"This woman is the wife of the Governor of the Kingdom of Yadis!!"
As the words fell, Gion seemed to feel a pang of shame. A flush of anger crept across her cheeks.
Darren, that bastard, had actually done something so indecent at a Marine Base. For Gion, who had grown up at Marine Headquarters and received Staff Officer Tsuru's "Pure Justice" teachings, this was simply unacceptable and intolerable.
What was more, she had come from Headquarters this time with the responsibility of inspecting and supervising the branch.
If word of this got out, what a terrible impact would it have on the Marines' reputation!?
Darren... He was a disgrace to justice!
But the instigator, Darren, looked as if nothing had happened. A charming smile appeared on his face as he slowly rose to his feet.
"Oh, so it's Major Gion and Major Gion's partner. You've come all the way from Marineford. Thanks for the effort."
With a cigar between his teeth, he casually extended a hand.
"Welcome to North Blue Branch 321."
Gion stared coldly at him and made no move to shake his hand.
Darren merely shrugged, unfazed. He pulled out another cigar and handed it to Gion's partner, who was craning his neck curiously beside him.
"Major, I've heard so much about you."
Gion's partner's eyes lit up when he saw the cigar Darren was offering.
It was stamped with gilded patterns and was clearly a high-end cigar from West Blue, made exclusively for the nobility.
He instinctively reached for it, but when he saw Gion's eyes blazing like fire, he sheepishly pulled his hand back.
"Hey, Darren... Is this woman really the wife of the Governor of the Kingdom of Yadis?"
Gion's partner whispered the question.
Darren only smiled and said nothing.
Gion's partner immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
You beast!!
He cursed inwardly.
He'd seen Lady Margery's face. She was mature and alluring, with all her charms intact, and Darren had gotten lucky with her just like that!?
Damn it! He was clearly more handsome, so why didn't he ever get that kind of luck!?
Most importantly, she was the Governor's wife!
Just thinking about that status was enough to get him excited... Ahem...
Gion's partner gritted his teeth and said,
"Colonel Darren, what you did wasn't very appropriate."
There was more than a little envy in his voice.
Gion shot her partner a glare, then turned and bowed deeply to the Governor's wife, who was hiding beneath the covers.
"I'm very sorry, Lady Margery. This was a failure on our part as Marines."
"I'm Major Gion, a member of the Inspection Team from Marine Headquarters. Please rest assured, we'll investigate Colonel Darren's misconduct thoroughly and punish him without leniency!"
As she spoke, Gion swore to herself that she would report this to Headquarters. There was absolutely no place in the Marines for a black sheep like Darren!
Lady Margery cautiously peered out from beneath the covers. She looked at Darren, who stood there smoking a cigar, and a shy flush crossed her alluring eyes. In a soft, sweet voice, she said,
"Um... Major Gion, actually, I was willing."
"I... I like Colonel Darren very much."
Gion froze.
Gion's partner gaped.
They'd assumed Darren had used his strength or authority to force Lady Margery into submission.
But they never would have guessed... she'd done it willingly?
Wait!
They thought of the official ship moored at the harbor.
Th-this was... delivery right to his door?
"All right, guests from Headquarters. Let's not disturb this lovely lady's rest any longer."
Darren smiled.
He casually put on a fresh uniform, draped a broad cape over his shoulders, and gestured toward the door.
"Let's head to the office and discuss official business. This way, please."
Branch 321, Base Commander's Office.
A huge plaque hung on the gray-white wall, with the two characters for "Justice" sweeping across it in bold strokes.
Darren sat unceremoniously in the seat of honor. As he lit a cigar, he said,
"Major Gion, Major Gion's partner, bring me some good news. Has my commission come through?"
As he spoke, he studied the two of them, seemingly without much interest.
This was the first time since his transmigration that he'd met these two future "Admiral candidates."
Gion was tall, with a pair of long, slender legs and not an ounce of excess fat.
Her black hair was tied into a high ponytail. With a broad Marine cape over her shoulders and bright, dark eyes, she looked bold and spirited.
The beauty mark at the corner of her mouth added a touch of allure.
But unlike his impression of her from the anime, Gion was only around eighteen or nineteen at this point. She still seemed rather young, though she was already quite charming.
As for Gion's partner beside her... Well, he looked a little rough around the edges.
He stood there with a cigarette clenched between his teeth and his hands in his pockets, his eyes darting now and then toward the cigars on the table. However you looked at him, he seemed pretty sleazy.
He was only around twenty, yet somehow had the "weathered" look of a forty-year-old. He'd certainly grown up fast.
They were both young officers from well-connected families...
Darren sighed inwardly.
Gion's partner had it easy enough; his background was fairly ordinary.
Gion, on the other hand, was a true "legacy."
Her talent was astonishing, to say nothing of her absurdly distinguished background.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, the chief staff officer at Marine Headquarters, treated her like a younger sister, while Admiral Sengoku doted on her. She was practically the Marines' chosen one, raised with the love of all its top brass.
→
She even called "the strongest Marine," the "Hero" Garp, "Little Garp."
That was just too much.
Comparing yourself to others was a surefire way to make yourself miserable.
He'd struggled up from the very bottom to earn his rank of Colonel, while Gion had started as a Major on her very first mission at sea.
And anyone could see that, although Gion and her partner had ostensibly come to North Blue on an assignment, they were really just here to pad their résumés.
Once their assignment ended a few months later, they'd return to Headquarters with impressive records and could enter Zephyr's Officer Training Camp directly. After graduating, they'd be able to join the Marines' core decision-making circle.
It was enough to make anyone envious.
But Gion and her partner were still quite young at this point, and had the pride and naivete unique to young people.
It was only natural.
Hearing Darren's question, Gion, still irritated, gave a cold snort and took out a commission.
"Congratulations, Colonel Darren. From this moment on, you're the highest-ranking officer in charge of Marine affairs throughout North Blue."
Darren took the commission and looked it over—
Commission
Effective immediately, Rogers Darren, Base Commander of North Blue Branch 321 and Colonel of Marine Headquarters, is appointed North Blue Admiral!
He smiled with satisfaction.
The position of Admiral was only established in the four seas beyond the Grand Line. It was a specific post held by a Headquarters Colonel.
The Admirals of East, South, West, and North Blue had supreme command over all Marine bases and forces of justice within their respective jurisdictions. They reported directly to Marineford at Headquarters and were the most powerful figures in their respective seas.
Whether or not he had this commission wouldn't have made much difference to his authority, after all. He already had the entire North Blue Marine force under his control.
Still, who wouldn't want a higher position, aside from Garp?
Besides, the title and position of North Blue Admiral would make some things much more convenient for him.
"Sakazuki did keep his word..."
Darren murmured to himself.
"Sorry for the trouble, both of you."
He looked up and smiled cheerfully.
"I wonder how long you'll be staying in North Blue?"
Gion replied coolly,
"Six months at most, three at the shortest. It depends on how long the inspection takes."
"Colonel Darren, for the sake of confidentiality, my and Major Gion's identities as members of the Inspection Team will remain secret throughout the inspection. We'll officially be introduced as your adjutants."
Darren smiled.
"No problem, Gion. I look forward to working with you."
At this point in time, the Marines' training school hadn't yet grown to the scale it would reach later. Instead, it operated in the form of a "training camp," selecting and training elite candidates from the Grand Line and the four seas, rather than training recruits from scratch.
As a result, the Officer Training Camp had very strict selection criteria, and the inspection system had been established to match.
Once he passed the inspection, he'd be selected to go to Headquarters and join the Officer Training Camp, where he'd train under former Marine Admiral Black Arm Zephyr. He'd learn the Six Powers and possibly even Haki, becoming a true powerhouse!
And with that experience on his record, he'd be able to build up enough political capital to soar through the ranks of the Marines!
Darren then turned to Gion's partner and offered him a cigar.
"Gion's partner, I look forward to working with you too."
Gion's partner glanced at the gilded, specially supplied cigar. Even at Headquarters, he'd never smoked anything this good. Suddenly, the cigarette in his mouth tasted like nothing at all.
"Um... Gion..."
He looked at her hopefully.
Gion rolled her eyes at him.
"Go ahead, go ahead..."
"Great!"
Gion's partner eagerly took the cigar, lit it, and started puffing away with blissful satisfaction.
Just then, Gion demanded coldly,
"So, Colonel Darren, you still owe us an explanation for what happened earlier."
"Even if Lady Margery was willing, what you did could have a terrible impact on the Marines' reputation and conduct..."
"And considering that Lady Margery is the wife of the Governor of the Kingdom of Yadis, your actions could even cause a serious diplomatic incident."
Hearing this, Gion's partner perked up his ears too, watching Darren like he was waiting for a show.
Heh. Let's see how you explain this one.
He'd known Gion for years, so he understood her personality perfectly.
Under Staff Officer Tsuru's influence and her "Pure Justice," Gion couldn't tolerate the slightest impurity.
That'll teach you to get so cocky!
And smoke such good cigars!
Well, to be fair, the cigar did taste pretty damn good...
"Gion, there's no need to explain, is there? Isn't it perfectly reasonable?"
Darren wore an "innocent" expression.
"I was showing the people some love... Civilian-Marine cooperation."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Gion's partner nearly choked to death while enjoying his cigar. His face turned bright red.
He looked up at Darren, dumbfounded.
Showing the people some love?
Civilian-Marine cooperation?
This...
This...
This... actually kind of made sense!?
How had he never thought of such a perfect excuse—no, reason—before!?
Before you continue