The Navy Headquarters
A high-level Navy meeting is underway with great intensity.
The Fleet Admiral, the Three Admirals, and the elite Vice Admirals have all gathered, making for an imposing presence.
Merely sitting there, they exude a palpable aura that fills the room.
"Uhim... Gentlemen..."
As per usual, the meeting is opened by Fleet Admiral Sengoku: "The internal cleansing of the Navy has been completed. We have arrested three Rear Admirals, five Commodores, thirty-six Lieutenant Commanders, fifty-two Lieutenants, one hundred seventy-five Captains as well as five hundred and twenty-three enlisted personnel. After trial by military court, three hundred and twenty have been sentenced to death, while the rest have been incarcerated in Impel Down..."
"I have mixed feelings about this," said Sengoku. "On one hand, it's heartening to see justice served, but on the other hand, it's a shame that it had to come to this."
The Fleet Admiral stood tall and proud, his sharp gaze scanning the room filled with the most elite members of the Navy. He spoke with a resolute voice, "My fellow comrades, the outcome of our recent operation has far exceeded my expectations. Yes, it may have caused some temporary discomfort, but this is the price we must pay for a brighter future. It is only by rooting out the corrupt elements that drag us down and sully the name of the Navy, that we can build our strength and obliterate all pirate scum!"
The room erupted in applause, but the Fleet Admiral held up a hand to silence them. "However, our work is not yet done. We must now turn our attention to the next step," he declared, slamming his hands down on the table for emphasis. "The abolishment of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was a decision made with great consideration, in collaboration with the Supreme Commander. We have the approval of the World Government, although it was not given easily. It was only after we presented certain conditions, that they finally agreed to let us proceed with this plan in secret as a secret exucution."
Admiral Akainu furrowed his brow in disbelief. "Secretly executed? What do you mean?" he demanded, his hands clenched into fists.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku let out a long sigh. "Yes, they refused to provide us with any assistance, and we cannot openly acknowledge the existence of this abolishment plan."
Kizaru snorted, "What do the Gorosei think the Navy is? Are they trying to shirk their responsibilities and let those criminals turn their attention to the World Government?"
The room fell into a tense silence, as everyone contemplated the gravity of the situation. It was clear that the real impediment to the Navy's success was not the five hundred officers who had been purged, but the Gorosei themselves.
Garp sat next to him, munching on some senbei with a look of disgust. "It's not the 500 captured traitors holding us back, it's those old geezers, the Five Elder Stars," he said bluntly.
The statement was sensitive, but only Garp had the guts to say it without regard for consequences.
Sengoku shot a furious glare at Garp. "Show some respect, Garp! Don't forget that your grandsons have caused us a lot of trouble!"
"Haaa-Haaa-Haaa...Those are my grandsons!" Garp replied, proudly holding up his rice crackers and laughing.
Sengoku lost his temper and grabbed Garp by his collar. "Stop joking around! If you weren't a hero of the navy, you'd be taking full responsibility for the crimes of your family! You must stop them sooner!"
However, Garp was afraid of causing trouble for Admiral Sengoku, so he waved his hand insincerely. "Let's just pretend we didn't hear anything."
Everyone knew about Garp's bad temper, so they continued the meeting as if nothing had happened.
"It's a real headache, Admiral Sengoku," Kizaru said, shrugging helplessly with his sunglasses and sleazy expression. "We're clearly doing something beneficial to our rule over them, but we're not getting any support... in other words, we need a suitable excuse before we can take action against the 'Shichibukai'?"
Sengoku nodded in agreement. "We could assassinate the Shichibukai, but whoever did it would expose their identity and arouse the vigilance and retaliation of the other Shichibukai. For now, we can only take action if we have concrete and unforgivable evidence against them."
Sitting next to Garp, Admiral Aokiji lightly tapped the wooden table with his right hand, lost in thought. "Isn't that very easy?" he said, breaking the silence.
Garp turned to face him, eyebrows raised in curiosity. "What do you mean, Aokiji?"
Aokiji leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "Except for Mihawk, every one of those guys has a long list of crimes. If we want to take action, we can always find evidence of their wrongdoing, right?"
Garp nodded in agreement. "That's true. But we need to be careful. We don't want to alert the Shichibukai and cause more trouble in the New World."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood tall and proud, his hands clasped behind his back. "For the sake of justice, sometimes we have to go through some trouble. But we need to be strategic. The Admirals cannot be at the ready at all times. We need to avoid tipping off the Shichibukai and prevent those troublesome pirates in the New World from causing havoc."
The room was silent for a moment before Sengoku spoke up again. "Have you all understood!?"
"Yes, sir!" the room chorused in response.
"Then, it's time," Sengoku said, a hint of determination in his voice.
He glanced at Garp, who nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Garp reached into his pocket and pulled out a senbei. He held it out to Sengoku with a small smile. "This should help," he said.
"..."
Sengoku's face twisted in bewilderment as he clutched a senbei in his hand.
He had been holding it absentmindedly, lost in thought about the pressing matter at hand.
It took him a while to snap out of it and when he did, he was furious.
Slamming the senbei onto the table with a loud thud, he barked at Garp, "You idiot Garp! How dare you eat senbei during our meeting!?"
"Huh?" Garp scratched his head in confusion. "Didn't you just give me a look asking me to share the senbei with you?"
"I never wanted your food!" Sengoku was now completely fed up with the old man. "What I want is the 'Justice Treasure' you've been harping on about. It's time for him to step up!"
"Oh, you mean that kid!" Garp laughed heartily, slapping Sengoku on the shoulder. "You could have just said that! I already had his subordinates bring back his promotion letter. His exceptional contributions to our missions have earned him a promotion to Rear Admiral. And as a Rear Admiral, he can't stick around in the Four Seas anymore. He must head to the Grand Line! Haaaa-Haa-Haa..."
The room was filled with an obnoxious laughter that echoed against the walls, causing the Vice Admirals to wince and cover their ears in annoyance.
The legend of the "Justice Treasure" had spread throughout the upper echelons of the Navy, and while Garp had not explicitly stated who the recipient was, everyone had their suspicions.
After all, in this world, there was only one person to whom Garp would personally present a promotion to Rear Admiral - the one and only Saitama of Roguetown.
Even if it wasn't him, there was no doubt that he was someone special.
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The meeting continued as usual. Meanwhile, Tashigi's ship had already set sail from the dreary Navy Headquarters, bound for the bustling port town of Loguetown.
The ship groaned under the weight of its cargo, a veritable treasure trove of gifts and curiosities acquired by Tashigi for Saitama. Alongside the Navy's official appointment letter, there were exotic delicacies and trinkets from all over the world, promising to delight and fascinate.
-UFFFFF-
A silver-haired man with a pair of cigars dangling from his lips loomed over Tashigi's shoulder, his eyes fixed on the eclectic assortment of goods.
"Looks like you've got a bit of a crush on your superior, Tashigi," he drawled, his voice thick with amusement.
The haze of smoke that surrounded them swirled in the warm sea breeze, a testament to the man's relaxed demeanor. It was Smoker, a Commodore of the Marine Headquarters, who had been dispatched to replace Saitama in Loguetown.
It had been a decade since the two had last met, and Smoker had aged like a fine wine. His once-brash temperament had mellowed, giving way to a more measured and considered persona. He had been through the wringer since that fateful defeat which had nearly claimed his life, battling pirates in the treacherous waters of the New World.
"Indeed, Mr. Saitama is a hero of unparalleled virtue and strength," Tashigi replied, a small smile playing on her lips as she adjusted her glasses. "He is a shining beacon of hope in a world beset by darkness and villainy."
Smoker nodded in agreement, his expression softening as he reminisced about the past. "Yes...thanks to him, I was able to cheat death and live to fight another day," he murmured, his eyes glinting with nostalgia.
But there was more to Smoker's return to the East Blue than mere nostalgia. The man had a burning desire to prove himself, to show that he had not grown soft in the relative tranquility of the oceanic backwaters. He was a man who thrived on conflict, who longed to be tested and pushed to his limits.
And yet, despite his own strength and skill, Smoker knew that Saitama was the real deal. The man's legendary feats of strength and courage had become the stuff of legend, inspiring a new generation of heroes to rise up and fight for justice.
"He may be more powerful than me, but I will not rest until I have surpassed him," Smoker thought to himself, his fingers twitching with anticipation. Perhaps he would challenge Saitama to a push-up contest, or a game of rock-paper-scissors. Whatever the case, he was ready for anything.
For even though Saitama was a beacon of hope and inspiration, Smoker knew that true strength lay in never giving up, in always striving to be better than one was yesterday.
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Time drifted by, nearly a month since Tashigi had left on her military vessel.
Finally, the ship returned to the familiar shores of Loguetown. Saitama was sitting in front of the branch headquarters, soaking up the sun and flipping through the daily newspaper when he heard a sudden commotion.
Without warning, Tashigi appeared, hurtling towards him with all the force of a rocket.
"Saitama-san!!!" she cried out, throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tightly. "I'm back! It's been so long, Saitama-san!"
As he tried to process the sudden display of affection, Saitama scratched his head in confusion. Meanwhile, Smoker, who had followed behind Tashigi, felt a twinge in his chest that he couldn't quite explain.
It was as if something precious had been snatched away from him in that moment.
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