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Arashi was well aware that while his subordinates had now assumed the identities of Marines, the spirit of their past as pirates still lingered.
After becoming Marines, the five under Ivans were relatively calm and obedient; they focused more on finding a stable life and achieving a small sense of peace.
Crocodile, however, had changed after losing his memories, and Arashi sensed a level of trust and admiration from him.
Even if Crocodile regained his memories, his former ambitions seemed to have been buried.
As for Douglas Bullet, his thoughts were more transparent.
First, he was captivated by Arashi's immense strength, and second, he recognized that Arashi needed to be more easily tamed.
For figures as powerful as Bullet and Crocodile, it wasn't merely strength that would make them submit—it required something more, something they could respect and identify with.
These individuals were all settled in the same area where Arashi resided, and the house was spacious enough to accommodate them easily.
In the evening, after dinner, Crocodile and the others continued their intense training under Bullet's supervision.
Arashi stood quietly under the streetlamp, observing them in silence.
Bullet, a former career soldier, clearly had a unique perspective on training, and even Arashi had to admit the effectiveness of his methods.
The five under Ivans, especially the young Rosinante, had shown notable improvement, rapidly advancing towards superhuman physical prowess.
"No matter what you aim to achieve or what hopes and dreams you hold,"
Bullet shouted, crossing his arms, "Your strength is the most powerful weapon to make them a reality!"
"Even if you're going to be a lazy bum, you better have the strength to turn things around!"
Suddenly, his eyes shot toward the back of the group, where Rosinante lagged.
"Rosinante, pick up the pace! Do you plan to die on the battlefield one day?"
"Someone as strong as Arashi can't tolerate someone as weak as you among his ranks!"
Upon hearing this, Rosinante gasped and pushed himself harder.
It was fine to scold him, but he couldn't stand it when Arashi, whom he deeply admired, was brought into it.
"Aaahhhh!" Rosinante yelled, forcing himself to run faster.
Under the streetlight, Arashi smiled as he watched this unfold, nodding approvingly before turning away.
At this rate, even the eleven- or twelve-year-old Rosinante would soon possess superhuman abilities.
Considering his age, it was truly impressive—this kid was, after all, a descendant of the Celestial Dragons.
Before long, the night passed. The next morning, as dawn broke, the atmosphere at Marineford's headquarters was sombre and heavy.
Two rows of elite Marines, their expressions cold and serious, all standing over two meters tall, lined the steps leading to the main building, their eyes fixed straight ahead.
Today's air was different from usual; even the senior officers among the crowd couldn't help but feel tense, swallowing nervously, and beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.
The highest-level meeting of Marine Headquarters was to take place today.
High-ranking officers worldwide had gathered at Marineford to attend this monumental meeting.
The seriousness and gravity of the event were undeniable—everyone knew it would affect not only the Marines but the entire world.
Suddenly, a gust of sea breeze swept across, fluttering the cloaks of the Marines standing tall on both sides.
At that moment, all the elites tightened their gazes, looking down the steps at the imposing figures approaching.
"Marine Admiral Sengoku!"
"Admiral Zephyr!"
Dressed in white Marine uniforms, Sengoku and Zephyr walked one after the other up the steps.
The two rows of Marines straightened their chests, staring forward as if frozen in time.
As the two Admirals entered the headquarters building and their figures disappeared from view, a series of imposing and dignified officers began to arrive.
"Vice Admiral Berglus the Mountain-Slasher!"
"Vice Admiral Lufa the Mantis Blade!"
"Vice Admiral John Tyson, the Boxing King!"
One after another, these commanding officers, each with their unique aura and overwhelming presence, climbed the steps, leaving the assembled officers awestruck.
The tension, excitement, and admiration were palpable.
Many of these renowned officers were idols to the younger Marines, people they looked up to but rarely had the chance to see.
Each was a pillar of Marine Headquarters—respected figures, masters of Haki, with power that set them apart.
As the sun bathed the steps in its light, a tall, burly man with a square face and black hair, accompanied by several others, appeared, smiling as he approached.
"Marine Hero!"
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
At that moment, every eye was fixed on the man, and the air seemed still as Garp stepped forward with Bogart by his side.
To his left was a towering figure with a smiling face.
"The young monster from the new generation, Kuzan!"
The crowd immediately recognized the tall figure, shouting his name in their minds.
In the past two years, three monstrous figures have gained increasing fame within the Marines.
Their mastery of powerful Logia-type Devil Fruits and immense physical strength made them seem almost god-like, commanding awe and respect from countless young Marines.
"Wait!"
"Who's that figure behind them?"
Suddenly, someone in the crowd exclaimed in shock.
"It's Arashi."
"That's Rear Admiral Arashi!"
At that moment, the eyes of all the Marines shifted once again, focusing on the tall, muscular Marine not far behind Garp.
His body seemed ready to burst out of his uniform due to his sheer muscle mass.
On either side of him followed two figures, both wearing Marine hats with their heads slightly bowed, obscuring their faces, yet their powerful auras were undeniable.
"You're late, kid!" Garp paused and turned around, a broad grin spreading across his face.
He was momentarily taken aback when he saw the towering, muscular figure behind him.
It had been quite a while since the two had seen each other, and Garp couldn't believe that the once scrawny kid had grown into such a massive, imposing man.
"Master Garp!" Arashi grinned, quickening his pace to catch up to him. Instantly, Garp's group grew in size with Arashi's arrival.
"Arashi!" Kuzan also smiled as he greeted him, while Bogart nodded with a friendly gesture.
"Kuzan, Bogart!" Arashi laughed.
"You've changed a lot, kid," Garp said, marvelling at him. He raised a hand and gave Arashi a solid pat on the shoulder, which produced a loud thud.
"But this build suits you much better!"
Garp's gaze shifted to Bullet and Crocodile, his expression slightly serious.
"You've found yourself some solid subordinates," Garp remarked.
He quickly recognized them: Crocodile, the user of Sand-Sand Fruit, and Douglas Bullet, a former crew member of the Pirate King, Roger.
Garp was a bit surprised that Arashi had managed to recruit them.
He recalled that Arashi had gathered a crew of notorious pirate rookies not long ago.
"You've gathered quite the rebellious bunch, haven't you?" Garp sighed.
"They're all good comrades," Arashi replied with a smile.
Crocodile and Bullet remained silent, knowing that staying quiet was the best action in this situation.
"Is that so? Well, make sure to lead them properly," Garp said with a grin before withdrawing his gaze.
As a mentor, Garp always allowed his students to grow and make their own choices.
In his mind, everyone had the right to choose their path and needed to take responsibility for those choices.
Since Arashi had decided to take this path, Garp trusted that he had his reasons.
As for what his student's future would hold? How he would change the world? That wasn't Garp's concern.
Even during the infamous Celestial Dragon incident at the Sabaody Archipelago, Garp had never doubted his disciple for a second.
How could a Marine destined to inherit the title of "Hero" commit such a brazen act?
The group continued up the stairs toward the headquarters building, with Arashi and Kuzan quietly chatting along the way.
Shortly afterwards, they were led by a female officer into the meeting room.
This particular room had been prepared in advance—it was spacious and grand. In the centre was a long table surrounded by neatly arranged seats.
The officers took their places individually, with the vice admirals seated at the front of the long table.
Arashi, Kuzan, and the others sat in the seats surrounding it. The room was quiet, and not long after taking their seats, someone was already snoring.
As more officers arrived and settled in, they all waited silently for the meeting to begin.
Their faces showed a range of expressions: some were serious, some were tense, while others yawned with boredom.
About half an hour later, Fleet Admiral Kong entered the room, followed by his assistant, his face stern and sombre.
"Looks like most of us are here. Let's begin the meeting."
His opening statement was brief, reflecting the Marine's no-nonsense style.
This was a habit Kong had developed after years of organizing operations as a Marine.
There was no time for long speeches on the battlefield—every second counted.
There was no need to drag it out if something could be explained in a single word. After all, on the battlefield, time meant lives.
"In light of the recent events surrounding the Roger Pirates reaching the final island and Roger becoming the Pirate King, the world has been thrown into turmoil," Kong began.
"We've already issued numerous temporary assignments to address the situation."
"Our efforts to suppress and eliminate troublesome pirates have been effective, without a doubt."
Kong's tone then darkened. "However," he continued, "the impact of Roger's actions has exceeded our expectations."
"The entire ocean is in chaos because of him. Pirates like Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, and many others are constantly stirring up conflict."
"Especially the Pirate King, Roger—he must be captured and brought to justice to quell the massive wave of chaos his becoming Pirate King has caused!"
After a brief pause, Kong's expression turned more serious. "Therefore, I will now address all officers and assign tasks based on recent events."
"You all have two main objectives," Kong continued. "First, track down and capture the Pirate King Roger and his crew across the globe."
"Second, your next task is to focus on suppressing all pirates across the seas, eliminating these emerging troublemakers with full force!"
As he said this, Kong slammed his hand onto the table, his gaze becoming sharp.
The entire meeting room fell silent as every high-ranking officer listened intently.
"Now, let's proceed with the task assignment," Kong said, taking a deep breath before speaking again in a commanding tone.
What followed was a calm and orderly distribution of duties.
"Sengoku, you will stay at headquarters and oversee the waters surrounding the Sabaody Archipelago," Kong ordered. Sengoku nodded.
"Zephyr, you will be stationed in Water 7 and the Long Ring Long Land islands." Zephyr also nodded in acknowledgement.
One by one, tasks were assigned until Kong's eyes turned toward Arashi's group.
"Kuzan, head to the North Blue and clear out the troublesome pirates there." Kuzan stood up. "Understood!"
"Arashi, your mission is to go to the South Blue," Kong said gravely. "You'll be responsible for eliminating pirates and searching for Roger."
Arashi hesitated for a moment but then nodded. The task assignment moved quickly, with each officer receiving orders and promptly leaving.
Soon, Arashi heard Garp's name called. Naturally, the two were assigned to different regions—Garp was put in charge of the East Blue.
Many officers couldn't help but feel sorry for the pirates of the East Blue, knowing full well that the once-renowned "strongest sea" might soon become the weakest under Garp's iron fist.
Sakazuki and Borsalino were also called, and each received their assignments.
"You may wait for your warships to be modified and then cross the Calm Belt to reach your designated seas, or you can set sail immediately and have your ships modified later," Kong instructed.
Many officers were puzzled by this statement, but soon, an explanation followed, leaving them all amazed. It made sense now why headquarters launched such a large-scale search and suppression operation.
If they could cross the Calm Belt, support between regions would be much quicker and more convenient.
"Meeting adjourned!" Kong declared. Immediately, the Marines in the meeting room stood up to leave.
Arashi, however, had a serious expression on his face mixed with a bit of concern.
"What's wrong, Arashi?" Kuzan asked.
"The South Blue should be an easy region. The North Blue is a headache, full of strong pirates!" Kuzan sighed.
In truth, the Four Seas weren't particularly challenging; the real difficulty was in how vast the regions were.
If a pirate was determined to flee, there wasn't much the Marines could do to catch them.
"My South Blue might be tougher than you think," Arashi sighed.
"How hard could it be? Don't tell me you'll run into Roger himself?" Kuzan teased.
Arashi's lips twitched, but he didn't respond to his old friend's joke.
He knew full well that, according to the timeline, Roger would likely be in the South Blue.
As Arashi left the meeting room, Sakazuki quickly caught up to him.
"Do you need something?" Arashi asked calmly.
"Next time, I won't lose to you!" Sakazuki gritted his teeth.
"Heh," Arashi chuckled, brushing past him without another word, striding off.
His mind was occupied with Roger's situation—he had no time to deal with this stubborn, hot-headed young man still in his rebellious phase.
"Should I leave him be?"
"Or should I take action and capture him myself?"
Walking out of Marine headquarters, Arashi muttered as the sea breeze blew against his face.
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