"This is the Governor's wife of the Yadis Kingdom!"
The moment those words fell, a flush of anger crept across Gion's face, mixed with unmistakable shame.
That bastard Darren—doing something so indecent inside a Marine base.
For Gion, who had grown up at Marine Headquarters and was raised under Vice Admiral Tsuru's doctrine of pure justice, this was utterly unacceptable.
Not to mention, this trip from Headquarters also carried the responsibility of inspection and supervision.
If news of this got out, how disastrous would the impact be on the Marines' reputation!?
And beyond that, the political fallout it could cause…
That bastard Darren—he was a stain on justice itself! A complete scoundrel!
Yet the instigator himself looked completely unfazed.
Darren rose slowly, a charming smile appearing on his face.
"Oh? So it's Major Gion and Lieutenant Commander Kaji, all the way from Marine Headquarters. You must be exhausted from the journey."
A cigar hung loosely from his lips as he extended his hand with effortless confidence.
"Welcome to North Blue Branch 321."
Gion stared at him coldly, making no move to shake his hand.
Unbothered, Darren shrugged, withdrew his hand, pulled out another cigar, and casually offered it to Kaji, who was peeking around beside her.
"Lieutenant Commander Kaji, I've heard a lot about you. A pleasure to finally meet you."
Kaji's eyes lit up the instant he saw the cigar.
The embossed patterns clearly marked it as a high-end cigar reserved for nobles.
He instinctively reached out—but the moment he felt Gion's blazing glare, he hurriedly pulled his hand back, coughing awkwardly.
"Uh… Darren… is that woman really the Governor's wife of the Yadis Kingdom?"
Kaji whispered.
Darren merely smiled.
Kaji sucked in a sharp breath.
You beast…
He cursed inwardly.
He had seen Mrs. Margaret before—mature, elegant, brimming with charm—and yet this guy had actually gotten his hands on her!?
Damn it! I'm clearly better-looking—why don't I ever get this kind of luck!?
More importantly—
She was the Governor's wife!
Just thinking about that身份—
Ahem. Ahem.
Grinding his teeth, Kaji said stiffly:
"Colonel Darren, your behavior is… inappropriate."
The sour tone was impossible to miss.
Gion shot Kaji a glare, then turned toward the woman hiding beneath the blankets and bowed deeply.
"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Margaret. This incident is a grave dereliction of duty on the part of the Marines."
"I am Major Gion, a member of the inspection team from Marine Headquarters. Please rest assured—Colonel Darren's misconduct will be thoroughly investigated, and he will be punished with absolute severity."
As she spoke, Gion made a silent vow.
She would report everything to Headquarters.
There must never be room in the Marines for someone like Darren.
Mrs. Margaret cautiously peeked out from under the blanket. She glanced at Darren standing there with a cigar, a trace of shyness flashing in her alluring eyes.
"That… Major Gion…"
Her voice was soft.
"I… I was willing."
"I truly… like Colonel Darren."
Gion froze.
Kaji went completely slack-jawed.
They had assumed Darren had used his authority to coerce her.
But instead—
This was entirely voluntary!?
Wait.
Both of them suddenly recalled the official ship docked at the port.
This… this wasn't coercion—
This was delivered straight to his doorstep!?
"Alright," Darren said calmly, smiling.
"Let's not disturb this beautiful lady's rest any further."
He put on a fresh Marine uniform, draped a broad cloak over his shoulders, and gestured toward the door.
"Let's head to the office and discuss official matters. This way, please."
---
Branch 321 — Base Commander's Office
A massive plaque hung on the gray-white wall, bearing two bold characters written in flowing, vigorous script:
JUSTICE
Darren sat down unceremoniously in the main seat, lit a cigar, and spoke:
"Major Gion, Lieutenant Commander Kaji—tell me some good news."
"Has my letter of appointment arrived?"
As he spoke, he casually sized up the two people before him.
This was the first time he had seen these two future Admiral candidates since transmigrating.
Gion was tall, her long legs slender and flawless, without a hint of excess fat.
Her black hair was tied into a high ponytail, paired with a wide Marine cloak. Her dark eyes were bright and resolute, giving her a valiant, heroic air.
The beauty mark at the corner of her mouth added a subtle charm.
Unlike her anime portrayal, however, Gion was only around eighteen or nineteen at this time—young, inexperienced, yet already showing the beginnings of her allure.
As for Kaji…
Messy.
He stood there with a cigarette in his mouth, hands in his pockets, eyes darting around—especially toward the cigars on the table. No matter how you looked at him, he came off as somewhat lewd.
Though barely twenty, he somehow carried the weary air of a forty-year-old man, aging far too early.
Young second-generation officers…
Darren felt a trace of emotion.
Kaji's background was relatively ordinary.
But Gion?
She was the real deal.
Not only was her talent astonishing, her backing was terrifying.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, Chief of Staff at Marine Headquarters, treated her like a younger sister.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku doted on her openly.
Even Monkey D. Garp, the "Hero of the Marines," affectionately called her Little Garp.
Comparisons were painful.
He had clawed his way to Colonel through blood and grit, while Gion began her first field assignment already holding the rank of Major.
And anyone could tell—this so-called "inspection mission" was nothing more than a chance for Gion and Kaji to gain experience and polish their records.
Once their term ended, they would return to Headquarters, enter Zephyr's Marine Training Camp, and after graduation, step straight into the Marines' core power structure.
Enviable, really.
Still, it was obvious that the two of them were young—full of pride, idealism, and innocence.
Perfectly normal.
Hearing Darren's words, Gion snorted coldly and pulled out a document.
"Congratulations, Colonel Darren."
"From this moment onward, you are officially the highest-ranking Marine officer in charge of all military affairs in North Blue."
Darren took the appointment letter and read it carefully.
---
Letter of Appointment
Effective immediately, Rogers Darren, Base Commander of North Blue Branch 321 and Marine Colonel, is appointed the highest-ranking officer overseeing all Marine military affairs in North Blue.
---
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
In truth, the letter changed little—North Blue was already under his control.
But aside from Garp, who didn't like holding a higher position?
More importantly, this title made many things far more convenient.
"Thank you both," Darren said with a hearty laugh.
"How long will you be staying in North Blue?"
Gion replied coolly:
"At least three months. At most, half a year. It depends on the progress of the inspection."
"During this period, for confidentiality reasons, our identities as inspectors will remain classified. Officially, Lieutenant Commander Kaji and I will serve as your adjutants."
Darren smiled.
"No problem. Then I'll be relying on your guidance, Gion."
At this point in time, the Marine Training Camp had not yet taken its later large-scale form. Instead, it selected elite officers from the Grand Line and the Four Blues.
The inspection system existed precisely for this purpose.
As long as he passed, Darren would head to Marine Headquarters, train under 'Black Arm' Zephyr, learn the Six Powers, and even Haki.
That was the path to true strength—and political ascent.
Darren turned to Kaji and handed him another cigar.
"Then I'll be relying on you as well, Kaji."
Kaji stared at the gold-embossed cigar.
Even at Marine Headquarters, he'd never smoked something this high-grade.
His current cigarette suddenly tasted like ash.
"Uh… Gion…"
He looked at her pleadingly.
Gion rolled her eyes.
"Go ahead. Smoke it."
"Yes!"
Kaji lit it eagerly, inhaling with blissful satisfaction.
Just then, Gion spoke coldly:
"Colonel Darren, you still owe us an explanation for what happened earlier."
"Even if Mrs. Margaret was willing, your actions damage Marine discipline and morale."
"And given her status as the Governor's wife of the Yadis Kingdom, this could escalate into a serious diplomatic incident."
Kaji perked up immediately, watching Darren with schadenfreude.
Let's see how you talk your way out of this.
Under Vice Admiral Tsuru's influence, Gion tolerated no impurity in justice.
Let's see you stay arrogant now.
And smoking such a good cigar, too…
…Though to be fair, it is excellent.
"Gion," Darren said innocently,
"isn't the answer obvious?"
"I'm caring for the people."
"It's military–civilian cooperation."
"Cough—cough—cough!!"
Kaji nearly choked to death, his face turning bright red.
He stared at Darren in shock.
Ca-caring for the people?
Mi-military–civilian cooperation?
This…
This…
This actually sounds… reasonable!?
Why didn't I think of such a perfect excuse—no, such a perfect justification before!?