"Garp!"
"I'm here, I'm here. What's the rush, Kong?!"
With an envelope tucked into his chest, Garp hurried over and dropped into his seat.
"Garp, what have you been off doing this time?!"
Forcing down his anger, Kong looked at the carefree, powerfully built man before him and once again felt tired to the bone.
This generation of Marines… was truly a nightmare to manage.
Ignoring Kong's question entirely, Garp threw an arm around Zephyr's shoulder. Wearing his usual broad grin, he stuffed the envelope from his chest straight into Zephyr's hand.
In a lowered voice, he said, "Zephyr, your letter. I brought it in for you."
Only then did he turn to Kong, whose glare had practically caught fire. His expression gradually became serious—so serious that even Kong tensed up, wondering if some major disaster had happened.
Had some pirate broken into headquarters?!
"I was just worried Roger might run, alright? Lately, I've been watching outside his cell day and night!"
Kong: …
Zephyr: …
Sengoku: …
"You'd better be!"
Kong, who knew very well about Garp's private relationship with Roger, naturally wasn't fooled. But this wasn't the time to argue about it.
Taking a deep breath, he swept his gaze around the gathered commanders, who had all fallen silent again. Disappointment flashed through Kong's eyes.
"Garp, then do you have anyone to recommend?"
Even though he knew it was probably pointless, Kong still looked at Garp with a trace of hope, wishing for a proper answer.
"Yes."
"It's fine, we can take our ti—"
"What?"
It wasn't just Kong. Aside from Zephyr, who was quietly reading the letter, all the Marines in the room stared at Garp in disbelief.
This old man could actually be reliable?
At a critical moment, did it really have to be the Hero of the Marines?
Crossing one leg over the other and reclining lazily in his chair, Garp looked at the many hopeful eyes around him, a grin tugging at his lips. With his hands behind his head, he said casually,
"I'll do it myself."
A fist smashed into Garp's head and knocked it sideways.
A gentle-looking older woman stood nearby, frowning slightly.
"At a time like this, and you're still fooling around?"
"Hiss… Kong, I think maybe Little Tsuru should do it instead," Garp muttered while clutching his head in pain.
"Vice Admiral Garp really does know how to joke."
Borsalino chuckled, a gleefully amused look on his rather slippery face.
It wasn't going to be him anyway…
Probably.
As expected, I shouldn't have hoped he'd have a real solution.
Letting out a sigh, Kong couldn't even be bothered to reprimand Garp for putting his feet up on the table anymore. Instead, he shifted his gaze toward the rear admirals present, apology flickering in his eyes as sweat broke out on their brows.
"Vice Admirals and Admirals, you may leave. I'll speak with the rear ad—"
"That won't be necessary."
Before Kong could finish, the previously silent Zephyr suddenly spoke. His deep, powerful voice echoed through the conference room, drawing every eye toward him.
The rear admirals all let out quiet sighs of relief, while at the same time staring in surprise at the broad-shouldered man with short purple hair standing up.
How long had it been since this man last voiced an opinion?
"I have a candidate. South Blue Branch 32. Major Mo Wu."
"Oh?"
South Blue Branch 32?
Tarakha Town?
Borsalino's mouth tilted slightly as he remembered the kid from a few months ago—the one with those strange eyes.
"A branch major?"
Kong frowned. The name did sound somewhat familiar, but no matter how you looked at it, making a branch major the executioner was still a bit—
Forget it. A branch major was still better than having no one at all.
After glancing around at the others, who had already relaxed and gone back to their own business the moment a candidate was named, Kong sighed again.
After all, this was a rare recommendation from Zephyr himself.
"Marine Major Mo Wu of South Blue Branch 32, this is your transfer order!"
"By order of the Fleet Admiral, you are being specially reassigned to Marine Headquarters. Your rank will remain unchanged."
Draped in a Justice coat and wearing a pair of tinted glasses, the man's usually slippery face actually looked serious for once. It was so unusual that even Mo Wu, standing nearby, found it hard to believe.
So Kizaru can make a serious face after all?
"Oh my, oh my. What kind of look is that?"
Rolling up the transfer order and stuffing it into Milenko's hands, Borsalino's serious expression vanished at once. A subtle smile spread across his face as he stared at the excitement in Mo Wu's eyes and teased,
"I didn't expect we'd meet again this soon, you little peeper."
"Vice Admiral, you seem rather eager to see me."
A faint smile tugged at Mo Wu's mouth. He stared straight into Borsalino's eyes, a glimmer of light shining faintly in his pupils.
"This old man came all the way here personally to pick you up."
"Are you provoking me? How frightening."
He said he was frightened, but Borsalino's eyes didn't yield even slightly. He simply met Mo Wu's gaze head-on.
And the two of them staring at each other like that made Milenko and Drake, standing nearby, go numb all over, completely at a loss.
On one side stood a Headquarters Vice Admiral known as a monster, and one of the most likely future Admirals.
On the other stood a colleague and close companion they both deeply cared about.
"Hmph. Brat, I'm wearing sunglasses."
At last, Borsalino snorted. Perhaps realizing how childish this was getting, he turned and started walking toward the door.
That brat was still infuriatingly hard to deal with.
A rare smile, one that actually came from the heart, touched Borsalino's lips as he yawned.
Still…
That light in the boy's eyes really was nostalgic.
…
"Phew…"
"That scared me to death, scared me to death, scared me to death…"
Milenko let out a breath of relief, while Drake clutched at his chest and muttered under his breath.
They had both been terrified that the two men might take one look at each other and start fighting.
"Mo Wu, you were too disrespectful. No matter what, he's still a Vice Admiral."
"When you get to Marineford this time, you must watch your words and your actions."
Looking at his subordinate—and a man he already regarded much like a friend—Milenko let the words reach his lips, but in the end he still couldn't say all the concern he truly felt.
Sensing the worry and care in Milenko's eyes, Mo Wu smiled faintly. He naturally understood the hopes and concern this superior placed on him.
"M-Major… take care of yourself."
As for Drake, the tears in his eyes were the most obvious of the three. Parting from a superior he had worked with for so long was hitting him hard.
"Major… even if I'm not around in the future… w-wuuh, you still have to eat properly!"
His voice broke into sobbing noises, and the tears filling his eyes startled both Mo Wu and Milenko.
"Drake… why are you crying?"
Milenko looked speechless and pressed a hand to his forehead.
"In a few months, you'll be going too. Don't forget—our branch submitted your name for the elite training camp."
"Ah?"
The tears vanished instantly from Drake's eyes. His face turned as ugly as if he had just swallowed something disgusting whole.
Looking at the two men in front of him, Mo Wu burst into genuine laughter. His bright, hearty laughter echoed through the entire Marine branch.
"W-what?"
Milenko and Drake both looked stunned. It was the first time they had ever seen such an intense emotional reaction from Mo Wu.
As the laughter slowly faded, Mo Wu wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and gave each of them a solid punch on the shoulder.
"What? Did you think I was some cold-faced, humorless guy?"
Drake shook his head stiffly, already beginning to doubt his entire life.
Am I really that funny?
"I'm off. See you in a few months!"
No longer lingering over anything here, Mo Wu turned and left, taking with him not the slightest trace of sentiment—just as he had arrived.
After all, he had said it from the start.
He was only a wandering swordsman.
Nothing more.
He walked the worlds of reincarnation only because he did not want to live an ordinary life in mediocrity.
But when he stepped out through the gates of the base and saw the rows of Marines standing there in neat formation, their backs straight and their eyes full of respect, his steps halted.
"What is all this?"
Mo Wu asked softly. Rarely, there was even a trace of gentleness in his voice.
"Mo Wu! In the name of my honor as Colonel Milenko, I swear this—"
"South Blue Branch 32 will always stand behind you! Tarakha Town will always be one of your homes!"
The solemn voice rose from behind him, like a declaration of absolute truth.
…
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