Comil's Hairstyle

At two in the afternoon the next day, Navarone Fortress's largest indoor training hall was packed with Marines of every rank.

Aside from those on duty and some who had no interest in fighting, most of the base's personnel had gathered there.

With so many people watching, Vice Admiral Cornell had three Image Den Den Mushi brought in to project images of the arena into the air.

"Isn't the crowd a little too big today?" A field officer with two swords at his waist frowned at the sea of heads inside and outside the arena.

"Heh, it's all because of what happened yesterday. Everyone knows Vidal's back." The blond company officer's face was full of delight. He loved this kind of atmosphere.

"Those who know him want to see him, and those who don't are even more eager to meet him. Besides, this is the final match. We won't get another lively occasion like this."

Meanwhile, four young Marines with a distinctive presence stood in a row, roughly two meters apart, silently waiting for the final round to begin.

"Vincent, Ogden, Comil, and Miles. All four are outstanding, but there are only two spots available for them," a lieutenant colonel remarked, looking at the men in the arena.

"So what? Even if they aren't selected, aren't they still Marines from Headquarters?" The colonel with two swords curled his lip.

"If they've really got what it takes, they'll make a name for themselves sooner or later. The ones who get picked are just getting an extra opportunity."

"Becoming Admiral Zephyr's disciple is more than just a simple opportunity. There's a lot more to it than that!" the blond colonel replied with a smile.

Just then, Vice Admiral Cornell, whom everyone had been waiting for, finally appeared in the hall with two others.

One was, as expected, the base's second-in-command, the commander's adjutant Rear Admiral Dewitt. The other was Senior Sergeant Vidal, who had returned only yesterday.

Senior Sergeant was the highest rank among the enlisted Marines and also the highest rank the base commander could appoint on his own authority.

Anything above that was a commissioned officer's rank and required an appointment issued personally by Headquarters.

Vidal had spent the past few years busy training and had specifically asked his father not to put his name forward. Otherwise, once he became a Headquarters officer, he would certainly be assigned all sorts of mandatory duties.

As things stood, then, he was probably the lowest-ranking of the five contestants, himself included.

The other four were all company officers, with ranks including captain and lieutenant!

Vice Admiral Cornell walked to the front of the field officers' ranks and faced the four contestants and all the Marines in that direction.

He held no microphone or other amplification device, but when he simply began to speak, everyone in the hall could hear him clearly.

"The rules are the same as before. You'll fight one-on-one, and deliberately killing or crippling your opponent is forbidden. The winners will go to Headquarters next year to enter Admiral Zephyr's special training camp."

"Also, the losers may challenge Senior Sergeant Vidal. If they defeat him, they'll likewise earn a spot in the special training camp!"

Vidal, who had already drawn plenty of attention, now attracted even more. For his part, he simply smiled under the countless gazes.

"Now, the final round will begin immediately."

With that, Vice Admiral Cornell led Vidal and all the officers wearing Justice Coats to the seats prepared for them in the distance.

Soon, only Rear Admiral Dewitt, serving as host and referee, and the four young company officers remained in the arena.

"First match: Vincent versus Ogden. The other two, step to the side for now!"

Comil and Miles exchanged a glance, then calmly followed the instructions and walked to the side. Vidal, who had just taken his seat on the other side, studied them with interest.

Is that Comil? He looks completely different from how he did as an old man in the manga.

He didn't know the other three, but he was familiar with Comil's name. In the future, he would be the vice admiral commanding Marine Headquarters' G-2 Branch and would take part in the famous Paramount War.

Unlike his self decades later, who was fat and balding, with long gray-white hair, he was now tall and muscular, with a thick head of long black hair.

The best part was how interesting that long hair looked. It was remarkably similar to Raditz's from "Dragon Ball," flowing freely and looking incredibly cool and flashy.

He also had two long swords hanging at his right hip, both the kind issued as standard at the base.

The fight in the arena had already begun, but Cornell noticed that Vidal's gaze remained fixed on Comil and smiled.

"What's the matter? Are you interested in that Comil?"

"Mm, that boy has the makings of a vice admiral." Vidal spoke as though he were joking, though he was actually serious.

"Oh?" Cornell was taken aback, wondering how his son could tell.

If the One Piece fans from his previous life heard someone praised as having the makings of a vice admiral, they would take it as a joke. What was a vice admiral, anyway? Someone anyone could push around?

In fact, however, vice admirals were the backbone of Marine Headquarters and represented the level of strength most people could reach through hard work.

The only reason vice admirals looked so unimpressive in the manga was that whenever they appeared, they were always used to highlight those monsters.

They either ran into great pirates on the level of the Shichibukai or were used by the Four Emperors to show off their power.

But one had to admit that, outside the New World, these vice admirals of Marine Headquarters were powerful enough to hold sway over an entire region!

A single one of them could cut down Sea Kings, wipe out an entire pirate crew, or guard the peace of a stretch of sea!

"Comil arrived not long after you left. He was originally a sergeant from the South Blue's Twelfth Branch, so this should be your first time meeting him."

"It is." Vidal nodded and explained, "But you can tell a lot from a person's bearing."

All right, he was talking nonsense, but he could say whatever he liked about something like that. Cornell could believe it or not.

"All right, so you think he'll be one of the people accompanying you next year?" Vice Admiral Cornell asked with a smile.

"Mm, he'll definitely be one of them." Since Vidal had already made such a bold claim, he didn't mind sounding even more certain.

The final result would most likely be the same anyway.

Meanwhile, the battle in the arena was gradually reaching a fever pitch, and both men were beginning to give it their all.

Vincent, a Headquarters lieutenant, specialized in Soru and high-speed kicking techniques.

Ogden, a Headquarters captain, specialized in Shigan, Tekkai, and hand techniques.

Basically, Vincent was using his superior agility and speed to circle Ogden and launch a relentless assault.

Although Ogden's Marine shirt had long since been torn to shreds from constantly defending, some people still thought he would win.

That was because he had gotten this far the same way, relying on his formidable physique and lasting stamina to drag out fights until opponents who couldn't overpower him quickly ran out of strength.

"What a shame. If Vincent had mastered Rankyaku, he might still have a chance of winning," the blond colonel sitting behind them sighed.

"Hey, you really called it. Look, he actually has mastered it!" another field officer beside him suddenly said, pointing at the arena and laughing.

A new author with a new book, asking for recommendations, support, and encouragement!