After Ortoren returned to the New World, he was tied up with meetings and various affairs for quite a long stretch.
It wasn't until August of Sea Circle Calendar year 1504 that, following Yamakaji's arrival, Cancer, Strawberry, and Stainless finally made it to the island.
It was still the same small two-story building, but the island Ortoren had chosen as his Admiral headquarters had already begun to liven up. Large construction crews were stationed everywhere, preparing to build a proper Marine base worthy of an Admiral and gradually transform the entire island.
Once Ortoren shut the window, the construction noise outside became a faint murmur. Only then did he sit down at his desk, satisfied.
Inside his simple office, Yamakaji, Strawberry, Cancer, and Stainless stood tall before him.
"Been waiting for you lot for ages. Finally, you're all here." Ortoren lit a cigarette, smiling as he leaned back in his chair.
Hearing this, the four men spoke in unison, their tone solemn as if rehearsed, "Our apologies for keeping you waiting, Admiral Benn!"
But the seriousness on their faces quickly cracked into faint, amused smiles.
Ortoren blinked, then laughed and scolded them, "Alright, alright—so this is what you're doing to me now?"
They had all trained under Zephyr-sensei in the same year and formed one of the closest groups back then. Even after joining Headquarters and going their separate ways—especially Cancer, whom Ortoren hadn't seen for years—they hadn't truly lost contact. On holidays or special occasions, they still exchanged calls through Den Den Mushi to catch up.
"I had a pile of responsibilities to hand over, and the sea weather was rough for a while. That's why it took so long. Believe me, I wanted to come sooner…" Cancer said with a smile.
Stainless rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Back on the training grounds, when you knocked me unconscious with one punch, I knew you'd surpass us someday. And look at us now—barely promoted to Vice Admiral, while you're already sitting in the Admiral's seat. Truly enviable."
"I've been here for ages! Did you forget I treated you to dinner last night?" Yamakaji laughed, teasing him.
It had been ages since the group gathered in full. They chatted noisily, shared recent anecdotes, exchanged confidential information from their respective divisions, and the faint awkwardness from time apart quickly dissolved into familiar warmth.
After they talked for a while, Ortoren stubbed out his cigarette and straightened his posture.
"Alright, enough small talk. You've seen the transfer orders. I brought you into the New World to establish three new Marine bases. I need you to serve as Base Commanders and support my operations."
Strawberry glanced around. "There are four of us, and you're opening three bases. So that means one of us will be staying with you?"
"Of course not." Ortoren shook his head. "G-1 also needs someone to hold the line."
"G-1?" Cancer looked stunned. "But isn't Admiral Sakazuki in charge of G-1…?"
"You said it yourself—he's an Admiral. Naturally, he should step away from the G-1 post. Now that I'm the New World's Governor, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to continue overseeing G-1. Before, I hadn't assigned anyone to replace him, so Sakazuki temporarily filled in. But we've already discussed it. Once I send someone, he'll hand over immediately."
Yamakaji nodded in understanding. "So that's how it is. Momonga mentioned it earlier. If you'd arrived a few days sooner, you could've seen him. But he's already left for G-12."
Momonga had departed only days earlier. Sakazuki vacated G-12, Momonga handled the last bits of transition work for Ortoren, and he had become the Paramecia-type Baku Baku no Mi user. After settling everything cleanly, he left the little rundown island behind and officially assumed his new role as Base Commander of G-12.
In short, Vice Admiral Momonga had arrived—and G-12 finally had its bright, clear skies.
"Now that we're all assigned to the New World and working under our boss Benn, it won't be hard to meet each other anymore," Cancer said with a grin.
"Enough of that. Given our relationship, I won't force assignments. You guys decide among yourselves who's going to G-1. As for the others, let me be clear: even though you'll hold the rank of Base Commander, you'll be building your bases from scratch. But based on my experience with G-5, it's actually quite simple," Ortoren said.
Yamakaji and the others exchanged glances. After a moment, Stainless spoke up.
"We're all our own people here, so I won't dance around it. Among us, I'm the weakest. If we're talking purely in terms of strength, going to G-1 makes the most sense for me. But I don't have the necessary experience. Strawberry here served as a base commander on the Sabaody Archipelago, didn't he? He's actually well-suited to hold G-1. So between the two of us, either one could take that post.
"As for you, Cancer and Yamakaji—you two are the stronger ones. You should take on the major responsibilities."
Yamakaji and Cancer looked at each other, then nodded.
"Alright. We'll handle the construction of two of the bases."
Strawberry hesitated. Stainless had a point. Of the group, he alone had previously commanded the Sabaody base as a Rear Admiral, giving him practical, ground-level experience.
The others were newly promoted Vice Admirals and lacked such background. And G-1 was a politically sensitive fortress. Sending Stainless, who lacked experience, might cause unnecessary trouble.
Ortoren stroked his chin, thinking over Stainless' suggestion. His initial plan had been to send Stainless directly, but Stainless wasn't wrong—Strawberry was indeed more qualified.
While Ortoren was considering this, Strawberry tugged on his long beard, gritted his teeth, and said,
"I'll go to G-1. Like Stainless said, I've got the experience. And G-1 is close to Mary Geoise and Headquarters—just like Sabaody. Officials are always coming for inspections. I know how to deal with that crowd, and I'm familiar with those bureaucrats. It'll be easier for me to handle than anyone else."
With Strawberry taking the responsibility, Stainless spoke again.
"Alright then, I'll take the third base."
"Good. Then it's settled." Ortoren didn't hesitate further. He finalized the decision, brought out the appointment letters, wrote their names, and signed them.
After handing each of them their appointment documents, Ortoren spread a large nautical chart across the desk.
Strawberry and the others didn't bother reviewing their papers. They slipped them into their pockets and moved forward to study the map.
"Here, here, and here," Ortoren said, pointing at three red-circled areas. "We'll be rebuilding the old G-14 base destroyed by pirates, constructing the newly designated G-7 base, and restoring G-3. Pick whichever location you prefer."
Other than G-14—which had once been a Marine base in the New World before it was abandoned—the other two were entirely new placements chosen based on G-5's current operational range and strategic deployment.
Since all three were essentially blank slates, the only major difference was location. Yamakaji and the others didn't overthink it. After a brief discussion, they quickly settled the matter.
Yamakaji would command G-14.
Cancer would command G-7.
Stainless would command G-3.
Strawberry would command G-1.
"Great. Here's all the relevant material." Ortoren bent down, pulled out a thick stack of documents, and dropped them onto the desk. "These include the standards, structures, and procedures for establishing the new bases. There are also notes Momonga compiled before he left—our accumulated experience from G-5. Hopefully they're helpful.
"I've already requisitioned nine thousand-man squads from Headquarters. G-1 has more than enough manpower, so it doesn't need them. The rest of you will each take three squads as your starting force. Once you get to your bases, send reports for anything you lack. I'll forward them to Headquarters and have resources shipped accordingly."
Once they all took their files, Ortoren stood, a hint of reluctance in his voice.
"I'd really like to gather properly with all of you—even take a short break and celebrate for a couple of days. But the New World isn't like the other seas. Accidents can happen at any moment. As Marines, we must hold ourselves to strict standards. So let's not delay. I'm counting on all of you."
As soon as Ortoren finished, Stainless and the others straightened their expressions, becoming solemn. They saluted in unison.
"Yes! Everything for justice!"