Among the new generation of officers, the most famous were the three "monster" vice admirals—the future Three Admirals: "Blue Pheasant" Kuzan, "Red Dog" Sakazuki, and "Yellow Monkey" Borsalino.
As for factions, Sengoku and Garp belonged to the same one, which included the chief of staff, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Kuzan.
Vice Admirals Sakazuki and Borsalino each formed their own factions, while Admiral Zephyr stayed out of worldly affairs. Yet much of the Marines' backbone had, more or less, come from under his tutelage.
Each faction had its strengths and weaknesses. Sengoku and Garp's faction held kindness in their hearts. Though their positions forced them to stand with the World Government, they had their own convictions regarding justice and acted with restraint. Sakazuki's faction represented the Marines' younger hawkish officers. They believed in Absolute Justice and would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Their methods were more extreme, but they placed the Marines' interests above all else and would even stand up to the World Government for them. Borsalino's faction was ambiguous in its actions, offending neither side. They clocked in, did their jobs for pay, carried out orders, and stayed out of power struggles. They were best at self-preservation. As for Admiral Zephyr... there was no need to mention him.
If he had joined the Marines on his own, he could have taken his time observing the situation and the internal relationships within the Marines before deciding which faction to join. But now, as Garp's fellow townsman and a Marine Lieutenant personally recruited by Garp, he had been branded with Garp's mark from the very beginning—a genuine young officer of Sengoku's faction.
This saved him the trouble of choosing, but it also meant he had directly entered the sight of all the major figures. More importantly, it meant he was about to enter a period of rapid growth in strength!
Early the next morning, while the sky was still dim, Wright got up and began infusing Ashes with Holy Light Power. Then he went to the deck to practice basic swordsmanship and meditate to train his spirit, earning the admiration of the Marines on watch.
"Yo! Wright, kid! You're pretty diligent!"
A booming voice rang across the deck. Wright jolted awake and saw that Garp had also come up to the deck. "Vice Admiral Garp, you're up so early?"
"Ahahaha! When people get old, they need less sleep!"
"Come on, come on. Get your body moving this early in the morning. Spar with this old man!"
The hell you mean old people need less sleep? Can't you fall asleep standing up in broad daylight? You just want an excuse to beat me up!
And so, Garp's booming laughter and Wright's furious roars filled the warship once again. Gradually, they became heavy blows and Wright's miserable screams...
As the sun rose, the Marines finished changing shifts and morning drills, and the warship began to slow down.
"Report! Vice Admiral Garp! We are about to reach the Calm Belt. Please issue your instructions, Vice Admiral!" The messenger reported to Garp, though his gaze could not help drifting toward Wright, who had been beaten half to death by Garp.
"Oh? Already? My, my, beating people... ahem, training recruits really makes time fly! Ahahaha!" Garp grinned. "Prepare to enter the Calm Belt!"
"Ah... yes! Vice Admiral!" The messenger hurriedly acknowledged the order and quickly left to pass it on, silently mourning for newly promoted Lieutenant Wright for two seconds.
Wright lay face-down on the deck with a swollen pig's head. Bogart stood beside Garp while Old Man Garp kept muttering, "Did I hit him a little too hard? Hmm, it's been a long time since I met a young man who could take such a beating. Seems I got a little carried away, ahahaha..."
"..."
Bogart looked at Wright, who was barely recognizable, and silently sighed. "Sometimes, having powerful healing abilities is also a misfortune..."
"Alright, Wright, kid, stop playing dead and get up! We'll be reaching the Calm Belt soon, and you're in charge of keeping watch!" Garp draped his Justice Coat over his shoulders and found a chair to lie in. "Bogart, keep an eye on the kid. I'll just... snore... snore..."
Smack!
Lying on the ground and pretending to be dead, Wright could practically hear the veins on his forehead throbbing. But since his fists were not big enough, he could only obey.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow..."
"Old Man Garp, that bastard! Why does he love hitting faces so much? Is he jealous of my looks?!"
"How is this Armament Haki used? Why does it hurt so much?! Even using Armament Haki myself can't block it! Could that damn old man have specially developed this technique just for the sick pleasure of beating people up?!"
He slowly climbed to his feet and cast a Holy Light Spell... but it failed to heal him completely. It took another one to fully recover his injuries. This was the first time Wright had encountered a situation where one Holy Light Spell could not heal him to full!
"Old Man Garp's attacks directly affect the body and are this destructive! I need to watch out for this in the future. I can't neglect my physical defense."
What a useful ability, Bogart silently thought. That's why Vice Admiral Garp didn't hold back much. As long as he doesn't beat him to death, there won't be any lasting damage. He's practically the perfect punching bag.
"Ahem." Stopping himself from continuing to think about the issue of "punching bags," Bogart stepped forward and introduced the situation in the Calm Belt to Wright.
"Lieutenant Wright, Vice Admiral Garp has assigned you to handle the upcoming watch duties, so I'll first explain the basic situation of the Calm Belt."
"Ah... thank you, Colonel." Wright could not tell what rank Bogart held. This man had always been Garp's adjutant and seemed to be responsible for training recruits. He kept a low profile, and there was little information about him. Wright had specifically asked the Marines on duty yesterday before confirming that Bogart was a colonel.
Another guy unwilling to take a promotion. This guy is definitely more capable than a mere colonel! Wright listened carefully as Bogart explained the Calm Belt.
"...The Calm Belt is a special sea region that separates the Four Seas and the Grand Line. It lies on both sides of the Grand Line. By crossing the Calm Belt from the Four Seas, one can enter the Grand Line directly without passing through Reverse Mountain. Just as its name suggests, this sea has neither wind nor currents and remains calm year-round."
"In the early days, ships relied on wind power to move, so no vessel could possibly pass through the Calm Belt. Later, advancements in Marine technology brought steam turbine warships with their own power, allowing travel through the Calm Belt. However, because the Calm Belt is also the lair of Sea Kings, powerful fighters had to be stationed aboard to kill any Sea Kings that attacked. Even then, the warship's safety could not be guaranteed."
"Fortunately, the Marines later obtained the forging technology for Sea Stone." Bogart glanced at Wright. Any ability user basically knew what Sea Stone did. "Sea Stone gives off the same vibrations as the sea. By embedding it in the bottom of a warship, the ship can pass through the Calm Belt without drawing the attention of Sea Kings."
"However, accidents still happen from time to time. Therefore, when a warship passes through the Calm Belt, powerful fighters must remain on watch at all times and kill any attacking Sea Kings if necessary. That is your next mission, Lieutenant Wright."
Perhaps he was not used to saying so much at once, because Bogart looked like he was having trouble maintaining his poker face.
"Oh... seems like an important mission. I'd have a hard time finding even a few Sea Kings in the East Blue, but there are so many here... I'm really looking forward to it!"
"Food made from Sea King meat is truly unforgettable. It's delicious and nutritious too. How about we catch one for an extra dish tonight?"
The Marines: "No, please don't!"
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