"Father, there is no need to see me off."
Saint Roselith Seraphina spoke firmly, her tone calm but leaving no room for negotiation.
She understood Victor's concern.
She truly did.
But
What meaning was there in mobilizing hundreds of guards just to escort her to the dock?
Did he truly believe that such a force could protect her?
Or was it simply his way of easing his own heart?
"Daughter! You are leaving again, and who knows when you will return? Let them accompany you at least this far so I can be at ease!"
Victor's voice carried both authority and emotion as he waved his hand.
At once, rows of guards stepped forward in perfect formation.
Seraphina frowned slightly.
"Enough. That won't be necessary."
Without waiting for further persuasion, she turned and strode away.
Her white Marine coat fluttered behind her, carrying with it a quiet, unyielding resolve.
At the harbor.
"Bruce… why hasn't Teacher arrived yet?"
Kuina glanced down at the pocket watch Victor had gifted her, its polished surface gleaming under the sunlight.
He had called it "a small token of an elder's care."
The agreed departure time had long passed.
Yet Seraphina had not appeared.
"Rear Admiral Seraphina may have been delayed by official duties."
Bruce replied calmly, his posture steady as always.
"Mm."
Kuina nodded, though a trace of concern lingered in her eyes.
"Prepare to set sail!"
Just as the order was about to be given
A streak of white flashed across the dock.
In the blink of an eye, Seraphina appeared between them.
She casually placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
Both Kuina and Bruce straightened instantly, their bodies reacting before their minds could catch up.
Far away.
At Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"Have you decided where to assign her?"
Monkey D. Garp leaned back casually, arms crossed, though his sharp gaze betrayed his curiosity.
Across the desk, Sengoku pressed his fingers against his temples, visibly troubled.
"…It's complicated."
He exhaled slowly.
The more he thought about it, the more difficult the decision became.
He already knew
The support Seraphina received from the Celestial Dragons was far beyond ordinary.
Unconditional, even.
He had also received word that Victor's proposal within the council restricting the travel of Celestial Dragons had been approved.
On the surface, it was framed as a measure for their safety.
But Sengoku was not naïve.
There was something deeper beneath it.
After observing Seraphina's conduct, he had reached a conclusion.
She was different.
Utterly different from the typical Celestial Dragon.
Her actions were consistent.
Her sense of justice was genuine.
Her discipline
Unquestionable.
Which led him to a possibility.
A dangerous one.
"A reformist faction…"
Sengoku muttered.
A group within the Celestial Dragons that sought to change the current order.
If Victor belonged to such a faction
Then Seraphina was its blade.
Her actions, her methods, her ideals
All pointed toward a quiet but undeniable shift.
In Sengoku's eyes, the Celestial Dragons were nothing short of a cancer upon the world.
Yet
The World Government had stood for eight hundred years.
Its roots ran too deep.
Even he, as Fleet Admiral, could not simply oppose it.
"I carry justice."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"But justice must protect the people."
Now was not the time for upheaval.
If the balance collapsed prematurely
The world would descend into chaos.
Warlords would rise.
Kingdoms would fracture.
Wars would ignite across the seas.
And the ones who would suffer
Were the civilians.
Always the civilians.
That was unacceptable.
Still
Seraphina represented a variable.
An unknown.
A contradiction.
Was she reinforcing the World Government?
Or reshaping it?
"…She's not simple."
Sengoku concluded quietly.
"Why not station her in Mary Geoise?"
Tsuru spoke calmly from the side.
Her insight was as sharp as ever.
"She could act as a bridge between the Marines and the World Government."
"A stabilizing factor."
Sengoku shook his head immediately.
"No."
"With her personality, she would never accept confinement."
"She chose to become a Marine."
"That alone proves she won't remain idle."
He tapped the desk lightly.
"I've reviewed her reports."
"Her ambitions lie beyond Mary Geoise."
"I heard she often operated in the East Blue."
Garp spoke again, half-smiling.
"Why not send her to the first half of the Grand Line?"
Sengoku paused.
Then
Slowly nodded.
That suggestion aligned with his thoughts.
"There are advantages."
He began analyzing aloud.
"First security."
"The most dangerous threats reside in the New World."
"With the Red Line and Marineford as barriers, risks are minimized."
"Second autonomy."
"She clearly prefers independent action."
"Third political balance."
He glanced toward the window.
"The influence behind her… cannot be ignored."
Victor's reach.
The Celestial Dragons' backing.
Those were not forces he could openly oppose.
"And finally "
Sengoku's voice steadied.
"She is a Marine."
"A true one."
Her justice was not hollow.
Her resolve was not performative.
She had proven that much already.
"She deserves the opportunity to act."
"If that's the case…"
Tsuru leaned forward slightly.
"Her current rank is insufficient."
"Only a Vice Admiral holds that level of operational freedom."
The room fell silent.
Then
A voice spoke.
Firm.
Cold.
Resolute.
"Justice should not be restrained by rank."
All eyes turned.
Kuzan stood nearby, arms loosely crossed.
His tone was lazy
But his meaning was not.
Sengoku looked at him for a long moment.
Then
He made his decision.
"…Very well."
He raised his hand.
And brought it down.
"Make an exception."
"Saint Roselith Seraphina will retain the rank of Rear Admiral "
"But "
His voice carried authority.
Unshakable.
"She will be granted independent operational command."
"The first Marine Rear Admiral in history "
"Authorized to freely enact justice."
The room fell silent.
Not in doubt.
But in acknowledgment.
A new precedent had just been set.
And with it
A new force had been unleashed upon the seas.
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