Smoker and Tashigi turned to look at the young black-skinned captain at the adjacent table. They didn’t recognise him.
The bar was always a hub for information, especially here at Marine Headquarters. Any non-confidential news would spread quickly, and even confidential news often leaked.
Seeing that everyone was now focused on him, the young captain shrank back and lowered his voice.
However, someone else wanted to be more pleased with this.
A burly figure, quite common among Headquarters officers, spoke up. This was a brigadier general with blood-red hair that had faded to a greyish white and an aged, fierce face. The myriad scars crisscrossing his exposed skin attested to his survival through countless battles.
“Kid, what did you just say about the youngest captain? Say it again. I’ve been out for months and need to hear some fresh news,” the old brigadier general demanded.
In the renowned Golden Time Bar at Marine Headquarters, it was common to see numerous officers and even the three current admiral candidates occasionally visiting.
So, seeing a brigadier general who had been out for months was not unusual.
The one who had spoken was Mosen’s former roommate, Tashigi.
After graduating, he had just been promoted to captain and had recently returned from capturing pirates at Sabaody Archipelago, coming to rest at the headquarters.
The two companions drinking with him were the sons of other headquarters officers. They had grown up together, but unlike Tashigi, they had no talent for combat and were working in administrative roles.
One of them worked in the secretariat, which made him well-informed. This friend provided many of Tashigi’s sources.
This friend had mentioned Mosen’s promotion to headquarters captain, which led to Tashigi’s excited outburst and attracted the brigadier general’s attention.
Brigadier General Morto Liste was an old veteran, nearly sixty years old, and a long-time rival of Tashigi’s father. Known for his bloodthirsty nature, he had often killed indiscriminately, even mistakenly killing his subordinates in the heat of battle.
This reputation was why he had remained a brigadier general for so long and not demoted solely because a certain vice admiral supported him.
Tashigi silently cursed his luck. Encountering this old lunatic was truly unfortunate.
“Brigadier General Liste, we were talking about the newly promoted youngest captain at headquarters, Mosen. He’s the top graduate from our recent recruit training camp,” Tashigi explained reluctantly.
“Oh? A newly graduated brat promoted to headquarters captain, and you said he’s 16? Looks like Admiral Sengoku has lost his mind.”
Nobody responded to that comment.
Liste’s habit of criticising everyone and everything and his delusion that his lack of promotion was due to a past conflict with Sengoku made him widely disliked.
“I’ve been in the navy for over forty years and only reached brigadier general. What makes a barely-out-of-recruit-training kid qualified to be a captain?”
“If I meet him, I’ll see if he’s worthy!”
With that, Liste ignored Tashigi’s darkening expression and returned to his table to continue drinking.
Unaware that he had unwittingly gained an adversary, Mosen would not have cared even if he knew. Such people were of no consequence to him.
However, Tashigi felt troubled, realising he had inadvertently caused Mosen unnecessary trouble.
Aside from Smoker, the other tables had heard Liste’s comments, sparking a flurry of heated discussions.
The smoker’s expression was complex. The kid he had brought back from the East Blue was now making waves.
A headquarters captain.
Thinking about his demotion to Major for disobeying orders, Smoker felt a mix of emotions. If he met that kid again, it would be awkward.
What would he say when they met?
Imagining Mosen saying, “Salute your superior officer,” made Smoker feel tired.
He was certain Mosen wouldn’t miss the chance to tease him.
Tashigi, sensing something, asked, “Smoker, do you know this Mosen?”
“That kid was brought here by me from the East Blue six months ago,” Smoker explained, seeing Tashigi’s curiosity. “He could match me in a fight even then. Who knows how much he’s grown after training under Zephyr?”
Tashigi was genuinely surprised. Smoker had always been a leading figure among the younger generation. If Mosen could match him before training, what would be his current strength?
If they had been at headquarters during Mosen’s graduation test, they would know he had slightly bested Koshouzo.
“But that’s not the point. The real issue is that he’s a narcissistic troublemaker,” Smoker continued, already dreading their next encounter.
“I’m glad to hear there’s someone you’re afraid of,” Tashigi said with a smile.
“Idiot, it’s not fear. It’s annoyance,” Smoker clarified.
“In Tashigi’s view, it’s fear.”
Smoker fell silent, downing his drink in frustration.
…
Unaware that someone wanted to cause him trouble and Smoker had returned, Mosen was now in his newly assigned room at headquarters.
The apartment was a two-bedroom unit, not too large but adequately furnished with new furniture and bedding provided by headquarters. It was ready for immediate occupancy.
Mosen was pleased. He finally had a home at headquarters, a place to settle.
He could now bring Wenster to live with him. The headquarters’ marine school wasn’t as strictly managed as the recruit training camp.
The marine school aimed to teach talented children, government officials’ kids, and children of headquarters soldiers and officers. Only those from outside were assigned to the school’s dormitories.
Webster currently lived in one of these dormitories.
Now, with a house, Mosen could bring him over. It had been two months since he last visited Webster.
Imagining his brother’s awe at seeing him in his captain’s uniform, Mosen chuckled to himself.
“It’s been a while since he received some brotherly love. Wenster must be missing it.”
Mosen thought.
What are brothers for if not to tease (and occasionally beat) each other?
No doubt about it, it’s time to mess with him.
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