The First Half of the Grand Line – Marineford
A warship docked, and Garp disembarked with Kaito and a group of Marine soldiers.
Waving his hand to dismiss the soldiers, Garp turned to Kaito and said,
"Come with me. I'll take you to meet Sengoku. You're someone he specifically asked to see."
Kaito responded briefly and followed behind Garp toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
Along the way, Kaito couldn't help but feel a little emotional. He hadn't expected his performance at the East Blue Marine branch to attract so much attention. This treatment… was honestly beyond what he had anticipated.
When they reached the door to Sengoku's office, Garp didn't even bother knocking. With a loud bang, he shoved the door open and bellowed:
"Sengoku! I brought the guy you asked for. Got any rice crackers? I'm starving!"
"..."Kaito stared blankly at the clueless Garp, at a loss for words.
He really is exactly like he's portrayed in those Earth comics... a total blockhead.
Still, Kaito didn't dislike it. People like Garp were actually the easiest to get along with — straightforward and without hidden motives. In contrast, during his time in Konoha, he'd interacted with the village leadership and clan heads, all of whom had minds full of schemes. Constant backstabbing and politicking was exhausting. And as a Uchiha, he hadn't been welcomed by the upper echelon; a single misstep could've cost him his life.
But with someone like Garp, as long as you treated him sincerely, he wouldn't sell you short. In fact, many officers at Marine Headquarters were like that. Regardless of how twisted their sense of justice might be, at least they leaned toward true justice. That was one of the key reasons Kaito preferred the Marines over the pirates.
On the office chair, a tic mark popped out on Sengoku's forehead. He had planned to give Kaito a wise and dignified first impression, like a proper old-school leader. But now that plan was completely ruined.
Trying hard to control his temper, Sengoku irritably waved Garp to the side.
But Garp wasn't having it. He dug a booger from his nose and flicked it with his finger. The dark, shiny booger landed smack on the face of the little goat beside Sengoku — right on its previously pristine white face, forming a bizarrely flirtatious beauty mark.
"Garp!"
Seeing his beloved pet assaulted like that, Sengoku finally lost it and was about to explode, when a calm female voice cut in:
"Alright, you two. Aren't you a bit old for this? Settle down. Don't make a fool of yourselves in front of young Kaito here."
Kaito peeked into the room and saw a white-haired old lady sitting gracefully on the sofa. Standing next to her was a tall, elegant woman.
That woman had long black hair casually tied behind her head, seductive peach blossom eyes with a faint red hue in her pupils, a delicate nose, and perfectly shaped lips. Below them was a single beauty mark that accentuated her allure to the extreme.
"She's stunning," Kaito silently gave her five stars in his heart.
Then he realized who the two women must be — Vice Admiral Tsuru of Marine Headquarters, and her sworn younger sister, the future admiral candidate, Gion. These two were truly heavyweight figures in the Marines.
As Kaito observed the two women, Tsuru and Gion also caught sight of him peeking in.
And with just one glance, they were both drawn to his eyes.
What kind of eyes were those? Black ripple-like patterns swirled like whirlpools in his pupils, occasionally flashing with a purple glow.
Both women instinctively activated their Observation Haki — and immediately sensed a powerful energy pulsing from those eyes, coupled with an oppressive aura comparable to Conqueror's Haki.
"A terrifying rookie."
That was the simultaneous thought both women had about Kaito.
It was worth noting that Gion's gaze lingered on Kaito's face for a moment longer. Then she nodded slightly to herself and looked away.
Of course, Kaito noticed their scrutiny but didn't mind. He stepped out from behind Garp and walked up to Sengoku's desk, offering a crisp military salute.
A soldier should carry himself like a soldier — a value ingrained in him from his time on Earth.
"Good. Very good!"
Sengoku was clearly pleased. What is a model Marine? This is a model Marine! Talented, powerful, polite, respectful to superiors, and knows how to kill pirates!
Compared to the nose-picking idiot from earlier... who even is that guy? I don't know him.
"Sailor Kaito — considering your exceptional strength, I've decided to make an exception and place you directly into the Marine Headquarters Elite Training Camp. There, you'll receive the harshest — and finest — education the Marines have to offer!"
At this, Sengoku paused, locked eyes with Kaito, and asked solemnly,
"So... are you ready, Uchiha Kaito?"
Kaito was in a great mood. One of his goals in coming here was to understand the power systems of the One Piece world, and this training camp was perfect for that. Becoming a Marine officer would also be a new and exciting experience.
"Yes, I'm ready, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
He answered without hesitation.
"Excellent. Then I'll have someone show you around Headquarters first."
"I'll do it, Fleet Admiral," Gion suddenly volunteered. "I don't have anything else on my plate right now."
Sengoku looked at her in surprise. Truth be told, Gion held a fairly high status in the Marines — not to mention she was Tsuru's younger sister. Even having Garp pick up Kaito under the pretense of 'taking leave' had been a bit of a stretch. Sengoku had originally planned to assign a mid-ranking officer to show Kaito around.
Tsuru shot a meaningful glance at her, thinking,
The old girl's finally making her move, huh...
Garp, still picking his nose, didn't react at all.
Not my problem.
Ignoring the looks in the room, Gion spoke confidently,
"I think this young Kaito and I click well. I'd like to get to know him better. I'm sure we'll have to work together in the future too."
"Well... if you're volunteering, then go ahead. It's not a big deal anyway." Sengoku approved it.
Wearing high heels, Gion walked over elegantly to Kaito. One hand on her waist, she smiled at him playfully and said,
"Well then, let's go. Nice to meet you — I'm Gion. I hope we'll get along, Kaito~"
What is with this woman? She's like a freaking enchantress...
Kaito cursed silently in his head, but on the surface, he gave a polite smile.
"Then I'll be in your care."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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