Chapter 135: Internal Strife within the Navy
"Theodore…?"
"Yes, Theodore."
The old boatman looked at Axel with a sigh, his wrinkled face carrying a complicated expression.
"I heard you made a great contribution. You've become a Captain assigned to Water 7 and placed in charge of matters related to the Sea Train."
When Theodore first saw the news, he could hardly believe it.
Not long ago, this was just the kid who had come to him asking for a ship.
Now, that same kid had somehow become a Marine officer.
Axel frowned.
"How do you know that?"
He had only just heard the appointment from Sengoku.
How did Theodore already know too?
Theodore gave him a strange look.
"It's in the newspaper. Marine Headquarters is promoting it everywhere. A child around ten years old becoming a Marine Captain? That has never happened before."
Axel's expression cleared.
So that was why the people on the street had been staring at him like that.
They were not looking at him as a person.
They were looking at him like a hot investment.
Marine Headquarters was surrounded mostly by naval families, aside from a few technical workers and related personnel. Their children all dreamed of becoming Marine officers one day. If they could build a connection with a promising young Captain whose future seemed limitless, that connection might benefit them for years.
No wonder their gazes had been so uncomfortable.
"But why did you come here?" Axel asked.
He already had a rough guess.
It was probably related to Water 7.
Theodore carefully pulled out a thick stack of papers from behind him.
His movements were extremely cautious, as if he were holding something priceless rather than a bundle of old notes and drawings.
He looked at Axel again.
They were not particularly close, but this was an opportunity Theodore could not ignore.
At his age, crossing the sea to Water 7 on his own was no longer realistic. After hesitating for a moment, the old boatman finally spoke.
"These are the shipbuilding ideas and designs I've accumulated over the years. I want to ask you to bring them to Tom."
Tom.
A legendary shipwright in the One Piece world.
The man who had built the Pirate King's ship.
Among shipbuilders, Tom's reputation was no different from Roger's among pirates. And now that he had even built the Sea Train, Theodore's admiration for him had only grown deeper.
But admiration was not the only thing in those papers.
There was also the desire to communicate.
To exchange ideas.
To show another master craftsman the labor of his life and ask, in silence, What do you think of this?
That was why Theodore had brought these designs to Axel.
Axel looked at the papers in the old man's hands.
"You don't mind that he's a criminal?"
Theodore neither agreed nor denied it.
He stood on the side of the Marines, and naturally, he disliked the Pirate King Roger. But he did not believe Tom had done anything wrong.
"He only did what a shipwright should do," Theodore said. "For people like us, a ship is judged by whether it is good or bad. Nothing more."
Axel nodded.
"Fine. I'll bring them to him."
He reached out and took the papers.
Seeing his casual manner, Theodore could not help reminding him, "Be careful. Those are my treasures."
Axel paused.
Something about that sentence sounded strange.
"I have no obligation to carry these for you. If you're that worried, take them back."
Theodore immediately waved his hands.
"No, no, that's not what I meant. I'm not worried you'll damage them. Just… store them carefully. And if Tom gives any reply, remember to bring it back next time you return."
He hesitated, then added, "I can't promise much. I also know you probably don't lack ships right now. But if you ever find good materials, I'll build you the best ship I can imagine. Free of charge."
This was probably no longer about payment.
Looking at the itch in Theodore's eyes, Axel understood.
The old man simply wanted to build a ship.
He did not refuse.
"Okay."
Theodore finally let out a breath of relief.
After delivering the papers, he did not linger and soon left the hut.
…
San Faldo was an island rich in iron ore.
It was also one of the main trade hubs supplying Water 7 with iron resources. With the emergence of the Sea Train and the convenience it brought to transport and commerce, the island had become increasingly important in the eyes of the World Government.
Water 7's shipbuilding and repair services were mainly used by pirates.
On the surface, that contradicted the government's so-called justice.
But benefits had a way of making principles flexible.
Because Water 7's shipbuilding industry was far too valuable to abandon, the government tacitly allowed the arrangement to continue. At the same time, the Marines strengthened their presence in nearby areas, shifting important bases toward Enies Lobby and San Faldo.
At the Marine base on San Faldo, the meeting room was filled with noise.
The officers stationed there were arguing fiercely over their newly appointed commanding officer.
"Let a kid who hasn't even grown up yet become our Captain?" Barlow said, his voice full of indignation. "Have the higher-ups lost their minds?"
Barlow was a man nearing thirty. He was still young, but his will was strong and his ambition even stronger. He had climbed up from the bottom step by step over more than a decade.
Naturally, he found it hard to accept being placed under the command of a child.
"It's not that simple," an older officer said. "Didn't you see the picture in the newspaper? Have you ever seen a child who has already become a swordsman? And he's Vice Admiral Garp's grandson. I believe he can handle the position."
Barlow sneered.
"Lieutenant Commander Levi, you can't side with Garp's grandson just because you once served under Vice Admiral Garp."
Anyone would have been displeased by such a remark.
Levi frowned, his tone cooling.
"Lieutenant Commander Barlow, watch your words. I am only stating the facts. The newspaper made things very clear."
Barlow smiled.
"Who knows whether the newspaper is true or false? Don't tell me you don't know the government likes using the media to—"
"Enough!"
A sharp voice cut through the room.
Everyone turned.
Standing at the center was Yulia, the current highest-ranking officer in the base.
"You misspoke, Lieutenant Commander Barlow."
Barlow's face changed.
Only then did he realize what he had nearly said.
He had essentially questioned the government in front of a room full of Marines. In the Navy, that was not a small matter. No matter the reason, if someone reported it, his future promotions could be severely affected.
Cold sweat formed on his back.
"I apologize, Commander Yulia. I misspoke."
Yulia simply waved a hand, clearly not intending to pursue the matter.
The meeting room was full of Marines, but the argument had mostly formed around two sides.
One supported the appointment.
The other opposed it.
Barlow and Levi had become the loudest voices on each side, nearly turning the discussion into a direct confrontation.
This was the first time Yulia had spoken during the debate.
Naturally, everyone's attention fell on him.
Yulia did not keep them waiting long.
"We are all Marines," he said slowly. "There is no need to argue endlessly over something we cannot change. Take this appointment, for example. No matter how fiercely you debate it, can you overturn the decision from above?"
No one answered.
"Since you cannot, then accept it honestly."
His gaze swept across the room.
"That is enough. You may all leave."
The words were blunt, but no one could refute them.
With Yulia's usual authority in the base, no one raised objections. Soon, the once-noisy meeting room emptied out.
Only Yulia remained.
"Axel, is it?"
He murmured the name softly.
"I'd like to see what you're capable of."
To be honest, Yulia was the one who felt the most unwilling.
The old Captain had retired.
The position should have been his.
It had almost been within reach.
Then someone had appeared out of nowhere and snatched it away.
It was like watching a piece of meat that had already reached his mouth fall straight onto the floor.
Yulia was nearly fifty.
His prime had long passed.
To put it politely, he was in late middle age.
To put it bluntly, his body was already walking toward old age, and he would not remain active in the Marines for many more years.
He did not have enough time left to wait for some young upstart to gather experience, build seniority, and eventually leave the position behind.
.....
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