“Ah, my head hurts!”
At the Navy headquarters, Major Kongming, who was responsible for handling affairs in the Four Seas, was fretting over the documents on his desk.
“This Loguetown Navy base really knows how to play the game. The highest-ranking officer is a headquarters colonel, and the next in line is a lieutenant. Where are the lieutenant colonel and significant? Have they all vanished?
Can the East Blue really not recruit soldiers?
But why does a mere branch colonel have 3,000 subordinates?”
What Kongming didn’t know was that if time passed to the year 1520 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Loguetown wouldn’t even have a single commissioned officer. The rank below the colonel would be a sergeant.
“If Hailan hadn’t recommended Bellemere to me, saying she has great potential and mastered the basics of ‘Shave’ in just a month, I would have to argue with Zephyr’s bunch of problem children again.”
As a major of the headquarters, Hailan didn’t have the authority to appoint a headquarters colonel, not even for a nominal position in Loguetown.
Also, for a mere colonel, there was no need to trouble Zephyr or Sengoku; reporting to Staff Officer Kongming was enough.
Moreover, headquarters soldiers wouldn’t quickly go to the Four Seas because everyone knew it was basically a demotion.
Smart people didn’t have the mentality of “better to be a big fish in a small pond” because these were turbulent times, not peaceful ones.
Going to the Four Seas to face pirates and gangs alone was less safe than being a follower of a headquarters officer.
So, people at the headquarters were very reluctant to go to the Four Seas. With Hailan’s guarantee, Bellemere’s promotion from lieutenant to a nominal headquarters colonel didn’t require a complicated process.
“But what merit should I give Hailan this time…”
Shaking his feather fan, Kongming gazed at the distant blue sea.
…
“Sir, there’s something I’m not sure if I should say.”
“Then don’t.”
“…”
Seeing Lieutenant Hill’s constipated look, Hailan was amused by the ridiculous sight.
“If you don’t say it, how will I know if you should or shouldn’t? Change your approach next time.”
“Uh…”
“Alright, speak up. I don’t have any taboos here.”
Hill reorganized his thoughts: “I was wondering, is it okay for you to promote the Navy’s ‘Six Powers’ at the branch? Even if your father is the headquarters’ Chief Instructor Zephyr…”
Hill received his Six Powers training manual only after becoming a headquarters colonel. Although this didn’t guarantee that those who received the manual wouldn’t sell the techniques, it at least represented that the Six Powers had a certain threshold.
“Did I promote the Six Powers?”
Hailan asked Hill, “I only trained them according to the Six Powers standards. Has anyone besides Bellemere and Kuro mastered any of the Six Powers?”
“Then those two…”
“Bellemere is now a headquarters colonel, and Kuro and Wagner will be going back to the headquarters with me. I haven’t broken any rules, have I?”
You’re really testing the limits of the law…
Hill silently cursed Hailan.
Hailan picked up his red wine, but the bitter taste of beer in his mouth made him put down the glass: “Also, you overestimate the Six Powers. You might not believe it, but some powerful pirates on the Grand Line can learn the Six Powers just by watching.”
“Really?”
“Though it’s only the simplest ‘Shave’…”
“That’s still impressive!”
Thinking about how it took him two or three years to reach his current level, Hill couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
The gap between people is really huge!
“And, Lieutenant Hill…”
“Sir!”
Hearing Hailan call his rank, Hill sat up straight.
“That girl you frequent on Pleasure Street… if you don’t like her, you should break it off; if you do, you should marry her. I have no other intentions, just a reminder to be careful about diseases. If I find out my lieutenant has caught something, I’ll be the first to execute you!”
“Uh, sir, you really know a lot…”
“These are the heartfelt words of many old sailors.”
“Old sailors?”
“That’s a saying from my hometown, referring to people who are well-versed in the ways of the world.”
“I learned something new…”
…
A few days later, after Hailan finished dealing with the affairs in Loguetown and was preparing to return to the headquarters, the Victoria Kingdom called the Loguetown Navy base for help.
“What’s the situation?”
With Kuro as his adjutant, Hailan found handling many matters much more manageable.
“The King of Victoria says that for some unknown reason, the previously docile subjects have suddenly rebelled, saying they want to overthrow him!”
“Revolution?”
Hailan was taken aback: “That’s a serious word to use! How bad is it?”
“Quite serious!”
“Didn’t the Victoria Kingdom just go through the Sam Fleet Crusade? How do they still have the energy for an internal conflict?”
Kuro’s face was indifferent since it didn’t concern him. He adjusted his glasses and explained, “It’s said that the rebels, who originally had no combat capability, suddenly obtained a large batch of weapons from somewhere. The regent of the Victoria Kingdom claims the weapons were left behind by us and the pirates.”
“Those nobles are clearly talking nonsense. Didn’t I order you to clean up the battlefield? Those weapons are money. Do they think I’m stupid? Ignore them!”
“I’m afraid we can’t ignore it… because Victoria is a member of the World Government and pays a substantial ‘Heavenly Tribute’ every year. According to regulations, their government has the right to request Navy assistance!
Moreover, according to the latest information, Vice Admiral Hero Garp from the headquarters has already arrived in East Blue.
“Uncle Garp? Even he is involved?”
Although Garp was older than Sengoku and Zephyr, he never acted his age, and Hailan never called him uncle.
“It’s just a tiny member country of the World Government in the East Blue. It shouldn’t warrant Uncle Garp’s presence. Is he worried about his newborn grandson this year?
But that doesn’t make sense either. Garp’s family is in the Goa Kingdom, which is far from the Victoria Kingdom.”
“It seems this matter is more complicated than it appears!”
After thinking for a moment, Hailan made a decision: “Kuro, arrange the personnel and reply to the Victoria Kingdom. We are preparing to depart.”
“And have Buggy’s special task force change into civilian clothes and operate separately. They don’t have any combat tasks this time, only intelligence gathering!”
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