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1529, Age of the Sea Calendar
Grand Line — Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office had never been a peaceful place.
Not in war.
Not in crisis.
Not even in ordinary times.
But today—
Today it was especially loud.
"SIT DOWN, GARP!"
Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp did not sit down.
Instead, he leaned casually against the wall, arms folded, picking at his teeth with a pinky as if the furious Fleet Admiral in front of him were background noise.
Tsuru sat nearby, quietly sipping tea, watching the scene unfold with the calm patience of someone who had witnessed this exact argument a hundred times before.
"Why are you yelling?" Garp said, tone utterly unbothered. "I can hear you just fine."
Sengoku's eye twitched.
"Don't play dumb with me!" he snapped. "You ignored direct command protocol, interfered with an active Admiral operation, and returned with the target alive!"
Garp shrugged.
"Yeah."
Sengoku's jaw clenched.
Tsuru hid a small smile behind her teacup.
"Do you have any idea," Sengoku continued, voice rising, "what kind of mess you've created for me politically?"
Garp scratched his cheek.
"Is it worse than usual?"
Sengoku slammed both hands onto his desk.
"YES!"
The Den Den Mushi on the desk jumped in alarm.
Tsuru set her cup down gently.
"Sengoku," she said mildly, "your blood pressure."
"Don't 'blood pressure' me, Tsuru!" Sengoku snapped, then turned back to Garp. "You deliberately undermined the chain of command!"
Garp finally pushed off the wall and walked over, pulling out a chair and dropping into it with a heavy thud.
"Relax," he said. "It worked out, didn't it?"
Sengoku stared at him as if considering actual violence.
Tsuru, on the other hand, looked amused.
"Besides," Garp added, folding his arms behind his head, "you got the order from the Holy Land to cancel the execution anyway."
That stopped Sengoku mid-rant.
His expression soured.
"…Don't remind me."
Tsuru's eyes sharpened slightly.
"That was strange," she said. "Even for them."
Sengoku exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple.
"Strange doesn't begin to cover it."
For a moment, the room fell quiet.
Then Garp spoke again, tone suddenly more thoughtful.
"So," he said. "What's the plan for the new trainees?"
Sengoku looked up.
"What about them?"
Garp grinned.
"I want first pick."
Sengoku's eyes narrowed immediately.
"Absolutely not."
Tsuru chuckled softly.
Garp leaned forward, planting his elbows on the desk.
"Come on," he said. "You know I don't bother with this stuff unless I see real potential."
"That's exactly why I'm saying no," Sengoku shot back. "You already took Rear Admiral Drake under your wing. Now you want more?"
Garp shrugged.
"Kid's doing fine, isn't he?"
"That's not the point!"
Sengoku pointed at him accusingly.
"And I'm still not convinced about this so-called 'SWORD' initiative of yours."
Tsuru watched silently, expression unreadable.
Garp's grin didn't fade.
"Suit yourself," he said. "But those kids are the future."
Sengoku leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
"The Marines have a future without your secret pet project."
Garp tilted his head.
"You sure about that?"
The question hung in the air.
Tsuru glanced between them, eyes thoughtful.
Sengoku sighed heavily.
"…I'll consider it," he muttered.
Garp laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha! That means yes!"
"It means I said I'll consider it!"
Too late.
Garp was already standing up.
"Good talk," he said cheerfully.
Sengoku glared.
"You're impossible."
Tsuru allowed herself a faint smile.
"Always has been."
---
Marineford — Trainee Barracks
The barracks assigned to elite trainees were far from luxurious, but they were clean, orderly, and spacious enough to reflect Marineford's high standards.
Tenjin walked down the corridor behind the Marine guide, carrying his bag over one shoulder.
Koby and Helmeppo had already peeled off earlier toward their assigned rooms, leaving Tenjin alone.
The Marine stopped at a door near the end of the hall.
"This is yours," he said. "Shared room."
Tenjin nodded.
"Thanks."
The Marine saluted and left.
Tenjin stood there for a moment, staring at the door.
'Shared room, huh.'
He pushed it open.
And stopped.
Inside the room—
Standing near one of the beds—
Was a woman.
Completely naked.
Steam still clung faintly to her skin, suggesting she had just stepped out of a bath. Long orange hair cascaded down her back, droplets of water trailing along her shoulders.
She turned her head toward the door.
Their eyes met.
Then there was a silence.
A long silence.
Tenjin blinked once.
"…Are you my roommate?" he asked calmly.
The woman stared at him for a second.
Then smiled.
Clearly amused.
"Well," she said lightly, tilting her head, "you must be Tenjin."
Her voice carried a playful confidence, as if the situation were the most normal thing in the world.
Tenjin stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind him.
"So that's a yes?"
"Yes," she said cheerfully. "Kujaku. Commander General."
She said it like an introduction at a party, not while standing completely unclothed in a shared dorm room.
Tenjin nodded once.
"Got it."
He walked past her, set his uniform and bag down neatly beside the empty bed, then sat.
Kujaku watched him with growing interest.
"You're not surprised?" she asked.
Tenjin lay back on the mattress, hands behind his head.
"Why would I be surprised. It's not my first time seeing a naked women."
She laughed softly.
"Oh? Now I'm curious."
Tenjin closed his eyes.
"You should probably get dressed," he said. "People might talk."
Kujaku crossed her arms, still smiling.
"My, my… not even a peek?"
Tenjin cracked one eye open.
"…I already saw."
Her grin widened.
"Honest, too."
Tenjin closed his eye again.
"I'm tired."
Silence settled over the room.
Then came the soft sound of fabric being gathered.
Kujaku's voice floated through the air, still playful.
"You're interesting, Tenjin."
No response.
Tenjin's breathing had already slowed.
She glanced at him.
"…Did he fall asleep?"
A beat.
Then she laughed quietly to herself.
"This class is going to be fun."
Outside the window, Marineford carried on as always, soldiers training, officers strategizing, ships arriving and departing.
Unaware that within its walls, the next generation of monsters was quietly assembling.
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