[T/N:
Final Total Power Stone Collection : 93 PS
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This is today's final chapter release forĀ One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!! Thank you all so much for reading along and for your support. Final thoughts or a review would be amazing! ā¤ļø
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A new day dawned, and five hundred New Recruits occupied the Branch's Training Field. Over four hundred of them had been shaved bald, looking listless, as if their very lives had lost all color.
Trendy hairstyles, earrings, necklaces, ripped jeansā¦
All gone.
It was almost worse than death.
But even worse was yet to come.
"Crack!"
Roya, wielding a jet-black Whip, patrolled the ranks of New Recruits standing at Military Stance. Anyone who dared to twitch would immediately feel the sting of the lash.
"Show some spirit!"
"Heads up! Chest out! Stomach in!"
"Anyone who moves, I'll whip them to death!"
"Crack!"
"Aaargh!!!"
From early in the morning, tearful wails rose and fell in waves.
Roya showed no mercy to these Energetic Young Men who couldn't even stand straight, treating them like hardened criminals.
Noon, twelve o'clock.
The scorching sun beat down on the Earth.
The New Recruits had gone to the Restaurant, leaving Bartolomeo alone in the center of the Training Field, sweating profusely as he did Push-ups under the blazing sun.
"Damn it, why is my training regimen three times harder than everyone else's!"
"Because you're their leader, you have to set an example."
Roya, with his legs crossed, sat leisurely on Barto's back. Think he could slack off just because he talked back? No such luck.
The triple training regimen was just the beginning.
"Thump!"
Barto collapsed on the ground, exhausted.
"Get up."
"No!"
Roya pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
Barto's eyes turned bloodshot, and he angrily pushed himself up with his hands.
"Bastard, you win!"
Days passed.
They endured a relentless barrage of Torture: being strung up and whipped, late-night extra training, standing at Military Stance under the scorching sun, and the ultimate Small Dark Room, deprived of sleep and food.
In less than half a month, the New Recruits' stubbornness was completely worn away. Just seeing Roya was enough to make their legs tremble uncontrollably.
Their eyes conveyed a single meaning.
A demon, an absolute demon!
Roya handed the blood-red Whip to Tashigi: "Sergeant Tashigi, I'm handing over the following training tasks to you. Whip them when needed, don't go easy on them."
"Yes, sir!"
Tashigi accepted the order loudly.
Having been promoted to Sergeant, this was her first official assignment.
She would do her best!
----
In the evening, Roya returned to the Dormitory to change into a clean Suit, then left the Branch and headed to the most bustling Execution Square in Logue town.
In less than a month and a half, he would be heading to the Grand Line for Training Camp. Before that, he had to make sure Logue town was running smoothly.
The Branch's affairs had all been handed over to Smoker, with Fullbody and Jango assisting. There shouldn't be any problems.
He had to check on how the Gray Industry reforms were going in Logue town, especially in the Gray Streets.
Night fell on Logue town's largest Red-light District.
In the past, every night, this place would welcome its liveliest hours. All sorts of people, including Pirates and criminals, flocked here to spend their money.
However, since the Marine's crackdown, business in each shop had plummeted, earning less than a tenth of what they used to.
"Prime Location for Rent!"
Many shops had "For Rent" or "For Sale" signs posted on their doors, hoping some sucker would take over.
Some scantily clad Misses stood pitifully on both sides of the Street. When they saw Roya, their eyes lit up one by one, and they rushed forward, vying for his attention.
"Handsome, over here, over here!"
"Come to me!"
"Hey, I was here first!"
"Huh? Whoever gets him first, gets him!"
Before Roya could react, the Misses started arguing, rolling up their sleeves as if they were about to throw down.
Roya watched with great interest.
Intense competition indicates that the reforms are effective.
Soon, Miss Number 6 won. Ignoring whether Roya wanted to or not, she pulled him into a Foot bath shop next door.
Roya was intrigued and cooperated.
Inside a small room on the second floor, Roya lay comfortably on the sofa bed. Soon, the Miss brought over a Foot bath, a hot Towel, Nail clippers, and other items.
First a foot soak, then a Massage.
Ten minutes laterā¦
The Miss was covered in sweat, her whole Body pressed down.
"Handsome, is this good enough?"
"It's alright."
"Then I'll put in more effort!"
The Miss's cheeks flushed. Because she was exerting so much force, the veins on her arms bulged. She grabbed Roya's soles and pinched them hard.
She had never encountered a customer with such stamina!
Roya closed his eyes, enjoying the pleasure of the Foot Massage. Seeing that she was almost done, he casually asked, "Are there any other services?"
"Yes, there are!"
The Miss, clearly exhausted, tried hard to perk up. "Singing, dancing, drinking, playing cards, I can do all of those. As long as you're willing to pay, I'll do whatever you want. But let me make it clear, no special services."
"Oh, so this place is running a clean shop now, huh?"
Roya's eyes twinkled with amusement.
"What else could I be?"
The Miss rolled her eyes, a hint of melancholy in her expression. "Before, I just had to lie there, and the money would fly in on its own. It's not like that anymore."
"If you want to earn money, you have to learn everything!"
"And you have to reject the customers' excessive demands, or the boss will find out and I'll lose my job. Then I won't have any income, and I won't even be able to pay the rent."
"I don't want to end up on the Street."
It sounded quite sad.
Roya nodded silently and asked, "Do you want to go back to how it was before?"
"Not really."
The Miss hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and whispered, "Although I earned more before, I had to give most of it to the boss. In reality, it's not much different from what I earn now."
"It's more tiring now, but the money I earn is hard-earned, and we've all registered our identities with the Marine. If anything goes wrong, the boss will suffer too."
"You probably don't know, but the boss doesn't dare to mess with us now. Before, if we made a mistakeā¦"
At this point, the Miss shuddered in fear and quickly changed the subject, her eyes filled with hope. "Right now, I just want to earn more money and buy my own house in Logue town."
"Then you have to work hard."
Roya encouraged her with a smile, but his heart felt a little heavy.
Those working at the bottom of these entertainment industries don't have the right to choose. They can't even guarantee their own safety, and a large portion of them are forced into it.
This large-scale reform gave them a chance to choose their lives again, and it also allowed him to see the changes he had brought about.
He didn't really care too much about these things, nor did he plan to be a partner of Justice, but seeing hope on other people's faces always made him feel a little better.
Just going with the flow.
Before he left, the Miss chased after him.
"Wait a moment, handsome."
A small note was secretly slipped into Roya's hand.
"This is?"
"Where I live."
The Miss's cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned her head away, a little embarrassed, and explained in a low voice, "Um, I don't want to do business with you, and I don't plan to charge you."
"Yes, I understand."
Roya smiled and nodded, turned and left, waving his hand in a cheerful mood.
"Thank you!"