Ash turned his head and saw that Tsuru was walking out of the Marine base with several officers, heading straight toward him.
Among them was the one who had recognized the Shusui earlier. She was a tall and striking Marine woman, nearly three meters in height, walking a few steps behind Tsuru.
The corner of Ash's mouth twitched when he saw her.
Good grief.
Admiral candidate Gion, also known as Momousagi.
All this just to sign a Warlord appointment letter, yet they even brought an Admiral candidate.
What exactly were they planning?
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, this is only a signature. There is no need to create such a grand scene," Ash said calmly, though his words carried a faint trace of sarcasm.
Tsuru simply smiled.
"Compared to that formal title, I would rather you call me Grandma Tsuru."
Ash shook his head.
"I will pass. I tend to get shy around strangers."
Even as he spoke, his eyes kept drifting toward Gion.
In his previous world, a woman nearly three meters tall would have shattered common sense. In this world, however, such height was not unusual.
Even Ash himself stood close to two meters tall.
Still, Gion's proportions were undeniably impressive.
Those legs alone could make anyone stare twice.
Tsuru noticed his wandering gaze and introduced her with a chuckle.
"This is Headquarters Vice Admiral Gion."
Ash's eyes briefly landed on the spider tattoo on Gion's thigh. Without thinking, the words slipped out of his mouth.
"Ah, long time no see, big thigh..."
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Ash realized his mistake and quickly waved his hands.
"No, wait. I meant long time no see, great reputation."
Tsuru chuckled quietly.
Gion finally looked away from the sword at Ash's waist and examined him from head to toe before snorting.
"Tch. What a perverted brat."
Ash frowned immediately.
"I was looking at the spider tattoo and got distracted. Who would stare at a three meter tall woman like that. What would I even do with someone that tall, use her as a clothes rack at home?"
Gion's temper flared.
"You little brat, what did you say..."
Tsuru raised a hand before things could escalate.
"Enough. There is no need to argue with a child."
Gion snorted coldly and turned her head away, refusing to look at Ash or the sword at his waist again.
Tsuru then returned to the main topic.
"Alright, Ash. The appointment letter and the item you requested are here."
She handed him two thin booklets.
One was the official Seven Warlords of the Sea commission, printed in duplicate.
The other was a slim manual containing the training methods of the Rokushiki, also known as the Six Powers.
Ash casually flipped open the Rokushiki manual.
The moment he saw the first page, he paused.
Written there was a personal note from Zephyr.
The training insights of the former Marine Admiral and instructor had been carefully summarized and added inside.
Ash understood immediately.
That was genuine goodwill.
There was an old saying that you should never slap a smiling face.
Since the Marines had shown sincerity, he decided not to continue acting hostile. The atmosphere quickly relaxed.
After reading through the Warlord contract and confirming that everything matched their previous agreement, Ash signed both copies.
Just as Tsuru reached out to take one copy, Ash suddenly pulled the paper back.
Tsuru raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
"Wait a moment."
Ash aligned the pages carefully before extending one finger toward the corner of the document.
"I am adding an anti forgery mark."
A small golden flame appeared on his fingertip and lightly scorched the edge of the paper, leaving behind an irregular circular burn. Within the mark, faint golden patterns shimmered.
"Done."
Ash smiled and handed one copy back to Tsuru.
"From this moment on, I am officially one of the Warlords of the Sea."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"However, I forgot to ask something last time."
Tsuru kept her gentle smile.
"What would you like to know?"
"Since Warlords are required to help the Marines eliminate pirates, do I still receive the bounty reward for pirates I capture?"
Tsuru chuckled softly.
"Yes. Once a bounty is issued, it is rarely withdrawn."
Her answer clearly carried two meanings.
Ash nodded.
"I understand."
And he truly did.
His own bounty still existed, but that was only a formality. No one in the world was foolish enough to hunt someone powerful just for bounty money.
The same was true for the Four Emperors.
Even if their bounties were enormous, who would dare try to collect them?
Still, if there was money to earn, Ash certainly would not refuse it.
With a casual flick of his hand, a large severed head suddenly dropped onto the ground.
It belonged to Gecko Moria.
"That should be worth 320 million Berries," Ash said calmly.
Although she was momentarily surprised by his spatial ability, Tsuru remained composed.
She glanced at the head and smiled.
"Unfortunately, bounties do not apply to fellow Warlords."
Ash sighed.
"So I do not get any Berries."
Tsuru shrugged lightly.
"Warlords are considered allies of the World Government and the Marines. You could say this arrangement protects you from unnecessary trouble."
Ash nodded.
"That is acceptable."
He turned slightly toward the direction of the archipelago.
"If there is nothing else, I will be leaving. I have not yet had the chance to properly explore the Sabaody Archipelago."
Tsuru smiled.
"Would you like a guide?"
Ash shook his head.
"That would ruin the fun. Running into Marines everywhere would make the experience dull."
Then he glanced sideways at Gion, mischief flashing across his face.
"Oh right, I just remembered I left laundry hanging outside. I should hurry back."
He waved lazily.
"Goodbye, Grandma Tsuru. And goodbye, clothes rack."
Gion immediately turned around in fury. She had intentionally ignored him this whole time, yet he still continued provoking her.
However, the moment she looked back, a flash of flame flickered.
Ash vanished without a trace.
Gion froze in place.
"That..."
She had not even sensed the moment he disappeared.
Tsuru simply glanced at the faint embers left in the air before turning her attention to the commission document in her hand.
The burned circle on the corner felt cool to the touch, yet the faint golden pattern inside remained clearly visible.
"He has already mastered his power to such precision, and he is only thirteen years old," Tsuru murmured quietly.
"What a terrifying child."
At that moment, the Marine officer stationed at Sabaody stepped forward.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru."
She turned toward him.
"What is it, Rear Admiral Awada?"
"Today is December tenth," Awada said carefully. "It is the day of the Donquixote Family's slave auction."
Years ago, Tsuru had relentlessly pursued the Donquixote Pirates. If the Warlord system had not been created, she might have personally dragged their captain into Impel Down.
"So what?" Tsuru asked calmly. "Are you worried Ash will clash with Donquixote Doflamingo?"
Gion frowned.
"If that happens, it would just be pirates fighting pirates."
She crossed her arms and snorted.
"That sounds perfect."
===
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