The moment Kujaku's words fell, two figures emerged from the living room.
It was Vice Admiral Tsuru and Gion.
At the sight of Tsuru, Hancock's mind instantly flashed back to the humiliating memory of being hung out to dry like laundry on a clothesline.
Her usual fearless arrogance deflated significantly.
No matter how proud she was, she wouldn't dare act recklessly in front of this elderly woman who could wash her like a rag.
Hancock snorted, reluctantly hopping down from Orion and smoothing her slightly disheveled clothes, though her eyes still shot a challenging glare at Kujaku.
Seizing the opportunity, Orion immediately looked at Gion and spoke rapidly.
"Gion, didn't you say there were many matters at headquarters that required my decision? Let's go, we'll head to the office now!"
Gion, understanding Orion's intention perfectly, nodded knowingly and replied with a serious expression.
"That's right, Fleet Admiral. There are indeed several urgent matters that need your personal attention."
With that, the two of them hurried off as if dealing with a critical military situation, leaving the Fleet Admiral's residence without a backward glance.
Only Hancock and Kujaku remained, standing face to face, the air crackling with tension.
...
Marine Headquarters building, Fleet Admiral's office.
Only after the heavy door closed behind them, shutting out all the chaos outside, did Orion finally exhale deeply and slump into the spacious Fleet Admiral's chair.
"Nothing beats the peace and quiet of the office."
Compared to women, he still preferred work more!
Gion walked slowly to the desk, her slender fingers lightly brushing over its surface as she casually remarked.
"Fleet Admiral, you have her perfume on you."
Orion's hand stilled, though his expression remained unreadable.
Feigning ignorance, he asked, "What perfume?"
Gion did not answer directly.
Her beautiful eyes quietly gazed at him as she asked instead, "The one from the Flower Chamber?"
She paused, then shifted the topic.
"Have you two... reached that stage already?"
Orion took a sip of water, using the cup to hide his expression, and mumbled vaguely.
"Nothing of the sort."
Then, he decisively changed the subject. "By the way, how are those kids Garp brought back doing lately?"
Seeing his evasion, Gion did not press further.
Instead, she switched to reporting on work, her tone returning to its usual efficiency.
"Among those brats, the one who stands out the most is that green-haired guy, Roronoa Zoro."
"Especially after he learned that the world's greatest swordsman, Hawk-Eye Mihawk, is now our Marineford's chief swordsmanship instructor. That kid has been acting like a madman," Gion's lips curled into a rare smile.
"He gets up before dawn every day and trains until midnight, rising earlier than the training ground's roosters and sleeping later than ghosts. Rear Admiral Noah and Captain Morgan, who are responsible for their training, both say finding faults in him is harder than reaching the heavens."
"Next is Nami."
Gion continued, "Whether she's deliberately opposing Luffy or for some other reason, she now constantly parrots the phrase 'I'm going to be the woman who becomes the Marine Queen.'"
"Moreover, whenever Luffy shouts 'I'm going to be the Pirate King,' Nami immediately rushes over and beats him until he's covered in bumps. Now in the entire recruit camp, the fearless Straw Hat Luffy is only afraid of Nami."
Hearing this, Orion could already picture the scene and couldn't help but smile.
"Ace still doesn't fit in well. During training, he constantly clashes with Noah and Morgan, covered in thorns that no one can touch. On the other hand, the cyborg Franky, who joined last, is very sociable and can chat with anyone. Every day he's either shouting 'Super' or striking various strange poses - he's quite the entertainer."
Orion nodded. "Let Noah and Morgan grind them for another month first."
He then changed the subject and asked, "What about Vinsmoke Judge?"
"The Vinsmoke family is now living in Marineford," Gion reported. "Judge has handed over all the scientific and technological data of the Germa Kingdom to Dr. Vegapunk. At the same time, he's also had his three sons and one daughter join Luffy's training group."
"Sanji seems to have some history with his three brothers and gets mocked frequently during training. However, his sister Reiju is quite protective of him," Gion added.
"A few days ago, that kid named Yonji went a bit too hard during sparring, so Luffy and Zoro teamed up and beat him up. He ran to Judge with a bruised and swollen face to complain, but nothing came of it in the end."
Orion wasn't surprised by this and continued asking, "What about those two kids from the Revolutionary Army?"
"Sabo still hasn't recovered his memories and doesn't recognize Ace and Luffy. But Ace and Luffy always go to play with him after training, and Sabo doesn't reject them. Also, Koala gets along very well with Nami and Nojiko - the three girls often gather together."
Orion nodded, then stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the orderly Marine headquarters below.
"In one month, I plan to personally take them out to sea for practical training."
After saying this, Orion narrowed his eyes.
Simply throwing Luffy into Marineford for training definitely wouldn't be enough to change his dream of becoming the Pirate King.
So he had to take Luffy out to sea and let him see with his own eyes what pirates actually do on the ocean!
If even this couldn't change Luffy, then he would have to eliminate him in the cradle to prevent unnecessary trouble when this guy's Nika awakening occurred someday in the future.
...
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
The training ground at Marineford was filled with swirling dust.
Luffy, Ace, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Franky, Nami, Nojiko, Brook, along with the four Vinsmoke siblings—Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, and Reiju—as well as Sabo and Koala from the Revolutionary Army, stood in a rigid, slightly peculiar formation.
After more than a month of grueling training, the youthful carelessness and laxity had faded from each of them, replaced by the efficiency and resolve of soldiers.
Orion entered the training ground accompanied by Gion, Noah, and Morgan.
Instantly, all eyes focused on him—filled with awe, curiosity, and a hint of barely concealed anticipation.
Orion's gaze swept over the young, energetic faces before he spoke calmly.
"This past month, your training has been arduous. I have witnessed your progress."
"As a reward, I have decided…"
He paused slightly, watching as everyone held their breath, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"…to personally take you on a journey around the world."
For a moment, the training ground fell into dead silence.
Then, chaos erupted!
"Woo-hoo! Setting sail! We're going to sea!" Luffy was the first to leap up, dancing with excitement.
Though less exaggerated, Zoro tightened his grip on his sword hilt, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
Ace, Brook, and Franky also wore expressions of excitement and anticipation.
Meanwhile, Usopp and Chopper, the two clowns of the group, clung to each other, sobbing uncontrollably, their voices brimming with the joy of having survived an ordeal.
"Waaah… We're finally free! The hellish training is finally over!"
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