Meeting Before Departure

"Attention all Marine soldiers of officer rank and above: report to the conference room immediately!"

"Attention all Marine soldiers of officer rank and above: report to the conference room immediately!"

The broadcasts at Marine Headquarters repeated continuously. The ordinary soldiers who had been training raised their heads one after another, watching their superiors in "Justice" uniforms head toward the conference room.

"Kids, stop for now. Get ready to attend the meeting," Garp said as he looked at the two people sparring.

"Whew..."

As the dust settled, Koby's figure emerged. He was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, but there was a hint of excitement on his face.

He had been fighting Helmeppo. Upon hearing Garp, Helmeppo sheathed his two kukri blades. He and Koby stood at attention and shouted, "Yes, Vice Admiral Garp!"

Hina smoked as she listened to the announcement. She calmly turned to glance at Wuli and said, "Let's go, Colonel Wuli. It seems the higher-ups are assigning missions to you all. I heard each of you will also be assigned a partner."

Wuli draped the cloak emblazoned with the large word "Justice" over his shoulders, and his entire bearing seemed to change.

Marine Headquarters would be holding a World Military Draft, so it naturally could not keep every recruited Marine soldier at Headquarters. Otherwise, the draft would lose its purpose.

Therefore, after appointments were made, missions would be reassigned so that the Marines could better uphold Marine justice, strike down evil pirates, and preserve peace across the seas.

"Then let's go," Wuli said. He was a little curious about what kind of mission he would receive, and since they had mentioned partners, he wondered who his own partner would be.

"Mm, let's go." Hina rose and headed to the conference room with Wuli.

Hypnotist Jango and Fullbody watched Wuli and Hina leave, their eyes filled with envy. Tears streamed down their faces as they gritted their teeth and struggled not to cry out loud.

"Fullbody, don't forget our oath," Jango said, his own eyes brimming with tears as he comforted him.

"I haven't forgotten!" After saying that, the two embraced, leaving the other Marine soldiers staring at them in astonishment. It seemed they wanted promotions just like everyone else, but was there really any need to cry like that?

At that moment, Jango and Fullbody were trying to accept a harsh reality. Damn Wuli—he was with Hina every day, and now they could not even be third wheels anymore. That was why they were so heartbroken.

On their way to the conference room, Wuli and Hina ran into someone they knew.

"Hmph, I didn't expect to run into you again," Grant said. Then, with burning eyes, he added, "Want another fight?"

The conference room was packed with Marine officers and above. Nearly all of the Marines' current mid- to high-ranking strength was gathered here. If any pirate saw this vast conference room filled with hundreds of Marine soldiers wearing "Justice" cloaks, they would probably tremble in fear. This was not a sight one could normally see.

Sakazuki sat at the head of the conference room, with Kizaru, Ryokugyu, and Fujitora beside him. Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru were absent, clearly not participating in this meeting.

The meeting lasted an entire day and finally ended when Wuli's stomach was growling with hunger. However, those of rear admiral rank and above still had another meeting to attend, so Hina told Wuli to leave first. Wuli then headed to the cafeteria alone.