The official notification document from Marine Headquarters clearly stated in black and white:
Hyaku has been promoted to Marine Captain!
Before this, he had considered the possibility of a promotion in rank and position. After all, he had captured a rebellious Warlord, plus had Garp's strong recommendation. A promotion was certain.
But who would have thought he'd be promoted directly from a rankless new recruit to Captain, the the sixth highest rank in the Marines! That's jumping several major ranks!
'Part of the reason must be that Marine Headquarters wants to demonstrate their strength…' Hyaku pondered to himself.
Making him famous in such a grand way was like sending a message to all pirates: Even a random new Marine recruit can defeat a Warlord-level pirate!
The Marines are full of talented individuals and fear no challenge from any pirate!
Of course, this was just Hyaku's own speculation. The true reason was probably only known to the higher-ups.
With his new position as Captain, he didn't even need to explain himself. He directly ordered the Marines stationed on Jaya to take all captured pirates back to prison. They would be sent to headquarters to await judgment.
Since the three of them hadn't obtained the information they wanted, they naturally didn't linger on Jaya. The trio returned to their battleship along the same route.
"Captain Hyaku! You're incredible!"
"Rising from a new recruit to Captain in such a short time. There must be very few cases like this in Marine history!"
Along the way, Coby and Helmeppo kept flattering him. Both were grateful they had made the choice to follow him.
"You two aren't this enthusiastic about training, but you're quite diligent with the flattery." Hyaku said with a smile, giving them a sideways glance.
The three chatted and laughed their way back to the battleship.
"Report, sir! These documents just arrived from the Marines. And a package." As soon as they returned to the battleship, a Marine soldier quickly approached, handing over a document and package.
Hyaku immediately opened the document.
It was his official appointment certificate from Marine Headquarters. It hadn't reached him earlier simply because he had been away.
After securing the document, Hyaku opened the package. Inside was a white Marine coat.
He picked up the coat, turned it over, and put it on. It was the standard uniform for officers of rank and above. On the back were the signature characters for "Justice" (正義).
These uniforms, available only to those of officer rank and above, were usually custom-made. Having likely obtained Hyaku's measurements from Garp, the Marine coat fit perfectly.
"Captain Hyaku! That looks so cool!"
"When will we get to have one too..."
Seeing his imposing figure in the new uniform, Coby and Helmeppo exclaimed in admiration.
"Train hard, and you'll get there soon enough." Hyaku said with a smile.
Wearing this uniform also meant that he was starting to make his mark.
"Yes, sir!" The two responded in unison.
"Let's set sail — we have enough supplies. Next destination: Water 7!" Once everything was ready, Hyaku gave the order.
The battleship set sail once again, heading full speed toward their next destination, Water 7.
✣✣✣✣✣✣✣✣✣✣
Meanwhile, in the Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Fleet Admiral's Office.
Currently, Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the three Admirals — Sakazuki "Akainu", Kuzan "Aokiji", and Borsalino "Kizaru" — were gathered here.
{T/N: These names by which they are known are just aliases given to them, not their real names. Akainu (Red Dog), Aokiji (Blue Pheasant) and Kizaru (Yellow Monkey).}
Looking closer, one could see Hyaku's photograph and his achievement reports on Sengoku's desk.
"Isn't it a bit hasty to promote a newcomer so quickly?" Akainu suddenly asked the Fleet Admiral, "According to the report from 188th Branch, this Hyaku... has no traceable past."
Before promoting Hyaku, headquarters had requested his personal information from 188th Branch.
Strangely, the Marine Branch's records only showed information after Hyaku joined the Marines. His previous history was marked simply as 'unknown'.
This concerned Akainu greatly.
"Akainu, you're being overly cautious." Sengoku said with a smile, "He's personally recommended by Garp. Do you think Garp lacks such basic judgment?"
"You should know Crocodile's true intentions in seizing Arabasta's throne. Don't forget, Hyaku is now heading to Water 7. That place has always been rumored to house that thing." Akainu added.
Clearly, everyone present knew about the rumors of Pluton's blueprints being hidden in Water 7.
Hyaku had first defeated Crocodile in Arabasta, then immediately took leave to head to Water 7. This couldn't help but raise Akainu's suspicions.
The Ancient Weapon Pluton possessed the terrifying power to destroy an island in an instant. Even the Marines coveted it.
In his view, if Hyaku knew about this, the temptation would be hard to resist.
Tap, Tap, Tap—
After Akainu finished speaking, Sengoku fell silent. His fingers drummed continuously on the desk.
After a long while, Kizaru was the first to speak.
"Should I go check it out?" He volunteered.
Given that it concerned the Ancient Weapon Pluton, extra caution was warranted.
After Kizaru spoke, Sengoku didn't immediately respond. He just glanced at the three Admirals, weighing the pros and cons.
"Alright! You can go." He finally decided after much consideration, "But remember, don't reveal yourself until you're certain. I don't want Garp coming after me later."
"Mm." Kizaru acknowledged.
Then, he left the room, heading for Water 7.
"Garp, I hope your eyes haven't failed you in your old age."
After Akainu and Aokiji had also left, Sengoku muttered while gazing at the sky outside.
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Meanwhile.
News of the new Marine Captain Hyaku began spreading far and wide. Reporters dug deep into his achievements.
In less than a month since joining the Marines:
First, he defeated Gem of the Border, alias 'Mr. 5', with a ฿10,000,000 bounty. Then he defeated "The Killer" Daz Bonez, also from the Baroque Works and known as 'Mr. 1', with a ฿75,000,000 bounty.
Subsequently, he defeated and captured former Warlord of the Sea "Desert King" Sir Crocodile, the leader of Baroque Works under the codename 'Mr. 0', who had an ฿81,000,000 bounty.
Recently, he single-handedly raided a pirate hideout, capturing dozens of pirates. Among them was Bellamy "the Hyena", also named the "Big-Time Rookie", with a ฿55,000,000 bounty.
Such an impressive record was enough to make everyone remember Hyaku's name. The news even claimed that he was the most promising super rookie likely to become an Admiral.
And the subject of all this attention, Hyaku, was currently sailing toward Water 7, leisurely practicing his swordsmanship as usual.
✣✣✣
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