Chief Commander's Office – World Government Headquarters
In the grand office of the Chief Commander, sunlight filtered through tall windows, casting warm light across the polished desk where an older man sat, flipping through a freshly printed newsletter. Kong, the towering and burly Chief Commander of the World Government, wore a rare smile on his usually stern face.
His eyes were locked on the headline: *"Young Marine Rising Star! Monkey D. Zino Promoted to Lieutenant After Defeating Two Corrupt Captains!"*
"Hmph," Kong chuckled softly to himself. "Morgan and Kuro, taken down by that brat. Not bad."
He leaned back in his chair, the old leather creaking under his weight. Setting the paper aside, he folded his arms and muttered thoughtfully, "Captain Sambadi mentioned he's heading toward the Grand Line… but at this pace, he's clearly stalling. Is he forming his own crew? Recruiting talents before entering the storm?" Kong's eyes narrowed slightly. "He's just like his brother… never one to follow the usual path."
Just then, the transponder snail on his desk began to ring.
Puru puru puru... Puru puru puru... Kacha!
"Hello. Who is this?" Kong answered with casual ease.
"It's me, Father," came a familiar voice, slightly roughened and tired—Goki, Kong's son and Zino's father.
"Well, if it isn't my elusive son," Kong said with a grin. "You rarely call. Let me guess—you saw the news?"
"I did," Goki replied bluntly. "Zino's promotion to Lieutenant. Rather sudden, don't you think?"
Kong chuckled, clearly amused. "Sudden? The boy took down two corrupt Marine captains. He deserves it."
Goki sighed. "Come on, Father. You really expect me to believe the promotion happened without a little... nudge from your end?"
Kong didn't reply immediately. He looked out the window, watching seagulls soar over the distant ocean horizon. "You think I handed it to him? No, Goki. I gave a recommendation. The rest was up to him. And he delivered."
"It's still too fast," Goki insisted. "He's only been active for a few weeks. Just give him some more times before giving more promotion. Besides, Lieutenant rank is not that easy to reach. Many worked years before being able to reach it."
"You know as well as I do that time served different meaning of progress to each person. It can be shortened if one is a prodigy." Kong said firmly. "This is especially true to our Zino. Can you see, he delivered his performance by beating two corrupts Captain. So, he deserved the rank."
Goki was silent for a long moment, unable to refute his father's words. As much as he wanted to push back, the truth was undeniable—Zino had defeated two Captain-level Marines, and not just anyone, but notorious names like Morgan and Kuro. That wasn't something just any recruit could do.
He exhaled slowly. "Still… it'll be hectic if *she* hears about this."
Kong raised an eyebrow, already guessing who he meant. "She? Oh, your wife…" His voice trailed off with a half-hearted chuckle. "Yeah, that's your problem. I'll leave her to you."
"But Father," Goki protested, his voice tightening. "You're the one who dragged Zino into the Navy early. Don't pretend like you had no hand in this."
"Haha… Goki, I'd love to stay and argue, but—ah, would you look at the time? I've got a stack of reports to deal with. Let's catch up later."
"Wait, don't you dare hang up on me—!"
Kacha!
The line went dead.
Kong leaned back in his chair with a long sigh. "Phew. Sorry, Goki. I know it wasn't easy. But it's not like I wanted Zino to be popular… That brat went out on his own with Garp, chasing glory. What was I supposed to do—stop him?"
His voice softened as he looked down at an old framed photo on his desk. It showed a younger Kong standing with Goki and two children—Yohan and Zino—smiling under the sun.
Kong's expression darkened with a touch of sorrow.
Goki had two sons. The first, Yohan, had been full of promise. Bright, disciplined, and already showing great potential by the time he came of age. Kong had taken Yohan under his wing and brought him into the Marines, proud to mold his grandson into a future leader.
Yohan's talents didn't go unnoticed. Before long, he was scouted and transferred to the Cipher Pol, the government's secretive intelligence agency. It had seemed like an honor—proof of Yohan's exceptional skill. But then came the fateful mission.
A classified operation. An elite squad sent deep into hostile territory.
Yohan never returned.
The official report was vague. "Killed in action," it said. "Mission compromised." No further details. Kong had tried to pry into it but was met with silence, red tape, and dead ends.
The loss shattered the family—especially Zino's mother. So, when Kong expressed that he want Zino to join the navy, she pleaded stubbornly not to take her second son into the same world that claimed her first son, Yohan.
But Kong, still grieving yet determined, refused to watch his legacy end in sorrow.
He saw something different in Zino; less controlled than Yohan, more reckless, wild… but alive with that same burning spirit. And so, with great effort, he convinced the mother, and took the boy to train under him, to follow the path once meant for his older brother.
Zino's mother never truly forgave Kong for it. And maybe, deep down, Kong hadn't forgiven himself either.
From the age of twelve, Zino had been under the direct guidance of his grandfather, Kong. Recognizing the boy's untamed spirit and raw potential, Kong personally began training him in the *Rokushiki* techniques, determined to mold him into a capable warrior. It was a strict regimen—harsh, demanding, but effective. Under Kong's supervision, Zino grew stronger with each passing year, slowly mastering the foundations of advanced combat.
By the time Zino turned fifteen, a chance conversation changed everything. He had overheard Kong speaking quietly to a fellow officer about his older brother, Yohan—a prodigy who had once shown even greater promise than Zino. Yohan had been recruited into *Cipher Pol 0*, the highest and most secretive echelon of government intelligence. But instead of admiration, the tone in Kong's voice had been heavy with regret.
That night, Zino couldn't sleep.
From that moment on, a fire was lit in his heart. He wanted to walk the same path, prove he was just as worthy—if not more. He began pestering Kong endlessly to let him take on real missions, to allow him to serve in the Marines officially. But Kong was firm in his refusal. The memory of Yohan's mysterious death still haunted him. He couldn't bear the thought of losing another grandson the same way.
But Zino was relentless.
Finally, when the boy turned seventeen, Kong gave in—but only partially. Instead of allowing Zino to go out alone, he arranged for him to travel with Vice Admiral Garp, hoping the eccentric but powerful Marine would keep the boy in check. When Zino received the news, he was overjoyed. He thanked his grandfather profusely, unaware of the storm of worry still hidden behind Kong's stern expression.
"I'll go, but I'll be careful," he promised.
But Zino was far more reckless than even Kong had expected.
The very day Garp reached Fusha Village on Dawn Island, Zino slipped away and joined a local Marine vessel as a trainee—without informing any of his family. That ship and its crew soon went missing, vanishing without a trace for more than a week.
Kong had nearly lost his mind.
For days, he scoured every report, called in every favor, and prepared himself for the worst—that he had made the same mistake twice. That both of his grandsons were now gone.
But then… news came.
Zino was not only alive, but thriving. He had survived a deadly encounter and played a pivotal role in uncovering corruption within the Marine ranks.
Kong sat alone in his office that night, holding the report with trembling hands. He sighed and muttered to himself, "Maybe… this is their fate. The path of my grandsons… is not to be sheltered, but to shine out there in the world."
From that day on, he quietly began to support Zino's career, nudging things from the shadows while pretending to stay uninvolved.
…
On the other end of the line, Goki sat with the transponder snail still in his hand, a deep sigh escaping his lips.
"He hung up on me again," he muttered.
He tried to call back, but as expected, Kong didn't answer.
Looking out the window into the quiet night, Goki could only whisper to himself, "Hopefully… she hasn't seen the news yet. If she has…"
He paused, troubled.
"She might act recklessly again."
...
Somewhere in South Blue, in a quiet seaside town, a woman sat on the veranda of her home. A gentle breeze carried the scent of salt and flowers, and she sipped her tea calmly, enjoying a rare peaceful moment.
Just then, the familiar flutter of wings reached her ears.
A News Coo landed gracefully on the fence post, dropping off a folded newspaper before flying off with a soft coo. The woman placed her cup down and picked up the paper, casually flipping through the pages.
She skimmed the headlines: pirate activity, bounty updates, Grand Line rumors... and then her eyes stopped.
Her fingers froze. Her breath caught.
*~ Monkey D. Zino Promoted to Lieutenant After Capturing Two Corrupt Marine Captains ~*
Her hands trembled slightly.
"…Zino?" she whispered. "My son?"
Her voice rose in alarm as her eyes darted back to the article. "Lieutenant? Since when?!"
Frowning deeply, she snatched up her transponder snail and immediately dialed a familiar number.
"Come on… pick up!" she muttered.
But the line didn't connect.
She waited. Tried again. Then again. Still no response.
Her expression darkened. "Dammit! That old man ignoring my calls. Is he avoiding me on purpose?"
Slamming the receiver down, she quickly dialed another number. This time, the call connected.
A nervous voice answered. "G-Good afternoon, honey. Is there… something you needed?"
"Goki! Where. Is. Zino?"
There was a beat of silence.
"Ah. Zino? He's with Father. Everything's fine."
"Don't lie to me! I saw the news. The boy is already out at sea—and now he's a Lieutenant?! Why wasn't I told?!"
"C-Calm down, honey. I can explain—"
"You better have a *damn good* explanation!"
Goki sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This was exactly what he had been dreading after the news was out.
"Alright, alright," he said, voice low. "Zino… ever since he learned about Yohan—about how his brother once joined Cipher Pol—he's been obsessed with proving himself. He begged Father to train him harder, to let him go on missions, to show the world what he's capable of."
"He was a *boy*, Goki! Just a child!" she snapped, her voice cracking. "We already lost Yohan, and now you both let Zino go down the same path?"
"I didn't let him go. Father did," Goki said defensively. "He trained Zino himself, and eventually let him out"
"Didn't your old man refuses to let him out before he completed his training?"
"He said that," Goki admitted. "But apparently, Zino *did* finish. Father tested him, and… he passed. He's capable—stronger than most recruits. That's why he got sent out. Besides, he is with Vice Admiral Garp. So, he should be safe."
"Don't give me that!" she snapped. "*Safe*, you say? With Garp? I don't trust that reckless old fool. And I trust your father even less. Both of them would throw the boy into a storm if they thought it would 'toughen him up.'"
Goki didn't respond. He couldn't.
Her words grew colder. "And don't think I missed it. Garp's name wasn't even mentioned in the article. Not once. All it said was that Zino took down Captain Morgan and Captain Kuro—*alone.* That means he's no longer just tagging along behind Garp. He's out there… on his own."