Joining the Marines

Gasp!

The Marine recruitment clerk sucked in a sharp breath.

As a Marine clerk, he naturally knew more than ordinary people or pirates did.

He understood all too well what the Magma-Magma Fruit, reputed to have the greatest offensive power among the Logia fruits, represented.

He dared not delay.

He hurriedly led Sakazuki into the branch and straight to the Branch Chief's office.

"Reporting in!"

"Come in."

Inside the office.

Branch Chief Jorison looked up from his work and glanced at the burly Sakazuki, whose features were stern and resolute.

Then he turned to the visibly excited Yor.

"What happened? Why are you so excited?"

"As a soldier, you need to learn to control your emotions,"

"Sergeant Yor."

Still brimming with excitement, Yor hastily said:

"Commander, this young man wants to join the Marines."

"He's a Logia user-the wielder of the Magma-Magma Fruit!"

Jorison shot to his feet.

"What?!"

His expression was hardly any calmer than Yor's, his face filled with shock and excitement.

Sakazuki finally got a clear look at Jorison.

He was around forty.

The crossed blade scars on his face and his missing left arm spoke volumes about his service.

Sakazuki watched Jorison rush over, laughing sincerely.

He patted Sakazuki's shoulder excitedly as he said:

"Good! Good! Good!"

A faint smile appeared on Sakazuki's face as well.

Jorison studied the young man and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Forgive me, forgive me. It's just..."

"This is wonderful, wonderful!"

He burst out laughing again. Once his laughter gradually subsided, Jorison said:

"Come, sit over here."

Taking the registration form Yor handed him, he read it while guiding Sakazuki toward the sofa.

"Sakazuki, twelve... goodness, reason for joining..."

Once they were seated, Jorison said:

"Sakazuki, first of all, welcome to the Marines."

"I'm Jorison, Branch Chief of the Marines' 194th Branch."

Sakazuki gave a slight nod.

"Hello, Commander."

Jorison was all smiles.

"Sakazuki, a Logia user is incredibly important to us."

"And you're the wielder of the Magma-Magma Fruit, no less."

"I need to report this to headquarters before we decide on your assignment."

"In a moment, Yor will show you around our branch and arrange a room for you in the barracks."

Sakazuki knew that his joining the Marines would inevitably cause a stir.

Even setting magma aside, any Logia user who joined them

would become a strategic asset once they matured.

That was all the more true of a power on the scale of a natural disaster, like the Magma-Magma Fruit.

After chatting with Jorison for a while, Sakazuki left with Yor.

Jorison picked up his dedicated Den Den Mushi and placed a call.

The Grand Line.

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

In the communications room, a Marine Headquarters operator answered the Den Den Mushi.

"Hello, this is headquarters."

Jorison's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

"I'm Jorison, Branch Chief of the 194th Branch in the North Blue."

"Put me through to Fleet Admiral Kong."

"This concerns a Logia user joining the Marines."

Hearing that, the headquarters operator dared not delay.

"Understood. One moment."

He hurriedly transferred the call to Fleet Admiral Kong's Den Den Mushi.

Inside the Fleet Admiral's Office.

Fleet Admiral Kong was reviewing documents.

His Den Den Mushi suddenly rang, and he answered it.

After hearing the operator's report, he had the call transferred to Jorison.

"This is Kong."

"What's the situation, Jorison?"

Kong showed no distance toward his old subordinate, who had been forced to return to the Four Blues because of his injuries.

Jorison's voice rang out from the Den Den Mushi.

"Fleet Admiral, here's what happened..."

The Marine Base on Windflower Island, North Blue.

Sakazuki toured the base with Yor.

The orderly ranks in the distance and the soldiers training with fervor made it clear that Jorison ran things well.

After spending several hours looking around, he had learned quite a bit about the Marines from Yor.

He had also learned about the pirates currently making a name for themselves, the various powers in the North Blue, and more.

Just then, Jorison sent someone to summon him, saying that headquarters had issued his appointment.

He entered the office.

Jorison stood up and said with a smile:

"Sakazuki, your appointment has arrived."

"You've been granted the rank of Marine Captain."

"For now, you'll undergo basic training here at the branch. Once you've completed it,"

"you'll enter the elite class at the Headquarters Academy."

Sakazuki nodded in understanding.

"Captain, huh? I thought I'd be a warrant officer."

Jorison laughed.

"Haha, ordinary Devil Fruit users start as warrant officers."

He raised the documents in his hand.

"And even setting the Magma-Magma Fruit aside,"

"I never expected you to be the North Blue Demon who's been making such a name for himself lately."

"You did very well. Those pirates shouldn't have been left alive."

Three years later.

At the entrance to Reverse Mountain.

A shrill alarm blared with an unstoppable momentum.

A warship accelerated into a pirate ship, smashing it clean in half.

"Kill."

An indifferent voice came from the warship.

Immediately afterward.

A mass of Marine soldiers leaped from the deck onto the pirate ship, beginning the boarding action.

It was an utterly one-sided slaughter.

In mere moments.

The cries of battle gradually faded.

After gathering the spoils, the Marines, each radiating murderous intent, leaped back aboard and formed ranks.

"Buru buru, buru buru."

The Den Den Mushi rang.

The man answered, and Jorison's hearty voice came through.

"Sakazuki, come back."

"I've signed you up for this year's elite class. Get ready to report to headquarters."

The corners of Sakazuki's mouth lifted slightly.

"Understood."

He hung up the Den Den Mushi and looked at the pirate ship, now utterly silent.

Sakazuki's right arm began turning into magma, which surged outward.

It formed a gigantic fist of molten rock.

"Great Eruption!"

Boom!