"No way!" Hancock stood with her hands on her hips, confidently retorting, "I'm this cute, of course I'll grow up to be a beauty. He'll definitely fall head over heels for me!"
"Uh…" Sandersonia and Marigold twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Was their sister maybe a little too confident?
---
At Day Three, Junichi bid farewell to Rayleigh and Shakky and set sail for Marineford.
Because of his destination, he couldn't enter directly and had to register first on a nearby island. During this process, Reizo's letter of recommendation saved him from many tedious formalities.
In less than half a day, he was invited aboard a battleship heading straight to Marineford.
At the same time, Sengoku also received the report: Uchiha Junichi, holding Reizo's recommendation, had boarded a battleship bound for Marineford.
"Hmm…"
He pondered for a moment, picked up his Den Den Mushi, and made a few calls.
Before long, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in," he said calmly from his chair.
"Excuse us." The door opened, and in came a group of Commodores and Rear Admirals.
Each one of them was very young, the oldest no more than 25 years old. They were all graduates of the Marine's elite training camp, earning the rank of Commodore right out of the gate.
Of course, those with excellent scores stayed at headquarters, and those with average scores were assigned to branches along the Grand Line.
Regardless, these individuals were expected to become Rear Admirals before the age of 30, then gain more experience at a branch, and rise to Vice Admirals before turning 40.
As for the title of Admiral, since there were only three positions available, most people's highest attainable rank was Vice Admiral.
Even the legendary naval hero, Garp, still held only the rank of Vice Admiral. But this was not due to a lack of strength.
"Fleet Admiral, what did you call us for?" one Rear Admiral asked.
"It's like this—" Sengoku cleared his throat and said slowly, "An exceptionally talented individual will soon be arriving aboard a Marine ship to join our ranks. To show our recognition of him, I want you, the rising stars of the Marines, to welcome him as representatives."
As soon as these words were spoken, the young officers all showed expressions of surprise.
To think that they were being asked to greet someone? This person must really be valued by the Fleet Admiral.
"Take a look at his profile." Sengoku handed over a stack of printed documents.
The young officers shared the pages and began reading. Among them, a girl with black hair, wearing short shorts and a long sword with a white hilt strapped to her waist, stared intently at the paper.
Almost as if in shock, she wore an expression of disbelief.
"A fifteen-year-old Swordsman?" she exclaimed in awe.
The others were equally astonished. Exclamations broke out among them.
"He's tamed a cursed blade?"
"He's already mastered both types of Haki?"
"Is that for real?"
"This is insane!"
Everyone looked up at Sengoku, hoping for an explanation.
"The report is a bit over the top, I was shocked the first time I saw it too," he said softly. "But there are plenty of indirect pieces of evidence supporting the accuracy of this intel."
"Flip to the latter half. It notes that he has close ties with Rayleigh and is even suspected of having been trained by Dracule Mihawk. On top of that, he single-handedly and without injury defeated a pirate crew with a combined bounty of 500 million."
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately flipped to the latter part of the file. After reading it, their expressions grew even more astonished.
The first mate of the Pirate King, Rayleigh?
The world's strongest swordsman, Hawk Eyes?
And this 15-year-old boy had actually gained the recognition of both of them?
That intelligence just might be real. They all trusted the judgment of such legendary figures.
"Gion, I'd like you to be the lead representative to welcome him," Sengoku's gaze settled on the black-haired girl from earlier.
The others turned their eyes to her as well.
Gion's expression remained calm, her lips curled into a faint smile. Her features were gentle and beautiful, exuding the aura of a warm, mature older sister. She was known as the most stunning woman in Marines HQ.
As a representative, she was the perfect choice.
"I have no problem with that," she replied with a smile. After reading the file, she had developed a strong interest in Junichi.
She was already planning to meet him.
"Then Gion will take the lead. The rest of you will form the ceremonial guard. Make sure he feels the full warmth and welcome of the Marines!" Sengoku finalized the decision.
"Yes!" Everyone nodded.
Since Roger began the Great Pirate Era, the Marines had been overwhelmed, suffering heavy losses. Nobody would object to a powerful new ally joining their ranks.
"That's all, meeting adjourned!" he declared.
Everyone bowed, returned the documents, and left the office.
---
At noon, at the Marine HQ cafeteria, Gion absentmindedly ate her lunch. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Junichi.
She was currently 22 and had only just mastered Cutting Steel, earning the title of Swordswoman.
The path to becoming a Great Swordswoman still lay far ahead.
I really want to know how he trained… she thought curiously.
Around her, many male Marines were sneakily stealing glances at her. As the most beautiful woman of the current Marine generation, Gion drew attention wherever she went.
Out of ten male marines, nine saw her as a goddess.
The tenth was gay.
"I wonder what she's thinking about… she looks so deep in thought," muttered one sleazy-looking man with a middle-aged vibe, also watching her.
"Don't bother, Tokikake. With your face, there's no way she would be interested," sighed his companion beside him.
"Shut up!" Tokikake retorted angrily. "I'm one of the best young officers at HQ, okay? I've got a lot going for me!"
"But your face…" his companion glanced at him, then sighed again. "You weren't even picked for the ceremonial guard."
"Ceremonial guard?" Tokikake ignored the insult to his appearance, he'd long accepted his ugly mug.
"Oh, it's for some prodigy joining the Marines. The Fleet Admiral wants us to form an ceremonial guard to welcome him with full ceremony."
His companion thought for a second, then added, "Gion was personally chosen by the Fleet Admiral to be the official representative, because of her looks, obviously."
"WHAT!?" Tokikake shouted in shock, then erupted in fury.
That was his dream woman! And she was going to personally welcome another man!? His heart was breaking!
"Whoa, calm down. It's just a formal reception," his companion looked at him like he'd lost it. "You look like your dreams just got crushed."
"Besides, she's not into you. Just give up. With your face, you might have better luck on Momoiro Island with those okama. Even I wouldn't date you, and I'm not exactly picky. At least someone there might find you charming. And you're not even friends with her."
BAM!
Tokikake slammed his palm on the table, cutting off his companion, and growled, "Don't say another word. I'm not turning gay just because you say I'm ugly! Women have standards beyond looks, my dedication and rank will be enough! Gion will notice me someday! I can't just stand by while some newcomer gets special treatment!"
"The Fleet Admiral picked her? Fine. I'm going straight to him!"
And with that, he stormed out of the cafeteria without even finishing his meal, heading toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
His companion just stared after him, wearing an expression that screamed: what delusion did you just create in your head?
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