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"Quasi-Admiral!
A powerhouse of that level could not be overlooked.
People at that level were all veterans of countless battles, having honed their bodies... or their Devil Fruit abilities, to the absolute limit. Within the Marines, someone of such strength could be considered an Admiral Reserve Candidate.
But what Sengoku could not believe was how long Kōjin had even been in the Marines.
Has it been one month? Two months?
And yet...
His mind was racing. He lowered his head to look at the documents on his desk, his brows slowly tightening.
"The Noble Blood Case."
"A Celestial Dragon."
After a moment of silence, Sengoku opened the Noble Blood Case file again and looked at the final column, the line written in blood-red text.
"Primary suspect: former Bocan Family garden warden, Dean Kōjin."
"Kōjin: male, 17 years old."
"Belonged to Bocan Yongle and was purchased ten years ago during the Sabaody Archipelago Auction for one million Belly."
Sengoku continued scanning downward.
"Place of birth: West Blue... uncertain."
"Hometown: Ohara... uncertain."
"Parents believed to have been killed by the Belly Pirates twelve years ago."
All details were logged here. After a month of targeted investigation by the Marine Intelligence Division, Kōjin's background had quickly become clear.
Perhaps even the boy himself did not know some of it.
After a long silence, Sengoku picked up a red pen and heavily crossed out the "suspect" row.
Then he wrote an approval comment: "A mere garden warden... how could he possibly slaughter the entire Bocan family? That's absurd! Continue investigating the case!"
He chuckled coldly.
"What does this garden warden, Kōjin, have to do with Marine Kōjin anyway?"
Muttering under his breath, he added, "Garp, you old bastard . . . I really helped you big time this round!"
He tossed the document aside and casually shredded the file about "insulting a Celestial Dragon," not caring at all.
Incidents involving offending the Celestial Dragons happened too many times to count... far too many for the Marines to deal with properly.
Moments later, another file was placed in front of him.
"Sabaody Archipelago stationed officer... Lieutenant Commander Karens. Criminal Investigation Report."
Sengoku opened the file, skimmed a few lines, and smiled faintly.
"I'll let Kōjin handle this one himself. It may produce unexpected results."
As an experienced Marine, especially one who often assisted Commander Kong, Sengoku, the "Resourceful General," was highly skilled in matters of personnel and politics.
Originally, this matter wasn't important to him. But now that this black-haired boy had shown such terrifying potential and strength, everything was different.
Saul's voice continued through the Den Den Mushi.
However, Sengoku had already narrowed his eyes, thinking about how to show this promising young Marine the warmth and justice of the Marines.
Discover talent.
Retain talent.
Help talent.
Then, let that talent strengthen the Marines.
This was the greatest difference between the Marines and the Pirates. They had a complete and mature talent development system.
Meanwhile, the battle between Kōjin and Rayleigh raged on.
It lasted a full seven days and seven nights. The fight ended only when the commotion at the center of the island finally ceased.
"Hey, kid, aren't you going to check on your Sensei?" Rayleigh said, panting heavily and covered in wounds. Weariness filled his eyes.
"Haha! If you want to check on your Captain, you should hurry too!" Kōjin laughed loudly.
"You brat!" Rayleigh smiled and shook his head as he sheathed his long blade.
Having watched the boy grow up and now truly exchanging blows with him, Rayleigh felt as if he had become the kid's teacher, and it felt like he had personally watched him grow up.
At the same time, he felt the mutual respect that only arises between strong men of a similar level.
He scanned his surroundings. Aside from a few people who were still standing, the rest were either injured, unconscious, or passed out from exhaustion. They were lying on the ground, snoring loudly.
Seven days and seven nights of intense combat... few could endure that.
"Let's go together. Those two guys should have reached their limits as well," Rayleigh called out.
Kōjin nodded. He lowered his head to look at his tattered clothes, then tore them off in one motion, revealing his bare torso.
In the sunlight, his bronze skin and sharply defined eight-pack abs created a shocking visual impact. After turning around, he followed Rayleigh deeper into the island.
His back muscles rose and fell like a mountain range... those "demon-back" muscles contained explosive power. The only flaw was that, since Kōjin had recently joined the Marines, his body was still slightly lean.
When they reached the interior of the island, they immediately saw Roger and Garp lying there, snoring loudly.
The crisscrossing blood marks on their bodies showed that their battle had been just as intense as the previous one.
"Well then, kid... until we meet again. I look forward to our next battle..." Rayleigh said with a smile on his face.
"Next time, you won't be my opponent anymore, Rayleigh!" Kōjin replied, grinning.
"Hahaha! You arrogant brat. You're still far from it!"
Rayleigh laughed and shook his head. He picked Roger up over his shoulder and turned away.
Likewise, Kōjin hoisted Garp onto his back.
The battles had finally come to an end.
The remaining crew members on both sides quietly carried their injured comrades back to their respective ships.
"Roger's body has a serious problem. This may be the last time Vice Admiral Garp engages in such an intense battle against him."
After the last wounded man was carried aboard, Bogard leaned against the railing and sighed.
"Mm."
Kōjin paused and glanced at Garp, whose loud snoring shook the air and whose chest was covered in bloodstains but who still had a smile on his face. Kōjin nodded silently.
"You should get some rest, too," Bogard said. "Fighting that Rayleigh guy must have been exhausting."
"It really was." Kōjin replied with a tired smile.
During the battle, he hadn't felt much due to excitement and adrenaline. Now, however, an overwhelming sense of exhaustion surged over him, making his eyelids tremble with heaviness.
The next second, his head tilted to the side and he fell asleep instantly.
Seeing this, Bogard chuckled. He returned to the cabin and came back with thick blankets, carefully covering everyone.
They slept for a full three days and three nights.
When the crew finally woke up, one by one, the battleship was already docked at the G-5 Fortress.
Amidst the noisy bustle, Kōjin slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Garp, wrapped in bandages and grinning excitedly as he chugged meat and liquor.
"Hahahaha! Brat, you're finally awake! After we resupply here, we're heading back to the Marine Headquarters! This time, you've made a huge contribution!"
"And those other brats... Kuzan and the others, you all did great!"
Garp laughed heartily and stuffed another piece of meat into his mouth affter speaking.
Kōjin blinked, then sat down among the others when Kuzan motioned for him and began eating ravenously.
"Also," Garp said, speaking around a mouthful of food,
"Sengoku just informed me that, given your performance during this operation, the Headquarters has decided to grant you the rank of Rear Admiral."
"As for your actual post, that will be determined after you graduate from the Marine Academy."
"Marine Academy?" Kōjin tilted his head, puzzled.
"Of course! Did you think that being a qualified Marine officer only required strength?"
"That's only part of it! You must study and master proper knowledge!"
Garp barked.
Kōjin was speechless.
"Also…" Garp paused, finally swallowed the food in his mouth, and spoke in a deeper tone. "Before we return to Headquarters, you need to go to the Sabaody Archipelago first."
Kōjin looked at his teacher in confusion.
"All evidence of Karens' crimes has been collected. Headquarters wants you to deal with him and the subordinates under him." Garp said.
Kōjin froze for a moment before his eyes sharpened instantly.
"Good."
(End of Chapter)