Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Kaito, this is your letter of appointment. You haven't officially graduated yet, but Headquarters has decided to make an exception and grant you the rank of Captain. You're to be stationed temporarily at the Sabaody Archipelago."
(T/N: The previous rank was translated as colonel, but then I realised in the text that it should be captain, I checked the following chapters and it seems to have been corrected everywhere. But there may be some mistakes, you can write and I will correct them)
(T/N: He hasn't finished his studies yet, so the rank of captain is good, and when he graduates, he will be a rear admiral (as I understand it))
Sengoku handed Kaito a document along with a Captain's uniform, waiting for his response.
Kaito skimmed the document, then looked up and said,
"Understood, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Should I depart right away?"
"Yes. It's already been delayed for some time. This deployment to Sabaody isn't just the decision of Marine Headquarters... it also carries the will of the World Government. You need to be cautious."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. Had the World Government already taken notice of him? He asked,
"The World Government? Do they have specific instructions?"
Sengoku shook his head, indicating there were no direct orders, though he had his own guesses. After a moment's thought, he said,
"You've shown remarkable potential in the Marines. The World Government likely sees your future standing as significant and wants to assess you. You should understand—Sabaody is a place the Celestial Dragons often visit to buy slaves. Your attitude toward them will be a critical point in the World Government's evaluation of you."
Having spent many years working within the Marines, Sengoku was no stranger to the ways of the World Government. He could more or less guess what they were thinking. But that didn't stop him from feeling a deep personal disgust toward some of them—he just couldn't show it in his position as Fleet Admiral.
Kaito nodded thoughtfully. Sengoku emphasized again,
"If you encounter a Celestial Dragon, absolutely do not provoke them. If you don't want to deal with them, then avoid them altogether. They usually don't take much interest in Marines anyway."
Sengoku was genuinely worried that a hot-blooded young man like Kaito might react impulsively to the Celestial Dragons' actions and ruin his future. That's why he kept warning him so seriously.
In truth, Kaito wasn't as young mentally as he appeared. He understood everything Sengoku was saying, so he gave his assurance: while stationed at Sabaody, he wouldn't cause any trouble.
Only after hearing that did Sengoku feel at ease. He waved his hand to dismiss Kaito.
...
Leaving the office, Kaito immediately ran into someone he hadn't seen in a while—Garp.
As soon as Garp saw him, he slung an arm over Kaito's shoulder and said boisterously,
"Well if it isn't Kaito! Come on, I'll treat you to some senbei from Sengoku's stash!"
Kaito chuckled and waved him off, explaining he'd just come from Sengoku's office and would pass on mooching the Fleet Admiral's snacks. Garp didn't push it. Seeing the document in Kaito's hand, he asked,
"Is that an appointment letter? You graduated early? Where are you headed?"
Kaito replied,
"Not officially graduated yet—it's more like an internship. I'm being stationed at Sabaody."
"Sabaody? What the hell are they sending you to that dump for? The Celestial Dragons are always hanging around there—those bastards are nothing but trouble!"
Garp shouted in outrage. In his eyes, even though Sabaody wasn't far from headquarters, it was riddled with shady dealings, especially involving the Celestial Dragons, whom Garp utterly despised.
"GARP! What the hell are you yelling about out there?! Get your ass in here now!"
Sengoku's voice roared from inside the office. He had already heard Garp's outrageous remarks and rushed to cut him off. If Garp kept ranting like that, it was only a matter of time before the World Government caught wind of it.
Garp made a face toward the office door, then turned to Kaito and spoke seriously,
"In any case, be careful out there. Do your best to steer clear of the Celestial Dragons."
Despite his rough and carefree attitude, Garp was no fool. He understood when to be brash and when to tread carefully. That's how he lived.
Kaito accepted his concern with a nod, said goodbye, and left.
...
As soon as he stepped out of the building, Kaito used his Deva Path ability to fly straight toward the harbor. Mid-flight, the usually quiet Modis—who had been clinging obediently to his shoulder—suddenly spoke up.
"Master, what are Celestial Dragons? Why is everyone warning you to be careful around them? Are they really strong?"
Kaito shook his head disdainfully.
"They're just trash. Sooner or later, I'm going to ruin them."
"Ohh, I see! Then I'll help you carry them too! I believe in you, Master!"
Kaito chuckled and scratched Modis under the chin. Modis squinted and smiled in bliss.
"You sure have a lot of faith in me."
"Of course! Master is the best!"
...
Soon, Kaito reached the harbor. Following the instructions in his appointment letter, he began searching for the warship assigned to transport him.
After a short search, he finally spotted it. But when he saw the massive character on the warship's sail, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.
Emblazoned on the sail was a large character: "Tsuru." In all of Marine Headquarters, there was only one warship with that symbol—Vice Admiral Tsuru's ship.
Just as Kaito approached the vessel, ready to board, he spotted Gion leaning over the railing, waving at him.
It had been a while since their last encounter—ever since that heated verbal duel between them that night. This was the first time they were seeing each other since. Remembering that exchange, Kaito instinctively pursed his lips, which made Modis roll her eyes dramatically.
Today, Gion was wearing the Marine's "Justice" cape, looking especially heroic and commanding. Meanwhile, Kaito—now a Captain—was still miffed that he hadn't received his own cape.
Deciding not to board the ship the normal way, Kaito took to the skies and flew directly onto the deck.
...
As he landed, he glanced around and noticed that the entire deck crew consisted of women. They all turned to look at him curiously.
"Who's that? He's kind of handsome."
"Look at his uniform—he's a Captain!"
"He looks really young... could he be here for someone special?"
"No idea. But didn't Vice Admiral Tsuru issue strict orders that no male Marines were allowed aboard without a good reason?"
Gion lit up the moment she saw Kaito. She quickly walked over in high heels, the clack-clack echoing across the deck. Surrounded by her subordinates, she restrained the urge to hug him and said,
"Well, surprise! I'm the one sending you to your new post!"
"That I didn't expect... but I like it."
"Hehe~"
"Oh, right—is Vice Admiral Tsuru not aboard?"
"My sister stayed behind at Headquarters. This ship is under my command now."
"Haha, then I'll be counting on you, Gion-senpai."
"Well, that depends on how you behave, Kaito-kun~"
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