When Wright arrived at Grove 16, he saw pirates lying scattered across the ground, their bodies scorched and smoking. Meanwhile, Ace and Deuce were grinning as they went through a stack of bounty posters, checking them one by one.
"Are you two getting addicted to bounty hunting now?" Wright couldn't help but think.
"You two, let's go. I've already notified the stationed Marines to handle these guys."
Wright stepped forward and pulled the two away, despite their reluctance.
"We still have a lot to do to complete your enlistment into the Marines."
"Uncle Wright, these guys actually thought they could capture us and sell us as slaves just because we were outnumbered. Absolutely ridiculous!" Ace scoffed. "Are all the pirates here this despicable?"
"Pirates? They're nothing more than pathetic losers who have even lost the courage to set sail. Instead, they've sunk to the level of human trafficking," Wright said coldly. "At the very least, there are some great and admirable figures among pirates. But slavers? Every single one of them is scum."
"This island is a den of sin. Sooner or later, it will be purged."
Ace nodded, while Deuce quickly jotted down notes about the island in his journal.
"This is excellent material—the darkness of the Sabaody Archipelago..."
Upon their return to Marineford, Wright took the stunned Ace and Deuce through the enlistment process.
The two were immediately assigned to the New World's G-5 branch, with Ace placed under Smoker's command and Deuce under Rosinante's.
Ace was directly appointed as an Ensign. Given his current strength, if he started from the lowest ranks, it would only demoralize the ordinary Marines. Under Smoker, a fellow Logia-type Devil Fruit user, he would learn more about combat techniques unique to Logia users.
Deuce, on the other hand, was a special case. Although he possessed combat capabilities, his talents lay elsewhere—he was an exceptional administrator.
Thus, under Rosinante, Deuce would focus on intelligence analysis, external communications, and operational management.
As for medical training... Deuce was too drawn to adventure to sit still and study medicine. If he were suited for it, he wouldn't have run away from home in the first place.
Deuce was quite satisfied with Wright's arrangements. G-5, stationed at the heart of the New World, often received intelligence even faster than Marine Headquarters itself.
After all, intel from Gran Tesoro was directly funneled to G-5.
After Ace was officially inducted into the Marines, Wright led him to the administrative offices.
Ace had already changed into his new uniform—an orange shirt, a red tie, a pristine white suit, a Marine cap on his head, and a Justice coat draped over his shoulders. He cut a striking figure—a young man full of energy and charm.
On their way, every Marine officer they passed greeted Wright, and upon learning Ace's identity—Wright's personally trained student from his hometown—their gazes changed.
"The 'Weakest Sea' of the East Blue? Yeah, right. Anyone who's trained under Admiral Orange Horse and was personally brought to headquarters by him... that kid's got to be a monster."
If he weren't absurdly strong, Admiral Wright would never have allowed him to start as an officer—just like how Wright himself had risen through the ranks when he first joined.
When they reached the highest floor of the office complex, no one else was around.
"Uncle Wright, where are we?" Ace asked.
"This is the office of Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Wright replied.
Seeing Ace tense up slightly, Wright chuckled. "Relax. Old man Garp is in there too. I bet when he sees you like this, he's going to cry."
"..."
That joke managed to ease Ace's nerves.
If you don't count the World Government, then in the battle between Marines and pirates, wouldn't the Fleet Admiral be equivalent to the Pirate King in status?
Not to mention, Sengoku was his grandfather Garp's closest friend—one of only three Marine officers who knew his true identity.
"I'm ready," Ace said firmly.
Wright nodded. "No need to worry. Old man Sengoku is reasonable enough. Even though your grandpa is always giving him a headache, at most—"
"GARP, YOU OLD FOOL! CAN'T YOU GIVE ME A MOMENT OF PEACE?!"
"Wahahaha! Sengoku! No matter where you hide your rice crackers, I'll always find them!"
"My tea leaves! You idiot! If you don't appreciate fine tea, stop using so much of it! That's top-grade stuff!"
"Cheh, so stingy! I always use this much! When it's gone, I'll just get more from Wright!"
"You—!"
Wright's hand, mid-knock, froze awkwardly in the air. He glanced at Ace, whose expression was equally baffled.
"Ahem... These two old men..." Wright muttered before lifting his foot and kicking the door open.
"You two old geezers, knock it off already!"
BOOM!
The Fleet Admiral's office door was sent flying open. Fortunately, no one else was on this floor. If the ceiling of Sengoku's office were ripped off, the high-ranking officers of Marineford wouldn't even bat an eye.
After all, with Garp and Sengoku alone, this kind of thing happened all the time. Adding Wright to the mix? Of course, the chaos doubled.
The room fell silent as Wright and Ace stood in front of the two old men, who had been bickering moments before.
"Ahem..." Sengoku quickly straightened his uniform, walked calmly to his desk, and adjusted his Marine cap.
Meanwhile, Garp wasn't nearly as composed—his gaze was locked onto Ace, who stood proudly in his Justice coat.
"Sniff..."
Garp's mouth stretched wide as tears and snot streamed down his face. He grabbed a massive handful of rice crackers and stuffed them into his mouth. "Uwahhh...!"
"You senile old man..." Wright muttered, rubbing his temples before turning to Sengoku, who was pressing his fingers against his own forehead in exasperation.
"You two are unbelievable."
"Damn brat! I'm docking the repair costs for that door from your paycheck!" Sengoku snapped, clearly trying to maintain his dignity. He cleared his throat and gestured for them to sit.
"Come in and sit down... And pick that door back up first!"
Wright rolled his eyes but motioned for Ace to take a seat while he set the door back in place. Then, with a light chant, he raised his hand.
"Holy Light Wall—Sanctuary."
A golden shield of Holy Light enveloped the office, ensuring complete privacy.
"This will prevent any sound from escaping. It's not as effective as Rosinante's Silent Zone, but it does the job."
Sengoku nodded in approval, shot another glare at Garp, and cleared his throat.
"Ahem... Ace, from today onward, you are officially a Marine Ensign."
"Regarding your identity—so long as you don't reveal it yourself, we three will ensure that no one in the Marines finds out."
"As for the higher-ups... Don't worry about the World Government. Now that you're a Marine, no one can take you away. No one."
Wright gave a slight nod. "Ace, is everything okay with Deuce?"
"No problem—he doesn't know a thing," Ace said with a grin. "I wouldn't bring it up without a reason."
"Ace..." Garp finally wiped his face clean and calmed down.
Even though he had imagined this moment for eighteen years, seeing Ace in a Justice coat still overwhelmed him.
"If Luffy insists on becoming a pirate, then make sure you beat him senseless for me!"
"..."
Sengoku buried his face in his hands.
Garp, are you some kind of divine punishment sent to torment me...?
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