Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Knock, knock, knock!
A series of knocks echoed from the office door of the Fleet Admiral. Sitting at his desk, Sengoku handed a document to the goat beside him and then gestured for the person at the door to enter.
"Sorry to disturb you, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. This is my mission report. On my way back, I happened to encounter a pirate crew, so I took the opportunity to eliminate them as well. Because of this detour to pursue the pirate crew, the return trip took one extra day. It was entirely my decision to deviate from the mission and hunt down the pirates, so if there is any punishment to be given, I request that it be directed at me alone and not my crew."
The person who entered the office was a valiant female Marine officer. She had striking black hair, a long sword at her waist, and an impressive figure, highlighted by a pair of long legs that were hard for most men to ignore.
If Wood were here, he would undoubtedly recognize her as Gion, who he hadn't seen in half a year.
Now, Gion was dressed in the pristine white uniform of a Marine officer, with a cloak emblazoned with the word "Justice" draped over her shoulders.
When Gion graduated, she held the rank of Sergeant, a position that neither warranted a Marine cloak nor permitted direct meetings with the Fleet Admiral. Clearly, in the past six months, Gion's career at Marine Headquarters had advanced significantly, unlike Wood, who had been relegated to guarding a remote outpost.
As Sengoku reviewed Gion's mission report, he nodded approvingly. When he saw that the pirate crew she had taken down was one of the notorious ones with a bounty exceeding a hundred million Berries, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"You've done well, Captain Gion. I've already received a letter of thanks from the kingdom you assisted. They were very pleased with how you handled the situation. As for the extra day it took to return, given the circumstances, it's understandable. Eliminating a dangerous pirate crew aligns with our mission of upholding justice, so there will be no punishment this time. However, next time, if you encounter a similar situation, it's best to report to Marine Headquarters via Den Den Mushi. We don't want you to disregard Marine regulations like some old fools do!"
Given Sengoku's close relationship with Vice Admiral Tsuru, it was impossible for him not to know Gion. Since Gion's graduation, Sengoku had been quite impressed with her performance.
Unlike many Marines, Gion, as a woman, was more meticulous and thoughtful in her actions, traits she had clearly inherited from Tsuru, the Marine strategist.
In the recent mission to quell unrest in a kingdom allied with the World Government, Gion had handled the situation flawlessly. Not only did she manage the unrest efficiently, boosting the Marines' reputation, but she also ensured that there were no lingering issues after the operation.
Quelling unrest isn't particularly difficult. In fact, Marine Headquarters could easily send a high-ranking officer to handle such situations. But only Gion could manage the aftermath so perfectly.
As for the "old fool" Sengoku mentioned, Gion didn't need an explanation to know he was referring to Vice Admiral Garp, the Marine hero.
From what she had learned from Tsuru, Garp treated his pirate-hunting missions as vacations. Even when dealing with weak pirates, he would take his sweet time before returning to Headquarters, making delayed returns a common occurrence.
There was even one instance where Garp didn't return to Marine Headquarters for several months, only coming back reluctantly after receiving an urgent order from Sengoku, who had reached the end of his patience.
As the Marine hero and a figure of reverence within the organization, Garp's overly casual behavior was a constant source of frustration for Sengoku. He believed that Garp's laid-back attitude was detrimental to the overall discipline within the Marines.
Not to mention that Sengoku had noticed some of the promising new recruits under his watch had already started to pick up on Garp's bad habits.
One such recruit was Borsalino, now a Vice Admiral, who possessed the powers of the Glint-Glint Fruit, one of the strongest Logia-type Devil Fruits. He was also highly skilled in both Observation Haki and Armament Haki.
However, what troubled Sengoku the most about Borsalino was his extreme aversion to trouble. He would do the bare minimum required by his pay, clock in and out of work on time, and lacked a strong sense of justice or loyalty to the Marines.
Another recruit Sengoku had high hopes for also seemed to be influenced by Garp's attitude. Sengoku was convinced that Garp bore a significant responsibility for the changes in this recruit.
That recruit was Kuzan, who had spent some time under Garp's tutelage after graduation. Unlike Borsalino, Kuzan had a strong sense of belonging to the Marines and a personal code of justice. But after working with Garp, the once-promising young man seemed more interested in taking it easy, even adopting the moniker "Lazy Justice."
After that, Sengoku decided that no promising Marine recruit would be placed under Garp's mentorship again.
Garp's refusal to accept a promotion to Admiral was clearly a ploy to maintain his freedom. While it was once justifiable when he was chasing Roger, now that Roger had been dead for years, Garp's reluctance to take the position was purely for the sake of avoiding responsibility.
"You performed excellently on this mission, Captain Gion. It must have been tough handling that royal unrest. I'm giving you a few days off. Take some time to rest."
Looking at the confident and capable Gion, Sengoku couldn't help but feel more and more satisfied. If the Marines had more officers like Gion—strong, skilled, and tactful—his job as Fleet Admiral would be much easier.
When Kong was Fleet Admiral, both he and Tsuru handled military affairs. Now that Sengoku held the position, it seemed like the burden still fell on him…
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, suppressing the unrest was actually quite straightforward, and taking down that pirate crew was just a minor detour. I don't really need a break... Well, at least I personally don't need one. If there's any mission that requires only a small team, I'd be happy to take it on."
Initially, Gion was going to decline the offer for time off, but she quickly realized that she couldn't speak for everyone. Her subordinates had been on the move with her for days, and they could definitely use a break. So she adjusted her statement, clarifying that only she didn't need the rest.