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Chapter 1: The Inspectorate Is Here
Sea Circle Calendar 1492. (About 30 years before the Summit War)
North Blue waters.
The sun shone brightly, and the sea was gently rippled by a cool breeze. A warship emblazoned with a snow-white seagull flag sailed steadily across the sea. Its towering mast bore a huge sail with "Justice" written in large black letters.
On the deck of the warship, a scruffy-looking Major Marine knelt on one knee, presenting a bouquet of bright roses with exaggerated movements. He announced loudly, "Gion... my Gion, I like you, please accept my love!"
Before him stood a tall girl with long black wavy hair, dressed in the righteous cape of a headquarters major, pink suspender short sleeves, and hot pants that displayed her long, fair, and shapely legs.
"Major Kake is so brave!"
"Come on, Major Kake!"
The Marines on deck cheered excitedly, some throwing confetti, others blowing trumpets, and some firing salutes. A banner reading "Major Kake's 38th Confession" was even held aloft.
Buoyed by the shouts and enthusiasm of his subordinates, Kake's confidence surged. While proffering the rose, he shook his greasy hair and assumed an expression he thought was extremely handsome. "Gion, accept my love. There is no better man than me in this world!"
Gion responded with a barely perceptible twitch of her mouth. "Kake, you are a good person, but we are not suitable."
Silence fell upon the deck. The trumpets, cheers, and gun salutes ceased instantly. The Marines looked at Major Kake still kneeling with one knee on the ground, holding the flowers, his silhouette poignant in its solitude. They felt a twinge of sadness for him. 'Major Kake is so miserable...' 'He's confessed so many times...' 'Why?'
As they moved to comfort him, Kake, who had been motionless, suddenly turned his head, his face streaked with tears. "Did you hear that?"
Kake bit his lip, his eyes brimming with tears. "That Major Kake, we all heard it..." "You shouldn't be discouraged..." "Yes, man..." They offered words of comfort.
"Gion actually praised me as a good person!!" Kake suddenly sprang up, tears in his eyes but with an excited glow and a flushed face. "She acknowledged me! What does this mean!? It means that if I keep confessing, she might agree to date me next time!"
All the Marines were taken aback. Is this really a compliment? They glanced at each other, their faces contorted with confusion, but they offered affirmative nods. "Yes, yes!" "That's right, that's right!" "Yes, Yes!"
Kake cheered, clenching his fists. "She's testing my patience. I finally understand your good intentions, Gion!"
Turning to her, he beamed, "Actually, you don't need to test it. After all this time, don't you know how I feel about you? Come on and give me a kiss..." He puckered up and leaned toward Gion.
Boom! The next second, he was sent flying backward like a cannonball, slamming into the mast and then sliding down like a limp ragdoll. Nosebleed poured from his nostrils as he twitched occasionally.
The surrounding Marines, already accustomed to such scenes, switched back to their duties as if nothing had happened.
Once the farce ended, Gion rubbed her temples and sighed. Opening the military document in her hand, she reviewed a Marine file:
Name: Rogers Darren
Age: 19
Origin: North Blue, orphan
Position: Director of North Blue 312 Branch Base
Rank: Rear Admiral Naval Headquarters
Ability: Suspected Devil Fruit ability to manipulate metal, details unknown
Evaluation: Ambitious, straightforward, ruthless, influential in North Blue waters. Has impressive potential, suitable for officer training camp selection.
Note: Serious issues with personal lifestyle
Beneath the form listed numerous accomplishments and victories over pirates. Attached was a photograph provided by the Marine Photography Department.
Gion gave the photo a casual glance. In it, the man had black hair and eyes, deep features, and a gaze as profound as the stars, radiating a wild and untamed air.
"This guy is quite handsome, almost rivaling me," Kake, having recovered slightly, drew closer and said, "So this Darren is the target of our scrutiny?"
Gion looked at Kake, whose nose still held two wads of tissue, fighting the urge to hit the shameless man again. In a calm voice, she confirmed, "Yes, Darren is making significant changes in North Blue. He's like a local emperor. There's secret intelligence suggesting he has private dealings with underworld forces, mafias, and many North Blue countries."
"According to Tsuru-san, Darren is a very dangerous and capable individual. Our mission here is not only to award him honors on behalf of headquarters but also to review his conduct."
"Besides, this is just my mission. What are you doing here?" she asked, looking annoyed at the audacious man before her. I have a mission to complete, yet this man insists on following me.
"Where you go, I go," Kake said, winking and grinning before adding disapprovingly, "But he's just a colonel at the headquarters. I wonder why Staff Officer Tsuru takes him so seriously?"
The Tsuru Sister Gion mentioned is the key advisor of the Naval Headquarters and a pivotal figure among the world's righteous forces. Shouldn't those who catch Staff Tsuru's eye be notorious pirates like Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Roger? And yet, here's this kid, just a colonel stationed in the four seas, only two ranks above my own.
It's only because I was raised at headquarters and haven't had the chance to accumulate enough military achievements for a promotion. Once I start undertaking missions on my own, surpassing this guy will be a breeze.
"No, Tsuru-san must have her reasons," Gion remarked, shaking her head.
Rolling his eyes, Kake asked, "So if there's something truly amiss with the review, are we going to take action?" As he spoke, he snapped his fingers, clearly itching for a fight.
For some reason, he felt an urge to beat up the guy in the photo when he saw it. He couldn't explain why, certainly not because the man looked more handsome.
"No, we just need to report back to headquarters," Gion replied, closing the file and turning her gaze to the distant sea. The refreshing sea breeze caused her long black hair to dance. She recalled Tsuru-san's instructions before departure and the rumors about this certain Darren that circulated around headquarters.
North Blue... the most tumultuous sea in the four seas...
Lost in her thoughts, a heavily fortified military base began to take shape through the mist at sea.
"We're almost there," Gion mentioned casually.
The bugle on the warship's watchtower began to sound. As the bold notes traveled across the water, a responding bugle call rose from the direction of Marine Branch 321, completing the echo.
"Prepare to make landfall," Gion instructed the Marines.
The warship approached the port of Marine Branch 321. On the shore, rows of Marines stood in formation, an impressive display of military presence.
"This North Blue Marine... is something else," Kake murmured, stroking his chin as he surveyed Branch 321. Though the Four Seas are known for lesser quality Marines compared to headquarters, these men seemed different.
Emanating confidence and with eyes full of resolve, they were well-armed. The equipment and morale of these Marines were on par with headquarters' elite. That man named Darren managed to train the North Blue Marines to this level.
Gion and Kake exchanged a glance, recognizing the shared skepticism in each other's gaze.
"Salute!" a twenty-year-old major with a military cap called out fiercefully.
In unison, the Marines saluted. Gion and Kake returned the gesture and disembarked the ship.
"Major Flying Squirrel, nice to meet you," Gion said, offering a handshake to the dark-haired, stern-faced man with the recollection of his background flooding her mind. He was the deputy of Branch 321 and right-hand man to Base Chief Rogers Darren.
"Welcome, Major Gion and Major Kake," Flying Squirrel replied, shaking her hand. Despite holding the same rank, the visitors from the headquarters commanded a certain level of respect.
"There's no need for formalities among colleagues," Gion said with a smile. Curious, she asked, "Where is Rear Admiral Darren?"
Flying Squirrel's expression stiffened. "Base Chief Darren... is currently occupied."
Still busy? Gion frowned, her attention drawn to an ornate official ship adorned with colorful ribbons and flying a kingdom's flag.
"Is that the official ship of Yadis Kingdom?" she asked, her tone taking a cold edge as she pieced together memories of the rumors about Darren.
Gion felt a surge of unease and bit her lip as she brushed past the major, making her way towards the base chief's residence. Thoughts of Darren's rumored dissolute and decadent life swirled angrily in her mind.