The more Sengoku looked at Dragon, the more familiar and pleased he felt.
At only eighteen, Dragon could already wield Dragon King, an advanced Armament Haki technique. The quality of his Armament was outstanding, dense and refined, and when paired with his physical strength, it formed a terrifying foundation.
For the Marines to retain a prodigy like this was nothing short of a blessing.
With proper guidance, there was no doubt he could one day become an admiral.
Garp grinned so widely his mouth nearly split. "Hahaha! Sengoku, I told you my son was no ordinary kid!"
He enjoyed watching Sengoku look like a country bumpkin, even though he himself had not looked much better at first.
Sengoku was not annoyed. Stroking his beard, he said warmly, "Good lad. Train at Marine Headquarters in Marineford for two years. Go out on missions now and then with your uncles. Your future will be limitless."
The path was familiar, only faster than usual.
Follow veterans like Garp, Kuzan, and Borsalino for two years. Accumulate experience, learn naval warfare. After that, Dragon could be promoted directly to rear admiral at headquarters.
Dragon frowned and shook his head without hesitation. "That will not be necessary, Fleet Admiral. Send me out instead. I cannot wait to eliminate evil pirates and win glory for the Marines."
For ordinary second-generation officers, staying at headquarters to polish their record was standard practice. But Dragon was not ordinary. He possessed a loyalty-based system.
How many subordinates could he recruit by staying here?
A field post meant freedom. With his strength, suppressing pirates would be effortless, and subordinates recruited in real combat would be far more loyal.
"Dragon, your spirit is admirable, but we must be realistic," Sengoku said, rubbing his temples. "You are still young. Accumulate more experience first. When you become a staff officer, you can head out. All right?"
"No need, Fleet Admiral," Dragon said, raising a hand, his tone firm. "I want to rise through real achievements. Those arrogant pirates are waiting for me."
He made his stance unmistakably clear. "I joined the Marines to fight pirates. If you do not allow me to do that, I would rather become a bounty hunter."
"Excellent!" Sengoku was deeply moved. "Very well. Spend one week familiarizing yourself with headquarters. Then I will assign you to a branch in the East Blue to prove yourself."
At last, a true genius who genuinely wanted to be a Marine. Sengoku would not let him slip away.
Fight pirates?
No problem at all.
The East Blue was the weakest sea. Even the Arlong Pirates had already been wiped out by Dragon himself. What could possibly go wrong?
"Fleet Admiral, give me a tougher assignment," Dragon said, still dissatisfied. "Pirates in the East Blue are too weak. Uncle Garp crushes them every time. I want to deal with more vicious enemies."
For the first time, Sengoku felt annoyed because a junior was too driven. If Kuzan had even half of Dragon's motivation, Sengoku would have far fewer headaches.
With Dragon King Armament, Dragon could already charge into the Grand Line.
But rookies could not be sent there.
The danger of the sea was not limited to pirates. The environment itself was deadly. At least two years of sailing experience was required.
To satisfy Dragon's request, only one of the Four Blues fit the bill.
The North Blue.
Its situation was complex, riddled with pirates and criminal organizations. Even headquarters rear admirals found it troublesome, let alone a newcomer.
"Sengoku, do not be so tense," Garp said, slapping Sengoku hard on the shoulder as he laughed. "I know Dragon's strength. Do as he says."
Although Garp rarely returned to Foosha Village and had only taught Dragon a handful of training methods, Dragon exceeded expectations every single time they met.
His progress each year was explosive.
With his current strength, Garp had no worries about any of the Four Blues.
"All right," Sengoku said after a deep breath, finally making up his mind. "Dragon, with your strength, you could easily control a branch of the Grand Line. But remember, the sea's danger goes far beyond pirates. You are still young."
"Stay here for two or three days. After that, I will appoint you as deputy base commander of North Blue Branch 141. It is not as dangerous as the Grand Line, but even headquarters vice admirals find it difficult, and you are still a newcomer."
"Adapt to the environment there. Your future assignments will depend on your performance. Any objections?"
So be it.
If he wanted a hard job, Sengoku would give him one.
A deputy base commander position in the North Blue offered ample room to operate without drawing too much attention.
If Dragon encountered trouble he could not handle, headquarters could always intervene.
Sending Garp over to throw a few punches would calm anything down.
"I will obey your orders absolutely, sir," Dragon said, saluting crisply, his expression solemn. "Thank you for the appointment. I will not disappoint your expectations."
"Excellent."
Sengoku finally relaxed.
They had kept the talent.
Setting aside Dragon's gifts, his drive alone convinced Sengoku that this young man would accomplish great things in the future.
Crunch. Crunch.
Garp also relaxed, happily munching on rice crackers that suddenly tasted exceptionally good.
His son had found his place in the Marines. If there were any problems in the future, mentioning Sengoku's name would solve them.
Nearby, Tsuru smiled as well, pleased for her companions. Garp finally had an heir who was not a pirate, and Sengoku had gained a reserve talent with the potential to reach admiral level.
Three days later,
A sleek, newly built light warship departed Marineford and sailed north.
On the deck stood a relaxed young man, nearly six foot three, tall and upright, brimming with vitality, his features sharp and handsome.
He glanced at the North Blue special edition of the World Economic Journal in his hand and narrowed his eyes.
"Pirates rampant in the North Blue. Criminal syndicates run wild. Civilians trampled. Marines stretched thin. Where is justice?"
"The Vinsmoke Family seized the Kingdom of Tetris in just three days, restoring the glory of Germa 66. Their ambition to stand equal with the World Government may soon be realized."
"Large quantities of weapons have been transported out of North Blue bases, yet the critical 141st Branch remained unaware. Base Commander Donald Wilson claims, 'I knew nothing. The Vinsmokes must have other channels.'"
Only the fearless, attention-hungry World Economic Journal dared publish such sharp criticism of the Marines.
Big News Morgans truly knew how to sell papers.
Clearly, the chaos in the North Blue had reached an outrageous level.
For anyone with ability, this was the perfect stage to build merit.
The young man tossed the newspaper aside, letting it drift into the sea, a confident smile curling on his lips.
North Blue, Branch 141.
Deputy Base Commander.
Headquarters Lieutenant Colonel.
Monkey D. Dragon had officially taken up his post in the North Blue.