"So that troublesome brat really did join the Navy after all!"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Doflamingo let out a laugh.
"Fufufufufu~ Well, well, what a surprise. Looks like the Marines will soon gain another formidable force."
"I didn't expect you to think so highly of him either," Captain Moore replied with a low voice. "No wonder Vice Admiral Tsuru specifically told me to make sure we keep that brat. She even said she'd use her personal recommendation slot to send him to the Marine Academy."
"Tsuru, huh... Fufufufufu~ That woman's as sharp-eyed as ever."
Doflamingo chuckled darkly.
"Enough. That brat's business has nothing to do with me anymore. He won't be staying at the 201st Branch for long anyway. It's your turn now," Captain Moore said coldly.
"Fufufufufu~ Cold as always, I see!" Doflamingo teased, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Five days from now, a merchant ship flying the Jimmy Trading Company's flag will be arriving. On the surface, it's transporting liquor, tea, and medicine, but in truth, it's smuggling a large shipment of weapons and illegal hallucinogens. The question is… do you have the guts to act?"
"The Jimmy Trading Company?! Isn't that one of the top-tier trading houses on the Grand Line? What are they doing in the North Blue?" Captain Moore asked in surprise.
"Why wouldn't the newly appointed president of the Jimmy Trading Company, Jimmy Myers, want to expand into new markets? Fufufufufu~ I'm just messing with you. That ship's only borrowing their banner."
"Ah… I see now."
Click.
Still somewhat skeptical, Captain Moore hung up the Den Den Mushi and placed it back into the drawer.
Who would've imagined that the dignified base commander of the Marine's 201st Branch would have ties, perhaps even dealings, with the infamous pirate Heavenly Yaksha, Donquixote Doflamingo?
"Five days… the Jimmy Trading Company…"
Captain Moore clenched his cigar between his teeth, gazing blankly at the sea through his office window, muttering under his breath.
After a few moments of silence, he shook off his daze. The confused look in his eyes softened, replaced by calm composure. He reached out and picked up the Den Den Mushi on his desk.
Pere pere pere… Click.
After a few rings, the line connected. Captain Moore smiled and spoke gently into the receiver:
"This is Arendt Moore, Captain of the Marine's 201st Branch in the North Blue. Please connect me to Vice Admiral Tsuru."
...
Grand Line, First Half, Marine Headquarters Fortress, Marineford.
"Mm, understood. I'll take care of the paperwork and personnel files."
"Much appreciated, Captain Moore."
Click.
In a spacious office, Tsuru set down the receiver of the Den Den Mushi with a warm smile after exchanging a few brief words.
"Tsuru-nee, what's got you in such a good mood?"
Gion sauntered in, her katana strapped lazily at her waist, swaying with each step. Seeing the rare smile on Tsuru's face, she couldn't help but feel curious.
"Gion, perfect timing. Help me grab the documents on the tea table. All the pages are part of the same file."
Tsuru remained seated, still smiling.
"Ordering me around the moment I arrive, huh… The tea table, right…"
Gion muttered as she turned to the side, walking over to gather the scattered papers. As she reached down, her eyes caught the name "Amphitrite Cross" on one of the pages, along with a photo. She froze for a moment in surprise.
"Eh? Why is there a file on that brat Cross? Don't tell me… he joined the Navy?" Gion asked, puzzled, as she handed the documents over.
"That's right. Cross has officially enlisted in the 201st Branch in the North Blue," Tsuru confirmed with a nod, rising to her feet with the file in hand.
"Ohh~ So you're planning to recommend him as one of this year's Marine Academy recruits." Gion caught on quickly.
"Do you need anything else?"
Tsuru gave Gion a flat look. "If not, get out. I'm heading to Sengoku."
"Tch~ Can't I just drop in to say hello?" Gion pouted in frustration.
"You little rascal, do what you want."
Tsuru rolled her eyes in exasperation, paid her no further mind, and walked out, leaving Gion to lounge in the now-empty office.
Soon after, Tsuru entered another spacious office, this one even more lavish than her own, with fine furnishings and an immaculate layout.
At the desk sat a man with a wild afro, thick-rimmed frog-shaped glasses, and a trimmed black beard. He was buried in a mountain of paperwork.
"G-5 Branch requests 500 million Berries for fortress construction. Approved."
"G-3 Branch wants two new second-class warships. Garp again… Denied."
"Surveillance base on Fren Island near Big Mom's territory has been completed. Assigning Vice Admiral Prody as base commander. Approved."
"…"
Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching and instinctively looked up, breaking into a grin.
"Tsuru, what brings you here?"
This man was none other than the Navy's highest military authority and the World Government's top strategic mind, Admiral Sengoku the Buddha!
"I've brought a personnel file," Tsuru said directly, placing the folder on his desk. "I want to recommend this individual for this year's Marine Academy intake."
"Oh? If you're putting your name behind someone, then you must've found a real gem."
Sengoku's grin widened as he eagerly set aside his pen and picked up the folder.
"He's the boy I mentioned to you before. He's already joined the Navy and is currently stationed at the 201st Branch in the North Blue," Tsuru replied with a smile.
"You mean that fifteen-year-old who fought toe-to-toe with Doflamingo? The one you had our Intelligence Division dig into?" Sengoku's eyes lit up.
"That's the one. You can read the details for yourself," Tsuru said calmly. "With his potential, I wouldn't be surprised if he rose to the rank of Admiral someday."
"Oh? Coming from you, that's high praise indeed."
Sengoku looked surprised as he opened the file, scanning through its contents.
Moments later, his expression shifted. He looked up in disbelief.
"Hey now… are you sure this intel isn't exaggerated?"
"Born with monstrous strength; snapped his wet nurse's fingers as an infant. Shattered a rock with his bare hands at age three. Hunted a tiger at five. Mastered an entire sword style within six months at eight. Defeated his own sensei by ten? These feats sound almost ridiculous!"
The file documented everything from Cross's prodigious birth, to the recent hostage crisis he resolved alongside a World Government agent.
It even included the time when, at age twelve, he single-handedly wiped out a slave trafficking ring, and was repeatedly targeted for assassination by its surviving members, over a dozen attempts on his life within just a few years.
Sengoku looked up again, his gaze meeting Tsuru's ever-calm, smiling expression. He went back to the dossier, rereading the key details.
Letting out a deep exhale, he finally broke into a joyful grin.
"Noble lineage from the Tobias Kingdom, clean background, and prodigious talent… No wonder you're going out of your way to recommend him. He's an exceptional recruit."
"Very well. I approve. Let him join this year's Marine Academy class!"
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanPiece [remove the parenthesis ( )]