"Bastard! I'll kill you!"
"It's not my fault!"
Thump!
The marine soldiers training on the drill ground looked puzzled toward the distant beach as a beautiful woman stormed past.
A moment later, their superior Raleigh, walked over sporting a fresh black eye.
Raleigh was extremely frustrated and snapped at the soldiers.
"What are you all staring at? Get back to training. Don't think you can slack off just because I'm leaving."
Only after he walked away did the soldiers begin whispering.
"Hey, am I seeing things? Did Commander Gion from headquarters spend the night with Captain Raleigh?"
"Could it be that the Captain... underperformed? Is that why Commander Gion is so angry?"
"That shouldn't be possible... but who knows. I've heard people with kidney deficiency tend to sleep in."
...
Raleigh had already developed basic Observation Haki, so he could hear the gossip.
He considered going back to drill them harder but decided against it.
'Innocence needs no defense!'
Truth be told, when Raleigh woke up, he was completely bewildered.
He swore he'd gotten drunk before Gion last night.
Before he fell asleep, she was still drinking.
Who would have thought he'd wake up with a beautiful woman in his arms?
And his hand had somehow ended up resting on something... particularly springy.
In his drowsy state, he gave it a squeeze—only to meet a pair of murderous eyes.
"L-let me explain, Gion!"
And thus, the earlier scene unfolded.
Sporting his black eye, Raleigh strode confidently into his office, where Momonga was waiting.
"Well, well, Rear Admiral Raleigh, who gave you that shiner?" Momonga pretended to know nothing, fanning the flames.
Raleigh glanced miserably at Gion, noticed she had already partially drawn Konpira, and promptly shut his mouth.
"Nothing. Had too much to drink. Punched myself in the eye doing drunken fist."
Pfft.
Raleigh's words amused Tokikake, who was sitting on the sofa.
"Hahahaha, Raleigh, you actually have that kind of talent? Impressive."
Watching Tokikake belly-laugh, both Momonga and Raleigh silently agreed to bury this matter.
Otherwise, if Tokikake found out, he would definitely challenge Raleigh to a duel.
After hearing Raleigh's explanation, Gion slid Konpira back into its sheath, her face softening slightly.
"Hmph. You're smarter than you look."
Among the four of them, only Tokikake remained unaware of what had transpired.
"Alright, Raleigh, time to get going," Gion said.
Raleigh and Momonga nodded.
There wasn't much left to arrange.
As long as Momonga followed the plans Raleigh had established, Branch 133 would remain the safest area in the East Blue.
Raleigh grabbed the luggage Momonga had prepared, threw his marine coat over his shoulders, and took one last look at the familiar office.
He pushed open the door and strode out of the base.
Unexpectedly, the soldiers who should have been training were standing in neat rows, saluting with solemn respect.
Raleigh was deeply moved but said nothing.
He walked silently through the pathway formed by the soldiers, feeling their respect.
He only paused when he reached the headquarters vessel.
Momonga stood at the front of the formation, raising his new sword high as the marines behind him drew their swords in unison.
"Justice will prevail!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Branch 133 had even brought out their cannons to send off their commander with full honors.
Though everyone usually complained about their work-shirking commander, they all knew in their hearts that since Raleigh's arrival, the mortality rate at Branch 133 had plummeted, and so had the crime rate.
More importantly, their salaries had consistently risen—facts Momonga had never concealed.
Despite their complaints, they were reluctant to see him go.
Raleigh turned to face the soldiers he had led.
Avoiding sentimental words, he clenched his right fist and raised it high.
"I'll be waiting for you at headquarters!"
"Justice will prevail!" "Justice will prevail!"
The spectacle left both Gion and Tokikake astonished.
Gion thought, 'This guy... is actually this popular?'
Tokikake thought, 'Damn it, why couldn't I be the one putting on such a cool show? If it were me, Gion would definitely be impressed.'
Raleigh probably never imagined that Tokikake would actually learn from this.
Knowing he wasn't as handsome as him, Tokikake would subsequently always face his soldiers with his back turned during similar occasions.
As long as he didn't turn around, he actually carried that commanding presence quite well.
Seeing the fervent gazes of the soldiers, Raleigh said nothing more.
He turned and boarded the headquarters ship with effortless grace... and immediately located a deck chair.
[Resting during work hours. Slacking Value +100]
"Raleigh, you...! That was so moving, and now you're slacking off already?" Gion stared speechlessly, finding him completely unrecognizable from the man he'd been moments before.
Tokikake hadn't noticed, still fantasizing about his own future farewell.
Raleigh waved his hand and summoned Miles, who had boarded with them.
"Miles, go to the kitchen, get me a few fresh coconuts, and open them."
Then he turned to Gion.
"The value of life lies in enjoyment, Gion. Don't waste such a beautiful day. Let's have some coconut juice."
Gion kept a cold expression and ignored him, heading to the deck to train.
She wasn't a prodigy like Raleigh.
She was talented, but the gap between humans and monsters was vast.
Under the blazing sun, Gion trained with sweat pouring down like rain, much like Momonga used to.
Her clothes were soaked, making her figure even more alluring.
However, Raleigh had no mind to appreciate the view.
He was focused on the intelligence reports.
Back in the East Blue, he hadn't paid much attention to them.
His plan had been to stay there for a decade, draw prizes until he was invincible, and only then take action.
But fate, and his good brother Borsalino, had other plans.
Now, he had to keep up with world events.
This year's headlines weren't particularly shocking—mostly just which pirate crew seized territory in the New World.
However, one incident caught his attention.
According to the report, the Whitebeard Pirates had visited a land of samurai and invited one to join their crew.
Raleigh circled the article in red.