To Ortoren's surprise, Garp turned out to be so idle that, as his subordinate, Ortoren found himself with absolutely nothing to do in the week since graduation—other than collecting some benefits.
"I should've seen this coming!"
In Marineford's residential district, inside a tavern called the "Marine Club," Ortoren sat across from Kuzan, grumbling.
"Every time I head home after class, Garp's either sunbathing or napping, looking like he doesn't have a care in the world. Now that I'm under him, I'm just as useless. At this rate, becoming a Rear Admiral is a distant dream. Can't you pull some strings for me? I hear Admiral Sengoku's swamped—I'd love to lend a hand for the sake of justice!"
Kuzan poured himself a drink, smirking. "And how do you think I ended up with this lazy streak of mine? But take it from someone who's been there—don't rush it. Sure, Garp-san doesn't do much most days, but when something big goes down, you can bet he's in the thick of it."
As a top-ranking Vice Admiral, Garp should, in theory, have been buried in work. The Marines were massive, Zephyr-sensei had shifted his focus to education, and Sengoku, as the only Admiral, was already under crushing pressure.
But according to Kuzan, back when Zephyr first stepped away from administrative duties, Sengoku had tried to send Garp to help out. The problem was, Garp's "unorthodox" style only made Sengoku's headaches worse. Straightforward tasks somehow turned into ridiculous messes in his hands. Not only did he fail to lighten Sengoku's load, he often made it heavier.
These days, unless it was a full-blown emergency, Sengoku wouldn't let Garp anywhere near an assignment.
And Garp himself? A complete slacker. Anyone else might have tried to mend their ways—he didn't bother. If no one was going to push him, he was perfectly happy to keep coasting.
"Something big, huh…" Ortoren muttered, taking a long swig while digging through his memories.
But no matter how hard he thought, nothing major seemed to have happened at sea lately. The last truly monumental event in his recollection was likely the Roger Pirates, and that wasn't due until next year, 1497—when they'd finally reach the legendary last island, Laugh Tale, and Roger would be crowned the first Pirate King in history.
Not exactly something that involved Garp.
"…I'm doomed," Ortoren sighed, shaking his head.
"What's so bad about it? You get paid, enjoy the perks, and don't have to lift a finger. Borsalino's been trying for ages to get under Garp-san's wing, but he's never pulled it off," Kuzan said with a teasing grin.
Ortoren pictured it for a moment. Garp paired with Borsalino? That would be the ultimate embarrassment for the Marines.
"I'm not like you veterans. I went to sea with grand ambitions, and after all this time, I've done nothing but sit in Marineford taking classes. I'm itching for action! Justice, Kuzan—justice can't wait. For all we know, while I'm sitting here drinking, someone out there is suffering. That's a waste of my sense of justice, and it's irresponsible to the world!" Ortoren declared, half-serious, half-dramatic.
Truth was, although he, Kuzan, Borsalino, and Sakazuki were dubbed the "Four New Monsters of the Marines," he'd barely crossed paths with Borsalino—maybe once or twice—and had never met Sakazuki at all.
Kuzan was the only exception. Maybe because he had just as much free time, and because they were both attached to Garp, the two often hung out and occasionally went out drinking.
...
Just as Ortoren and Kuzan were mid-drink, the tavern door swung open. Bogard stepped inside, scanning the room before spotting them.
"Cut the booze, we've got a mission," he called out.
Bogard was a Commodore, the same rank as Ortoren, while Kuzan held the higher rank of Rear Admiral. Still, both of them treated Bogard with genuine respect—his seniority was unquestionable, and he could have been a Vice Admiral long ago if he'd wanted the post.
"See? Looks like something's come up after all." Kuzan stood, tossed a gold Belly onto the table, and grinned.
Ortoren walked over with curiosity. "Bogard-san, did something big happen?"
Kuzan had just said that Garp only got called in when major incidents occurred, so Ortoren was puzzled. As far as he knew, there shouldn't be anything big going on right now.
"Nothing major," Bogard replied evenly. "The Fleet Admiral's heading to the G-1 Marine Base in the New World for an inspection. Vice Admiral Garp happens to be free, so he's tagging along as an escort."
Ortoren nodded in understanding. Ah… so this was what they meant by "might as well, since he's got nothing else to do."
And with the Fleet Admiral personally keeping an eye on things, there was no need to worry about Garp making a mess of it. Safer to have him close, really.
Kuzan, clearly knowing more, asked as they walked out, "Is this because of G-1's evaluation? About that preparatory headquarters proposal?"
Preparatory headquarters? Ortoren was curious, but kept the question to himself.
Bogard answered while walking. "Not entirely sure, but if the Fleet Admiral's heading there right now, that's probably the reason."
Normally, the Fleet Admiral almost never left Marineford. His presence carried too much weight—any departure from headquarters, no matter how small the risk, was taken seriously.
After all, if something really did happen to him, it would shake the entire Marine organization. And any event big enough to rattle the Marines would inevitably cause waves across the whole world.
That's why, in most cases, the Fleet Admiral stayed firmly in Marineford, while the three Admirals served as the main strike force.
Seeing the curiosity still written on Ortoren's face, Bogard elaborated, "The Preparatory Headquarters proposal came from Admiral Sengoku a couple of years ago. The idea is to establish another base outside Marineford with the full capability of serving as Marine Headquarters. If Marineford ever faced an unavoidable disaster, the Marines could relocate quickly to a second core hub and keep operations running."
Kuzan added, "G-1 in the New World was the top pick. It's close to Mary Geoise, serves as the keystone to the New World's entrance waters, has a long history, and a strong military presence. So, over the past two years, it's been undergoing renovations. Should be just about done now, which is why the Fleet Admiral's going to take a look."
"I get it now." Ortoren's expression shifted to realization.
In the original timeline, more than twenty years from now, the Summit War would erupt at Marineford. Whitebeard's fruit powers were so devastating that by the time the war ended, Marineford had been blasted into a shattered archipelago—though it still functioned as headquarters.
But the environmental changes made it less than ideal for such a role. So when Sakazuki became Fleet Admiral, he moved headquarters to G-1. Being located in the New World also fit perfectly with his strategic approach.
Ortoren had assumed this was something the Marines only thought of after the war, not something already in motion at this point in time.
Then again, for a centuries-old institution like the Marines, having that kind of far-sighted planning was hardly surprising.
"Has the Fleet Admiral really not left Marineford in years?" Ortoren asked casually.
"Other than trips to Mary Geoise, I've only seen him leave once or twice since I joined the Marines—and both times were nearby. Relax, there's no real danger," Kuzan said carelessly.
"Yeah. It's all top-secret anyway, and nothing's ever happened," Bogard added with a smile.
Ortoren nodded… then froze.
Wait—never happened?
Meaning… Red Count Patrick Redfield hasn't taken a shot at the Fleet Admiral yet?
But maybe that was just a rumor. For all he knew, the Red Count might never have even crossed fists with Fleet Admiral Kong.
Still, the thought lit a spark in Ortoren's mind. Protecting the Fleet Admiral? That was a major achievement. Promotion and wealth could be just within reach!
If it weren't for the lack of a real chance—and the risk of getting caught—he might have been tempted to leak the Fleet Admiral's movements himself.
Come on, Old Red… whether I get that first-class merit or not is all on you.