Turning 18!

The next day.

Garp walked into the room that Alex and Shanks were sharing.

"It's finally time!" Garp called out loudly waking the two up.

"What?" Alex asked as he stretched.

"You two are becoming marines!" Garp laughed.

Alex looked at him. "I'm seriously surrounded by idiots. Did you forget you need to be 18 to join the marines?"

Garp laughed and smacked the two with birth certificates. "Bwahahaha! You two are both 18 as of today!"

Alex looked at the piece of paper. It was handwritten and said. [This brat Alex was born 18 years ago.]

Alex looked at Shanks's and it said the same thing with a different name. Alex facepalmed. "This is never gonna work!"

2 hours later.

Alex and Shanks were standing on a boat in a line of marines. Every other person there was at least a foot and a half taller than them.

Alex looked shocked. "It worked?"

The instructor smacked him with a stick. "No speaking!"

He paced back and forth as he started giving a speech. "For years, pirates and criminal scum have tainted this beautiful sea. That's why you're here! Today, we will see who is the tomorrow of the marines! The future!"

A couple of the marines looked confused. Alex sighed, he really was surrounded by idiots.

The instructor continued pacing back and forth. "We are going to be out hunting real pirates today! And I will be assessing if you have the guts to become a real marine! You have all gone through years of training and hard work to get here. You passed all your tests and physical exams and now, this is the final hurdle!"

Shanks and Alex looked at each other. Was there supposed to be other tests first? What about the years of training? The two boys could practically imagine Garp laughing while ignoring protocol to sign them up for this test.

The instructor continued. "You are on one of two boats of trainees who have made it this far, be proud of that fact! Now, this test is a little different than the others! Our top five recruits today are able to receive a devil fruit! This is a great honor for you all! So, who hear is ready to clean up the dregs of society with me?!"

Half the marines cheered before being smashed over the head with a stick. "I SAID NO TALKING!"

Alex and Shanks bit down on their lips to suppress their laughter.

The instructor looked at everyone once before turning around. "Dismissed! Be ready for a pirate attack at any time, this is the real deal, even I don't know who will attack or when they will attack!"

The recruits saluted and Alex and Shanks followed along with their own sloppy salutes as their hats that were too big for them dropped down and covered their eyes.

The recruits started to break off into different groups and started mingling with each other. They avoided the three new kids as they didn't know where they came from.

You heard right, the three new kids. As Shanks and Alex were scanning the boat they noticed one other person curled up in a ball and rocking back and forth.

"Buggy? What are you doing here?" Alex asked.

Buggy looked over at the two. "I don't know. I was just trying to buy some breakfast when a lady picked me up. She called me a barrel-pervert and kicked me. When I landed I was on this boat! How am I supposed to become a marine! I'm 13 years old!"

Alex and Shanks laughed. "That's what you get for peeking on defenseless ladies!" Shanks explained in between fits of giggles.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Buggy called out in anguish.

The three boys talked and walked around the ship. Alex checked out the library but he had already read every book in it. Disappointed, he returned to Shanks and Buggy and found them surrounded by a group of people.

"Where did you little squirts come from?" A beautiful girl asked them.

Alex looked at Shanks. "Did she just call you guys squirts?"

Shanks nodded. "Yeah… that had to be the least offensive thing I've ever been called. Even Crocus and Gaban call me worse."

Alex nodded and one of the boys beside the girl stepped up. "Shut up when the princess is talking to you!"

Alex looked up at the girl and stoked his chin. He didn't think that was true.

Shanks took the words right out of his mouth. "You don't really look like a princess…"

The boys surrounding her all gasped in shock. "Y-you insolent!"

"How dare you!"

Alex looked at Shanks and laughed. Shanks covered his mouth, realizing he should have said that, even if it's true.

The girl looked down on him from above and took a step forward. Shanks got ready to receive a beating.

When the girl was standing over him she bent down to look him face to face. "Kyaa! No one has ever said that to me before! How cool!"

She had hearts in her eyes!

Alex's jaw nearly hit the floor before he started laughing. He looked at Buggy and rested his elbow on Buggy's shoulder. "You see, Buggy. This is why they say nice guys finish last. Take notes from your big brother Shanks."

Buggy was baffled by everything that was going on while Alex watched Shanks with a smile, eager to see what would happen next.

Shanks didn't miss a beat. He flashed a grin. "I am pretty cool, aren't I? Way cooler than that loser over there." He said as he pointed in Alex's direction.

Alex shook his head. "You wi-"

"Don't talk back to my Darling!" The 'princess' girl yelled at Alex.

Alex's brain slowed as he processed the information. He just shrugged. "You're right. Sorry."

If there was one thing Whitebeard taught him well, it was to never argue with a girl, unless you liked them or cared about them.

Alex suddenly wondered where Whitebeard learned that, maybe there was a story behind it…

He should ask when he gets back.

The princess girl snorted at Alex while Shanks laughed at him. She fell over backwards with hearts in her eyes. "His smile is… too precious." She said as she hit the floor.