The decision was made, heavy as a thousand pounds.
But Seraphilia did not immediately set out for the Navy Base; she knew that every adventure required thorough preparation.
Like a scout about to infiltrate enemy territory, she began meticulous intelligence gathering and planning in the forgotten corner of Black Iron Town.
Her target was the Navy Base's 73rd branch, which stood cold and imposing in the sea breeze.
The information was scattered and fragmented, but Seraphilia pieced it together like a puzzle.
In the dockside tavern, snippets of conversation from old soldiers who boasted of their past glories; complaints from merchants who supplied vegetables to the base about the Navy's strictness; and distant 'listening' to new recruit lectures and the monotonous bugle calls that marked the daily routine, cleverly hidden by Cloud Mist.
She even visited the town's only used bookstore with some connections, finding a tattered copy of the 'Marine Soldier Behavior Regulations and Welfare Guide (West Blue Branch Version)' amidst the piles of paper.
The yellowed pages were blurry, but they shone with valuable information in her eyes.
Combining these fragmented pieces of information and her vague yet deep memories from her past life, Seraphilia painted a clear and challenging blueprint in her mind:
1. The mystery of ranks and promotions: New recruits in the West Blue branch were typically third-class privates. Only those with outstanding performance or strong backgrounds could be directly appointed as second class privates. The promotion path ostensibly depended on merit—capturing pirates, completing missions, and strict training scores.
But she knew that beneath this shiny surface, there was a hidden 'human touch' rule.
The highest-ranking officer of the branch was a colonel with considerable autonomy. This was both an opportunity—if recognized, it would be easier to stand out—and a risk—the colonel's personal preferences could decide the fate of a low-ranking soldier.
2. The temptation and limitations of salary and leave: The monthly salary of a third-class private was extremely meager, barely enough to survive at the lowest level.
But the key point was: food, accommodation, and basic clothing were provided. This meant she no longer had to struggle for survival and could focus her energy on navigating the Navy's internal politics and improving her training.
Leave was scarce and irregular, usually only one or two days of 'external rest' per month, requiring multiple approvals and complicated procedures.
But this was no obstacle for Seraphilia.
What she truly valued was the long gap 'from night sleep to morning training'—during this time, the base management would inevitably have loopholes, and the lack of knowledge about 'ability users' would be her natural shield.
3. The precise calculation of daily life and loopholes: The strictness of new recruit training was just as she had imagined.
From the harsh bugle call that woke them up to the cold morning wash, to the barely edible but filling breakfast, every moment of the day was filled.
Physical training, drills, tactics, weapon practice—it was endless. There were fixed lights-out checks at night, a risk she needed to avoid.
However, the checks usually involved a non-commissioned officer counting numbers or giving a cursory glance, never checking each bed thoroughly.
As for the base's high walls, they were virtually non-existent to Seraphilia, who could elementize.
The biggest risk came from night patrols and base officers who might also possess Observation Haki. She needed to precisely calculate the patrol intervals and reduce her elementized cloud form to the lowest level—thin as smoke, moving slowly, almost like natural night mist, attracting no attention.
Her core action plan became clear: During the day, she would be a low-key, hardworking, even somewhat aloof new recruit, minimizing unnecessary social attention, eagerly absorbing all military skills and physical training, while quietly observing the base's personnel, looking for possible'shortcuts' or exploitable weaknesses.
At night, after ensuring safety, she would return to her haven in cloud form.
The key to all these plans was ensuring Robin's safety.