On the ship, the lights were bright, and laughter echoed everywhere as people drank and chatted merrily.
"Everyone—everyone, let's… let's raise a toast to Kung Fu Leon Fang! Cheers!"
Louis, already thoroughly drunk, slung an arm around Leon Fang's shoulder and shouted loudly, completely lacking his usual steady and dignified air.
Standing nearby, Tina covered her face in embarrassment and annoyance, looking as if she wished she could pretend she didn't recognize her own father.
"Hahaha! Drink… drink! For Kung Fu Master Leon Fang… for General Louis… for Captain Jacks…"
"Today… today was really fun! Not only did we ruin the enemy's plot, but we also met Kung Fu Leon Fang—the future of the Navy!"
The people around him continued to make a ruckus. Louis drank until he collapsed onto the floor. Suddenly, he raised the glass in his hand as if resurrected from the dead, then burst into manic laughter and poured the wine all over his own face.
Leon Fang's lips twitched helplessly.
He had always disliked alcohol. Losing control was dangerous—not only to himself, but to those around him.
Fortunately, his youthful appearance served as excellent camouflage, preventing the drunkards from forcing him to drink too much. Moreover, Leon Fang knew very well that these people were just looking for an excuse to drink freely; they weren't actually relying on him.
…
"I—I'm not drunk… give me another bottle…"
Louis, swaying like a zombie, was unceremoniously thrown onto the bed by Leon Fang.
He struggled to break free from the blanket sealing him in, but the blanket—apparently possessing extraordinary restraining power—refused to cooperate. His voice gradually faded as he slipped into a deep sleep.
"Tina is really sorry for troubling Brother Leon Fang so much…"
Tina stood quietly to the side, her face flushed red, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Hearing that familiar way of speaking, Leon Fang instantly realized that the little girl before him—barely ten years old—would one day become the valiant and beautiful female Marine officer more than twenty years later.
"It's nothing," Leon Fang said with a smile, shaking his head as he walked outside.
Tina hurried after him, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Brother Leon Fang, Tina really wants to know—how did you manage to tame that golden dragon?"
"Submission to the strong is the instinct of all living beings," Leon Fang replied calmly, speaking utter nonsense with a perfectly straight face. "Dragons are no exception."
He had no intention of letting anyone know that he had used the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.
"Oh! Tina understands now," she said earnestly, her eyes shining with admiration. "It was Brother Leon Fang's overwhelming strength that made it unable to resist."
She clenched her little fists.
"Brother Leon Fang's Kung Fu is really amazing!"
"Of course," Leon Fang said gently. "Only absolute strength can safeguard peace. That's exactly why I intend to become a Marine who upholds justice."
He reached out and lightly patted Tina's head, his gesture warm and sincere.
"Tina, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"
The ten-year-old girl didn't have many complicated thoughts. She only felt that her brother's hand was warm and comforting.
In a clear, sweet voice, she replied,
"Tina also wants to become a Marine like Brother Leon Fang. If… if Tina becomes a Marine, she won't be limited to just one country or one island. She'll be able to travel freely across this beautiful sea."
Leon Fang smiled faintly.
"Being a Marine isn't necessarily as glamorous as you imagine. It's both a restraint and a responsibility. Once you shoulder those two titles, you often lose control over your own fate."
"Then… why does Brother Leon Fang still want to become a Marine?"
Tina tilted her head, not fully understanding his words, yet instinctively feeling they made sense.
"Killing someone always requires a reason," Leon Fang said softly. "But tell me—what reason do you need to help someone?"
Every word carried pure goodwill.
…
The next morning, Louis acted as if nothing had happened the night before. The moment he saw Leon Fang, he laughed heartily.
"Brother Leon Fang! I heard from Tina that you're planning to join the Navy's G-2 Branch?"
Leon Fang smiled gently.
"Yes. I hope everything goes smoothly."
"Brother Leon Fang, excessive modesty is just another form of arrogance," Louis said sincerely. "In my opinion, with your abilities, becoming a colonel wouldn't be difficult even without special qualifications."
Leon Fang shook his head.
He knew very well that his true strength was already sufficient to stand at the level of an admiral.
The Navy, at its core, valued strength above all else. More than twenty years later, monsters like Fujitora and Green Bull would be promoted directly to admiral without any prior merits. But that had been under special circumstances—when the Navy was severely weakened and desperately needed overwhelming power.
Although Leon Fang's strength was enough to make the Navy break its rules for him, he didn't want to disturb the current balance. After all, three terrifying monsters were already rising within the Navy, and the overall situation was extremely favorable.
The Navy's high command was not foolish. They clearly understood the impact Roger's final words would have on the world. That was precisely why they had initiated a new round of global recruitment—urgently filling the gaps in mid- and high-level personnel.
Under such circumstances, anyone with strength and talent would rise far faster than before.
That was why Leon Fang chose to join the Navy at this moment.
If he wanted to make full use of the Navy's resources to establish his own school as soon as possible, he had to demonstrate his value—and even become a benchmark figure within the Navy.
Though he already possessed admiral-level strength, he was still too young.
If his techniques were exposed too early, the Five Elders would inevitably grow uneasy. If he already possessed the power of one of the Four Emperors, none of this would be necessary.
Leon Fang understood one thing very clearly.
It was true that the tallest tree would be struck by the wind—but if one didn't even have the courage to face the storm alone, it would be impossible for a single tree to ever grow into a forest.
Louis laughed and added jokingly,
"If Brother Leon Fang ever becomes dissatisfied with the Navy, the gates of our Kingdom of Hiska will always be open to you. Although our influence on Saint Tin Island can't compare to superpowers like Alabasta, we're still a World Government member state with decent standing in the first half of the Grand Line."
Leon Fang treated those words as mere courtesy.
Unless it was a top-tier power like Elbaf or Wano Country, a nation's strength meant almost nothing before the Navy and the World Government.
Even a slightly capable pirate could topple a royal family—or even become a guardian of a powerful nation like Alabasta. At most, a pirate with a bounty of twenty or thirty million could be considered "strong."
Under such circumstances, Leon Fang would have to be completely out of his mind to attach himself to a kingdom.
"Dad~"
Tina dragged out the word, her voice full of dissatisfaction.
"Brother Leon Fang is going to become a Marine admiral. Who would want your position as a kingdom guardian?"
"Cough—cough—!"
Louis coughed violently, his expression filled with grievance.
"My little princess, at least give your father some face in front of others!"
"No way!" Tina retorted without mercy. "You can't even beat a pirate with a twenty-four-million bounty. Dad, you're such a disgrace!"
"A strategic retreat cannot be considered a defeat!" Louis argued indignantly, his face turning red.
"Can war… really be considered a defeat?"
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T/N:
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