Chapter 3

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Chapter 3: I Care About The People

"This is the governor's wife of the Kingdom of Yadis!"

After saying this, Gion blushed with anger, feeling ashamed of the situation.

Darren, that rascal, had done something so indecent at the Marine Base. To Gion, who had grown up in the headquarters with the "Pure Justice" education of Tsuru Staff, such behavior was absolutely intolerable.

Moreover, this time she had come from headquarters with the responsibility to "review" and "supervise."

How damaging would this news be to the reputation of the Marines if it were to spread?

Darren ... what a disgrace to justice!

To everyone's surprise, Darren seemed unfazed by the accusation, wearing a charming smile as he stood up slowly,

"Oh, so it's Major Gion and Major Kake who took the trouble to travel from Marineford. That must have been hard work."

Holding a cigar between his lips, he reached out his hand warmly.

"Welcome to the North Blue 321 branch."

But Gion stared back at him coldly, not interested in shaking hands.

Darren just shrugged, casually took out another cigar, and offered it to Kake.

"Major Kake, I've long heard of your reputation."

Brightening at the sight of the cigar, Kake almost reached for it, recognizing it as a high-end West Blue brand meant for the nobility, but he quickly pulled back his hand when he noticed Gion's scathing glare.

"Hey, Darren ... is this woman really the wife of the governor of the kingdom of Yadis?" Kake asked in a hushed tone.

Darren only laughed, offering no response.

Seeing this, Kake felt a surge of frustration.

How could Darren do this with the governor's wife? Kake knew he was good-looking too, and yet such an opportunity eluded him.

And her identity made the thought all the more thrilling.

Trying to contain his envy, Kake couldn't help but comment,

"Rear Admiral Darren, doing this isn't right."

Gion turned to glare at Kake before facing the governor's wife, now peeking from under the blanket, and bowed deeply,

"I apologize for our negligence, Mrs. Margaret. As a member of the inspection team from the Naval Headquarters, I assure you that we will investigate Rear Admiral Darren's misdeeds and punish him accordingly."

While saying this, Gion silently vowed to report everything to headquarters – the Marines could not harbor someone like Darren.

At that moment, Mrs. Margaret emerged a little from the bed, glanced at Darren, and said shyly,

"Actually, Major Gion, I volunteered."

"I ... I really like Rear Admiral Darren."

This revelation stunned Gion and Kake.

They had believed that Margaret was coerced, but it seemed it was her own choice.

Wait!

That official ship docked at the port – could this have been intentional?

"Let's not keep Mrs. Margaret from her rest," Darren said with a smile.

He quickly donned a new military uniform and cloak and gestured towards the door,

"Please, let's discuss business in my office."

In the base chief's office of Branch 321, a plaque with the prominent characters "justice" was mounted on the gray and white wall.

Darren sat in the main seat, lighting another cigar,

"So, Major Gion, Major Kake, do you bring any good news? Did you receive my request?"

He eyed the two visitors nonchalantly.

It was his first encounter with these potential "Admiral alternates" since his arrival.

Gion was tall and slender, her long black hair tied in a ponytail, her graceful posture accentuated by her Marine cloak. A beauty mark by her mouth added a touch of allure to her youthful, yet charismatic appearance.

Kake, on the other hand, was a different story – scruffy and disheveled.

He lounged with a cigarette, eyeing the cigars on the table with an awkward desire.

These young officers were the future of the Marines, and Darren couldn't help but feel a bit of nostalgia, thinking about their backgrounds – especially Gion, who was from an esteemed "Marine Generation," with remarkable talent and high-ranking supporters in the Navy.

Even the "strongest Marine" and "hero" Garp is referred to as "grandpa Garp" by her. This kind of treatment really is excessive. Comparing people only leads to envy toward those who have passed away. 

It was with great difficulty that he climbed from the bottom to the rank of colonel, while Gion started as a major on her first sea mission. It's clear to everyone that Gion and Kake came to the North Blue this time, seemingly on a mission, but in reality, they came to enhance their resumes. 

When their missions conclude in a few months, they'll return to headquarters. With their comprehensive resumes, both of them can directly enter Zephyr's officer training camp. They just need to wait until graduation to join the core decision-making level of the Marines.

It's truly enviable.

However, it's apparent that Gion and Kake are still quite young at this time, exhibiting a kind of pride and innocence characteristic of youth.

This is quite normal.

Upon hearing Darren's words, Gion, who was still upset, snorted and produced a letter of appointment.

"Congratulations, Rear Admiral Darren. From this moment on, you are the top officer in charge of all North Blue Marine military affairs."

Darren accepted the letter and looked at it.

Power of attorney

From now on, Rogers Darren, the base commander of the North Blue 321 branch and headquarters colonel, is the North Blue admiral!

He smiled, satisfied with his new position.

The admiral's role is established in each of the four seas outside the Grand Line and is a specific post at the colonel rank. Admirals in the east, south, west, and north hold the highest command over all Marine Bases and justice forces within their jurisdictions. They are directly accountable to Marineford, the headquarters, making them some of the most influential figures in the four seas.

Although not having an official letter of appointment wouldn't significantly impact his authority since the entire North Blue Marine is already under his control, who but Garp would think his position is too high? Furthermore, with the title and role of North Blue Admiral, Darren can conduct certain affairs more conveniently.

'That guy Sakazuki still keeps his promises...' Darren thought to himself.

"Sorry for the inconvenience," he said, looking up with a hearty smile. "I'm curious how long you two will be staying in the North Blue?"

Gion replied calmly, "It could be anywhere from half a year to three months, depending on the review time."

"Rear Admiral Darren, for confidentiality reasons during this review process, the identities of myself and Major Kake's review team members will remain secret. We will all appear as your adjutants."

Darren smiled. "No problem, Gion. I look forward to your guidance."

The Marine Military Academy at this time isn't as large as in later years. It is in the form of a "training camp," selecting elites from the Grand Line and worldwide branches for training rather than starting directly from recruits. Thus, the selection criteria for the officer training camp are strict, and a review system was established. 

Passing the review ensures selection and the chance to join the officer training camp at headquarters, receive training from former Marine Admiral Black Arm Zephyr, learn Marine Six Styles, and even Haki, to become a real powerhouse.

With this on their resumes, Marines like Darren could amass enough political resources to ascend through the ranks.

Darren then turned to Kake and offered him a cigar. "Then, I seek your advice as well."

Kake looked at the gold-plated cigar. Even in headquarters, he had never smoked something so fine. Suddenly, the tobacco in his mouth seemed tasteless.

"That... Gion..." he said, looking longingly at Gion.

Gion rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "Smoke it, smoke it."

"Okay."

Kake eagerly took the cigar, lit it, and started smoking with gusto.

Just then, Gion asked coldly, "So Rear Admiral Darren, you still owe us an explanation for what happened just now."

"Even if Mrs. Margaret consented, your actions could tarnish the Marines' reputation and culture..."

"And considering Mrs. Margaret's status as the Governor's wife of the Kingdom of Yadis, your behavior could also provoke a serious diplomatic incident."

Hearing this, Kake perked up and stared at Darren, eager to see how he would handle the situation.

Humph, let's see how you'll explain this.

He knew Gion well after many years and was aware of her commitment to "absolute justice," which left no room for indiscretions.

And you also smoke such fine cigars!

This cigar really is quite enjoyable, he had to admit.

"Gion, do we need to explain this situation? Isn't it quite reasonable?" Darren said with an air of innocence on his face. "I care about the people... It's military-civilian cooperation."

Kake, who had been enjoying his cigar, started to choke and turned red-faced.

He looked at Darren incredulously.

Care for the people?

Military and civilian cooperation?

This...

This...

This actually seems to make sense! Why didn't I think of such a perfect excuse before? No, reason!