As time passed, the events that had taken place at Marine Headquarters in Marineford gradually began to spread.
Meanwhile, Oms, who had long served as the officer responsible for reporting matters at Marine Headquarters, had already submitted a complete report of the incident.
After receiving it, the newly promoted Spandine immediately took out the Den Den Mushi he used to contact Rowan.
"Do you have any idea what what you've done represents?!"
"The news has already reached me! This concerns a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral who commands a New World base. Even I can't cover something like this up, you idiot!"
"Rowan, you should know that everything you have today was given to you by the World Government!"
"Which means you should understand even better what your actions say about your loyalties! What does the Seven Warlords system have to do with us? Do those trash-like pirates really dare attack us?"
"What does it matter if a few more commoners die? Have you lost your mind? Don't you want to make money anymore?!"
The Den Den Mushi perfectly mimicked Spandine's furious expression.
After all, this affected his income.
More importantly, Rowan was the person he had personally recommended to enter Marine Headquarters. Nearly every promotion Rowan had received had involved Spandine lobbying on his behalf within the World Government.
Now that this long-time partner had done something so outrageous, Spandine was already tied to him politically.
There was no way for him to distance himself now.
Rowan held the receiver farther away until Spandine had finished venting.
Only then did he calmly ask,
"So... do you think anything I did actually changed the outcome?"
Spandine snorted.
"Who do you think you are? The Revolutionary Army's Cloaked Man?"
"Even that guy is nothing more than a rat hiding in the sewers now. He doesn't even dare show his face."
"No one can change a decision made by the World Government."
"Not the Marines, and certainly not those rats."
Rowan's expression turned slightly strange.
Still, he continued according to plan.
"No one can stop the Seven Warlords system from being implemented."
"Since that's the case, the higher-ups don't actually care about what I did."
"What they care about... is my attitude."
"I'm one of the World Government's people."
"The moment I entered Marine Headquarters, I was branded as belonging to the World Government."
"Wasn't I?"
The Den Den Mushi fell silent for a moment.
When Spandine spoke again, his tone had noticeably calmed.
"So what exactly are you trying to accomplish?"
Rowan replied,
"After being labeled as one of the World Government's men, my reputation in Marineford became terrible."
"With that kind of reputation, there was no way for me to climb any higher."
"Even the higher-ups have to consider public prestige."
Spandine asked in a deep voice,
"Admiral Candidate?"
"That position isn't difficult."
"Your strength is already sufficient."
"G-5 has developed steadily over the past two years, and you've earned more than enough merit..."
Rowan interrupted him.
"But Admiral Candidate isn't what I'm aiming for."
"Admiral or even Fleet Admiral someday."
"Neither is impossible, is it?"
"A gesture that the higher-ups don't actually care about has completely reversed my reputation within the Marines."
"Once I have prestige, every future promotion will be much easier and in the end the higher-ups will gain a Marine who faithfully carries out the World Government's justice."
Spandine was stunned.
Just a few years ago, Rowan had been nothing more than a junior officer at a small Marine branch in the West Blue.
Now he was already setting his sights on the position of Fleet Admiral.
Such ambition yet it was exactly the sort of ambition the people above appreciated.
After all, they believed power was something they bestowed.
To them, the entire world was nothing more than a chessboard.
A mere Fleet Admiral as long as he obeyed was nothing more than a bone thrown to a loyal hunting dog.
"You really dream big, Rowan."
Spandine sighed through the Den Den Mushi.
Rowan smiled faintly.
"The old 'Marine scum' Rowan could never become an Admiral, much less Fleet Admiral."
"Even if he were promoted, no one would truly accept him."
"But Marine hero Rowan in the future, he'll be qualified to occupy any position and he'll still be a loyal hunting dog."
A loyal hunting dog.
Those were Rowan's own words.
And Spandine clearly understood exactly what they implied.
To openly call himself a loyal hound, and without having awakened Conqueror's Haki, a person like that could only be seen as someone whose conviction was to climb higher by any means necessary.
For the first time, Spandine felt a trace of fear toward this partner of his.
After all, Rowan's rate of promotion had surpassed his own by who knew how many times.
But that was the Marines.
The World Government's strongest military force across the seas, something even Cipher Pol couldn't compare to.
If Rowan really became Fleet Admiral one day wouldn't that make Spandine something like half a Fleet Admiral himself?
"Gulp..."
The Den Den Mushi vividly mimicked the sound of swallowing.
Rowan smiled.
It was obvious his bait had hooked Spandine the moment the man started weighing the gains and losses.
"Don't make any moves for now wait for my message."
"You just need to remember what you said a moment ago."
"I'll handle everything else."
"Of course."
"We're on the same side, aren't we?"
"If something like this ever happens again, tell me beforehand!"
"You nearly scared me to death this time, you bastard! I just got promoted!"
Click.
The call ended.
Spandine immediately began thinking about how he was going to explain everything to his superiors.
Rowan, meanwhile, finally let out a sigh of relief after setting down the Den Den Mushi.
Whether he was branded as a Marine hero or had his old reputation as the "Marine scum" erased none of that truly mattered to him.
What mattered from beginning to end was deepening the Marines' resentment toward the World Government and beyond that securing the position of Admiral a few years from now or eventually Fleet Admiral.
A week later, Tashigi and Smoker had already returned to G-5.
The uproar at Marine Headquarters had gradually been reframed as an act of resistance.
Through the various Marine branches, Sengoku had deliberately allowed the story to spread throughout the entire organization.
Soon afterward, ordinary civilians would hear about it as well.
Thus the title of "Marine Scum" that had followed Rowan for years quietly disappeared.
In its place, stories of his courage spread throughout the Marines.
As for a new epithet it was still being decided.
A full week passed, yet Spandine still hadn't contacted him.
Rowan understood exactly why.
The power of the Marines was certainly tempting to Spandine.
But to the five old men who stood at the pinnacle of power it wasn't tempting enough.
What they wanted was an absolutely obedient Marine.
They didn't care in the slightest that the Marines opposed the Seven Warlords system.
What they cared about was Rowan's true attitude.
Was he really a loyal hound?
Or did he have ulterior motives?
If it was merely ambition they would welcome it.
But Sengoku's decision to spread news of the incident throughout the Marines had also shown them another consequence.
It would only deepen the Marines' dissatisfaction with the World Government.
Although that dissatisfaction had always existed and up until now it had never amounted to anything.
"After making such a scene Sengoku still hasn't summoned you."
"You know why, don't you?"
Zephyr looked at Rowan, who had already been discharged from the hospital.
Although the bandages were still wrapped around Rowan's arms, Zephyr could tell at a glance that the wounds underneath had already healed completely.
Inside the residence assigned to Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals, Rowan smiled.
"The decision from Mary Geoise hasn't come down yet."
"So naturally, it isn't time for them to put me in my place."
"Through carefully guided word of mouth, everyone in the Marines now knows what happened at Headquarters."
"And besides me Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru have also been portrayed as figures silently enduring humiliation."
"They endure the disgrace brought by the Seven Warlords system..."
"While bearing the responsibility of fighting pirates and protecting the people of the seas."
"That is the Fleet Admiral's duty and it's the Marines' duty as well."
Rowan grinned.
"What do you think of that speech, Teacher?"
Zephyr understood exactly what Rowan was implying.
Letting out a long breath, he lowered his head and looked at his own hands.
The formidable Armament Haki that had once earned him the title Black Arm Zephyr had steadily weakened over the years.
The justice of never killing, which he had once upheld so firmly, had long since been shattered.
More importantly he still hadn't found a new conviction or perhaps the state of the world simply made it impossible for him to find one.
His wife and son had been murdered by pirates.
That tragedy had shaken his belief in non-lethal justice to its core.
He still hated pirates.
Yet Eradicating every pirate from the seas wasn't what the World Government wanted.
Now they had gone even further by establishing the Seven Warlords of the Sea system.
Zephyr's will had already been worn down.
The level of his Armament and Observation Haki had long since fallen far below what was expected of one of the Marines' greatest military powers.
"Sengoku has his own considerations and he has the justice he has always believed in."
"Even though he hates pirates just as much as I do..."
"I also know that his choice isn't wrong."
That was Zephyr's answer.
Rowan agreed as well.
After learning part of the strength hidden within Mary Geoise, he understood that Sengoku's approach was the only one that allowed the majority of people to survive.
A slow decline was still better than provoking a purge that could destroy the entire world.
That was how Sengoku and the others saw it.
Zephyr let out a long breath before raising his head to look Rowan straight in the eye.
"The truth is I've realized I've never really understood you."
"Was changing your reputation so you could climb even higher your goal all along?"
Rowan's gaze sharpened.
"If you're nothing more than an ordinary soldier then no matter how strong you become, you'll never be able to influence the course of the world."
"Only by becoming part of the Marine leadership and by standing close enough to the World Government can you truly change anything."
Looking at Rowan, waves stirred within Zephyr's heart.
Change something.
Yes.
Back when he, Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru were the outstanding young Marines of their generation, they had sailed the seas eliminating pirates.
Back then they had all wanted to change the world.
But as their positions rose and their strength increased they began seeing truths they had never known before.
With age, the recklessness of youth gradually gave way to caution.
Although Zephyr still believed the young man before him would ultimately fail...
Perhaps he really could bring some new change to the Marines.
"Then go and do it."
Zephyr stood up.
"I'll continue serving as the chief instructor of the Marine Academy."
"I'll keep nurturing the next generation of Marines and I'll watch you."
"I want to see what kind of change you'll bring to the Marines."
"Don't mock Sengoku and the others for the choices they've made."
"When you someday stand where they stand you'll understand what they truly meant by enduring humiliation for the greater good."
After saying that, Zephyr turned to leave.
But after taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back.
"The bubble bath house and the cabaret in Water 7 the owners are both former students of mine."
"They're not exactly respectable businesses, but everything there is consensual."
"After all, plenty of people drift there with nowhere else to go."
"So I know every single one of your spending records at those places."
"I cleaned them up for you a long time ago."
"If I hadn't did you really think a bit of self-slander would've been enough to establish your reputation as the Marines' disgrace?"
(0_0)
Watching Zephyr leave, Rowan blinked several times.
That last remark was clearly payback for Rowan teasing him earlier.
A long time ago?
Just how long ago?
None of these old veterans could be underestimated.
Even Zephyr, who later lost his way in the movie timeline, had never been a fool.
During all those years at the Marine Academy, Zephyr had spent far more time with Rowan than Sengoku or Tsuru ever had.
He understood Rowan better than either of them.
Meanwhile...
The insignificant little farce that had occurred at Marine Headquarters finally reached the Hall of Authority.
Yes.
Even a protest by Marine Headquarters against the World Government's Seven Warlords system was nothing more than a trivial matter in the eyes of Mary Geoise.
Unless Sengoku led the entire Marine Headquarters in openly declaring war against the World Government.
Something like this amounted to little more than one or two hundred insects losing their minds and trying to change the gods' decision.
It had no real significance.
"The Marine who has now been praised throughout Headquarters as a heroic figure..."
"Was originally recommended to Marine Headquarters by one of CP0's captains."
"Everything in his past proves that he has always been obedient."
Saint Mars placed the report on the table.
"And this incident happened because his previous ties with CP0 ruined his reputation within the Marines."
"He had no room left to rise any further."
Saint Saturn spoke up.
"He was also involved in the investigation of Wano, wasn't he?"
"The recommendation came from the CP agent Spandine."
"Back during the Germa incident in the North Blue..."
"That Marine saved Spandine's life."
Saint Warcury narrowed his eyes.
"A loyal hound that wants to eat meat is a hound that serves its master better."
"He wants to climb even higher."
"That's why he staged this incident."
Saint Nusjuro continued resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"A dog should know its place."
"A dog that acts on its own initiative may not be a loyal hound at all."
"Even if that's what he calls himself."
Saint Peter shook his head.
"The more ambitious people there are, the better it is for us."
"He was branded as a loyal hound from the very beginning."
"What matters isn't his ambition."
"What matters is whether, after being rewarded, he remains obedient or loses his head and starts doing something else."
Saint Nusjuro looked toward him.
"The incident he caused has also made the Marines even more dissatisfied with the World Government."
Saint Peter replied,
"And if this incident had never happened would those insects have obediently remained our dogs?"
"Sengoku."
"Garp."
"Zephyr."
"And even the future three greatest military powers of the Marines."
"Even Sakazuki, whose sense of justice aligns most closely with ours is still arrogant and difficult to control."
Before Saint Nusjuro could respond, Saint Saturn spoke.
"Rather than choosing someone from among the Marines' own people to command the Marines..."
"Why not give this self-proclaimed loyal hound, Rowan, a chance?"
Saint Mars looked up.
"Ambition to climb higher is a good thing."
"As long as we keep feeding him he'll obediently carry out our will."
"That, too, is the mark of a loyal hound."
Saint Warcury nodded in agreement.
"The Marines' attitude alone doesn't matter."
"Their so-called justice has never been the World Government's justice."
"If he continues to prove himself a loyal hound in the future..."
"Then choosing the next Fleet Admiral will become very simple."
Saint Nusjuro frowned slightly.
But he raised no further objections.
The five Elders existed precisely so that, when opinions differed, a decision could be reached quickly.
Even so he still believed that the man who called himself a loyal hound would never become a truly obedient dog.
But that wasn't important.
This was merely an insignificant discussion.
Whether the decision proved right or wrong none of them particularly cared.
----------
Advance Chapters: patreon .com/OneFic