Marineford, the symbol of peace in this Great Pirate Era, represented the power and glory of the Marines. Its splendour and prosperity far surpassed the ruins it would become after the Battle of Marineford.
The office of the Marine Headquarters Admiral was located in one of the tall buildings with the “Marine” plaque.
Inside the Admiral’s office, Sengoku sat behind his desk.
Opposite him sat the older man Garp, munching on doughnuts and sipping tea.
“Sengoku, come on and compete with me in eating donuts! This time, I will definitely break my own record!” Garp shouted, slapping the table.
“Shut up, you idiot! Tsuru will be back soon. I don’t have time to compete with you,” Sengoku snapped back.
This guy Garp always either wanted to compete in eating doughnuts or was stealing his senbei. And doughnuts were better than senbei. If there were a competition, it should be about eating senbei.
“Huh? Little Tsuru is coming back? Isn’t that brat Mosen still on her ship, not wanting to get off? Damn kid, he’s been out for so long and hasn’t reported back to me.” Garp rubbed his head and asked, “Hey, Sengoku, how many donuts have I eaten?”
Sengoku’s moustache bristled in anger. “How the hell should I know, you idiot Garp?”
Garp, unfazed by Sengoku’s outburst, moved on from the topic. “Then let’s start counting again. But it’s a pity about Rosinante. The Donquixote Family has indeed become a major threat to the Marines.”
Sengoku’s emotions had calmed considerably over time. “Ever since Roger’s death, pirates have been emerging endlessly. Recently, Big Mom and Kaido have been causing chaos in the New World, becoming pirate crews on par with Whitebeard, earning them the title of the ‘Three Emperors.’ This is a disgrace to us, and the Marines need to undergo more changes.”
He didn’t mention the details about the Donquixote Family to Garp, which was known only to him, Tsuru, and Jonathan. Garp just needed to charge ahead; he wasn’t suited for scheming.
Could you rely on someone whose brain was all muscle to develop strategies?
“Fwahaha, we also need to speed up the process. Letting Whitebeard and those two monsters dominate the New World is ridiculous.”
Despite the talk, the fact remained that the Marines were slowly losing control over the New World.
Back in their days, they chased Roger all over the world. Now, the New World had become a playground for great pirates.
Roger’s gamble with his life to open this era of madness caused more trouble for the Marines than any benefits gained from his execution.
“That’s why we need not only Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino but also young elites like Smoker and Mosen to grow stronger quickly. We need to keep selecting outstanding talent to join the Marines.”
Sengoku had taken full control of Marine affairs and planned to make sweeping reforms once he officially became Fleet Admiral.
“Ha ha, I’m really looking forward to seeing these youngsters grow. We’ve become the old generation, outdated in this new era. Our role now is to pave the way for their growth.” Garp downed his tea and laughed heartily.
“Once this period is over, I’m going back to see my grandson. A Marine’s dream must be nurtured from a young age!”
Sengoku looked at Garp with suspicion. “Just don’t let him turn out like your son, walking the opposite path of the Marines.”
Garp’s face darkened at the mention of his son, and he decided to ignore Sengoku.
“I have other matters to attend to. I’ll be going now.”
Watching Garp leave hastily, Sengoku felt a headache coming on. Garp’s grandson was even more troublesome than most pirates.
Turning back to his desk, Sengoku picked up an appointment letter.
The photo on it was of Mosen.
He hoped these youngsters could grow strong quickly.
…
On Vice Admiral Tsuru’s ship, Mosen looked utterly dejected.
Gray had been watching Mosen like a hawk for nearly ten days of sailing, fearing any female soldier might fall for his tricks.
Despite not wanting to admit it, Gray had to face a reality.
With Mosen around, all the female soldiers seemed to have their spirits lifted by more than a notch.
They were full of energy every day. If she had heard the term “bewitching charmer,” she would know how to describe Mosen.
If only he were as quiet and obedient as Drake, she thought.
At this moment, Drake was having a tough time.
“Keep your legs steady, lower, lower. Good, now hold it.”
Mosen’s voice came from a corner of the deck.
They were both squatting, not in the sense of using a toilet, but in practising stances.
Both were in a perfect horse stance. However, Mosen’s arms carried 50 kilograms of weights each, while Drake had five kilograms on each arm.
They had been squatting for thirty minutes. Mosen felt nothing; it was just a warm-up.
Drake’s legs shook uncontrollably, and his clothes had been soaked and dried several times.
“Good job, Drake. Now you’re getting it. Do you know what’s most important for a man?”
Mosen’s stance was steady. He didn’t move a bit while speaking.
“A man’s most important trait is endurance. Imagine a fight where you last only three seconds compared to one where you last three hours. How do you think people would feel about that?”
Although Drake was panting heavily, he felt Mosen was right despite his somewhat strange expression.
Over these ten days, he had become a fan of Mosen and was trying to learn everything from him except how to interact with girls.
Gray, the iron-fisted female officer, ensured Mosen had no contact with anyone but the burly female soldiers.
Mosen channelled more energy into training Drake, who was deeply moved by this.
Once, they encountered a pirate crew far stronger than his father. Mosen single-handedly wiped them out.
The pirate ship was split in half with one strike!
Being trained by someone so powerful, how could Drake not give his all?
Mosen felt a bit guilty.
“You’re so pure, I almost feel bad for bullying you.”
He felt that even a young Law could have easily deceived Drake.
No sense of accomplishment in that.
Also, I’m not interested in submissive types, my friend. How can you become the more masculine Fallen Rear Admiral?
This made Mosen realise that Drake’s future rise to fame had quite a story behind it.
Seeing the gigantic Gates of Justice ahead, Mosen returned to reality and told Drake, “Alright, training is over. Endurance is built through continuous practice. Don’t rush it.”
Marine Headquarters was in sight!
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