Chapter 12: Crane and Pink Rabbit

First Half of the Grand Line, Marineford

After the warship landed, Garp, accompanied by Chika and a group of Marines, disembarked from the ship.

Waving his hand to dismiss the soldiers, Garp turned to Chika and said, "Come with me. I'll take you to meet Sengoku. You were specifically requested by him."

Chika responded with a nod and followed behind Garp towards the Fleet Admiral's office.

On the way, Chika couldn't help but feel a bit amazed. He didn't expect his performance at the East Blue Marine Branch to garner such a big response. The treatment he received was truly beyond his expectations.

Arriving at the entrance of Sengoku's office, Garp didn't bother to knock. With a loud bang, he pushed the door open and shouted, "Sengoku! I brought the person you wanted. Got any Senbei? I'm starving!"

"..." Chika looked at the eccentric Garp ahead of him, feeling somewhat speechless. He thought to himself that it was just like how it was portrayed in the One Piece manga. Garp was a straightforward person.

However, Chika didn't dislike him. In fact, people like Garp were the easiest to get along with. They didn't have any ulterior motives. Chika knew very well that among the high-ranking officials of Konoha and the leaders of the major clans he encountered during his time in Naruto, almost everyone was cunning. Engaging in political maneuvering all the time was truly exhausting, especially considering that as an Uchiha, he was not favored by the higher-ups and could lose his life unintentionally.

People like Garp, as long as you were sincere with them, wouldn't treat you unfairly. It wasn't just him; in fact, many of the admirals in Marine Headquarters were easy to get along with. Regardless of how much their sense of justice deviated, they still leaned towards the "right" side. That was one of the main reasons why Chika preferred the Marines over pirates.

In the office chair, Sengoku's sat in a strict manner. He had originally intended to leave a wise and dignified image on Chika for their first meeting, but now that was completely ruined.

Trying to control his emotions, Sengoku impatiently asked Garp to sit aside.

However, Garp didn't buy into it. He picked out a booger, flicked it with his finger, and a shiny black booger landed on the side of Sengoku's little sheep-like face, instantly giving his pure white face a stylish beauty mark.

"Garp!" Seeing his little pet being mistreated, Sengoku completely lost his composure. Just as he was about to explode in anger, a calm female voice sounded.

"Alright, you two, you're both adults. Calm down and don't embarrass this young gentleman, Chika."

Chika peeked out and saw an elderly lady with graying hair sitting on the sofa. Standing beside her was a tall and graceful lady.

The graceful lady casually tied up her long black hair at the back of her head. She had peach blossom eyes with red pupils, a delicate nose, and a cherry-like mouth with a beauty mark that perfectly accentuated her charm.

"Very beautiful." Chika silently gave a five-star evaluation in his mind. He then realized that the two individuals in front of him should be Vice Admiral Crane and her adoptive sister, the future candidate for Admiral, Pink Rabbit. These two were heavyweight figures in the Marine Headquarters.

While Chika observed the two, Tsuru and Gion also noticed Chika as he peeked out.

With just one glance, both of them were immediately drawn to Chika's eyes. What kind of eyes were those? Black circular ripples spread within them like swirling vortexes, occasionally emitting a purple glow.

Both of them instinctively released their Haki, and from those eyes, they sensed a powerful energy fluctuation and a pressure comparable to Conqueror's Haki.

"The 'Terrifying Rookie' both gave their evaluation of Chika in their hearts.

It's worth mentioning that Gion's gaze lingered on Chika's face for a while, then nodded silently and looked away.

Chika naturally noticed their scrutiny but didn't mind. He walked out from behind Garp and approached Sengoku's desk. He greeted Sengoku with a military-style salute, as he had been influenced by his time on Earth.

"Good, very good!" Sengoku was pleased. What was a model Marine? This was a model Marine—talented, powerful, respectful to superiors, and knew how to kill pirates! Compared to the one who was picking his nose just now, what kind of thing was that? Sengoku stated that he didn't recognize such trash.

"Well then, Recruit Chika, considering your strength, I'm prepared to arrange for you to join the Marine Headquarter's Elite Training Camp. There, you will receive the cruelest and most elite education the Marines have to offer!"

At this point, Sengoku paused, staring directly at Chika, and asked word by word, "So, are you ready? Uchiha Chika!"

Chika was in a good mood at the moment. Coming here, he had the purpose of exploring the power system of the pirate world, and the Marine Headquarter's Elite Training Camp was undoubtedly suitable for achieving that goal. Plus, becoming an officer would be an interesting experience.

"Yes, I'm ready, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Chika replied without hesitation.

"Very well, then I'll arrange for someone to familiarize you with the headquarter's environment."

"I'll do it, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I don't have much to do anyway." To Sengoku's surprise, Gion suddenly spoke up and took on the task.

Sengoku gave her a surprised look. To be honest, Gion's status and position within the headquarters were not low. She was Tsuru's sister, and this time, she was already going beyond her jurisdiction by using Garp's leave as an excuse to pick up Chika. Sengoku had originally planned to send a middle-ranking officer familiar with the environment, and that would have been enough.

Tsuru glanced meaningfully at her adopted sister and thought to herself, "The old girl can't help herself, huh?" Garp continued to pick his nose, indifferent to the matter. What did it have to do with him?

Ignoring the gazes in the office, Gion straightforwardly said, "I think this young man Chika is quite interesting. I'd like to get to know him more. We'll definitely have opportunities to work together in the future, right?"

"Well, since you volunteered, then go ahead. It's not a big deal," Sengoku approved.

Gion, in high heels, gracefully walked up to Chika. She placed one hand on her hip and gave Chika a teasing smile as she spoke, "So, shall we go? Nice to meet you for the first time, I'm Gion. Please take care of me in the future, Chika little brother~"

"This Gion is like a little fox. Better not call her Pink Rabbit, call her Pink Fox instead." Chika mentally ranted while maintaining a polite smile on his face.

"Then I'll trouble you, Sister Gion."