In the meeting hall of Branch 153...
As a Prosecutor sent by the Marine Headquarters, Morgan, a mere Branch Colonel, didn't have the audacity to attempt to bribe Rowen. Rowen's current position was one that any branch officer could only look up to from afar. Even East Blue's highest-ranking officer, Commodore Pudding-Pudding, didn't dare to show the slightest disrespect.
Upon hearing Rowen's purpose for the visit, Morgan immediately arranged for the financial reports to be prepared. Before his seat had even warmed up, a group of soldiers rushed in, carrying a large stack of documents.
"Vice Admiral Rowen, I've only taken over Branch 153 for a year. All the necessary documents for inspection are here."
Morgan stood by with a smiling face. He was a pragmatic person who understood that power was everything. Therefore, he harbored no discontent towards Rowen and presented the documents neatly as if he were truly just a Branch Colonel.
"Very well, let them inspect."
Rowen signaled to the soldiers he had prepared earlier, and the entire group immediately stepped forward, taking out the annual reports that Branch 153 submitted to Headquarters each year. They began to check them one by one.
It didn't take long for the discrepancies to be discovered.
"Vice Admiral, from March of last year to June of this year, including the expenses for procuring firearms and repairing battleships, a total of 3.32 Million Belly is unaccounted for."
A flawless report simply didn't exist. It was a deliberate flaw left in the new reporting system implemented by Sengoku. If the annual reports and financial statements from any Four Seas branch matched perfectly, there was no need for further discussion— arrests would be made immediately.
However, it seemed that Morgan had already anticipated this. He intentionally portrayed himself as a somewhat greedy Branch Colonel and left a few areas in the financial report that could be detected. In doing so, he cleverly sidestepped this potential flaw.
3.32 million Belly, a sum that was neither too small nor too large. For a small East Blue branch with an annual budget in the tens of millions, considering the discrepancies allowed by Sengoku's new reporting system, only a little over 1 Million could be confirmed as embezzled by Morgan.
Just 1 Million Belly!
Using this as an excuse to topple a Colonel who had made significant contributions was still a bit of a stretch.
Rowen and Vice Admiral Momonga remained expressionless, lost in thought. The silent atmosphere made Morgan's hair stand on end.
Asshole!
Didn't they say it was only 1 Million? Why was it now found to be Three Million?!!! He had no idea about the hidden details in Headquarters' annual reports. He simply thought that his subordinates hadn't followed his instructions, resulting in some of the shoddy accounts being left behind.
Because according to Marine regulations, if the amount exceeded Five Million Belly, Headquarters prosecutors had the authority to directly remove any branch base's Branch Chief from their position.
Morgan wiped away his cold sweat, feeling fortunate that the amount was still within an acceptable range.
After a moment of silence, Vice Admiral Momonga looked at Morgan and spoke with a cold tone, "Do you have anything to explain, Colonel Morgan?"
Pū Tōng!
As soon as he finished speaking, Morgan, with great determination, knelt down.
"Vice Admiral Momonga, Vice Admiral Soryu!"
Tears and mucus flowed out like a torrent, and Morgan wept in a manner that was truly heartrending.
"It's my fault, I shouldn't have embezzled military funds! I'm not worthy of being a Marine! I'm willing to accept Headquarters' punishment!"
At this moment, Morgan, who had once succumbed to corruption after gaining power, was no different from those corrupt officials who had been caught embezzling.
Combined with the fact that all of his comrades on the entire battleship had been killed, and he himself was severely injured, only barely managing to "kill" Kuro for military merit, an image of a fallen Marine leader emerged vividly on paper.
However, what Vice Admiral Momonga wanted to say wasn't about this. Seeing that Morgan still harbored a glimmer of hope, he angrily kicked out, landing a direct blow on Morgan's chin.
A tremendous force burst forth, smashing Morgan's iron-clad Marine emblem-decorated chin.
Whoosh... Crash!!
Morgan's entire body was pressed against the wall in the shape of a large character. The hard stone sank back distinctly under the immense force, leaving a noticeable curve. His eyes widened, and he spat out a mouthful of congealed blood.
"Wū Wa!!"
"Colonel!!"
The soldiers of Branch 153 trembled with fear, watching Vice Admiral Momonga, who had suddenly become furious. If it were anyone else, they would have surely rushed forward, but as the Headquarter's Vice Admiral, taking action would be insubordination. Vice Admiral Momonga had the right to act first and report later.
"You're right about one thing, Morgan!"
Vice Admiral Momonga adjusted his purple-striped suit, and the corners of his lips curled up in an eight-character mustache.
"You're not worthy of being a Marine!!"
Clang!
The gate swung open, and the semi-conscious Koby, after receiving some basic treatment, was assisted by the soldier who had saved him and brought him into the meeting hall.
As Koby looked at the scene before him, his eyes gleamed with determination. He spoke with great effort and determination, "Prosecutor... Prosecutor, I want to report Colonel Morgan!"
Seeing Koby appear, Morgan, who had initially intended to offer some feeble defense, found himself unable to say a word.
Finally, he spat out a stream of blood and fell unconscious.
This was the reason why Rowen hadn't directly taken action to dispose of Morgan. As a member of the system, to not utilize the centuries-old, unshakable "order" and instead play the role of a "hero" was rather ridiculous.
The corrupt Marine branch was like a heap of gasoline-soaked wreckage. Rowen didn't need to bury it piece by piece; he just needed to ignite the fire, and the flames would devour everything.
When news of Morgan's arrest spread to Shells Town, the townspeople could hardly believe it was true. Since Morgan arrived at this branch a year ago, their lives had plummeted from heaven to hell in an instant.
Previously, Shells Town, established around Marine Branch 153, was peaceful and harmonious. Only a few pirates dared to cause trouble here, and outsiders envied them.
Now, visitors took detours, fearing Morgan's attention.
After being disappointed for too long, they had stopped trusting the Marines.
The group of strangers who had previously inquired about Morgan in the town, though observed by some keen-eyed individuals, weren't thought to pose any serious threat to him.
It wasn't until a little girl named Rika ran to the large playground outside the courtyard, peering through the wall, and saw the barely conscious Morgan bound to the Cross frame, that the residents truly felt the dark cloud that had been looming over them disperse.
"Beat him to death, this scum!!"
"Thank you, Marine, thank you all!"
"Have Morgan hand over Belo Betty. It was him who broke my son's arm!!"
The crowd outside Branch 153 was roused, but luckily the Headquarter's soldiers were big enough to keep them in check. Faced with these "enthusiastic" residents who seemed ready to put themselves in grave danger, Morgan's eyes rolled back, and he fainted again.
"Nicely done, kid."
Rowen arrived in the ward and looked at Koby, whose chest was wrapped in bandages, giving him a thumbs-up.
He hadn't expected Koby to endure the pain without a word. After all, Koby was still the timid crybaby who would feel embarrassed to reveal the color of his underwear when frightened.
In response to Rowen's praise, Koby shyly scratched the back of his head. The movement tugged at his chest wound, causing him to grimace in pain.
"Why didn't you come up with a lie to deceive him? It would have spared you some physical pain."
"No!"
With a resolute tone, Koby's face suddenly turned serious.
"If Morgan finds any loopholes in my story that allow him to escape punishment, then I'd be the biggest sinner in Shells Town!"
Rowen grinned at Koby's determined gaze. "Very good! You're quite the man!"
With that said, Rowen stood up and walked towards the door. When he reached the doorway, he paused, tilting his head slightly. "Do you want to become a Marine, Koby?"
"I..."
For a moment, joy overwhelmed Koby, causing him to hesitate. But he quickly realized he shouldn't dwell on this question for too long. He stood up quickly and answered loudly.
"I do!"
"That's good..."
Rowen smiled and strode out.
Left behind, Koby stood still, feeling a bit lost, unsure of what Rowen meant.
So, did I really join the Marines or not?
...