Inside the living room.
Roya was sitting on the sofa, leaning against the soft cushions.
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening came from behind. Roya slightly turned his head and casually greeted: "You're back?"
"Mm."
Garp's voice was gruff, and his mood seemed somewhat down as he walked in.
Seeing Garp like this, Roya couldn't help but smile and said, "What's wrong? You look so defeated. This isn't the energetic Uncle Garp I know."
Roya didn't really care about the distinction between Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral. But Garp looked genuinely shaken—definitely not matching his usual image.
Roya's half-joking tone slightly lifted Garp's mood. He shot back at Roya with a smile: "You little brat…"
After shaking his head helplessly, Garp spoke again, his voice low and heavy: "About Dragon… I think I've mentioned him to you before, right?"
"Since you forgot, why are you asking me?"
Roya rolled his eyes. He wasn't sure if Garp was forgetful or if he just spoke and immediately forgot. Garp had already mentioned Dragon once, and Roya, out of curiosity, had even asked him about it himself.
Garp scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed: "I originally wanted to train that kid into an outstanding Marine, but… it seems the impact has been quite significant."
Roya felt exasperated. Garp's nerves were impossible to comment on. He only now realized the impact was big?!
No.
To be precise, Garp simply never cared about Dragon's impact on others or the world. What mattered was that Dragon affected Roya's matters—in Garp's view, only then was the impact "significant."
"It's fine. Everyone has their own thoughts. I'm the same; no need to restrict them deliberately. But that Akainu guy… I'm really annoyed by him now," Roya said casually, shrugging.
"Huh?!"
Garp scratched his head, thought for a moment, and then said seriously: "Sakazuki? Once you're stronger than him, just give him a good beating."
"Reasonable," Roya nodded in agreement.
Although his strength still lagged behind Akainu, once he enhanced his Soul Sword to the fourth or even fifth stage and activated the Ryūjin Jakka…
Which is stronger, magma or the surface fire of the sun?!
Roya was genuinely curious about the answer.
If anyone was secretly eavesdropping on this uncle-nephew conversation, they would probably spew blood three meters away. What a bizarre topic!
"By the way…"
As Roya prepared to head back to his room, Garp suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at him with a deep gaze.
"Mm?"
Garp rarely showed this kind of gaze, so Roya paused and blinked.
"Never mind, it's nothing…"
Garp studied Roya for a moment with that deep gaze, then shook his head: "Seems like you've been hiding a lot of secrets from me, but since you don't want to talk about it, there must be a reason. I won't ask further."
Though Garp appeared careless and thick-skinned, that didn't mean he was stupid. On the contrary, the same Garp who chased Pirate King Roger across the world was very clever—but he hid that cleverness beneath his rough exterior.
"…."
Roya stayed silent for a moment, then simply said, "I'm going to my room," and left the living room.
Roya rarely hid anything from Garp. He also rarely concealed his thoughts. For example, if he was annoyed by Akainu, he said it directly.
As for other matters:
Garp wouldn't harm him, and he wouldn't harm Garp. They recognized each other as family, and that was enough. Nothing else mattered.
---
Marine Headquarters Harbor.
A medium-sized warship was docked, supplies already loaded. A Marine Commander, several Lieutenant Commander, and some junior Marine officers (Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant) were waiting on the deck.
Their mission was to deliver supplies and the newly appointed Rear Admiral Base Commander of the 1st Branch in the West Blue to the West Blue 1st Branch Base.
"Who do you think the new Rear Admiral Base Commander of the West Blue 1st Branch is?"
"How would I know? There are so many Rear Admirals at Headquarters; it could be anyone."
The Lieutenant Commanders casually discussed among themselves. Transport missions were usually safe, with a low risk of danger, so they were relaxed.
At that moment, a figure appeared in the distance, approaching the warship. As he drew closer, the justice banner of a Marine Rear Admiral was clearly visible.
"Looks like it's him."
The Marine junior officers immediately lined up to welcome the approaching Rear Admiral.
However, when the Rear Admiral stepped onto the ship, the junior officers were stunned. The person wearing the Rear Admiral banner looked extremely young—apparently not even twenty—much younger than any of them!
This was the first time they had seen such a young Marine Rear Admiral.
Naturally, this Rear Admiral was Roya.
Roya's original rank was Rear Admiral at Headquarters, mainly tasked with staying on standby there. But recently, an unexpected incident occurred.
The Rear Admiral Base Commander of the West Blue 1st Branch had been defeated in a direct clash with a pirate crew while trying to capture them.
This incident was highly unexpected.
A Rear Admiral Base Commander was equivalent in rank to a Headquarters Rear Admiral. In this sea, the Grand Line was where strong pirates ruled. While the West Blue wasn't the weakest, even the strongest West Blue pirates would barely have a chance against a Headquarters Rear Admiral.
As a result, the Gecko Pirates' bounty jumped from 15 million Berries to 70 million Beli, making them one of the highest-bounty crews in the West Blue.
There was no detailed information yet, and it was unknown whether the Gecko Pirates had reached the Grand Line or were still in the West Blue.
Since the Gecko Pirates could defeat a Rear Admiral-level officer directly, ordinary Marines wouldn't suffice. At least a Vice Admiral-level officer was needed.
But the West Blue was vast, and it was unclear if the Gecko Pirates were still there. Vice Admiral-level officers couldn't roam the West Blue indefinitely. The highest-ranking Marine in the West Blue was just a few Base Commanders at most.
Therefore, due to this incident, Roya's assignment was temporarily adjusted. His rank remained Headquarters Rear Admiral, but he was transferred to the West Blue to serve as the Rear Admiral Base Commander of the 1st Branch.
In terms of strength and position, Roya was undoubtedly the most suitable. Being young, gaining command experience in the West Blue, and later being promoted to Vice Admiral made perfect sense.
Roya did not refuse the assignment.
In some ways, he shared Garp's personality. He disliked being bound by rules and regulations. Compared to staying on standby at Headquarters, Roya preferred the freedom of being out in the world.