Chapter 34: Battle Report
Knock knock knock—
The sound of knocking interrupted Sakazuki, who was in the middle of learning how to handle paperwork. He looked up, then got up to open the door.
Standing there was Vice Admiral Zephyr, looking oddly conflicted as he handed over a few reports without a word. Then, without waiting for a response, he walked into the office, took a seat, and cracked open a bottle of sherry.
Sakazuki was puzzled.
He had been handling most of the duties these past couple of days, while his superior had taken off to spend time with his girlfriend. Why return now with that sour expression?
Shaking his head, Sakazuki turned his attention to the stack of battle reports in his hands.
Suddenly, he noticed something slipped beneath the reports—a freshly printed copy of the World Economy News, a paper from a well-known publication.
So that's the issue.
Driven by curiosity, Sakazuki shut the door, sat on the office sofa, crossed his legs, and began reading.
Whoosh!
All familiar faces.
From the very first glance, Sakazuki spotted the third name on the report: Roel. One of the 37 men who had come with him on this deployment, Roel had gone out on a mission ten days ago. And now—already third place in combat achievements?
Looks like all those gifts weren't wasted. Thirty-seven sets of gear and ammo supplies, totaling about 700 million Beli in value.
If his guess was right, the names of all 37 should be in these reports. Within two days, they'd all be promoted to Ensign or Sub-Lieutenant in the Navy.
Sakazuki smiled to himself and eagerly continued reading the details.
He glanced through Roel's contributions listed in the report:
"Single-handedly eliminated over thirty pirates, supported naval bombardments exceeding one hundred confirmed kills, personally slew a pirate captain with a 30 million Beli bounty..."
Every line was about killing. Not a single entry unrelated to death or combat.
Not bad at all. Sakazuki nodded in approval—especially the artillery support part. That showed Roel wasn't just a reckless fighter but had some tactical awareness and understanding of teamwork.
Nodding again, he moved on to the next report. Then the next. And the next...
By the time he reached the final sheet, Sakazuki's expression had softened even more.
Seventeen reports in total—not a single soldier seriously wounded or killed. Almost all of them ranked within the top ten contributors. Their merits were plain to see.
The only downside?
Every entry was a variation of the word kill.
Sakazuki glanced at Zephyr.
No wonder he was upset, even if he didn't say anything.
After working under him for three months, Sakazuki had come to understand his superior well. Zephyr was a man of deep compassion—a true believer in the Navy's ideals, someone who thought anyone could be reformed, pirate or otherwise.
Sakazuki respected that belief, but didn't share it.
Pirates are trash. Filth. The idea that they can change? If that were true, the world would've known peace by now.
He carefully stacked the reports, then pulled out the newspaper that had been placed at the bottom.
The front page headline?
Roel.
Somehow, Morgans had gotten hold of the intel and plastered Roel's name and deeds across the front page—his story even pushed the rebellion summary to second billing.
"The Demon Hound Roel?"
"Evil hunting dog, huh? Fitting... but I don't like it."
Sakazuki stared at the nickname, then back at the highlighted feats.
Infiltrating enemy camps alone, placing explosives next to himself, standing within artillery range while locking eyes with a pirate captain—every act was the kind that could get you killed in a heartbeat.
And the way he took down pirates? Definitely on the cruel side. The pirate captain he killed had nearly a hundred gaping wounds—most civilians would lose their appetite just from seeing the photo.
Sigh... I better ask Master Ross for some psychological support techniques. Last thing I want is this kid getting himself killed on his second mission.
"Vice Admiral Zephyr, has our first mission been confirmed yet?"
Not wanting to dwell on that topic, Sakazuki shifted gears, asking about their next deployment.
He'd been told the mission was coming soon—seemed like a good time to bring it up.
"Mm. The king of one of the North Blue nations is pressing for action. I'll temporarily serve as the North Blue Naval Commander to prevent powerful pirates from running amok in the region."
Zephyr, who had downed an entire bottle of sherry, showed no signs of being drunk. His voice was steady and clear.
"I'll have my adjutant take you on patrol. Your tasks will vary—it's up to you to decide what to do."
Sakazuki couldn't be raised like a traditional marine. His goal was to become an Admiral—perhaps even Fleet Admiral.
He needed to learn to make independent decisions. Zephyr's job was simply to guide and correct them.
As for high-intensity combat?
That would have to wait at least another year.
Only the New World could offer battles tough enough for Sakazuki to grow. But with tensions escalating globally, throwing him into that shark tank too soon could get him killed.
That was the last thing the Navy wanted.
It was the same with Garp's son—Dragon. But his guardians… well, let's just say they weren't the best teachers.
Garp? Utterly counterproductive.
Sengoku? Too busy as the next Fleet Admiral.
Tsuru? Competent, but only useful in knowledge-based areas—Dragon's talents lay elsewhere.
Right now, the Navy's future rested on Sakazuki… and that noble-born child from the Nasdaq family.
An Admiral-in-training who came with funding and a team—unprecedented in Navy history.
Was that a blessing or a curse?
The more Zephyr thought about it, the more conflicted he felt. These past two months were supposed to be the happiest of his life—he had even officially gotten engaged to Sherry. Their wedding would be held either upon his promotion to Admiral or during peacetime.
"I understand, Vice Admiral Zephyr. Also, I think you should handle these classified documents. I've taken care of the rest."
Sakazuki handed over a small pile of files—ones he felt unqualified to process.
Staying at Navy HQ was peaceful and safe, sure, but the paperwork? Not fun. It didn't hold a candle to the freedom of running a branch outpost.
At least, that's how Sakazuki felt for now.
"Alright, you go get some rest. I'll handle the rest. Oh, by the way—the Navy's just recruited a new kid named Kakei. He lives right next to you. Go say hi when you can."
"Understood."
With that, Sakazuki turned and left.
Kakei?
That name sounded familiar. Didn't some Vice Admiral have a similar name?
Whatever. Might as well get to know him. Could be another future pillar of the Navy, like Gion.