullying the next batch of recruits and forming a vicious cycle. It reached the point where military service became a source of dread for young people.
But the Neptune Army of Fish-man Island was the group under Nereus's strictest control. They currently enjoyed the highest tier of domestic welfare benefits, and the Royal Guards had become a coveted goal for many.
Because certain legions had specific requirements for fish species' abilities, it had even indirectly stimulated domestic childbirth policies, keeping the population on a continuous upward trend.
So far, no negative news regarding the Neptune Army had surfaced domestically. Otherwise, joining its ranks wouldn't be the top choice for so many ambitious youths.
Conversely, at the orphanage, because the children were generally young, establishing rules was much more complex, and many serious incidents were easily misjudged as mere childish squabbles.
Shyarly suddenly reversing their roles and putting on an "I knew it" expression was exactly what made Arlong feel so disoriented.
But his gaze quickly shifted to the crystal ball Shyarly was packing away.
"You... foresaw something again?"
"Yes. This isn't a good time to join the Neptune Army. The most turbulent era is about to arrive, and the Neptune Army will face far more grueling battles..."
"Oh? You're wrong about that, Shyarly."
Hearing Shyarly's description of the incoming era and the impending battles, Arlong didn't feel a shred of fear. Instead, he looked incredibly eager, practically itching for a fight.
"My divinations... are never wrong. I saw the color of battle..."
Seemingly dissatisfied with Arlong's skepticism, Shyarly pulled the crystal ball back out and performed the divination a second time.
As for the exact principles behind divination, even the diviners of Fish-man Island couldn't explain it clearly.
Those with talent could learn it with just a little guidance, while those without talent could study for a lifetime to no avail. It was a profession entirely dependent on innate gifts.
The more massive and sweeping the event, the more ambiguous their divination results became, sometimes even leading to misinterpretations.
The reason Shyarly was so highly sought after was that, despite her young age, she had already predicted several major events without making a single error.
"No, no, no. I'm not saying your prediction is wrong; I'm saying your mindset is wrong. A little girl like you wouldn't understand a man's ambition. An era like this is exactly the perfect time to join the Neptune Army!
"Turmoil and challenges? Under His Majesty Nereus's leadership, those things will only become the stepping stones for our further rise! They will become the glorious merits of the Neptune Army! Shahahaha!"
Today's Fish-man Island had indeed ushered in its most peaceful era in over a century, the last one dating back to the fragile, paper-thin peace fostered by the previous Mermaid Princess.
Although minor skirmishes occasionally erupted, and pirates unwilling to accept defeat occasionally tried to challenge Fish-man Island's status, these small-scale conflicts amounted to nothing.
So far, the absolute largest-scale war had only required the mobilization of a single legion.
The new generation of citizens growing up in this secure environment harbored immense self-confidence and a deep, burning thirst for military glory.
The conflict Shyarly spoke of wasn't a crisis in Arlong's eyes—it was a golden opportunity to build a career and achieve greatness.
Joining the Neptune Army in an era of absolute peace meant that, aside from collecting military pay and benefits, there was nothing to do but mundane patrols and garrison duties.
According to the information Arlong had gathered from seniors who had graduated and joined the army long ago—such as Jinbe—the Neptune Army soldiers tasked with deep-sea patrols actually hoped to run into blind, foolish pirates during their shifts.
Only then would they have the chance to fight and earn exclusive military merits of their own.
"Whatever, why am I even telling you this? A brat like you probably doesn't need me looking after you anyway. In that case, I'll go report in early."
Seven days was the holiday given to them. Failing to arrive on time without filing a proper report was tantamount to desertion.
This was the military, after all. During the screening period, there were plenty of chances to back out and regret the decision. But once all the evaluations were passed, one couldn't just decide not to go.
Sick leave required a medical evaluation; silently disappearing was entirely unacceptable.
Although they couldn't delay their enlistment, reporting in early was perfectly fine.
Many recruits made the same choice as Arlong. However, while their reporting times varied slightly, the actual training schedule was uniform.
Reporting early didn't mean they would start training ahead of the others; they would simply be led around by a few veterans to familiarize themselves with the base.
Yet, shortly after Arlong arrived, he became the center of highly scrutinized attention.
"Arlong? You're Shyarly's older brother, right?"
"So you're the big bro Shyarly mentioned!"
Due to the changed environment, Arlong and Shyarly's relationship was significantly better than in the original timeline. Just as she had promised, she really had put in a good word for him.
It was just that the effect was a bit too potent. Arlong's title gradually shifted from "Arlong" to "Shyarly's Brother," which left him with an incredibly bizarre feeling.
And a few days later, this reputation began to show signs of a severe, over-corrective backlash.
Since the two are siblings, their talents should be roughly similar, right?
Shyarly's talent in divination was considered exceptionally rare in the entirety of Fish-man Island's history. Since Fish-man Island's divination arts were generally passed down to females and not males, as her brother, his monstrous talent must naturally lie in combat.
Under this widespread assumption, Arlong experienced the absolute highest tier of treatment the army had to offer—the extreme, high-intensity training regimen exclusively reserved for geniuses recognized as "monsters."
In the regular classes, Arlong had always been among the top students. But suddenly thrown into this, he instantly plummeted to the dead last of the pack.
In a way, excessive attention wasn't always a good thing. However, Arlong didn't become overly pessimistic; theoretically, as long as he could grit his teeth and survive this period, his strength would surge drastically.
Meanwhile, inside the Ryugu Palace, a similar evaluation was currently underway. This time, the protagonist was Chloe, and the reference subject was Nanamo from many years ago.
"In terms of raw strength, you were stronger back then. Defensively, you two are about equal. Chloe is faster, but she still can't proficiently control the Lunarian flame forms.
"Once she fully masters those techniques, her defense and speed should undoubtedly surpass yours..."
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