Joining the Marines

Marine Headquarters—Fleet Admiral's Office

The air seemed compressed to the limit; the wooden desk, floor, and walls were all drawn taut by an invisible pressure.

Yet the boy standing at the center seemed completely unaffected.

Fleet Admiral Kong sat steadily behind his desk, his entire body radiating an imposing pressure without a trace of anger.

He closed the intelligence file and fixed his gaze directly on Rock. "Rock, I've read all the information about you..."

"You seemed to have fallen from the sky out of nowhere, then boarded a Kuja Pirates ship on your way to Hachinosu."

"After defeating a powerful officer of the Rocks Pirates on Hachinosu, you voluntarily confronted Rocks himself."

"And you publicly declared... that you wanted to join the Marines."

Fleet Admiral Kong set the file on the desk and tapped it with his fingertips, each sound carrying an oppressive weight.

Then he raised his eyes to stare at Rock, his tone shifting from calm to sharp.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

The instant those words landed, the air throughout the office seemed to freeze.

The pillars of the Marines had gathered here, all waiting for the "Lightning Boy" to give his answer.

Rock did not respond immediately. He swept his gaze across the room before finally returning it to Fleet Admiral Kong, the corner of his mouth curling upward.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, you're asking what I want to do?"

Rock spread open his palm. Fine yet extremely dangerous lightning flickered across it, coiling like a tamed thunder serpent. Yet with a single thought, it could devour heaven and earth.

"I possess... the fastest power on these seas."

"One afternoon, I flew from the coldest winter island to the hottest summer island."

"Along the way, I saw far too many stories."

"Pirates burned villages, plundered merchant ships, and slaughtered civilians."

"Marine vermin used justice as a pretext to take bribes, file false accusations, and turn the cries of commoners into the clinking of cups."

"Black-market merchants wore human skin while keeping their ledgers, weighing children's cries by the pound. The scrape of chains was harsher than the abacus of hell."

"And the Marines—" He paused, his eyes as sharp as lightning tearing through the night sky.

"—often arrive too late."

A flicker of shock crossed Sengoku's eyes, but he remained composed.

The air inside the fleet admiral's office became so heavy it seemed capable of crushing steel.

Rock softly said, "These seas are too vast, while the footsteps of 'order' are too slow."

Lightning danced at his fingertips as he casually pointed toward the mountain of documents on Fleet Admiral Kong's desk.

"Even people as strong as all of you can be trapped between paperwork, routine dispatches, and countless letters requesting aid."

"While you're verifying a report, an island may already be falling to pirates."

"While orders are still being relayed through layer after layer, the bodies of the innocent have already gone cold."

He withdrew his hand and quietly said—

"If justice arrives late, it is meaningless."

Sengoku's gaze trembled. He instinctively pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses filled with caution and vigilance.

This kid... has completely seen through the Marines' most fatal problem.

Zephyr's arm muscles tightened, his brow deeply furrowed. "So young... yet he sees things so clearly."

Tsuru's gaze deepened further. She looked as though she were examining a famous blade fresh from the forge, its edge not yet worn smooth.

Rock suddenly smiled, wild and frank. "I don't like the kind of 'freedom' Rocks pursues, the kind that turns the world into scorched earth."

"And I despise the sticky filth bred beneath the shadow of the World Government."

His gaze became even sharper. "If power can only maintain the status quo, only stop the bleeding but not cure the disease... then it's far too boring."

At that, Sengoku finally could not hold back. "Are you implying that you want to change the way the Marines operate?"

"Not change."

He raised his head. In that instant, arcs of electricity lit up in his eyes.

"It is—acceleration."

Those two words fell like thunder, shaking the entire office.

Sengoku's pupils contracted.

Zephyr's breathing sank.

A gleam flashed in Tsuru's eyes.

Garp was already grinning as though he had found a treasure.

Fleet Admiral Kong's attention became even more focused.

Rock took a step forward. Facing the five pillars of the Marines, he showed no fear whatsoever.

"That is why I'm joining the Marines."

He raised his hand, lightning bursting from his palm. "Not to become a blade wielded by those in power."

"But to become a nerve, a beam of light."

His voice grew increasingly steady, as though proclaiming a new era. "With my speed, I will make justice faster than pirates' blades."

"Faster than the spread of despair."

"Faster than the birth of darkness."

He lowered his hand and slightly raised his chin, revealing the smile of a strong man. "My ambition is simple."

"I want 'justice' to become the first thing to arrive on these seas—"

"Hope."

As the word hope left his lips, the air in the office nearly exploded.

"To do that, I need a position, one that can maximize my 'speed' and 'light.'"

"As for the so-called rules..."

He raised a brow at Fleet Admiral Kong, his smile sly. "While sailing, we can always find a way both sides can accept... right?"

At that point, the entire office fell into deathly silence.

So arrogant.

So clear-headed.

So dangerous.

So... impossible to ignore.

Zephyr took a deep breath and slowly spoke, his tone carrying greater gravity. "Your ideals are too radical. Justice is not something speed alone can define."

Sengoku followed immediately. "Order is a massive machine. It cannot be casually changed by one person's power."

"If your power loses control, the Marines will bear the consequences as well."

Tsuru added quietly, "Even pure light will wound allies if it has no sheath."

The three objections were reasonable and well-founded, the most orthodox and steadfast voices at the core of the Marines.

However—

"Bwahahahahaha!!!"

Garp suddenly burst into laughter, shattering the heavy atmosphere.

He slapped Zephyr hard on the back, nearly knocking the breath out of the future admiral.

"Zephyr, did you hear that? 'The first hope to arrive'!! I freaking love it—!!!"

Zephyr's shoulders jolted from the blow. "Garp! You—!"

Veins throbbed on Sengoku's forehead. "Garp! Shut up already!!"

Tsuru let out a soft sigh. "Honestly..."

However, what truly made the air in the office congeal once more was Fleet Admiral Kong's reaction.

At that moment, Fleet Admiral Kong rose to his feet.

In that instant, the room seemed to shrink by three centimeters.

His mountain-like body overshadowed everyone, steady, domineering, and imposing, yet a long-lost light glimmered in his eyes.

He looked at Rock and slowly revealed a rugged smile. "Speed and light..."

"Indeed, this great ship called the Marines can be a little too cumbersome at times."

He casually tossed Rock's intelligence file aside. "Rock, I admire your courage, vision, and ambition."

"Your power may be exactly the wind the Marines need for the future."

Sengoku was about to speak, but Fleet Admiral Kong raised a hand to stop him.

Kong's gaze remained firmly fixed on Rock.

"Rock."

Fleet Admiral Kong extended his hand, his voice booming like a bell. "Welcome to the Marines."

The room trembled for an instant.

Sengoku frowned but did not argue further.

Zephyr remained silent, approval flashing through his eyes.

Tsuru smiled faintly, as though she had already understood something.

Garp, as though he had known the outcome all along, threw back his head and laughed. "Bwahahaha! I told you! This kid is definitely no problem!!!"

Fleet Admiral Kong continued, "As for the position you want... Sengoku and Tsuru will discuss the arrangements."

"As for the 'rules' you mentioned—"

The corner of Fleet Admiral Kong's mouth lifted into a meaningful smile. "Since this is a new route... we'll adjust as we sail."

Rock lightly raised his chin. In that instant, his smile was as sharp as lightning splitting open the heavens.

"Understood, Fleet Admiral."

"With lightning, I will carve a brand-new path of justice for the Marines."

(PS: In the original work, Kong was only promoted to fleet admiral after the God Valley Incident and was still an admiral at this point. However, to avoid having to create an additional new character, he would take office as fleet admiral early in this novel's timeline.)