An eighteen year old Admiral candidate had appeared within the Navy.
In just a few days, thanks to the frantic efforts of countless News Coo, the information spread across nearly the entire sea. Every major force received the report almost simultaneously.
For pirates, this was undeniably bad news.
On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard was holding a lively banquet with his sons when a crew member brought over the latest newspaper. Whitebeard merely glanced at the headline before crushing the sake barrel in his hand.
"That Navy brat again, Lloyd," Whitebeard snorted. "Fighting Zephyr to a standstill? Don't make me laugh."
The moment Lloyd's name was spoken, the atmosphere at the banquet stiffened. Kozuki Oden, seated beside Whitebeard, stared at the photograph printed in the paper, his expression dark and intense.
He clenched his fists and spoke with restrained fury.
"Whitebeard, our Whitebeard Pirates must take revenge."
Whitebeard looked at him calmly.
"Oden, revenge will come in time. But your priority right now should be Toki. She is about to give birth."
At the mention of Toki, the fire in Oden's eyes eased slightly. He took a deep breath, nodded, and said nothing more.
Whitebeard spread the newspaper across the table and spoke in a low voice.
"The Navy is hyping up these so called Supernovas because they want to suppress pirates through public opinion. Hmph. They are not the only ones with monster rookies."
Oden paused, then asked,
"You mean…"
"Pirates can produce Supernovas too," Whitebeard said calmly. "Our crew alone will take two slots. You and Marco."
At thirty one years old, Oden was at the perfect age for such a title, no different from the age many future Supernovas would rise to prominence.
With the influence of the Whitebeard Pirates, once the rumor of pirate Supernovas was released, the newspaper agencies reacted like sharks smelling blood. They rushed to gather information, printing headlines nonstop.
Only two candidates were not enough, of course. Without hesitation, the newspaper agencies internally selected five pirates who had caused major disturbances over the past two years and grouped them together as the new pirate Supernovas.
Kaido, who had recently formed the Beasts Pirates and was rampaging across the seas, was listed prominently. His crew already had a fearsome reputation, and aside from Kaido himself, his right hand man, King, was also well known.
However, when Kaido saw the article, he flew into a rage.
He nearly smashed the newspaper to pieces and roared,
"I'm sick of being called a rookie! I don't care about some stupid Supernova title!"
King glanced at him and asked in confusion,
"Boss, you don't seem happy at all."
Kaido tilted his head back and gulped down several mouthfuls of strong liquor before snorting angrily.
"Hmph. Rookie this, rookie that. It's disgusting."
Just as he was about to tear the paper apart, his eyes landed on another article. Charlotte Katakuri, the second son of Big Mom, had also been selected as a Supernova.
Kaido paused, then burst out laughing.
"That old hag Linlin has so many kids, and only one of them made it. How embarrassing."
The remaining two names were Gekko Moria and Crocodile. Kaido barely spared them a glance, but when he saw Moria's photo, he sneered.
"This guy looks annoying. I want to smash him with a club."
...
Marine Headquarters.
After that night, Lloyd's graduating class temporarily remained in the academy dormitories while waiting for official assignments.
When they had free time, the graduates would head to the training grounds to observe the new recruits, occasionally offering pointers and enjoying their status as seniors.
Lucia was still constantly by Lloyd's side. She often slipped out at night to find him, returning only late into the night.
One evening, as Lucia returned, she encountered Ginny, who had gotten up to drink water. Lucia's usually composed expression showed rare panic, mixed with a subtle, indescribable feeling of excitement and shame.
Ginny tilted her head, eyeing Lucia's slightly disheveled clothes.
"Lucia, did you go out tonight? Couldn't sleep?"
Lucia pressed her lips together and replied softly,
"Yes."
Ginny chuckled, patting her on the shoulder.
"Insomnia isn't good for a girl's skin. Go back to sleep. Lloyd's warship should be approved in the next couple of days. We'll be on the same ship as him."
Lucia nodded absentmindedly. Compared to a warship, she felt that even a single bed was already more than enough.
Hearing the movement, Gion sat up. She wore pink silk pajamas and leaned against her bed, watching the two with a faint, knowing smile.
Ginny immediately apologized.
"Sorry, Gion. Did we wake you?"
After two years together, any awkwardness between them had long disappeared. Ginny was not the type to hold grudges.
Gion shook her head gently.
"It's fine. I've been sleeping lightly lately anyway."
Lucia frowned slightly. She had indeed been too relaxed. Gion's words clearly carried deeper meaning, as if she knew about the late night outings.
Still, one thing was certain. Gion could not have seen what she did with Lloyd. There was no way she could evade Lloyd's Observation Haki.
Reassured, Lucia said nothing more. She returned to her bed, wished them goodnight, and closed her eyes.
Gion merely shrugged. Ginny looked between them, then glanced at Jessica, who was still sleeping soundly.
"Everyone's acting strange," she muttered.
The next day, Marine Headquarters approved warships for all graduates who had reached the rank of Commodore or above.
Lucia qualified for her own ship, but she chose instead to serve as Lloyd's adjutant and board the same vessel as him.
Ginny and Jessica also joined Lloyd's ship.
Lloyd, Sakazuki, and Borsalino were each assigned to G1, G2, and G3 Branches respectively, serving as base commanders.
These branches were all located in the Grand Line and were far more dangerous than any base in the Four Seas. Each was positioned in a region plagued by powerful pirate activity.
Among them, G1 was the most critical. Positioned symmetrically to Marine Headquarters across the Red Line, it served as the strongest defensive line behind the Headquarters and could provide immediate support during wartime.
Entrusting G1 to Lloyd was a clear declaration of the Navy's confidence in his strength.
At the port of Marineford, Lloyd stood at the bow of the warship, his posture straight and composed. Lucia and Ginny stood on either side of him.
As the whistle sounded, the warship slowly departed from the harbor.
On the shore, Zephyr took a swig from a bottle of pear wine and hummed softly.
"The world is always watching…"
(End of Volume One)
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