Chapter 09 : A New Rank

Marineford Headquarters.

Dylan, who achieved his new rank under the command of Aokiji, finally has a cape and an independent office. Bellmere's file was also called up in the Marine Department, and the re-enlistment procedures were successfully completed under the promotion of Aokiji.

And she was re-awarded the rank of captain.

"What is this!? Can this be considered 'Marine Justice'? Bastard, what is the difference between this and pirates!?"

There was a roar in the huge hallway, and Aokiji rubbed his forehead in distress.

"Ah, it's really..."

Boom!

There was a slamming door, and a man with short white hair and a cigar in his mouth came out of the office angrily like a ruffian.

"Smoker, are you arguing with the inspectors again? Don't you think about why you are still a captain?"

Because he didn't look strong, he was ignored by the man in front of him. But Dylan didn't really care as he just looked at the guy in front of them who was walking toward them with unrecognizable steps—Marine's most rebellious officer —the shame of Logia fruit—Smoker.

"A rank thing..." Smoker nonchalantly puffed out a big puff of smoke. Walking up to the two, Smoker looked at Dylan who had put on the Rear Admiral cape, "Are you the guy Kuzan has been talking about? You look very weak."

"Ah, this guy..."

Aokiji glanced at Smoker with some headaches, and said to Dylan, "It's my friend, so be gentle."

"Bastard Kuzan! Who are you looking down on?"

Smoker was furious. Although he is currently only a captain, but as a Logia user, he has also made great achievements. However, he was stuck in the rank of captain for several years because he was too rebellious and reckless. After all, "Mad Dog Marine" didn't bark for nothing.

But Dylan didn't give Smoker time to react, and a dark arm grabbed Smoker's neckline before he could finish his sentence.

"Huh!?"

"Devil fruit ability is not everything." Dylan held Smoker against the wall, his powerful Armament Haki completely overwhelms Smoker's elementalization.

"You bastard..." Smoker drew his sea stone tonfa from his wrist. Kuzan had told him that this guy was also a Logia user. Although Haki can grab himself, as long as the sea stone touches him, he can instantly force him to surrender.

Smoker screamed and slammed down on Dylan, and Aokiji next to him narrowed his eyes slightly.

Sea stone? Is that enough?

Dylan pressed Smoker with his left hand, tightened his right hand, and the jet-black armed color instantly covered it.

"Sea stone... is not a panacea either!"

The black right hand went up to the tonfa inlaid with sea stone without fear.

"Wh... what!" Seeing that the top of the tonfa was grabbed by Dylan, Smoker's anger disappeared, leaving only a face full of shock.

He has tried touching himself with sea stones, which can basically make him lose his strength in an instant, and his ability will also be restrained. But he has never thought that there would be any devil user that could resist its power like Dylan did right now.

Click! There was a crackling sound from the top of the tonfa. Smoker's astonishment turned into horror, and Aokiji's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hey, is this real?"

Snapped!

Dylan turned the palm of tonfa, and the part inlaid with sea stone was abruptly broken off by him. Then Smoker and Aokiji saw Dylan's palm clenched, and small pieces of metal powder fell from his palm.

"Sea stone, it's really hard." Dylan put down Smoker, who was completely sluggish, studied the small sea stone in his hand, and then threw it at Smoker, "I will give it back to you, go and rebuild a weapon."

"A rookie? What an amazing skill."

"Pfft ha ha ha, if he hadn't been recruited by Kuzan back then, he would have been kept in East Blue. It would have saved me a lot of worry."

At the end of the corridor, Sengoku, Garp, Akainu, and Kizaru walked toward the three of them side by side.

"Very powerful, have you considered my subordinates? I have learned about your past. Your style is very similar to mine. You shouldn't be under the subordinates of a lazy guy like Kuzan."

Akainu looked at Dylan. Dylan's attitude towards pirates makes him appreciate it very much, and this guy Kuzan...huh!

"Ah, Sakazuki, are you just robbing people openly like this?"

"Pfft hahaha," Garp laughed while stuffing a donut into his mouth, "Forget it Sakazuki, this kid is different from you."

Sengoku shot Garp a puzzled look.

This guy has basically stayed away from the headquarters for the past few years and rarely asks about the affairs of the headquarters. Why did he directly dismiss the opinion of Sakazuki who is Admiral this time?

"Huh!" Hearing Garp's words, Akainu didn't bother, and after a cold snort, he passed through the crowd and left first.

"Oh~ It's so powerful and scary~ The young people of today~"

Kizaru looked at Dylan with his mouth crooked, but he didn't say much, greeted Kuzan and left.

As for Smoker?

Akainu and Kizaru ignored him. It's not that they don't know each other, but Smoker doesn't have a good reputation in the Marines, and his military rank and strength are not enough for the two Admirals to pay attention to.

This severely wounded Smoker's ego.

"Am I really that weak..."

A light flashed under Sengoku's eyes. Although Smoker's strength is not good, as a Logia fruit user, he still has potential.

He can't let him give up easily.

"Smoker! You are also a student of Zephyr. You should know that there are many ways to fight. In this sea, almost no one can simultaneously develop physical skills, sword skills, Haki and fruits to Ultimate."

"So, you have to choose what you are best at..."

"Pfft hahaha...there are still some, Newgate and Linlin, aren't they just like that?"

Garp laughed and interrupted Sengoku, and then turned to look at Smoker, "But what Sengoku said is also true. If you want to become strong, you need to recognize yourself first and find your own path. After all, all abilities are outstanding. And don't worry about those names I threw before. Monsters like Linlin or Kaido have been rare in the sea since Roger's era, after all."

Garp glanced at Dylan's Shura on his waist, and thought silently, 'But maybe, there will be another one now.'

After hearing what Garp and Sengoku said, Smoker fell silent. Although the Logia fruit is powerful, his development level is really poor. In terms of physical skills, because of the fruit's ability, he has hardly practiced Marine Six Styles, and his sword skills are zero. As for Haki······

So far, he hasn't even mastered the armament and still relies on the sea stone inlaid on the top of the tonfa to fight against the ability users.

"I see, Garp-san, Fleet Admiral. I'll think hard about my path."

Facing Garp and Sengoku, even someone as arrogant as Smoker, humbly bowed his head and accepted their opinions.

Sengoku turned to stare at Dylan, "What about you?"

"Me?"

Dylan didn't understand what Sengoku meant.

"To be honest, after you accepted Aokiji's call to the headquarters and obtained the Thunder Fruit, the headquarters conducted two rounds of investigations on you."

"It is confirmed that you were born in a merchant family in West Blue. Later, your family's merchant ship was attacked by pirates, and you were exiled to East Blue. You have done a good job in East Blue these years, and you have maintained Garp's style. Let East Blue still continues the title of 'the weakest sea'."

Dylan smiled, but didn't answer.

East Blue is not as weak as he imagined. During his more than ten years of cleansing, he still met many guys with potential.

And he can't guarantee that he can completely clean up East Blue. After all, the sea area is so big that it only depends on the branch's warships. It's hard to do everything. Things like Don Krieg are about to become kings.

"Your strength is strong enough. Although you are currently affiliated with Kuzan, you can choose to become the Rear Admiral directly under the headquarters, or we send you to be the head of the branch base."

"The base of the Grand Line is not from all over the world."

"Ah! Sengoku-san, this is not fair to me."

"Kuzan, you guy, I know you have doubts in your heart. You still have doubts about Marine and the government's actions, but I do need to make some sacrifices sometimes for the peace of most people."

Aokiji scratched his head and looked at Garp who just shrugged nonchalantly. Dylan pondered for a while before he also shrugged.

"That's it. I'm willing to accept the post of rear admiral, but I need to choose the position myself, and I'm still under Kuzan's command. I will take on the mission in his place, but..." Dylan continued looking at Sengoku, whose expression was getting serious Say, "I need you to agree with Aokiji's commitment to me that I still need enough authority."

"What do you mean by authority?" Sengoku frowned slightly.

He has also heard about this young man's style, and his attitude towards pirates is almost the same as that of Sakazuki. If this guy is placed in New World...

No, even in the first half of the Grand Line, this guy will definitely cause an uproar among the pirates, and even cause a war.

"You are overthinking, Sengoku-san." Dylan chuckled. "But you don't have to worry too much. I'm not crazy. Even if I want to go to war, I will wait for the right timing."

"The right timing, huh..." Sengoku looked at Dylan with a meaningful smile, "So, where is the place you chose?"

"G5!"