Am I Caring for the People?

"This is the Governor's wife of the Yadis Kingdom!!"

As the words fell, Gion seemed to feel a sense of shame, a flush of annoyance staining her cheeks.

That bastard Darren, actually doing such indecent things inside a Marine base—for Gion, who had grown up at Headquarters and been raised on Vice Admiral Tsuru's "Pure Justice," this was simply unacceptable and intolerable.

Not to mention, she had come from Headquarters this time with the responsibility of "reviewing" and "inspecting" the branch.

If word of this got out, what a terrible impact it would have on the reputation of the Marines!?

Darren... he was simply a disgrace to justice!

Unexpectedly, the culprit Darren acted as if nothing were wrong, a charming smile appearing on his face as he slowly stood up.

"Oh, so it's Major Gion and Major Gion's partner, having traveled all the way from Marineford. You've had a long journey."

With a cigar clamped in his teeth, he generously extended a hand.

"Welcome to North Blue Branch 321."

Gion looked at him coldly, showing no intention of shaking his hand.

Darren didn't seem to mind, shrugging his shoulders as he pulled out another cigar and offered it to the prying Gion's partner standing nearby.

"Major, I've long heard of your reputation."

Seeing the cigar Darren offered, Gion's partner's eyes lit up.

The cigar was branded with gold-leaf patterns, clearly a high-end variety from the West Blue, reserved exclusively for the nobility.

He instinctively wanted to take it, but upon seeing the fire in Gion's eyes, he immediately retracted his hand in embarrassment.

"Hey, Darren... is this woman really the Governor's wife of the Yadis Kingdom?"

Gion's partner lowered his voice to ask secretly.

Darren smiled but said nothing.

Gion's partner gasped sharply.

Animal!!

He cursed silently in his heart.

He had seen Lady Marguerite's appearance—mature, charming, and full of grace—and to think she had been taken advantage of by this guy!?

Damn it! He was clearly the better-looking one, so why didn't he have such luck!!

Most importantly, that was the Governor's wife!

The status... just thinking about it was thrilling... ahem...

Gion's partner couldn't help but grit his teeth and say:

"Captain Darren, this behavior of yours... it isn't very appropriate."

His tone sounded more than a little sour.

Gion shot a glare at Gion's partner, then turned and bowed deeply to the Governor's wife, who was hiding under the covers:

"I am very sorry, Lady Marguerite. This is a dereliction of duty on our part."

"I am a member of the inspection team from Marine Headquarters, Major Gion. Please rest assured, we will thoroughly investigate Captain Darren's misconduct and punish him severely!"

As she spoke, Gion secretly swore in her heart that she would report this to Headquarters; there was absolutely no room for a black sheep like Darren in the Marines!

Lady Marguerite carefully poked her head out from under the covers at this moment, glanced at Darren, who was standing there smoking his cigar, and a flash of shyness crossed her alluring eyes as she whispered softly:

"Um... Major Gion, actually, I did this of my own volition."

"I... I am very fond of Captain Darren."

Gion was instantly stunned.

Gion's partner was left wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

They had assumed Darren used his strength or authority to coerce Lady Marguerite into submission.

But who would have thought... it was actually voluntary?

Wait!

They thought of the official ship docked at the harbor.

This, this... was this a delivery brought right to his doorstep?

"Alright, my two guests from Headquarters, let's not disturb this beautiful lady's rest any further."

Darren said with a smile at this moment.

He casually put on a fresh uniform, draped his large cape over his shoulders, and gestured toward the door.

"Let's head to the office to discuss official business. This way, please."

Branch 321, Base Commander's Office.

On the grey-white wall hung a massive plaque, upon which the word "Justice" was inscribed in bold, sweeping calligraphy.

Darren sat in the main seat without the slightest hesitation, lighting a cigar as he spoke:

"Major Gion, Major Gion's partner, bring me some good news. Has my appointment letter arrived?"

As he spoke, he scanned the two people before him with a seemingly casual gaze.

This was the first time he had seen these two future "Admiral Candidates" since his transmigration.

Gion was tall, with a pair of long, fair, and slender legs devoid of any excess fat.

Her black hair was tied into a high ponytail, and paired with a wide Marine cloak, her dark, bright eyes gave her a heroic and spirited appearance.

The beauty mark at the corner of her mouth added a touch of charm to her features.

However, unlike the impression he had from the animation, Gion was only about 18 or 19 years old at this time; she looked quite green, though her potential was already beginning to show.

As for Gion's partner beside her... well, he was quite a mess.

With a cigarette hanging from his mouth and his hands shoved into his pockets, he stood there, his eyes darting around and occasionally glancing at the cigar on the table. He looked sleazy no matter how one viewed him.

Despite being only about 20 years old, he possessed a "weariness" usually reserved for those in their 40s; he had aged rather prematurely.

They are both young second-generation officers...

Darren felt a sense of emotion in his heart.

Gion's partner was fine, as his background was relatively approachable.

But Gion was a "second-generation" in the truest sense.

Not only was her talent stunning, but her background was also ridiculously high.

Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer of Marine Headquarters, treated her like a younger sister, and Admiral Sengoku took great care of her; she could be called a child of destiny who grew up pampered by the big shots of the Marines.

Even the "Strongest Marine," the "Hero" Garp, was referred to as "Little Garp" in her speech.

Such treatment was truly excessive.

Comparing people only leads to frustration.

He had struggled from the very bottom to reach the rank of Colonel, while Gion's first mission after heading to sea started at the rank of Major.

Not to mention that anyone could see at a glance that Gion and Gion's partner had come to the North Blue not to execute a mission, but to gild their resumes.

Once their mission period ended in a few months, they would return to Headquarters, and with their polished resumes, they could enter Zephyr's Officer Training Camp directly, waiting only for graduation to step into the core decision-making layer of the Marines.

It was truly enviable.

However, it was clear that Gion and Gion's partner at this stage were still quite young, possessing the pride and innocence unique to youth.

That was quite normal.

Hearing Darren's words, Gion, who was still feeling piqued, gave a cold snort and produced an appointment letter.

"Congratulations, Colonel Darren. From this moment on, you are the supreme commander in charge of all Marine military affairs in the North Blue."

Darren took the appointment letter and read it—

Appointment Letter

Effective immediately, the Base Commander of North Blue Branch 321, Headquarters Colonel Rogers Darren, is appointed as the Admiral of the North Blue!

He smiled with satisfaction.

The position of Admiral was only established in the four seas outside the Grand Line; it was a specific duty with the rank of Headquarters Colonel.

The Admirals of the East, South, West, and North Blues held the highest command over all Marine bases and justice forces within their respective jurisdictions, reporting directly to Marineford at Headquarters. They were the most powerful figures in the four seas.

Although this appointment letter didn't have a significant impact on his actual power—after all, the entire North Blue Marine force was already under his control—who would complain about having a higher position, other than Garp?

Besides, with the title and position of North Blue Admiral, he could handle certain matters much more conveniently.

Sakazuki is a man who keeps his word, after all...

Darren muttered to himself in his heart.

"Sorry for the trouble, you two."

He looked up and said with a hearty laugh:

"I wonder how long you two will be staying in the North Blue?"

Gion said indifferently:

"Six months at the longest, three months at the shortest, depending on the duration of the audit."

"Colonel Darren, for the sake of confidentiality, during this audit process, the fact that Major Gion's partner and I are members of the audit team will be kept secret. To the outside world, our cover will be your adjutants."

Darren laughed:

"No problem, Gion. Then, I look forward to working with you."

The Marine Academy of this timeline had not yet reached the scale of later generations; it adopted the form of a "Training Camp," selecting and cultivating elites from the Grand Line and the various branches of the four seas, rather than training recruits directly from the start.

Therefore, the selection criteria for the Officer Training Camp were extremely strict, and the audit system had emerged as a result.

Once the review passes, he would be selected to head to the Headquarters and join the Officer Candidate Training Camp, where he would be trained by former Admiral Zephyr, learn the Six Powers, and perhaps even Haki, becoming a true powerhouse!

Ultimately, he could leverage this experience to accumulate sufficient political capital and soar through the ranks of the Navy.

Darren then turned his head to look at Gion's partner, handing him a cigar.

"Then, Gion's partner, I look forward to working with you."

Gion's partner glanced at the gold-embossed, special-issue cigar; even at the Headquarters, he had never smoked such high-quality goods, and suddenly, the tobacco in his own mouth felt flavorless.

"Um... Gion..."

He looked at Gion with puppy-dog eyes.

Gion rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Smoke it, smoke it..."

"You got it."

Gion's partner took the cigar with visible delight, lit it impatiently, and began puffing away with a look of pure bliss.

At this moment, Gion suddenly asked in a cold tone:

"So, Colonel Darren, you still owe us an explanation for what just happened."

"Even if Lady Marguerite was willing, your actions will have a detrimental impact on the reputation and discipline of the Navy..."

"Furthermore, considering Lady Marguerite's status as the wife of the Governor of the Yadis Kingdom, your behavior could potentially trigger a serious diplomatic incident."

Hearing this, Gion's partner pricked up his ears, staring at Darren with the look of someone waiting for a good show.

Heh heh, let's see how you explain your way out of this.

He had known Gion for many years and naturally understood her personality well.

Under the influence of Vice Admiral Tsuru's "Clean Justice," Gion could not tolerate even a grain of sand in her eyes.

You brat, that's what you get for being so smug!

And smoking such a good cigar!

Hmm, truth be told, this cigar really is quite flavorful...

"Gion, is there really a need to explain that? Isn't it perfectly reasonable?"

A look of "innocence" appeared on Darren's face.

"I was simply caring for the populace... fostering military-civilian cooperation."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Gion's partner, who was happily puffing on his cigar, nearly choked to death, his face turning bright red.

He raised his head, staring at Darren in utter disbelief.

Car, caring for the populace?

Military, military-civilian cooperation?

This...

This...

This... actually makes a bit of sense!?

Why didn't I think of such a perfect excuse—no, wait, reason—before!