Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Ah...?"
Sengoku was slightly stunned — he'd just been refused?!
Hawke, you… rejected me in front of everyone…
Where am I supposed to put my dignity as the Fleet Admiral now?!
"Ha...!"
Akainu's stern, rugged face broke into a rare smile.
As expected of the one I've set my sights on.
He even dared to refuse the Fleet Admiral's offer!
Now that takes guts!
"Yo~"
Kizaru's sunglasses slid halfway down his nose, revealing his surprised eyes.
This kid Hawke… so bold, huh?
Directly refusing the Fleet Admiral like that…
"..."
Hawke, meanwhile, understood perfectly well why the Marine top brass valued him so highly.
An untrained Marine, someone who had never gone through the Headquarters' formal system, yet growing up alone in the weakest East Blue and reaching his current strength…
That kind of talent, that kind of power — in their eyes, he was undoubtedly a genius, a monster!
But deep down, Hawke knew better.
A genius?
No.
He was — a cheat player!
Becoming a Vice Admiral's aide, or even the Fleet Admiral's assistant, was indeed a huge opportunity, a shortcut to the top.
But it also meant he would be bound to Marineford for a long, long time.
Whether Fleet Admiral or Admiral, they spent most of their time stationed at Headquarters.
The Fleet Admiral rarely ever left.
And Admirals had to be on standby constantly to handle the whims of the Celestial Dragons.
If he stayed stuck at Headquarters… how many Justice Points would he be missing out on?
One year from now, the Summit War would erupt!
That was the stage he'd chosen!
His perfect chance to soar into the sky!
During that war, he planned to personally slay half the Whitebeard Pirates himself…
Only then could he obtain the one million Justice Points he wanted!
But with his current strength? Hoping to dominate the battlefield was nothing but a fool's dream.
He remembered… even the dying Whitebeard had taken Akainu's hit head-on — and survived!
With his current power — barely scratching Vice Admiral level at best — he was nowhere near enough!
Therefore, the top priority was simple — get stronger.
Before the Summit War began, he had to become far, far stronger!
And the G-3 Branch… was the best possible training ground before the Summit War!
The pirates in the first half of the Grand Line… were currently the perfect experience points!
With that in mind — "Swish—"
Hawke suddenly stood up, turning sharply to face all the high-ranking Marines in the room, snapping a crisp salute.
"Fleet Admiral! Admirals! Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
His voice was loud and steady, resonating through the office.
"My refusal is not out of any dissatisfaction."
"It is because my justice will not allow me to remain in the rear!"
"The Justice of Slaughter!"
"Its foundation… is built upon the corpses of evil!"
"The G-3 Branch lies in the first half of the Grand Line, where pirates run rampant and evil thrives."
"Please allow me… to go where sin is strongest… to enforce my justice!"
"Rather than hide behind the Fleet Admiral or Admirals, relying on their protection!"
"..."
As his words fell, the vast Fleet Admiral's office fell into silence.
"Clap— Clap— Clap—"
Suddenly, applause echoed.
"Good!"
"Hawke, excellent!"
Akainu clapped loudly, showing undisguised approval.
"Not swayed by power or position — only enforcing the justice in your heart!"
"Very good!"
"Yo~"
Kizaru lazily followed, "Young folks these days… truly terrifying, ne~"
"Hawke…"
Tsuru nodded slightly.
"Your conviction is firm. Your justice is clear."
"No wonder Sakazuki considers you the leader of the Marines' new generation."
Now she understood why Akainu held such a high opinion of this young man.
"..."
"Hmph!"
Sengoku, whose face had just been publicly slapped, let out a low snort.
Young people… so ignorant of the weight of the world.
But… if they truly understood the weight of the world, would they still be young?
As he gazed upon Hawke's young yet determined face, he suddenly saw a reflection of his own younger self.
Back then, he too had once charged forward for the justice in his heart, without hesitation.
But now?
For the sake of the Marines, for funding, he'd compromised with the World Government, bowed to those damn Elders, more times than he could count.
His younger self… would surely despise the current "Buddha Sengoku," shackled by bureaucracy and forever weighing pros and cons.
So much justice that should have been carried out…
In the end, he simply couldn't.
"Commodore Hawke."
He slowly turned to Hawke, his voice unusually solemn and heavy with expectation.
"The G-3 Branch of the Grand Line… I'm entrusting it to you."
"Go."
"Show this chaotic world… the majesty of the Marines!"
"Yes, sir!"
Hawke straightened his back and saluted again with force.
He turned, walking steadily out of the Fleet Admiral's office.
Next, he had to head to the Logistics Department to collect his Commodore's cloak and epaulettes, then to the Records Department to handle the promotion paperwork for his brothers of the 16th Branch.
"Tap—"
Hawke walked down the wide, bright corridor.
At that moment, a slightly lazy voice came from the side.
"Yo, Hawke-kun."
"Got a minute to chat?"
Hawke paused, turning his head.
A tall man was leaning casually against a pillar.
He wore a white vest suit over a deep-blue shirt, tie hanging loose at the neck, white trousers below.
His messy black curls framed a sleepy face, with a green sleep mask pushed up on his forehead.
Marine Headquarters Admiral — "Aokiji" Kuzan!
...
Meanwhile, at the Marine 16th Branch.
At the bounty collection counter, an uninvited guest had arrived.
"Hey, can a thief turn in bounties?"
Zoro asked weakly, dragging a tightly bound man by the rope, and tossed him against the counter.
"My name's not 'hey'… I do have a name, you know—"
The Marine behind the counter looked up — and froze when he recognized Zoro's outfit.
"Hmm…"
"The Pirate Hunter — Roronoa Zoro?"
As someone in charge of bounty processing, he naturally knew this famous bounty hunter who'd made a name for himself across the East Blue in recent years.
"Yeah… that's me!"
"Good heavens!"
The Marine's jaw nearly dropped as he looked at Zoro's starved, hollowed-out face.
"How long's it been since you last ate?!"
"Ni… nine days!"
Zoro heaved the thief onto the counter.
"Can I trade him for bounty money?"
"I-I only stole 50 Belly…"
"And I failed!"
The thief wailed pitifully, struggling to protest.
"You can't turn me in!"
"..."
The Marine hesitated. This guy wasn't a pirate — how could he pay out bounty money?
He glanced at Zoro's face, pale-green with hunger.
Thinking for a moment, he looked at the wall clock — dinner hour had just passed.
Taking this famous Pirate Hunter to the mess hall for a meal wouldn't be a big deal…
But protocol still required authorization.
"Wait here, I'll go ask Lieutenant Commander Dane."
Before long, Dane arrived.
The moment he stepped into the room, his gaze immediately fell on the white-bladed katana at Zoro's waist.
And at almost the exact same instant, Zoro's eyes locked onto the blade hanging from Dane's side.
"..."
The air froze for a moment.
"Skillful Grade Blade — Akubi-no-Kiba?"
"Great Grade Blade — Wadō Ichimonji?"