In Sea Circle Calendar 1492 (about 30 years before the Paramount War)
North Blue.
The sun shone brightly, and a cool sea breeze stirred ripples across the water.
A warship flying a snow-white seagull flag sailed steadily across the sea. A huge sail bearing the black word "Justice" billowed from its towering mast.
"Gion... My Gion, I like you! Please accept my love!"
On the deck of the warship.
A rather scruffy-looking Marine major executed a dramatic slide, dropped to one knee, and held out a bouquet of vivid roses with both hands. He gazed earnestly at the beauty before him.
She was a tall young woman with long, wavy black hair.
A Headquarters major's Justice coat hung over her shoulders. She wore a pink sleeveless top, while her shorts revealed a pair of long, fair legs.
"Major Gion's partner is so brave!"
"Keep it up, Major Gion's partner!"
"..."
At Gion's public declaration of love, the other Marines on deck cheered excitedly.
Some tossed confetti, some blew trumpets, and others set off fireworks...
One even held up a banner that read, "Major Gion's Partner's 38th Confession."
As if encouraged by the cheers and enthusiasm of his subordinates behind him, Gion's partner was suddenly filled with boundless confidence.
As he raised the roses, he also tossed his greasy tuft of hair with a showy flick, wearing what he thought was an incredibly handsome expression.
"Gion, accept my love! There's no better man in the world than me!"
Gion: ...
The corner of her mouth twitched. In a soft, weary voice, she said:
"You're a good person, Gion's partner, but we're not right for each other."
The deck fell completely silent.
The trumpets, cheers, and fireworks all stopped at once.
The Marines looked pityingly at Major Gion's partner, still kneeling there with flowers in hand. They suddenly realized how forlorn and desolate he looked from behind.
The thought made their noses sting.
"Poor Major Gion's partner..."
"He's confessed so many times..."
"Ah..."
They instinctively went over, ready to offer some comfort. But Gion's partner, who hadn't moved an inch, suddenly turned his head. Two trails of tears streaked down his scruffy face.
"Did you hear that?"
Gion's partner bit his lower lip, tears brimming in his eyes.
"Major Gion's partner, we all heard..."
"You don't have to lose heart..."
"That's right, a real man..."
The Marines all began consoling him, unable to bear the sight.
"—Gion called me a good person!"
Gion's partner suddenly sprang to his feet. Through his tear-blurred eyes, a dazzling light shone, and his face flushed with excitement.
"She finally acknowledged me! What does that mean? It means if I keep confessing my feelings, maybe she'll agree to go out with me next time!"
The Marines: ...
Was that really a compliment?
Was being called a good person supposed to be a good thing?
They exchanged looks, their eyes twitching, expressions stiff and awkward. After a subtle exchange of glances, they all smiled and nodded in unison.
"Right, right!"
"Exactly!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"—I knew it!"
Gion's partner immediately cheered, clenching his fists.
"She's testing my patience. I finally understand your good intentions, Gion!"
He turned toward her with a goofy grin.
"You don't have to test me, you know. We've known each other for so long. Don't you know how I feel about you? Come on, give me a kiss..."
As he spoke, Gion's partner puckered his lips and leaned toward Gion.
Bam!
The next second, he flew backward like a cannonball and slammed into the mast. Then he slid down limply like a lump of wet mud.
Two streams of bright red blood poured from his nostrils, and his body twitched every so often.
The Marines nearby seemed long accustomed to the sight. They put away their various cheering supplies and went about their duties as if nothing had happened.
With the farce over, Gion rubbed her temples and sighed helplessly.
She reopened the military file in her hands. It belonged to a Marine.
Name: Rogers Darren
Age: 19
Origin: North Blue, orphan
Position: Base Commander of North Blue Branch 312
Rank: Marine Headquarters Colonel
Ability: Suspected Devil Fruit power to manipulate metal; details unknown
Assessment: An extremely ambitious figure who acts swiftly and ruthlessly, yet is forthright in nature. He wielded considerable influence in North Blue and had astonishing potential. He could be considered for selection to the Officer Training Camp.
Note: His personal conduct was seriously problematic.
Below the table were dense lines detailing his victories and achievements in the extermination of pirates.
The file also included a photograph provided by the Marine photography department.
Gion casually glanced at it. Her onyx eyes flickered.
The man in the photograph had black hair and eyes, chiseled features, and a gaze as deep as the stars. He exuded a wild, unconstrained air.
"That guy's pretty handsome. He's almost giving me a run for my money."
Just then, Gion's partner leaned in, his bruised and swollen head close by, and clicked his tongue in admiration.
"So this guy named Darren is the target of our inspection?"
Gion glanced at Gion's partner, who still had two wads of tissue stuffed up his nostrils. She restrained the urge to beat the shameless man senseless again and replied calmly:
"That's right. This guy holds sway over North Blue and has practically made himself its king. There are also confidential reports claiming he has secret dealings with the underworld, the Mafia, and many of North Blue's kingdoms."
"According to Big Sister Tsuru, Darren is a dangerous and capable man."
"Besides presenting him with a medal on behalf of Headquarters, we're also here to inspect him."
"Also, this is my assignment. What are you doing here?"
She gave the clingy man before her a displeased look.
She had a mission to carry out, but Gion's partner had insisted on tagging along.
"Wherever you go, I go."
Gion's partner gave her a cheeky wink and grin, then muttered dismissively:
"But he's only a Headquarters colonel. Is he really worth Staff Officer Tsuru's attention?"
The Tsuru Gion called Big Sister was a senior strategist at Marine Headquarters and a central figure in the forces of justice throughout the world.
Shouldn't the people Staff Officer Tsuru considered important be great pirates like Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Roger?
This guy was only a Headquarters colonel stationed in one of the four seas. Sure, his rank was two grades above theirs.
But that was only because they had grown up at Headquarters and hadn't yet had time to build up enough merit for promotion.
If they started going on missions, they could surpass this guy in no time.
But Gion shook her head.
"No. If Big Sister Tsuru said so, she must have her reasons."
Gion's partner's eyes shifted.
"So if the inspection turns up anything suspicious, are we going to take action?"
As he spoke, he couldn't help cracking his knuckles, looking eager for a fight.
For some reason, the moment he'd seen the photo in the file, he'd felt like beating this guy up.
He couldn't say why.
It definitely wasn't because the guy was more handsome than him.
"No. We only need to report our findings to Headquarters."
Gion slowly closed the file and turned to look out at the sea.
A cool sea breeze swept in across the vast, boundless waters, stirring her long black hair.
She recalled Big Sister Tsuru's instructions before they set out, as well as the many rumors about Darren she'd heard at Headquarters...
North Blue... the most chaotic of the four seas...
As her thoughts drifted,
the silhouette of a heavily fortified military base slowly emerged from the distant mist.
"We're almost there," Gion said calmly.
A bugle sounded from the warship's lookout post.
Its clear, ringing call carried into the distance, and a similar bugle sounded from the direction of Marine Branch 321.
The calls echoed back and forth.
"Prepare to disembark," Gion told the Marines.
Soon, the warship slowly entered the harbor of Marine Branch 321.
Rows of armed Marine soldiers stood on shore, forming an imposing military formation.
"The Marines of North Blue... they're not so simple after all," Gion's partner commented, stroking his chin as he sized up the Marines stationed at Branch 321.
Branch 321 was the largest and strongest branch in the North Blue Marine system. Yet it was common knowledge that the Marines in the four seas were notoriously poor in quality and lagged far behind Headquarters.
But Gion's partner noticed that these Marines looked sharp and disciplined. Each one radiated a fierce aura, their gazes unwavering, and their guns and sabers were top-of-the-line.
Judging by their bearing and equipment alone, they were every bit as good as Headquarters' elite.
Something wasn't right... That guy named Darren had managed to train North Blue's Marines to this level?
Gion and Gion's partner exchanged a glance, both seeing the same suspicion in the other's eyes.
"Attention!"
At that moment, a Marine major around twenty years old, wearing a military cap, stepped out from the formation and called out.
As soon as he spoke, all the Marines in the harbor saluted in unison.
Gion and Gion's partner returned the salute, then stepped off the warship.
"Major Momonga, nice to meet you."
Gion extended her hand and studied the stern-looking man with dark purple hair. The relevant information about him surfaced in her mind.
Momonga, Marine major, deputy base commander of North Blue Branch 321, and the right-hand man of the base commander, Rogers Darren.
Momonga shook Gion's hand and said in a low voice:
"Welcome, Major Gion and Major Gion's partner. We're glad to have you here for an inspection."
Though they held the same rank, Gion and Gion's partner were from Headquarters and represented its authority. A certain degree of respect was only proper.
"We're all colleagues. No need to be so formal."
Gion smiled, but her eyes swept over the area.
"Where's Colonel Darren?"
Momonga's expression faltered. He seemed oddly hesitant.
"Base Commander Darren... is still busy."
Still busy?
Gion furrowed her brows. Then she noticed a lavish official vessel moored near the harbor.
Brightly colored ribbons adorned the vessel, and the kingdom's flag fluttered from its mast.
"Is that an official vessel from the Yadis Kingdom?"
Gion recognized the flag on the vessel, and her expression turned icy.
She remembered all the rumors about Darren she'd heard at Headquarters... and unconsciously clenched her teeth.
The vessel was clearly decorated in a feminine style. So its owner...
Could it be...
A bad feeling welled up inside Gion. Gritting her teeth, she strode past Momonga and headed straight for the base commander's residence.
Her mind was filled with rumors that Rogers Darren lived a decadent life, wallowed in depravity, and was lecherous!
... ... ... ...
Well, an old author has a new book out. We'll keep chatting about One Piece in this one, with an authentic Marine story and no system or cheats.
Also, Old Ma wants to remind everyone that the protagonist's sense of justice in this book isn't entirely pure. If you want to read about "heroism," you can check out my last book.
Finally, as always, best wishes to all my dear readers.
Before you continue