Tsuru set down her teacup and said softly, "You'd better not let Lorne hear that."
Sengoku rubbed his brow and snorted.
"So what if he hears it? Would he actually dare come back and tear my office apart?"
Garp's booming laughter had already faded into the distance, leaving only a shout from the far end of the corridor.
"Sengoku! I'm taking the rice crackers!"
"Garp!"
Sengoku grabbed the documents on his desk and hurled them toward the door. They flew halfway there before the wind swept them back beside his desk.
Tsuru shook her head.
"Now that you've let him loose, you ought to say a prayer for the pirates out at sea."
Sengoku snorted coldly.
"I just hope he doesn't tear the warship apart too."
Holding the Sailing Order bearing Marine Headquarters' highest seal, Lorne arrived at Port Number Seven with Garp.
Lieutenant Commander Ethan followed beside Lorne, carrying a stack of personnel lists.
"Ensign Lorne, Ship Number Seven has a full complement of five hundred."
"That includes eighty gunners, a hundred and twenty riflemen, two hundred boarding troops, thirty navigators, and twenty medical personnel. The rest handle maintenance and logistics."
Lorne yawned.
"As long as they can fight."
Ethan paused.
"They're all veterans."
Lorne looked up at the warship at the end of the pier.
"Veterans are better. They take longer to die."
Ethan's face twitched.
"Ensign, some things aren't suitable to say in front of your subordinates."
"Then say them behind their backs."
"..."
Ethan took a deep breath, suppressing the throbbing at his temple.
"I mean they might not accept your command."
"Then I'll beat them until they do."
On the sails, a massive seagull emblem billowed in the wind.
"Ensign Lorne, Lieutenant Commander Ethan, please come aboard!"
A Marine captain assigned to guide them