At Marineford Headquarters Fortress, inside the top floor Fleet Admiral office, the thick solid wood door was tightly shut, isolating all noise from the outside world.
The interior was sparsely decorated and solemn. A massive World Government flag and a Marine Justice emblem hung on the wall, creating a quiet, oppressive atmosphere. A high level core meeting was currently underway.
At the head of the long main conference table sat the current Marine Fleet Admiral, Kong. Sitting with upright posture and a resolute, steady expression, his brow was etched with the sharpness and weather worn experience of decades waging war across the seas, all wrapped in a crisp, solemn Fleet Admiral uniform. At this moment, his fingertips tapped lightly on the tabletop as his calm gaze swept over everyone.
Seated on both sides of the main table were the Marines' current top combat power and core high ranking officials.
At the head of the left side sat Sengoku, currently in his prime and holding the position of Marine Admiral. His hair was neatly combed, and he wore the iconic Marine Admiral uniform, looking rigorous and solemn.
Beside him sat Zephyr, dressed in a simple purple Marine officer uniform without excessive ornamentation. Burly and tough looking, he lacked Sengoku's meticulousness as well as a typical soldier's harsh rigidity. Right now, he sat in a relaxed posture, quietly listening to the meeting.
On the right side, Vice Admiral Tsuru sat calmly. At this time, Tsuru was far from the white haired, aged woman of her later years in the original story. In her middle age, her black hair was neatly styled, her face elegant and capable, and her officer uniform accentuated her tall, upright posture.
All the high ranking officials were present, with the sole exception of the legendary Vice Admiral, Monkey D. Garp. Without even thinking, it was obvious he had snuck out again to slack off and wander around, frivolously squandering his free time.
Just as the meeting was progressing smoothly, a steady announcement came from outside the office door.
"Report, Fleet Admiral! The North Blue escort mission is complete. Rookie Borsalino has arrived at Headquarters and is waiting outside!"
Kong looked up slightly and spoke calmly, "Bring her in."
"Yes, sir!"
The door was pushed open gently. Dragon stepped in first, then stepped aside and gestured with his hand. Borsalino followed close behind, slowly stepping into the conference room that symbolized the highest authority of the Marines.
She possessed a tall, elegant posture paired with a neat, sharp Marine rookie uniform. The eyes of all the high ranking officials in the room instantly landed on her.
A moment of surprise quietly flashed through everyone's minds. Was this the top rookie who swept through the North Blue, struck fear into countless pirates, and earned the title Fiend of the North Blue?
The sharp contrast caught people off guard, but everyone present was a top powerhouse who had roamed the seas for decades and weathered countless storms. No one lost their composure; they simply evaluated the newcomer's presence quickly.
After a brief silence, Tsuru was the first to speak.
"As expected of a child who managed to carve out such a grand reputation for herself in the North Blue." She looked Borsalino over with a soft gaze and said slowly, "Your Glint Glint Fruit possesses incredible speed and power, making it extremely suitable for real time intelligence dispatching and tactical command on the front lines. My Staff Headquarters is currently lacking a genius like you. If you join my command, you won't need to charge the front lines and fight; you will only need to coordinate the overall battle situation."
Tsuru's recruitment offer was indeed tempting for someone who wanted to lie low and slack off. The Staff Headquarters was stationed in the rear, making it a safe haven that countless Marine rookies dreamed of.
However, Kong, sitting at the head of the table, lightly frowned with a look of hesitation. He evaluated Borsalino with a sharp gaze, weighing his own considerations.
Logia Devil Fruits were inherently synonymous with the sea's top combat strength, to say nothing of the Glint Glint Fruit, which combined ultimate speed with top tier explosive power. His time in office was drawing to a close, as he would step back to the second line and lay down the burden of Fleet Admiral in a few years. His most urgent task now was to cultivate the next generation of core combat power for the Marines to sustain the future of the force.
Such extraordinary combat talent would be a complete waste if placed in the rear Staff Headquarters.
Having made up his mind, Kong looked toward Borsalino. "Borsalino, what is your own preference?"
Instantly, all eyes focused on the young woman, quietly awaiting her response.
Borsalino maintained a composed expression and spoke unhurriedly:
"Reporting to Fleet Admiral. My parents died in a pirate raid during my early years. I wandered the North Blue alone, hunting pirates as a bounty hunter solely to purge wicked criminals from the seas.
"I am well aware of my own lack of strength; facing true top tier pirates, I would only be waiting for death. I joined the Marines to improve myself and hone my combat power. I want to systematically learn Haki, break through my limits in actual battles, become a proud, powerful Marine, and protect the peace of this ocean."
Her words sounded utterly sincere and earnest, filled to the brim with duty, righteous passion, and commitment to her original intent.
Of course, official boilerplate speeches had to be recited in front of superiors. Naturally, except for the very last sentence, everything was true, for Kizaru's parents had indeed died in a pirate raid.
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room nodded slightly with approving expressions.
Only Dragon, standing on standby to the side, suddenly shrank his pupils, his eyes widening dramatically.
In his heart, his inner thoughts spammed crazily: Bro, wait a minute... The person who reshaped my worldview just the night before last was you, right?! How did you transform in just two short days into a hot blooded youth dedicated to protecting the sea and determined to eradicate pirates?
However, after his initial bewilderment, Dragon quickly recovered his composure and checked his expression. As expected, this comrade of mine thinks deeply and has long term plans.
In the center of the room, a strong look of appreciation lit up Kong's eyes, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. Having both talent and a pure heart was truly rare!
He looked toward Tsuru with a hint of apology and shook his head slightly, indicating that her recruitment would have to be set aside.
Seeing this, Tsuru chuckled helplessly and spread her hands gently, without a trace of displeasure in her eyes. "It matters not. Since Borsalino's heart lies on the battlefield, I won't force her to stay. The doors of Staff Headquarters will always be open for you."
Immediately after, Kong turned his gaze to Zephyr, who had been sitting quietly with a smile, and said solemnly, "Zephyr, Borsalino's Haki training will be entrusted to you."
Upon hearing this, Zephyr threw his head back and laughed aloud. His tone was confident and firm, "Hahaha! Don't worry! Leaving the Haki training to me is absolutely no problem!"
As a top Marine instructor, Zephyr's Armament Haki had been honed over decades to a level worthy of being called world class, and almost every renowned Marine general of the future would emerge under his tutelage. At this point, Zephyr had not yet experienced that future tragedy, so his personality was still relatively cheerful.
"Dragon," Zephyr turned to the young officer and issued instructions in a calm tone.
Dragon immediately bowed and responded.
"Properly settle Borsalino into her quarters today. Tomorrow morning, just have her report directly to my ship."
Standing to the side, Borsalino felt a flash of joy quietly surface in her heart, hard to conceal.
Personal instruction from Zephyr! This was an Admiral level personal mentor, the absolute top Haki teacher in the entire ocean! Compared to fumbling around on her own, having a famous master to guide her meant her training path would surely avoid countless detours!
Afterward, led by Dragon, Borsalino bowed and took her leave, turning around to walk out of the Fleet Admiral's office and gently shutting the door behind her.
Once the two had departed, the atmosphere inside the office instantly returned to seriousness as the meeting resumed.
Kong restrained his expression, returning to his steady majesty as Fleet Admiral, and spoke in a deep voice to open the next core topic:
"Next, we will discuss the major agenda items for this year. First, the Marine Elite Recruit Training Camp will fully expand its recruitment to gather geniuses from all four seas and stockpile future combat power. Second, regarding the territorial activities of the two top tier pirates in the New World, Edward Newgate and Gol D. Roger, we will deliberate on control and response countermeasures."
Everyone in the room instantly sat up straight.
On the main thoroughfare of Marineford Headquarters, sunlight poured down through shady green trees, and the Marines passing back and forth all marched with orderly, disciplined steps.
Dragon led Borsalino along at a slow pace, soon arriving at the rookies' exclusive residential area, where he properly arranged her private dorm.
"If you have any questions about your training or daily life later, feel free to contact me anytime."
Dragon produced his personal Den Den Mushi, swapped communication frequencies with Borsalino, and saved her contact information. Having handled all matters, he still had Headquarters duties to attend to, so he did not linger, taking a quick leave before turning to depart.
After lingering briefly in the spacious dorm, Borsalino completely relaxed. Marineford was truly a hassle, exhausting her to no small degree. Since she only needed to report to the training camp tomorrow anyway, today was a good opportunity to stroll around this legendary base.
Having made up her mind, she locked her door and slowly ambled out of the residential area, initiating her personal street loafer mode.
Her two and a half meter tall physique paired with her stunning looks made head turning rates skyrocket as she walked down the Headquarters streets, even in a simple Marine rookie uniform. The Marines passing along the way couldn't help but glance back, secretly guessing her identity.
Faced with countless evaluating gazes, Borsalino didn't care in the slightest, maintaining a lazy expression and a casual stride as she took in the prosperity and solemnity of this pinnacle Marine fortress.
Just as she was wandering aimlessly, an unexpected figure suddenly burst into her field of view.
On a bench outside a convenience store sat a burly, powerfully built man. At this time, Garp was not yet white haired as in his later years; his black hair was merely interspersed with a few silver strands, left unstyled. In a sharp black suit, he shed the fierce sharpness of battle, carrying a bit more casual easygoingness.
Lacking even a shred of the majestic dignity expected of a legendary Marine Vice Admiral, he slumped lazily on the bench, holding a large bag of crispy senbei in his hands and munching away with relish. Crumbs occasionally stuck to the corners of his mouth, which he did not care about at all, squinting in enjoyment of the sea breeze while chewing the tasty treat. His face was full of easygoing contentment, looking every bit like someone completely slacking off.
Borsalino paused in her tracks, an amused smile instantly surfacing on her face. She had not expected that simply wandering around Headquarters on her first day would lead her right to the legendary Hero of the Marines.