Chapter 26: Dragon
Marineford's grandeur far exceeded Garon's imagination.
This Marine Headquarters fortress stood tall and imposing. Not only was its facade awe-inspiring, but even the Marine residential district on the far side was astonishingly prosperous. It was lined with shops, fully equipped with amenities, and its sheer scale rivaled the capital city of any kingdom.
"A truly unexpected surprise..." Garon murmured, looking at the private, single-family house before him, his fingers lightly brushing the doorframe.
Logically, with his rank of Warrant Officer, he should not have been entitled to such treatment.
"It seems the name of 'Teacher' Zephyr, who is about to be promoted to Admiral, carries even more weight than I imagined."
After briefly stowing his luggage, Garon fell back onto the soft bed.
"Marine Headquarters..." He stared at the white ceiling, replaying every detail of his conversation with Zephyr.
Especially when that one phrase—"I will personally train you to become a Marine Admiral"—echoed in his ears again.
Garon suddenly shot up with a kip-up, his legs uncontrollably and joyfully kicking at the edge of the bed.
"I did it!" Garon clenched his fists, so excited that he momentarily let his usual guard down.
All those days and nights of careful, meticulous planning, plotting every single step—wasn't it all for this very moment?
After a long time, the tide of euphoria receded. Garon's gaze fell on Eight Desolations, which was leaning against the headboard.
Moonlight filtered through the window. Eight Desolations leaned against the nightstand, its white-bandaged body revealing nothing out of the ordinary.
"This is no time to relax." Garon snatched up his beloved sword and strode out to the small, empty yard behind the house.
With a clear zheng!, Eight Desolations was liberated. Its ink-black blade drew a cold glint of light in the night. As Garon's fingers brushed over the patterns on the blade, he could almost feel a tremor of anticipation from the sword itself.
"Rocks's personal sword... One of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords..." Garon muttered.
If he were to walk the traditional path of a swordsman, this weapon would have absolutely saved him twenty years of struggle.
But... he knew his own limitations better than anyone.
Even someone like Zoro had to endure hellish training, so what chance did he, a complete amateur, have?
But so what?
Garon suddenly grinned. With a flick of his wrist, the blade, empowered by vibration particles, wove a silver net in the moonlight.
Who said you had to be a master swordsman just to use a sword? By perfectly fusing top-tier physical technique, Devil Fruit abilities, and his own-created moves—like his ultimate attack, "Sky-Tremor: Void-Crack"—wasn't he just as deadly?
"Top-tier Haki, a top-tier weapon, and a powerful Devil Fruit..." Garon settled into a ready stance, his blade pointed at the sky.
"All three combined, even if I'm not a swordsman..."
The night wind suddenly gusted, sweeping up the fallen leaves. In the next second, the light of his blade fell like a waterfall, shattering the air and the moonlight along with it.
"...I can still cut down anything in this sea!"
...
The next morning, the Marineford sun streamed through the blinds into Zephyr's office.
When Garon pushed the door open, he found the room empty.
He scanned the room, and his gaze was quickly drawn to a new, smaller desk that had been added in the corner.
It was clearly for him.
"..." Garon raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
Although he knew he had been assigned as Zephyr's adjutant, he hadn't expected his desk to be placed directly inside Zephyr's own office.
Normally, an adjutant would have a separate office, or at most, one next door. Not share the same room as their superior.
"It seems Vice Admiral Zephyr really does plan to keep a personal eye on me." A small smile touched Garon's lips. He wasn't opposed to it.
He wasn't the stubborn type who insisted on climbing the ladder one step at a time. If a shortcut presented itself, he certainly wouldn't refuse.
Besides, having direct access to the Marine high command was nothing but beneficial for his future plans.
Garon was indifferent, but the soldier who had guided him stood at the door, his eyes full of envy.
"Warrant Officer Garon, your transfer papers are all complete. If you need anything, you can contact the logistics department directly."
"Mm, thank you for your trouble," Garon nodded.
The soldier hesitated, but couldn't help lowering his voice. "Vice Admiral Zephyr... he values you greatly. You're the first person to ever have their desk inside his office."
Garon just smiled and said nothing.
The soldier took the hint, saluted, and left Garon alone in Zephyr's office.
He walked over to his desk and sat, casually flipping through the files that had already been prepared for him. There were assessment reports for new recruits and several intelligence briefings on recent pirate activity in the Grand Line.
A larger portion, however, was a draft for an "elite training camp" plan, which seemed to involve gathering the "monster" graduates from the Academy. Garon saw many familiar names on the mock roster, including the future Three Admirals.
"Looks like the workload won't be light," Garon stretched, his gaze sweeping over Zephyr's desk.
It was immaculate, files neatly categorized. In the center was an open training manual for new HQ recruits on "Advanced Rokushiki," and next to it was a cup of long-cold tea.
"Zephyr really is a workaholic. He hasn't even been promoted to Admiral yet, and he's already preparing to train the next generation."
After a moment of boredom, Garon retracted his gaze and began to organize his own things.
However, before he could even get settled, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a tall, young Marine walked in.
He had black, shoulder-length hair and a cold, chiseled face. His sharp, eyebrow-less eyes were like blades. He wore a Marine Captain's uniform, and his entire being radiated a calm, restrained aura.
Monkey D. Dragon. (Called Dragon now, only later Ryū when he founds the Revolutionary Army.)
I can't believe I'm meeting him... Garon's gaze sharpened slightly.
Although they had never officially met, the man's identity wasn't hard to guess.
Garp's son. The future leader of the Revolutionary Army. But at this moment, he was still just a Marine HQ Captain serving under his father.
Dragon first scanned the office, and after confirming Zephyr wasn't there, his gaze finally landed on Garon.
"Vice Admiral Zephyr isn't here?"
"Mm. He stepped out." Garon nodded. "Something I can help you with?"
Dragon was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm here to submit the patrol report for G-5 Branch."
He walked to Zephyr's desk, placed a file on it, and then his gaze returned to Garon.
"You're Garon Reginald Sigma?"
"Just call me Garon." Garon leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips. "But, my name travels fast, doesn't it?"
Dragon didn't smile. He just said flatly, "My father mentioned you."
"Vice Admiral Garp?" Garon feigned realization. "Then I'm truly honored."
Dragon's lack of eyebrows made him look particularly fierce, especially now as he stared at Garon with an appraising, intense gaze.
Garon was starting to feel a little creeped out by the stare, so the very instant Dragon opened his mouth to speak again, Garon blurted out, "I'm not into guys."
"That line of yours from West Blue—'Belated justice is no justice at all.'"
The two spoke at the exact same time. But Garon's words were, clearly, the more shocking.
Dragon: "..."
Just because you're not into guys, does that meanIam???