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After the call was made, a hearty and pleasant voice resonated in the room. Even Arthur, who had encountered the two top beauties of the world, couldn't help but feel captivated by this voice.
Once the call ended, another ten minutes passed, and the crisp sound of high heels echoed outside the door.
In walked a tall, sturdy beauty with wavy hair and a beauty mark at the corner of her mouth.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Sister Tsuru, Mr. Garp! Huh? King Arthur?" Gion greeted the three, her eyes widening in surprise as she noticed Arthur, who had been following her for the past two days.
Yesterday, when Gion had confessed his feelings for her, she was engrossed in a newspaper, using it to shield herself from his advances while pointing to a handsome image of Arthur. Now, she felt slightly embarrassed recalling that moment.
With a blush, Gion nodded politely, saying, "It's an honor to meet you, King Arthur."
Arthur smiled, his gaze openly appreciating her appearance and strength. "The honor is mine, Lieutenant General Gion! I've heard of your reputation as Marine's strongest military flower!"
"You're too kind. I think your strength is still a bit lacking," Gion replied with a humble smile, though her cheeks remained flushed.
Clearing her throat, Lieutenant General Tsuru interjected, "Ahem, Gion, I have something to discuss with you."
"Yes, Sister Tsuru, what can I do for you?" Gion asked as she took a seat next to her, eager to hear.
"This is Jessica, the Lion Fruit (Fuwa Fuwa no Mi) user and King Arthur's fiancée." Tsuru emphasized the word "fiancée" as she spoke.
"Fiancée?" Gion's eyes widened as she glanced at Jessica, taking in her noble appearance. "You're so beautiful! Your name is Jessica?"
"Yes, Lieutenant General Gion! I've heard about your prowess, and I hope you can accept my request to teach me stronger kendo," Jessica said earnestly.
As a swordsman, she could sense that this tall woman had a solid foundation in swordsmanship.
"So, you want to join Marine?" Gion inquired.
Jessica nodded firmly. "Yes, if possible, I want to join Marine."
"Then from today, you will practice kendo with me. But don't consider me just your teacher; let's progress together," Gion said without hesitation. She recognized the significance of Lieutenant General Tsuru's call and wanted to support her.
"That's fantastic! Thank you! I look forward to learning from you!" Jessica's face lit up with joy, and Arthur smiled, pleased with the outcome.
At that moment, Fleet Admiral Sengoku spoke up. "Miss Jessica's strength is not to be underestimated; she could definitely serve as a lieutenant general.
However, since she is just entering Marine without any military merit, how about we start her at the rank of major? With her skills, she can quickly earn the military merits needed for a promotion."
Though Sengoku was addressing Jessica, his gaze was directed at Arthur.
Arthur remained silent, watching Jessica with interest.
Seeing his look, Jessica replied modestly, "Joining as a major sounds fine to me. I'm happy to start from the beginning."
"Haha, a major is already quite a respectable rank! No one will question your strength, even at that level," Sengoku said with a chuckle.
"Then I want to express my gratitude to you, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and Lieutenant Generals Garp and Tsuru," Jessica replied graciously.
Arthur stood up, saying, "Since my purpose here has been achieved, I won't impose any longer. Z Admiral must be waiting for me at the harbor. Jessica, I'll come back to see you later when I have the chance."
"Yes!" Jessica nodded enthusiastically.
The others also began to rise, and Sengoku added, "Are you sure you won't stay for a bit? I can let Garp show you around Navy Headquarters."
"Visit Navy Headquarters?" Arthur's interest was piqued. Spending a couple of hours exploring wouldn't be too much trouble.
"If it's convenient for everyone..." Arthur glanced at Garp, seeking his input.
"Puff ha ha ha! It's very convenient! I have nothing else to do anyway," Garp laughed heartily, appearing like a mischievous old man.
Sengoku interjected, "Of course, it would be inconvenient for most, but Garp has plenty of time. King Arthur, Garp will take you on a tour of Navy Headquarters."
"Alright! I'd appreciate that," Arthur replied with a nod.
"Let's go, Arthur boy~" Garp grinned, unfazed by Arthur's title, and headed toward the door.
Arthur turned to say goodbye to Jessica, asking Gion to look after her, before leaving with Garp.
As they walked down the corridor, Garp suddenly clasped his nostrils and asked, "Hey, Arthur, I've always found it strange. Why did you go to the East Blue Sea five years ago?"
"Why the East Blue Sea?" Arthur questioned, curious about Garp's sudden inquiry.
"Yes, I've always wondered about that," Garp replied, rubbing his nose thoughtfully, his expression a mix of confusion and seriousness.
"Uh... I just went to the East Blue Sea," Arthur said casually, trying to downplay it.
"Five years ago, in a country near the Calm Belt in the East Blue Sea, someone reported seeing a lot of enormous golden flying slashes cutting through the sea," Garp continued.
"From the description of those golden flying slashes and with my fifty years of experience at sea, only one person could have done that: the Golden Lion Shiki! The girl who appeared at that time had abilities and a sword that could only belong to the Golden Lion."
"Do you have any connection to the Golden Lion Shiki?" Garp's concern was evident. Arthur's sudden prominence and two visits to the East Blue Sea made him wary.
"Honestly, I was just wandering around. I stumbled upon a flying island in the Calm Belt and wanted to check it out. I didn't expect the blond old man to recruit me, and when I refused, we ended up fighting," Arthur explained.
"His strength seemed greatly diminished; it was clear he had been strong once. Fortunately, I managed to defeat him. I intended to take his sword but ended up finding a Devil Fruit instead, so I took that too."
After the call, a hearty and pleasant voice rang out. Even Arthur, who had seen the world's two top beauties, couldn't help but feel impressed; the voice was truly captivating.
After hanging up, they waited another ten minutes. Then, they heard the crisp sound of high heels clicking on the floor outside the door.
A tall, sturdy beauty with wavy hair and a beauty mark at the corner of her mouth walked in.
"Fleet Admiral, Sister Tsuru, Mr. Garp. Huh? King Arthur?" Gion entered and greeted the three of them, only to be shocked upon seeing Arthur, who had been following her for the past two days.
Thinking back to the previous day when Yamakaji had confessed to him, Arthur was still holding the newspaper he had been reading, using it to shield himself from the handsome and charming Arthur's photo on the front page. He was currently cultivating with gritted teeth while glaring at the paper.
Remembering yesterday's events made Gion blush slightly. She nodded politely and said, "It's an honor to meet you, King Arthur."
Arthur smiled, not hiding his appreciation for her appearance and strength. "The pleasure is mine, Lieutenant General Gion! I've heard about your reputation as Marine's strongest military flower!"
"I'm flattered, but I think your strength still surpasses mine," Gion replied, her cheeks still flushed as she offered a humble smile that carried a hint of charm.
"Ahem, Gion, I have something to discuss with you," Lieutenant General Tsuru said, looking at Gion a bit strangely before interrupting their conversation.
"Yes, Sister Tsuru, how can I help you?" Gion turned to sit beside Lieutenant General Tsuru and asked warmly.
"This is Jessica, the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi user, and she is King Arthur's fiancée." For some reason, Lieutenant General Tsuru emphasized the word "fiancée."
"Fiancée?" Gion glanced at Jessica, noticing she was a noble girl. "It's nice to meet you, Jessica."
"Yes, Lieutenant General Gion! I've heard about your skills, and I hope you can teach me kendo to become stronger," Jessica replied earnestly.
"So you want to join Marine?" Gion asked.
Jessica nodded, saying, "If possible, I would like to join Marine."
"Well then, from today onward, you can practice kendo with me. But remember, I'm not your kendo teacher; we'll learn together," Gion said without hesitation, knowing Lieutenant General Tsuru's request was serious.
"That's wonderful! I look forward to learning from you!" Jessica exclaimed with joy, and Arthur couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.
At that moment, Fleet Admiral Sengoku spoke up. "Miss Jessica's strength is impressive; she could definitely serve as a lieutenant general. However, since she just joined Marine and lacks military merit, how about we start her at the rank of major? With her abilities, she should earn enough merit to be promoted soon."
Although he addressed Jessica, Sengoku's gaze was fixed on Arthur.
Arthur remained silent, observing Jessica.
Jessica then modestly smiled, saying, "Starting as a major is perfectly fine. It's a good opportunity for me to begin my journey."
"Haha, a major is still a respectable rank. No one will question your strength," Sengoku said with a chuckle.
"Then I must thank Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Lieutenant General Tsuru, and Lieutenant General Garp," Jessica said gratefully.
After that, Arthur stood up, announcing, "Since I've accomplished my goal here, I won't take up any more of your time. I assume Admiral Z is waiting for me at the harbor. Jessica, I'll come back to visit you when I have time."
"Okay!" Jessica nodded enthusiastically.
The others also rose to their feet, and Sengoku suggested, "Why not stay for a while? I can have Garp show you around Navy Headquarters."
"Visit Navy Headquarters?" Arthur perked up at the thought, realizing it wouldn't be wise to rush off just yet.
"If it's convenient for all..." Arthur glanced at Garp.
"Puff ha ha ha, of course, it's convenient! I have nothing else to do," Garp replied, his mischievous nature shining through.
Sengoku added, "It wouldn't be possible for just anyone, but Garp has plenty of time. King Arthur, he'll take you on a tour of Navy Headquarters."
"Okay! I appreciate it," Arthur nodded.
"Let's go, Arthur boy~" Garp grinned, not concerned about Arthur's royal status, and stepped out the door.
Arthur looked back at Jessica, bidding her farewell, and asked Gion to look after her before following Garp.
As they walked, Garp suddenly asked, "Hey Arthur, I've always wondered. Why did you go to the East Blue five years ago?"
"Why did I go to the East Blue five years ago?" Arthur replied, puzzled by the question.
"Yeah, I've been curious about that," Garp said, rubbing his nose, a serious expression on his face. His eyes showed both suspicion and curiosity.
"Uh... I just happened to wander there," Arthur replied casually.
"But five years ago, in a country near the Calm Belt in the East Blue, someone reported seeing huge golden flying slashes cutting through the sea."
"Based on that description, I recognized only one person capable of such power—the Golden Lion Shiki! And the girl who appeared had abilities and a sword similar to his."
"Do you have any connection to Golden Lion Shiki?" Garp asked, his skepticism growing. Arthur's two mysterious appearances in the East Blue, followed by his decisive victory over Kaido, raised Garp's concerns.
"Well, I was merely wandering around. I encountered a flying island in the Calm Belt, so I decided to explore it. I didn't expect to run into that old man, and I ended up fighting him when he recruited me."
"His strength seemed significantly weakened; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so easily defeated. I initially wanted to take his sword, but I ended up finding a Devil Fruit and took it back as well."