Promotion and Warning / That Person... Is It You?
Another day passed, and a message arrived from Marine Headquarters.
"There's a very important mission I need you to carry out!"
Fleet Admiral Kong spoke with a grave tone.
"An important mission?"
Xia Le sounded puzzled.
"I originally planned to give it to Sakazuki, but something came up for him. After discussing it with Sengoku, I decided that your strength and the forces aboard your ship make you the better choice."
Kong's voice was low.
From Kong's tone and words, Xia Le could tell the mission might truly be important.
"So you'll rendezvous with Sakazuki and take custody of the precious item he's carrying."
"Then deliver it to Egghead Island and place it directly in Vegapunk's hands."
After listening carefully to the mission, Xia Le fell silent.
A moment later, his eyes gleamed.
"Fleet Admiral Kong!"
"I'd be glad to accept this mission."
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Promotion and a Warning
Kong seemed unwilling to tell him much about the mission's details or background.
He only stressed its importance repeatedly and insisted that Xia Le complete it without the slightest mistake.
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Xia Le could not help forming all kinds of theories. His curiosity grew.
"One more thing: remember that nothing about Egghead is to be leaked to anyone!"
"That's an order. You must follow it to the letter, Xia Le!"
Kong had even ended with that solemn warning.
It showed just how seriously Marine Headquarters took this mission.
First, they had assigned a powerful yet young Marine, perhaps to avoid attracting public attention. Second, they had demanded strict secrecy about the destination, which suggested that whatever lay on the island was extremely important to the Marines.
Shortly after Xia Le received the mission, his aide T Bone got a message from Headquarters.
"Rear Admiral Sakazuki is sailing toward our position."
"We're to wait here."
Xia Le nodded lightly at the news.
Then he looked at the group of Apprentice Marines aboard the ship, and a smile touched his lips.
He had heard their conversation yesterday, of course.
"Evens."
Xia Le called out casually, glancing down at the seven sets of rank insignia in his hand.
"Sir!"
Evens answered at once.
"Gather everyone on the ship."
"Yes, Superior Officer!"
Evens saluted, then hurried off to notify the others.
Before long, Evens, Rosinante, Yagyu Hyoe, Slo, Mina, Kira, and Crocodile stood before him in a neat row, heads high and chests out.
Every one of them looked puzzled. None knew why he had summoned them so suddenly.
Xia Le swept his gaze across them and smiled.
"I heard what you were talking about yesterday!"
He paused. Seeing the excitement and anticipation in their eyes, he smiled again.
"In light of the outstanding performance you seven have shown in battle as Marines, I submitted a report to Headquarters along with my recommendation."
"Headquarters asked for my assessment of each of you."
"And they approved these promotions!"
After all, he was not yet a Vice Admiral, nor was he a veteran with the freedom Garp enjoyed. He still had to report any promotions for the Marines under his command.
"From today on, you'll be full-fledged Marine officers!"
Xia Le's smile faded as he spoke.
"Officers?"
"Not soldiers?"
Rosinante sounded confused.
Xia Le did not answer his question. Instead, he called out sharply.
"Evens!"
Evens immediately snapped to attention. "Sir!"
"Today, I'm awarding you the rank of Lieutenant. From this moment on, you are a Marine officer!"
"I hope that throughout your life, you'll stay true to the justice in your heart and achieve your ideals!"
Xia Le's voice rang out.
Evens stiffened, then nodded solemnly. "Yes, Superior Officer!"
Xia Le stepped forward, pinned on his rank insignia, and smoothed the creases from his uniform.
"Don't let the gun in your hand lose its way. Always know whom it should be pointed at."
The words struck Evens deeply. He saluted.
"Rosinante!"
Xia Le moved to the next man.
"Sir!"
Rosinante answered eagerly.
"You're awarded the rank of Ensign."
"As your superior, I have a serious warning for you."
"The dreams in your heart and the principles you uphold both need strength to support them."
"So there's something you, more than anyone, need to understand."
"Your fists will decide the course of your life!"
"So work hard to grow stronger, you brat!"
Xia Le studied the tall young man's still-innocent face. Remembering what awaited Rosinante in the future, he could not help speaking with a heavy voice.
Rosinante blinked at those words, then suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Yes, Superior Officer!"
"I'll work hard, hard, hard to get stronger!!"
"I'll strive to become as strong as you!"
Xia Le smiled, clenched his fist, and thumped Rosinante's chest. Rosinante grimaced in pain, but his joy broke through, and he burst out laughing.
Next came Yagyu Hyoe, Mina, Kira, and Slo. Each received the rank of Lieutenant.
Xia Le pinned on their insignia himself and left each of them with a warning about what to hold fast to and what to protect on the road ahead.
The last was Crocodile, standing ramrod straight.
Crocodile's body was tense, and he looked solemn and nervous, but he could not hide the restrained joy in his eyes. Still young, he had an intact left hand rather than a Golden Hook.
"Crocodile!"
Xia Le smiled faintly.
"Sir!"
Crocodile answered loudly.
"On behalf of Marine Headquarters, I'm personally awarding you the rank of Lieutenant."
Xia Le smiled as he spoke.
Then, slowly and carefully, he fastened Crocodile's insignia in place.
"Everyone has a past. Everyone has memories."
"They may be beautiful, cruel, or painful."
"But we should always live in the present and hope for a brighter future."
As he straightened Crocodile's collar, Xia Le looked at the young man, whose bearing was utterly different from before, and spoke softly.
"You can chase the past, but it will still be the past!"
"What comes today and tomorrow is yours to write!"
"You should know in your heart which version of yourself you want to be!"
Crocodile froze. Fragments of memory flickered through his mind, then slipped away one after another. At last, his gaze settled on the smiling young face before him.
The promotion ceremony was brief and simple. Its only lasting change was that Xia Le's Warship now had seven fewer apprentices and seven more Junior Officers.
Junior Officers might hold the lowest officer ranks in the Marines, but they had truly begun their lives as officers. Their ranks carried Headquarters' recognition.
That day, everyone aboard shared their excitement and talked about the bright future ahead.
A night passed in the blink of an eye, and morning came.
Sakazuki's Warship arrived around noon.
Xia Le stood at the front with his arms folded. T Bone, Crocodile, and the others stood behind him.
Every one of them stood straight, eyes fixed ahead. Not long ago, some had been Pirates, but since becoming Marines, even their bearing had changed.
Ahead, a Warship slowly drew near.
At its bow stood a burly man in a white shirt and Marine cap, a sword strapped to his back. His expression was stern, his gaze cold, and he carried an unmistakable air of iron authority.
It was Sakazuki.
"Xia Le!"
The Warship stopped ten meters away. Sakazuki fixed his eyes on Xia Le and spoke coldly.
"Sakazuki!"
Xia Le's reply was just as flat.
They were hardly friends. When they first met two years ago, Xia Le had knocked Sakazuki unconscious with a burst of Conqueror's Haki. Any goodwill between them was surely below zero.
"More than two years have passed, and you don't seem to have changed at all," Sakazuki said coldly.
"Oh, no. Something has changed."
His knife-sharp gaze passed over Xia Le to Evens and the others behind him. A sneer of contempt crossed his face.
That Person Was You?