Chapter 46: A Post in the New World
Before Satoru could talk with his friends for long, an order came. Fleet Admiral Sengoku wanted to see him immediately. He had to say a quick goodbye.
In the next second, Satoru's figure appeared right in the middle of the Fleet Admiral's office.
Instantly, the bodies of everyone in the room tensed, ready for a fight. But when they saw who it was, they relaxed a little.
"Satoru," Zephyr said from his seat, a hint of reprimand in his voice. "Don't appear so suddenly next time. You might be mistaken for an enemy."
Even though Zephyr was used to Satoru's way of moving, this was the Fleet Admiral's office—one of the most secure places in the world. Satoru's ability made it seem like he could come and go as he pleased.
"Hahaha, I'll be more careful next time," Satoru said, not sounding sorry at all.
For a brief moment just now, Satoru had felt a very dangerous pressure. He'd almost teleported right back out. Luckily, the feeling faded quickly.
Note to self, he thought. Always keep Infinity active when entering unknown, high-level places.
"It's been two years," Fleet Admiral Sengoku said, looking Satoru over. "You've grown quite a bit."
"Long time no see, Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Satoru replied politely.
His eyes then moved to the couch. A lanky man in a yellow striped suit was lounging there.
"And a first meeting, Admiral Kizaru."
So that was the source of the danger. He had been instantly locked onto by three top-tier fighters. No wonder he'd felt such pressure.
"So you're the student Teacher Zephyr praises so much," Kizaru drawled, his voice slow. "How terrifying~ I didn't even react to that sudden appearance. That's quite a speed."
This was high praise from the man known as the 'World's Fastest.' There were few speeds he couldn't react to.
Zephyr's opinion of his students, however, was mixed. Even though Kizaru had become an Admiral and had the power to match, Zephyr still looked down on him a little. In Zephyr's eyes, Kizaru's physical skills were the worst of the three Admirals. His swordsmanship had only been learned under Zephyr's instruction at the academy. To Zephyr, the current Kizaru was someone who relied too much on his Devil Fruit.
"Admiral Kizaru is too kind," Satoru said with a smile. "When it comes to pure speed, you are still the fastest man in the world."
Kizaru felt the comment was a little strange, but he couldn't quite pinpoint why. It just felt a bit off.
"Satoru," Sengoku's voice turned serious. "According to Zephyr, you saw Monkey D. Dragon at Headquarters last night. Is that true?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did he say anything to you?"
"He said he was here to pick up something important. And then we... reminisced a bit. After all, you know I have a bit of a connection with him now."
Satoru didn't mention Dragon's attempt to recruit him. If he did, he'd be put under constant surveillance. And if someone was always watching him, he might just get rid of the watcher.
"So it really was Dragon who took the classified document," Sengoku grumbled, rubbing his temples. "That damn Garp... The son he raised is a real troublemaker."
He could already imagine the anger from the higher-ups. The stolen document was extremely important. It detailed the shipping routes the World Government member nations used to transport their Heavenly Tribute. Other forces wouldn't dare touch it, but the Revolutionary Army was different. They specialized in doing what others wouldn't.
But the Navy couldn't just go to war with them over it. Not openly.
"Never mind," Sengoku sighed. "This headache belongs to Commander-in-Chief Kong now."
It was a problem for the top brass of the entire World Government, not just the Marines.
"Now, about your assignment," Sengoku said, shifting the topic. "I've decided to assign you to the G-8 Naval Fortress in the New World."
Hearing this, Satoru's eyebrows rose in surprise. A New World fortress was commanded by at least a powerful Vice Admiral. He had the strength, but not the experience or seniority. Not only would the Marines at the base likely look down on him, but the pirates of the New World wouldn't take a fortress led by a child seriously.
Zephyr's face darkened immediately. He had been strongly against this order. The New World was far too dangerous. Even a fortress commanded by an Admiral couldn't guarantee 100% safety.
In the four seas and the first half of the Grand Line, you'd almost never run into someone who used Advanced Conqueror's Haki. But the New World was different. The number of confirmed Conqueror's Haki users was in the double digits. And those were just the ones on record. There were probably more.
So, while ordinary pirates couldn't hurt Satoru, sending him to the New World was like throwing him into a lion's den.
"Of course," Sengoku added, watching Satoru's reaction. "This is also to get your opinion. You just graduated. If you don't want to go, I can assign you somewhere else."
Admiral Kizaru looked up, his interest piqued. He wanted to see how this much-praised genius would answer. When he had graduated from the academy, he hadn't gotten such an offer. Even with the Glint-Glint Fruit, his strength back then wasn't enough to command a New World fortress. He was curious what kind of courage this prodigy had.
"Of course," Satoru said, a confident smile spreading across his face. "The New World is the best place for me right now."
He could train step-by-step and slowly grow stronger. He had all the potential of Gojo Satoru from his past life. But that would take a long time.
The New World was different. There was pressure there, and pressure created motivation. Most importantly, the New World wasn't short on monsters. He could train against the Emperors and their commanders—the ones who didn't use Advanced Conqueror's Haki. And if a fight turned bad, he could always use Infinity and Blue to make a quick escape.
That way, his strength could grow at the fastest possible rate.
"Good," Sengoku said, a satisfied look on his face. "I wasn't wrong about you."
He then shot a smug glance at Zephyr. This time, it seemed, Sengoku had won the argument. Satoru's path was set—straight into the heart of the world's most dangerous sea.
(End of Chapter)
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