Vice Admiral Komei's office was a mess. Not because of a fight, but because of the piles of documents, navigation charts, and empty coffee cups scattered across the wooden desk.
Across the table, Quentin Seven sat leaning back casually. His black shirt was slightly torn at the shoulder from the earlier fight, yet his expression was utterly calm.
"So," Komei broke the silence after taking a sip of water from his glass. The old man stared at Seven with a probing gaze. "What kind of Mythical Zoan did you eat, boy? Blue flames that can transform into a sword… and the ability to mimic movements just with your eyes. I've never seen such a strange combination of powers in any Devil Fruit encyclopedia."
Seven merely gave a faint smile, that signature smile that hid a thousand lies.
"The world is vast, Commander. There are many things not recorded in books," Seven replied, twirling a pen on the table. "Besides, revealing all my weaknesses and the secrets of my power on the first day of enrollment isn't exactly a smart move, is it?"
Komei snorted softly. He had already suspected this kid wouldn't easily reveal his secrets. The negotiations dragged on quite stubbornly. They argued about Navy procedures, recruitment rules, and even loyalty. However, Seven cleverly turned Komei's arguments on their head by pointing out that he had just handed over the head of a fugitive worth a hundred million Berry without asking for any reward other than a position.
"You're so stubborn," Komei sighed finally, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Standard Navy procedure requires every new recruit to start from the bottom, at most a Sergeant or Lieutenant if they possess a powerful Devil Fruit."
"But we both know I'm not a standard recruit," Seven cut in with a calm yet sharp tone. "Put me as a lowly soldier, and I'll just be wasting my time sweeping the deck. Put me in a strategic position, and I'll clear the West Blue of pirate remnants like Sparrow for you."
Komei fell silent. He weighed the pros and cons. Considering the giant, still-smoking crater behind his base, assigning Seven to a menial role would indeed be an insult to him.
"Alright," Komei finally decided, his voice heavy. "Given your achievement in killing Sparrow and your monster-like physical strength… I'll grant you the rank of Rear Admiral. Just one rank below my current position. You'll have your own warship and the freedom to hunt pirates across the Western Sea. But remember, you'll remain under my direct supervision."
Seven's smile widened slightly. "A fair deal."
After handling some military identification paperwork, Seven finally stepped out of Komei's office.
In his hands, he carried a thick, pristine white cloak, with gold rank insignia on the shoulders and giant kanji calligraphy embroidered on the back. Justice.
As he walked down the quiet base corridor, Seven slowly put the white coat on over his black cloak. The white fabric fluttered lightly behind him with every step. He glanced at his reflection in the corridor window and smiled with satisfaction.
'The perfect disguise,' Seven thought to himself. 'With this coat, I have access to the naval intelligence network, weapon supplies, and most importantly... the Navy's storage facility for confiscated Devil Fruits.'
His mind immediately raced to plan his next move. He had to find out where this base stored the Devil Fruits, or at least hunt down pirates with Devil Fruit abilities to absorb them in order to restore Kurama and the others.
Meanwhile, back in the commander's room.
After the door closed, Komei's shoulders, which had been stiff all along, slowly slumped. The old man coughed softly, clutching his chest, which still throbbed with pain from the clash of Haki with Seven's blue flame sword earlier.
Komei let out a long sigh. His wrinkled face betrayed a look of deep anxiety.
"That boy is cunning, and he's hiding something beyond just the secret of the Devil Fruit," Komei muttered to himself.
Komei recalled the battle on the field. It was true that he was a Vice Admiral, but due to his age and old injuries, Komei knew he had only mustered about sixty percent of his former glory when testing Seven earlier.
However, what terrified Komei wasn't his own decline in stamina. It was the fact that during that battle that had ravaged the field… Seven had also held back.
The young man never looked panicked. His breathing was too steady for someone under pressure. Even when he unleashed the blue flame sword that shattered Komei's blade, the look in Seven's eyes seemed to suggest he still had dozens of other trump cards up his sleeve.
Komei picked up the registration form that Seven had filled out a few minutes earlier. His eyes fixed on the name "Quentin Seven" written in black ink.
As a veteran officer who knew all too well the corruption at the highest levels, Komei's mind began to conjure the worst-case scenario. If he reported Seven's true power and potential to the World Government in Mary Geoise, those bastard high-ranking officials would surely intervene.
The World Government would certainly summon Seven. They would analyze his power, brainwash him, or worse yet... turn him into a personal killing dog for those disgusting Sky Dragons.
"No," Komei whispered firmly. He crumpled the edge of the form. "The Navy needs a new pillar to face the monsters of this era and those to come. This boy must grow into a true Admiral, not a killing tool for the world's nobility."
Komei made a firm decision. He would falsify part of the official report. He would only write that Seven was a talented young man with decent Haki—enough to kill an off-guard Sparrow—so that his promotion would look like a reasonable reward at the branch base.
However, Komei knew he still had to inform someone trustworthy at Headquarters. Someone who shared his vision of Justice, and who hated the Sky Dragon just as much as he did.
Komei pulled open a locked drawer in his desk and took out a special white Den Den Mushi whose signal had been encrypted so it couldn't be intercepted by Cipher Pol.
He dialed the number he had memorized by heart.
Purururu... Purururu...
Click.
"Hello? Who is this? Don't tell me you're asking to borrow money again, you jerk," a deep, gruff voice came from the other end of the line.
Komei smiled faintly upon hearing the voice of his old friend.
"Stop chewing for a second, Gin," Komei said softly but seriously. "I'm not calling to borrow money. I found a monster in the West Sea... and I need your help to make sure the World Government never catches wind of it until it's strong enough to shake the seas."