The Den Den Mushi connection cut off.
The spacious office of the base commander was left with only the inexperienced Gion and Gion's partner, staring at each other in silence for a long time.
They had grown up at Headquarters, cherished by everyone, and taught the most orthodox ideals of justice. They could never have imagined that a corrupt, degenerate Marine like Darren could earn such high praise from the respected Admiral Sengoku.
Even harder to believe was that Sakazuki and Borsalino, those two immensely talented, arrogant "monsters," had both recognized Darren's strength and methods.
After all, their personalities, conduct, and personal ideals were so different—and even so directly opposed—that they were like heaven and earth.
"How... how is this possible..."
Gion sat there, dazed, murmuring to herself.
Everything that had happened since she arrived in North Blue had dealt an enormous blow to her "pure and sheltered" heart.
Click...
The sound of a lighter flicking interrupted her thoughts.
"Gion's partner, what are you doing!? You're smoking his cigar too!?"
Gion turned and saw Gion's partner lighting a cigar with a lighter. Her anger flared.
Gion's partner shuddered. Seeing the frost on Gion's face, he stammered:
"Well... Admiral Sengoku told us to learn from Darren, didn't he?"
Gion: ...
"Admiral Sengoku told you to learn from him—did he mean his bad habits of smoking, drinking, and chasing women!?"
Gion snapped, grinding her teeth in anger.
Gion's partner hastily put the cigar away, then muttered under his breath:
"I think those things are pretty great... You can smoke, drink, and chase women and still be a good Marine..."
"What did you say!?"
"I-I said you're right, Gion."
"..."
"No, I can't accept this." Gion sprang to her feet, determination rekindling in her autumn-clear eyes.
She clenched her fists.
"Justice must be pure. It can't tolerate corruption!"
"I have to stay and reform that bastard Darren! Help him turn over a new leaf!"
"I can't let his 'degenerate,' 'rebellious' brand of justice have a bad influence on the Marines of North Blue!"
Gion's partner sat beside her, watching her brimming with fighting spirit, and couldn't help covering his face in exasperation.
But his thoughts were wandering.
Cooperation between the military and civilians... caring for the people...
"Heh heh heh..."
Whatever he was thinking about, he couldn't help letting out a lecherous laugh.
"Quit grinning like an idiot! Get to the training ground!"
Gion glared at him and said coldly.
Gion's partner looked puzzled. "The training ground? What for... Training? We just got to North Blue, and the trip was so bumpy... Isn't that too exhausting?"
Gion placed a hand on the Famous Sword at her waist, her eyes flashing with a sharp glint.
"Didn't that bastard Darren want to spar with us?"
Her face was full of competitiveness.
"I'd like to see whether he really deserves his title as North Blue Admiral."
As a genius cherished by everyone at Headquarters, she naturally had her own pride and principles.
Branch 321.
The training ground.
The sky was bright, and the sea breeze was cold.
Dust billowed across the spacious training ground.
Rows of weapon racks stood along its edges, holding all kinds of weapons, including spiked clubs, greatswords, and naginatas.
Dozens of human-shaped stone targets stood nearby, with a row of cannons farther off for drills.
An old, decommissioned warship sat on the other side.
Many Marines from Branch 321 were already doing their regular training, but every so often, they glanced toward the figure in the middle of the training ground.
Darren was bare-chested, wearing only black military trousers, doing one-finger push-ups in the center of the training ground.
1,997, 1,998, 1,999, 2,000...
After finishing two thousand one-finger push-ups with his right hand, Darren switched to his left.
→
1, 2, 3, 4...
His rhythm was steady, and every repetition went all the way down. There was a unique cadence to his movements.
With his sharply defined, powerful muscles and wild, untamed air, he looked from afar like an aggressive leopard prowling the wilderness.
That was the scene Gion and her partner saw when they first arrived at the training ground.
"Didn't expect this guy to train so hard."
Gion had stormed over, still seething, but even she had to admit it as she watched him.
Generally speaking, Marines stationed in the four seas were far from Headquarters, so discipline tended to be lax, and they often cut corners in training.
Except during surprise inspections by Headquarters, most Marines in the four seas slacked off in their daily training.
But she hadn't expected Darren, a man whose life was so corrupt and degenerate, to hold himself to such strict standards in training.
"Tch, that's nothing much..."
Gion's partner stood with his hands in his pockets, wearing a disdainful look, though his voice sounded a little sour.
In truth, he was somewhat shocked too.
After they had watched for a while, Darren finished another two thousand one-finger push-ups.
"You're here. Want to train together?"
He dusted off his hands and smiled at them.
In the sunlight,
sweat ran down the chiseled line of Darren's jaw and through the grooves between his well-defined muscles. Together with his handsome face, it made for a striking sight.
The female Marines sneaking glances from nearby already had stars and hearts in their eyes.
Gion's vision wavered too. No wonder Lady Margery is so infatuated with him.
She wasn't that shallow. She wouldn't be so easily swayed by a handsome face.
It was simply that there weren't many men like Darren in the Marines.
She thought of Sakazuki and Borsalino, then glanced at Gion's partner, who stood with his hands in his pockets like a street thug. By comparison, that lewd, shameless bastard Darren seemed a lot more agreeable.
Still, she hadn't forgotten why she had come.
She had to teach him a lesson, so the arrogant bastard would stop acting like he owned the place!
"No need, Colonel Darren."
"We came to test your strength. Right, Gion's partner?"
Gion said sternly, then turned to look at Gion's partner.
"Huh? I don't want to. That sounds exhausting..."
Gion's partner blurted out. But when he noticed the sudden murderous glint in Gion's eyes, he immediately straightened up, planted his hands on his hips, and changed his tune:
"That's right, Colonel Darren! Let's see what you've got, North Blue Admiral!"
"Oh? Are you sure?"
A half-smile slowly curled across Darren's lips.
"You're both elite Marines from Headquarters, after all. If we really spar, I'll have to ask you to go easy on me..."
His gaze glinted.
Gion and her partner were still young and inexperienced, nowhere near the level of Admiral candidates they would reach in the original story. But they had still been brought up under the watch of Headquarters' many powerful figures.
Darren had come from North Blue, and he was curious to see how strong they really were.
More importantly,
he had been looking for an excuse to teach these two "inspectors" from Headquarters a lesson.
The Marines were, after all, an organization that enforced the law through force. In the end, strength was what mattered.
Only if he beat them into submission would they listen to him.
If they kept nitpicking and giving him a hard time, it would be impossible to get anything done.
"Don't worry, Colonel Darren. Since you gave me that cigar, I'll make sure to hold back."
Gion's partner grinned, baring his teeth, and his eyes darted slyly.
He'd just realized... Wasn't this the perfect chance to beat the guy up?
Gion slowly drew the Famous Sword at her waist, her expression angry and cold.
If she couldn't get through to this lecherous, degenerate bastard with reason, she'd make him listen through strength!
All three of them had their own agendas, and sinister smiles crept across their faces.
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