"The Navy King?"
"He's close to living up to his reputation."
"All we lack now is prestige and military merit."
When Sengoku heard what Garp said, he first chuckled and expressed his agreement. He truly dreamed of seeing the Marine Headquarters welcome a king like Rosen.
And now, he had finally waited for it.
As for military merit and prestige, for the ordinary navy, it is almost impossible to accumulate enough military merit to be promoted to Admiral and have the prestige to intimidate the sea.
But for Rosen, who already possessed the strength of a top Admiral before even graduating from the Naval Academy—and whose Three Forms of Haki, physical skills, and Devil Fruit abilities were improving every day—the so-called Admiral's merits and prestige were just things that could be easily obtained.
However, Sengoku immediately thought of something that had been giving him a headache recently.
That was Donquixote Doflamingo's robbery of the Heavenly Tribute Gold.
He knew very well that if this matter was not handled properly, it would deal a heavy blow to the prestige of Marine Headquarters.
After all, today Donquixote Doflamingo could demand the title of Shichibukai by plundering the Heavenly Tribute Gold, and tomorrow, other pirates might follow suit—raiding the Tribute Gold and then negotiating terms with Marine Headquarters.
In addition to this, Kuzan's persistence and passion in pursuing "burning justice" would be further undermined.
In fact, with the strength of the navy and Sengoku's means, it would not be difficult to handle this matter comprehensively.
But the trouble was that the World Government had already released a signal—
That is, they agreed to Donquixote Doflamingo's request.
Nothing else—
It was all because of three words: Celestial Dragon.
The first reason was that Donquixote Doflamingo was once a Celestial Dragon, and the World Government worried that if they arrested him, it might cause dissatisfaction among the other Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land or tarnish the reputation of the World Nobles.
The second reason was the urgent need to recover the stolen Heavenly Tribute Gold and give an explanation to the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise.
This left Sengoku feeling restrained.
It was not right to catch him, but it was also not right not to catch him.
A dilemma.
Until he witnessed Rosen's Conqueror's Haki soaring straight into the sky from the Naval Academy—when he seemed to see a Navy King galloping across the sea, looking down on all—he could not help but think of a better solution.
"Perhaps it's time for the world to hear the sword of the navy."
"Just follow through."
"These damn Shichibukai are starting to overstep."
When Sengoku spoke of the Shichibukai, his voice was filled with disgust.
He was a naval Fleet Admiral who possessed the King's Haki and upheld supreme justice—facing pirates with the strength and dominance befitting a top Marine.
But now, for the sake of "world balance" and in consideration of the Five Elders' opinions and the weight of the World Government, the system of the Seven Warlords of the Sea had been established—at the cost of the justice and honor of Marine Headquarters. How could he possibly harbor good feelings toward them?
…
That night.
Crunch.
When Gion opened the dormitory gate, she suddenly saw a tall figure standing in the corridor of the academy dormitory—hands resting on the railing in a relaxed, comfortable posture—admiring the falling cherry blossoms, which danced like pink elves beneath the night sky.
"Tonight is perfect for cherry blossom viewing."
"I knew it."
"You would definitely be here."
Gion walked up to Rosen.
In a trance, she felt as though she had returned to the night several months ago, when she first met this man here.
It had only been a short time, yet although they were still students, Rosen already possessed the strength to stand at the very top of a million-strong navy.
"Actually, I don't know how to appreciate flowers, nor am I someone who cherishes them."
"It's just that every time I stand here, it reminds me of my earlier self."
"That embarrassed, yet incredibly real self."
Rosen looked at the cherry blossoms, dancing freely under the starry sky.
This was his third time standing here.
The same starry sky.
The same cherry blossoms.
But each time, his mood was different.
The first time—confusion and uneasiness when he had just crossed over into this world.
The second time—confidence born from extraordinary insight, with a vision of the future ahead.
The third time—comfort and dominance, standing at the top of the ocean.
Standing in this familiar dormitory corridor, gazing at the blossoms falling before him, Rosen felt an unexpected calm.
It allowed him to see his own changes—and to ensure he would not lose himself in the pursuit of power and justice.
"Who would have thought that a man standing at the pinnacle of the navy less than four months after entering the academy would have such embarrassing moments?"
Hearing this, Gion's pretty face showed a hint of curiosity.
It felt as if she was glimpsing the truest side of this man.
"Of course."
"Even dragons can get stuck in shallow water—let alone me."
"At that time, I felt a deep panic toward the sea."
As Rosen said this, he could not help but think back to when he had first arrived in this world—actually worrying whether he might one day be killed by Donquixote Doflamingo simply because he had eaten the Arms-Arms Fruit.
He knew all of that fear came from his own lack of strength.
It was not fear of Doflamingo—it was fear of weakness.
"I can't even imagine it!"
"A man who emptied the Infinite Hell, a monster who killed the Aloof Red, actually fearing this sea."
Gion listened with keen interest, and from time to time, her eyes flashed as she looked at Rosen.
Seeing that even while recounting his past embarrassments, she grew more and more intrigued by him, Rosen could only shake his head with a laugh.
Maybe that's what they mean when they say—when the weak show vulnerability, no one cares, but when the strong reveal a moment of weakness or gentleness, it is twice as captivating.
Just as the two stood there, watching the blossoms and speaking in fragments, they suddenly noticed a burly figure in a coat of justice appearing in the corridor below.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
Gion, too, saw the figure approaching, and her voice carried a touch of surprise.
She had never expected the Fleet Admiral to come to the Naval Academy dormitory at this hour.
"It's Gion!"
"So you're here as well."
"Would it be convenient for me to borrow your male companion for a moment?"
Sengoku noticed that Gion was also there, standing beside Rosen, and could not help but joke.
As a Fleet Admiral, eloquence was a basic skill.
He did not directly call Rosen her boyfriend—so as not to provoke resistance if it were not true, or create awkwardness between them—but instead used "male companion," even adding "your" in front of it.
There was a bit of probing, a hint of matchmaking, but mostly humor.
He knew that Tsuru treated Gion like her own sister—and if Rosen truly ended up with Gion, Sengoku would gladly see it happen.
A man with the bearing of a Fleet Admiral.
A woman with the qualities of a great Admiral.
It would be quite something if he could help pair them himself.
"What are you talking about, Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"
"I'm not so presumptuous as to claim the strongest student in history as mine."
Gion gave Sengoku a small glare, then stepped away at the right moment, heading toward her dormitory nearby.
"I won't bother you with your serious business any longer."
A dignified Fleet Admiral came to the dormitory at midnight to ask for someone—it was obvious he wished to discuss something important with Rosen.
Naturally, she could not continue to intrude.
Thinking about Rosen's impending graduation, Gion could not help but have her guesses.
Perhaps the next discussion would be about his future after leaving the academy.
...
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