Marine Headquarters Campus Violence Incident!?

Marine Headquarters, Marineford. The Fleet Admiral's office.

Admiral Sengoku, Garp, Chief Staff Officer Tsuru, and Admiral Zephyr were all present. Not only that, but the three Vice Admirals Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan were also there.

Normally, Vice Admirals wouldn't be suited to attend a meeting of Marine bigwigs like this, but these three were no ordinary Vice Admirals.

Moreover, they each had a certain connection to the Marine higher-ups. Kuzan, for instance, while not Garp's direct subordinate, was practically his tag-along and half-disciple, often accompanying Garp on missions and training together.

As for Borsalino, he was directly Sengoku's adjutant, much like the relationship between Bogard and Garp—undeniably close.

And Sakazuki had ties to Fleet Admiral Kong. With the Hawk Faction currently lacking a leader, and Sakazuki being a staunch core member of that faction, Kong, as a former Hawk Faction bigwig, held him in considerable regard.

"Take a look. This intelligence on the clash between the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates has quite a few baffling points." Chief Staff Officer Tsuru distributed the reports to everyone.

Garp, always interested in anything involving Roger, quickly started reading.

"They fought on that deserted island for three days and three nights, and in the end, Roger took Whitebeard's second division commander? How is that possible? Whitebeard isn't the type to let his crewmates get captured!" Garp finished first, exclaiming in surprise.

"That's exactly what I find baffling. First, Roger took one of Newgate's crew members from him. Second, to this day, the Whitebeard Pirates haven't issued any statement on the matter—they're completely turning a blind eye. It seems they must have reached some agreement with Roger, yet they haven't dismissed the second division commander from his post either." Chief Staff Officer Tsuru said.

"This guy named Kozuki Oden, he's the son of the shogun of Wano Country, right? Does that have any connection to Kaido?" Admiral Zephyr asked.

"Wano Country is an information vortex. It's a closed-off nation, and now it's occupied by the Beasts Pirates. No one knows what's happening inside, or even if their shogun is still alive. However, Kozuki Oden was indeed the shogun's son. We've investigated related intelligence—the Kozuki family is the stonemason clan that forged the Poneglyphs!" Chief Staff Officer Tsuru said gravely.

"Poneglyphs!?" Garp suddenly realized something and spoke up: "Come to think of it, Ortolan once told me that the reason Roger and his crew stormed Cake Island was to steal Charlotte Linlin's Poneglyph! And based on my ongoing tracking and investigation, the Roger Pirates seem to have been collecting those things all along!"

"The ancient script on the Poneglyphs is said to be indecipherable by anyone. But if Kozuki Oden is the heir of that stonemason clan, he might have the ability to read it. If that's the case, Roger and his crew are trying to uncover the history of the Void Century?" Admiral Sengoku stroked his chin.

"I don't care about history," Fleet Admiral Kong shook his head, but his expression turned serious. "But the rumors say the Poneglyphs record the locations of the Ancient Weapons. I'm worried they might..."

"Fleet Admiral, I know my position makes this sound off, but Roger and his crew aren't the type to revive the Ancient Weapons!" Garp said without hesitation.

"Whether he would or whether he could are two completely different things, Garp!" Fleet Admiral Kong tapped the table. "As things stand, Shiki probably knows more about what Roger was up to back then than we do. The reason he blocked Roger at the Ed War Sea might also be tied to these Poneglyphs and the Ancient Weapons!"

Admiral Sengoku picked up his tea and took a sip, then said, "Regardless, we need to raise the threat level assessment for the Roger Pirates. And since this now involves the Poneglyphs and the stonemason clan, we'll have to report this to the higher-ups."

"After all, the higher-ups are quite wary of that Void Century and the so-called Poneglyphs." Admiral Zephyr nodded in agreement.

The Void Century sounded mysterious, but in truth, most of the Marine bigwigs had little interest in it. On one hand, they were under the World Government's banner, so their inherent position made it inconvenient to investigate, and over time, the curiosity faded.

On the other hand, history was, after all, just history. People had to look forward, focusing on the present and the future.

"Tsuru, keep a close eye on this intelligence and stay on the Roger Pirates." Fleet Admiral Kong gave one final instruction.

Chief Staff Officer Tsuru clicked her tongue. "Zephyr over there dragged my best assistant off to be a student. I can't guarantee the efficiency of my intelligence anymore."

Everyone burst into laughter at that. Zephyr sighed helplessly. "When she finishes her training and returns, she'll only be more helpful to you, Tsuru."

Just then, Sengoku asked curiously, "Speaking of which, while I was away, didn't Garp bring back some impressive kid? How's that kid doing?"

Zephyr sighed with emotion. "Well, it's only been half a month of study and contact, but there's no doubt that kid's a genius. I don't just mean in terms of physical potential and combat ability—even in cultural classes, he stands out. He's a fast learner, a true master of both letters and martial arts."

At that, Zephyr glanced at Sengoku. After all, when it came to the most famous master of both letters and martial arts in the Marines, Sengoku—known as the 'Tactician'—was the quintessential example!

In terms of combat, as a Mythical Zoan user and a Marine Admiral—the highest tier of combat power—Sengoku's strength was unquestionable. Yet he'd also earned the title of 'Tactician,' making him the perfect Marine Admiral!

But now, Zephyr felt he saw a shadow of Sengoku in Bane Ortolan. It was very possible that Ortolan would become the next Marine officer on par with Sengoku!

"He's that good in cultural classes too?" Garp was surprised. "I've been so busy lately that I haven't kept up with him..."

"Yes, and his initiative is remarkable. Most other students, after I assign learning tasks, just completing them is considered outstanding. But that kid not only finishes quickly, he also makes relevant extensions. He's built like a brute, yet he loves books and knowledge. He's already taken several course-related books from me. At first, I thought he was just putting on a show, but later I found a chance to quiz him on some key points from those books. He answered fluently and even drew inferences!" Zephyr said with some relief.

After a pause, Zephyr continued, "I originally thought Gion would be the first valedictorian to graduate from my program. Now it looks like Ortolan might take that spot for the first class."

But then Zephyr added with some confusion, "However, in the last few days, his mood seems off. Yesterday, just because Dalmatian was talking too loudly in the classroom and disturbed Ortolan's reading, he suddenly flew into a rage over such a trivial matter and nearly beat Dalmatian up!"

Kuzan, who had been listening, paused, calculated the time, and then said, "Speaking of which, it's only about a month until the second full moon of the year. By now, Ortolan should have entered his manic phase."

"Manic phase?" Borsalino looked at Kuzan curiously, puzzled.

"Yeah, in his own words, he has intermittent psychosis. About a month before each of the two full moons each year, his mind gets agitated and hard to control. Teacher Zephyr, you'd better keep a close eye on him to avoid any campus violence." Kuzan warned.

No sooner had Kuzan finished speaking than Gion burst through the office door, looking frantic. "Teacher Zephyr, it's bad! Dalmatian, along with Spiders and Dalmatian, ganged up to pick a fight with Ortolan to get back at him for yesterday. Now they're fighting at the training ground!!!"

"Huh?" Zephyr stood up in a daze, looking at Kuzan. So campus violence is actually happening!?

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