Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's office.
"Sakazuki—!!!"
"Utter madness!!!"
Sengoku, furious beyond reason, slammed the report hard against his desk.
Madness.
Absolute madness.
Sakazuki had personally gone all the way to East Blue just for Hawk...
And the result?
He promoted Hawk straight to Headquarters brigadier general!
Fine.
A brigadier general, whatever. That special promotion quota was his to give, and as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku technically had no say.
But assigning Hawk as the commander of the Grand Line's G-3 Branch? What kind of insanity was that?!
The Grand Line branches were no joke.
Which commander stationed there wasn't a battle-hardened, decorated vice admiral of Headquarters?
"Huff..."
Sengoku's temples bulged with veins. At this point, the problem wasn't even Hawk.
It was Sakazuki himself!
That man, a Marine admiral, had openly defied his authority as Fleet Admiral.
Yes, G-3 had always been under Sakazuki's oversight.
But appointing a branch commander was still a personnel decision that required clearance from him, the Fleet Admiral!
For Sakazuki to simply promise the position away without so much as a word...
If that wasn't overstepping, if that wasn't insubordination, then what was?!
But what could Sengoku do?
Drag Sakazuki before a military tribunal?
The moment they lost an admiral's combat strength, who would fill the gap?
"Ugh..."
Sengoku exhaled sharply, collapsing back into his chair, seething with silent rage.
Sakazuki, you bastard. This was deliberate, wasn't it?
Someone tell me what kind of spell did Hawk cast over you?
What did that brat say to make you vouch for him like this?!
Sengoku could feel his blood pressure skyrocketing. He was caught in a spiral of impotent fury.
"Sengoku, calm yourself."
Across from him, Vice Admiral Tsuru picked up the report he had slammed down, reading it with her usual composure.
"Oh?"
Her sharp eyes quickly caught on something Sengoku had overlooked.
"Sakazuki intends to transfer Lark under Hawk's command?"
Tsuru rubbed her chin thoughtfully, her expression shifting into one of intrigue.
For Sakazuki to spend his limited brigadier quota on Hawk was understandable.
Everything Hawk had done in East Blue screamed hawk-faction ideals.
Naturally, Sakazuki would admire a young officer who was ruthless, decisive, and unwavering in his version of justice.
But entrusting his only daughter, Lark, to Hawk...
That was a detail far too telling.
What exactly had this boy, Renn Hawk, done to strike such a chord with Sakazuki?
Tsuru's mind moved quickly.
Strength?
Hawk's strength must be formidable. Otherwise, Sakazuki would never entrust his daughter's safety to him.
But strength alone wasn't enough.
This concerned his only child.
Lark might have talent, yes, and she had chosen the path of a Marine.
But she was still young, still playful at heart.
Sakazuki would want her to receive the best training and the toughest tempering, so that she could one day stand as a true, excellent Marine.
And he chose Hawk for that role.
Which could only mean...
Hawk's ability to train and lead others was exceptional.
Remarkably so.
In a flash, Tsuru reached her conclusion.
This boy didn't just possess strength. He also had the rare talent of molding and commanding men.
Her thoughts drifted, unbidden, to her own granddaughter, Peacock.
Peacock, age twenty-three, also serving as a Marine.
And truth be told, that girl hadn't exactly been the most reliable either...
"..."
Tsuru's eyes flickered slightly.
Yes, she would have to wait for Sakazuki to return from East Blue, and then probe deeper into this matter.
"Hm..."
Her gaze then dropped to the very last page of the report.
There, written in bold, firm strokes, was something Sengoku hadn't even read.
Her expression darkened, and her voice lowered as she looked straight at the still-fuming Fleet Admiral.
"Sengoku."
"Clear your head."
"..."
Sengoku stiffened. Tsuru's grave tone forced him to pull himself back from his anger.
"The Great Pirate Era is a storm without end."
Tsuru crossed her arms, her words calm yet sharp as steel.
"Three years ago, at just thirty-three, 'Red-Haired' Shanks rose to the throne of Yonko, becoming the youngest of the Four Emperors."
"His crew, the Red-Haired Pirates, boast bounties of unprecedented averages, with balance and strength unmatched. They are a colossal threat."
"Two years ago, 'Fire Fist' Ace emerged, defeating one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, 'Lizard King' Hanafzha."
"Afterward, he refused the government's invitation to join the Warlords, choosing instead to sail under Whitebeard, where he now commands the Second Division."
"And more recently, the Revolutionary Army has begun to stir in the shadows."
Her eyes narrowed to slits, her gaze cutting straight into Sengoku's.
"Tell me, Sengoku. When our generation fades into retirement, when Sakazuki's generation also grows old... who will be left to carry the Marines forward?"
"Smoker?"
"Hina?"
"Gion? Or Chaton?"
Vice Admiral Gion, the candidate known as "Pink Rabbit."
"..."
Sengoku fell silent.
She was right.
The old guard himself, Garp, Tsuru, Zephyr were already twilight figures.
The mid-generation the three admirals Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, along with the likes of Doberman, Onigumo, and Burning Mountain were the backbone of today's Navy.
But the new generation...
Yes, Tsuru was right. The gap was glaring.
Those names she listed talented though they were lacked the overwhelming strength, conviction, and potential needed to shoulder the Navy's future.
They could not bear the weight of justice.
"Sengoku, you may question Sakazuki's methods."
"But never his devotion to the word Justice."
She tapped the last page of the report with a finger.
"Read it. See for yourself."
"..."
Sengoku froze, realizing his rage had blinded him earlier. He hadn't even reached the end.
He grabbed the report, eyes dropping to the closing remarks.
Written in Sakazuki's bold hand:
Renn Hawk, once a lieutenant colonel of East Blue, has in mere months purged the sea of pirates. His decisiveness in execution surpasses most officers of Headquarters. The 'justice of slaughter' he upholds is the most direct and effective iron law for this chaotic Great Pirate Era.
His abilities exceed those of most elite rear admirals, with no weakness across Observation Haki, Armament Haki, physical body, martial arts, and combat skill.
The soldiers he commands are disciplined, fearless, and carry the spirit and strength of Headquarters' finest elites.
To ignore such talent, to deny him promotion, would be to waste the prime chance to shape a leader of the Marines' next generation.
—Sakazuki
Sengoku's hands trembled as he set the report down.
"...The one acting reckless here..."
"...is you, Sengoku."
"You're the one blocking the rise of the Navy's new era."
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