Tama was a sensible and obedient child. The moment she heard her grandmother's words, she let go of her hand without complaint.
After giving a few more instructions to the two aunts helping in the orphanage, Grandma headed out to find the Marine unit stationed in Biankasa Village.
Luckily, the Marines were already worried about the children in the orphanage being bullied. When the orphanage was first established, the Marines had strategically placed it right next to their military camp to ensure the children's safety.
Because of this close proximity, the children frequently interacted with the sailors and naturally aspired to become part of the Marine.
Grandma stepped outside, turned right, and soon arrived at the Marine barracks.
As she approached, two Marines standing guard at the gate immediately recognized her. One of them hurried forward with a bright smile.
"Grandma! What brings you here today? Is there anything we can help you with?
You came at the perfect time—everyone just finished training and is resting in the barracks.
Tell me what's going on, and I'll call someone for you."
Seeing the enthusiastic young Marine in front of her, Grandma's face blossomed into a warm smile. She waved her hands modestly, trying to ease his concern.
"No, no, I'm just an old lady. There's nothing wrong. You've already helped me and the children enough.
I only came to ask a quick question. I'll leave right after so I don't interrupt your work."
The Marine scratched his head, a little embarrassed by her kind words. But when he realized Grandma had a problem, he immediately perked up, listening intently to see if there was anything he could do to assist.
Not wanting to trouble them more than necessary, Grandma pulled out the recruitment flyer from her pocket and pointed to the section at the bottom about people with special abilities.
"Tama is a little… special," Grandma began cautiously. "Her situation seems to match the description of the people with special abilities mentioned here.
But I've never left this village in my whole life. I don't know much about these things, and I'm worried I might have misunderstood."
The young Marine's eyes narrowed in curiosity. He took the flyer and scanned it quickly. The moment he saw the part about Devil Fruits, his eyes widened in shock.
"Devil… Devil Fruit?! You're saying Tama is a Devil Fruit user?!"
His loud exclamation immediately caught the attention of the other guard, who had been quietly watching their conversation.
Hearing the words Devil Fruit, the second Marine rushed over, his face filled with surprise.
Before he could even open his mouth to ask questions, the first Marine waved him off, shouting excitedly:
"Quick! Go inform the Major! Tell him we've found a Devil Fruit user!"
"Ah! Oh, oh—right away!"
For a moment, the second guard stood frozen in shock. But he quickly snapped out of it, his face lighting up with joy as he turned and sprinted into the military camp.
Even from outside, Grandma could hear his excited shouts echoing through the camp as he delivered the news.
Watching the commotion unfold, Grandma—who had never seen anything like this in her quiet life—felt a wave of unease. She looked at the young Marine beside her, her eyes full of concern.
But the young man's face was beaming with excitement, his joy spilling over. Without waiting for Grandma to speak, he quickly explained:
"This is amazing! I can't believe we've actually found a Devil Fruit user!
Grandma, why didn't you tell us sooner?
If we had known, we could have sent Tama to the school in the Flower Capital. That school is headed by Vice Admiral Luffy himself!"
At first, Grandma had been worried about all this attention. But the moment she heard that Tama could be sent to a school personally overseen by Shogun Luffy, all her fears melted away.
There was no one in Wano Country she trusted more than the man who had transformed their lives for the better.
Feeling more at ease, Grandma gently asked the young Marine more about Devil Fruits.
The Marine launched into an excited explanation, talking about secret treasures from the sea, abilities worth a fortune, and even the dangers of being targeted by bandits. But most of it flew right over Grandma's head.
The only thing she really absorbed was one simple sentence:
"Vice Admiral Luffy is also a Devil Fruit user."
Hearing that, Grandma smiled warmly and nodded.
"Well, if the Shogun is a Devil Fruit user too, then I have nothing to worry about.
It's wonderful that Tama can become someone like him."
The young Marine blinked at her in disbelief.
"…So everything else I said didn't matter, huh?"
While the two were still chatting, the Major stationed in Biankasa Village came out of the barracks. The young Marine immediately snapped to attention and saluted, while Grandma, grateful and respectful, prepared to bow.
But before she could, the Major rushed forward, waving his hands.
"No, no, no! You're an elder—you shouldn't bow to a junior like me!" he said earnestly, stopping her in her tracks.
"Now, about Tama. Is it true she's a Devil Fruit user?"
The Major's respectful demeanor was exactly why Grandma trusted the Marines so deeply. Feeling reassured, she smiled and invited him to the orphanage to meet Tama.
Curious about the Devil Fruit user, several Marines from the barracks decided to follow along. The Major didn't stop them; instead, he instructed them to bring gifts for the children.
"Don't show up empty-handed," he added with a grin.
Meanwhile, back at the orphanage, the children had been eagerly waiting for their grandmother's return. They'd been buzzing with excitement, hoping she'd bring back good news.
When they finally saw her approaching with the Marine brothers and sisters, they rushed out of the orphanage, cheering with joy.
Yuta led the charge, holding Tama's hand tightly. The moment he spotted the Marine Lieutenant at the front of the group, he couldn't contain his excitement.
He didn't even greet his grandmother—his focus was entirely on the Marines.
"Brother Connie!" Yuta shouted, his voice full of hope. "Is what the flyer says true?
Can Devil Fruit users really join the Marine? Tell me!"
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