"Hibari..."
Hawke muttered softly, and in his mind, a figure automatically surfaced.
Hibari — full-body image.
Golden ponytail, wearing headphones, a tight cropped short-sleeve top.
Two layers of pants on her lower half — the outer layer camo-patterned with only the left leg covered, the inner layer striped leggings, boots on her feet.
A small backpack decorated with a teddy bear slung on her back.
Tch...
This delicate, blushing-at-two-words, soft-spoken little girl...
Turns out to be Admiral Akainu's biological daughter?!
Hawke blinked hard, unable to reconcile the terrifying, "I'm-scary-as-hell" face of Admiral Akainu before him with the adorable, cutesy Hibari.
This... just doesn't compute!
"Hm...?"
Akainu's instincts were razor-sharp. He immediately sensed the odd flicker in Hawke's gaze, giving a low, questioning hum.
What's wrong?
Got a problem, brat?
"...!"
Hawke shivered slightly, immediately lowering his head and forcing himself to think carefully.
In the original timeline, three years later, Hibari would be a Headquarters Commander and a member of the elite special forces unit — "SWORD."
SWORD, also known as the Secret Special Forcet, consisted of the Navy's "free agents."
They had officially submitted resignation papers, returned their serial numbers, and were no longer bound by orders. They could launch attacks on the Four Emperors without prior authorization.
In the original work, almost every member came from an elite lineage — practically a small army of second-generation Navy powerhouses.
The Captain — X. Drake. His father had also been a high-ranking Navy officer.
Coby, Vice Admiral Garp's personal disciple, famously known as the man who trained "two hundred times harder."
Helmeppo, from Branch 153, the heir of "Axe-Hand" Morgan, a former Captain.
Kujaku, Vice Admiral Tsuru's beloved granddaughter.
And finally, Hibari... Admiral Akainu's little princess.
Damn... every single one of them had ridiculous backgrounds!
But Akainu-sama assigning his precious daughter to his unit?
His squad was full of grizzled, rough-edged brawlers with blood under their nails.
"Admiral, this…"
Hawke's expression betrayed his awkward hesitation.
"Very difficult for you?"
Akainu's voice was flat and unreadable.
But to Hawke, it felt like the temperature on the entire training field had just risen by a few degrees.
"Well... yeah."
Hawke nodded lightly.
Five boxes of cigars, and now he was supposed to become a babysitter?
What a lousy deal!
Ssshhh—
Akainu's gaze locked onto Hawke, his right fist suddenly igniting again.
"Perfect timing..."
"I just finished warming up. My fists are itching for a good fight."
"Admiral, actually, this isn't that difficult…"
"Hmph—"
The magma blazing around Akainu's fist receded instantly.
"Regarding training…"
"Use your own methods. I won't interfere."
He glanced at Hawke, a faint hint of admiration in his eyes.
"To whip a bunch of East Blue branch recruits into Headquarters-level elite soldiers, in mere months…"
"Your training methods are already top-tier."
"Leaving Hibari in your hands… I have no worries."
Then, Akainu's tone shifted abruptly — dropping a bombshell.
"The Branch Commander of the Grand Line's G-3 Base was recently transferred to Headquarters."
"G-3 has always been under my direct jurisdiction."
"By regulation, the Branch Commander position for the Grand Line must be held by someone of at least Vice Admiral rank."
Akainu gave Hawke a long, heavy look.
"But… I can make an exception for you."
"I'll have you, Rear Admiral Rayne Hawke, take your entire 16th Branch and transfer to the Grand Line's G-3 Base."
"You will serve… as G-3 Branch Commander."
"???"
"!!!"
The moment Hawke heard the words "G-3 Branch Commander," his heart skipped a full beat!
Him? Directly jumping up to oversee a Grand Line base?!
This wasn't some backwater East Blue station anymore!
The Grand Line's branches…
Whether it was the average strength of pirates, their bounty levels, their savagery, or the difficulty and prestige of missions — not to mention opportunities for military merit…
It was an entirely different league!
And most importantly…
The Grand Line meant more criminals!
More pirates!
More... Justice Points!!!
What was there to even think about?!
Forget the babysitter job — even a dog wouldn't pass this up!
"Admiral, I guarantee success!"
Hawke pounded his chest, his tone firm and resolute.
"Under my care, Hibari-san will grow into an outstanding Marine!"
"Hm…"
Akainu's towering figure leaned just a little closer to Hawke, lowering his head slightly, his voice dropping until only the two could hear.
"Hawke…"
"Hibari's got a few… small hobbies."
"She likes taking photos everywhere she goes… and collecting all sorts of little bags."
There was a rare tinge of helplessness — and even guilt — in Akainu's voice.
"As her father, I've spent most of my life hunting pirates, and I owe her… a lot."
"So, when it comes to these harmless little hobbies of hers, I hope you'll show her some leniency."
"Of course, I won't let you do this for nothing."
"From now on, every two months, I'll personally send you a box of Admiral-grade cigars."
"How about it?"
"..."
Hawke's thoughts spun rapidly.
One box of Admiral-exclusive cigars every two months.
Akainu-sama had literally said just moments ago — even he only got one box per month.
That meant he was giving up half his own supply… to him.
That was some serious sincerity.
Of course, he wasn't agreeing just for the cigars.
But to see Akainu — the Navy's cold-blooded, iron-fisted Admiral — revealing this softer side of himself for his daughter…
"Admiral, no problem!"
Hawke nodded sincerely.
"Your deep love for your daughter… I truly respect that!"
"I'll handle it carefully."
"Hmph."
Akainu's lips curled into a faint smile, clearly in a very good mood.
This trip to the East Blue had yielded far more than expected.
Not only had he discovered Rayne Hawke — a rising hawk among the new generation of Marines…
He had also solved Hibari's training problem in one move.
With this, he could finally free up his hands… and focus entirely on wiping out the scum plaguing the New World.
"Let's go."
Akainu reached out and patted Hawke lightly on the shoulder.
"Tell me about your training methods."
He took the lead, gesturing for Hawke to follow.
"Come on. Let's grab lunch while we talk."
"Yes, Admiral!"
Hawke straightened up instantly and followed close behind.
...
Not long after, a report titled "Regarding the Resolution on Commander Hawke" was transmitted from the East Blue's 16th Branch to the Navy Headquarters Intelligence Department.
The duty officer, a Lieutenant Commander, caught sight of the sender's name at the top and froze instantly.
An authorization report… from Admiral Akainu!
He clicked it open and glanced at the summary.
After just a single look, his face drained of all color.
"Quick! Hurry!"
His voice broke, trembling with panic.
"Now! Right now!"
"Get this report to the Fleet Admiral immediately! No delays allowed!"
The contents of the report were terrifying beyond belief!
And so, the report — one that would soon shake all of Navy Headquarters — was delivered at lightning speed to Fleet Admiral Sengoku's desk.
Moments later…
"SAKAZUKI——!!!"
An earth-shattering roar exploded from the Fleet Admiral's office, echoing through the entire Navy Headquarters building.
"OUTRAGEOUS——!!!"
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