A fleet of warships sailed on the vast sea, heavily armed and easily crushing a group of pirates that blocked their route. Observing pirate ships in the distance scattered and fled, but the fleet had no intention of pursuing the small fry and continued to sail quietly.
“I heard Gregory and the others actually asked you for two days of intensive training!” Brigadier General Adkin said, facing the sea breeze with an exaggerated expression.
“They were worried that their skills wouldn’t keep up with the training camp’s standards, so they overcame their fears to ask for my help.”
“That’s a sad story. Your crazy training methods are scary even to Vice Admiral Kizaru.” Adkin shrugged in mock sympathy. “Sometimes, I really don’t get it. With your talent, you’d eventually become a monster like Vice Admiral Kizaru without pushing so hard.”
“Who knows? Maybe there’s a crazy monster living in my soul.”
“Haha, that’s not a funny joke at all!”
…
The bustling and prosperous harbour was filled with large ships coming and going and workers bustling about. The widest area, however, was cleared and guarded by a large contingent of the kingdom’s royal guards, causing many passing merchant ships to pause and wonder which big shot was causing such a commotion among the kingdom’s officials.
“Tina is so disappointed. Brother Rougishuisn’t here yet?” Dressed in a neat outfit, Tina couldn’t hide her youthful vitality, making her the most dazzling sight in the harbour. Many would have already approached her if it weren’t for concerns about her father, a high-ranking and intensely protective kingdom official.
“Can’t wait, can you? Didn’t you just visit Brother Rougishuat the G-2 base three months ago?” Louis teased.
If someone else had received such treatment, Louis would have been furious.
But he was very grateful to Longinus, who had saved a ship full of people, including himself, two years ago. Over the past two years, he had kept an eye on Longinus’s development and admired his character and personality, approving of their friendship.
After all, under his strict oversight, Tina had very few friends, something he felt quite guilty about.
“Dad~,” Tina said with a prolonged tone of dissatisfaction, “You have the nerve to talk? It’s been three months since you last took me to the G-2 base!”
“Daddy’s been busy, you know. These past few months have been full of wars and conflicts…”
“I remember you said two years ago that you were defeated by those pirates because you weren’t good at naval battles…”
“Ahem, that can’t be considered a defeat, just a stalemate. If I had had half a day more, I would have turned the situation around,” Louis said, his old face turning red as he spoke confidently.
“Those pirates’ weapons and supplies couldn’t compare to your fleet, Dad. Even if they ran out of ammunition, the situation would naturally turn in your favor. The problem was whether you could hold out until then,” Tina muttered quietly.
“War is unpredictable. No one can say for sure how a battle will turn out,” Louis argued.
“Alright, let’s put naval battles aside for now,” Tina said, sighing like a little adult, seemingly frustrated with her father’s lack of progress. “But Brother Rougishutook less than a month to quell the rebellion in the Hughes Kingdom, while you’ve been fighting for over three months and still needed the navy to mediate. So, not having time is entirely your fault!”
“Ahem, this, this…” Louis’s head felt as big as a bucket, his pride shattered by the cruel reality. Seeing a fleet in the distance, he quickly changed the subject, “Hey! Look, it’s the navy. It should be Brother Longinus’s fleet!”
Tina, indeed, stopped picking at her father’s pride,
and stood on tiptoe to look, “I see it, I see it! Brother Rougishuis standing at the front of the deck!”
“Who would’ve thought I’d end up relying on Brother Rougishuto save the day!” Louis felt a sudden sadness, then quickly regained the composure of a kingdom general, “Everyone, straighten up! Don’t let our distinguished navy guests see us looking sloppy!”
As the warship approached, the imposing steel giant gleamed coldly, causing many dock workers to drop their cargo in shock. It was nothing short of a spiritual awakening for those who had never ventured beyond the sea.
Even Louis couldn’t help but marvel. If he had had such a warship two years ago, even his army’s lack of naval combat skills could have been compensated for by sheer power.
Brigadier General Adkin led the way on the flagship, followed closely by Longinus, who wore a gentle smile.
As Louis strode forward to greet them, he was internally shocked. He had underestimated Longinus’s status in the navy. Other higher-ranking officers voluntarily stepped back, highlighting Longinus’s leading role in this mission. No sign of discontent indicated that Rougishuhad already won over most of the navy base in the past two years.
“Brigadier General Adkin, please follow me. The king has prepared a banquet in the palace.”
“You must be General Louis, the guardian of the Kingdom of Heisca. Thank you for your trouble.”
“Haha! In the presence of Brigadier General Adkin, I wouldn’t dare call myself a guardian. You’re giving me too much credit.”
Following behind them, Rougishufelt slightly speechless. One was a brigadier general, the other a general, but anyone listening would think Louis was in charge.
A brigadier general from the Navy Headquarters was far more valuable than a kingdom general from the Grand Line. Even the kings of these nations would show utmost respect to a navy brigadier general.
Although the kings held higher status as members of the World Government, it was the navy that ensured the safety of these seas. Offending a navy brigadier general could lead to special treatment in the future.
A mere rumour of lax naval oversight in this sea area would attract countless pirates eager to exploit the situation.
Even appealing to the World Government would be useless, as bureaucracy and blame-shifting would likely leave the issue unresolved.
There had been instances where countries that didn’t take the navy seriously soon became pirate havens. The ensuing economic decline led to them being unable to pay the Celestial Tribute and being expelled from the ranks of World Government member states, ultimately falling to pirates and facing ruin.
This is why Louis did not oppose Tina joining the navy. Relying on a powerful backer is a universal truth in any world.
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