Gaspard is a naval officer who appears in "Adventure at the End of Death".
In the original timeline, when Luffy had already set sail, his rank was Rear Admiral of the Marine Headquarters. However, he later defected from the Marines and was known as a despicable person who was a stain on the Marines, with a bounty of 95 million Berries.
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: Taiwan Novel Network → 𝙩𝙬𝙠𝙖𝙣.𝙘𝙤𝙢]
Right now, he's just a new recruit in the Navy, but because he's an ability user, he's highly regarded by the Navy and is currently serving as a serviceman next to that rear admiral.
Not just anyone can be a general's orderly. Bogart started as Garp's orderly and has now risen to the rank of deputy, a position he has held for decades.
Devil Fruits are essentially a form of cheating, and eating one usually results in a qualitative change in one's strength. The Navy has the entire ocean as a source of recruits, and the truly strong individuals have already been trained at headquarters.
Apart from a few top-tier combatants capable of suppressing the seas, what the navy needs are people who can grow rapidly.
As the number of pirates increases, the Navy expands at an accelerated pace, and the requirements for personal integrity gradually decrease.
The major general leading the team left the wounded and some soldiers on Firefly Island, while he led his men to continue the mission.
They couldn't wait here indefinitely; they could let the wounded soldiers return to their units on their own. Gaspardi was one of those left behind.
Judging from the major general's expression, it seems he intends to test the other party. Regardless of what happens in the future, the major general still trusts the other party for now.
"Ginny, come with me, I have something to do tonight."
At this moment, Oran in the royal city summoned Ginny and assigned her a rather strange task.
In summary
Your boss calls your wife away in the middle of the night while you're out on fieldwork, saying there's an important task to carry out.
"What's wrong?"
"Regarding a naval officer, you can help me find out what he's thinking later."
Micro-expressions and body language are not as reliable as mind reading.
There are people who can resist this kind of mind-reading, but Gaspard is definitely not one of them.
"I understand. Speaking of which, Brother Oran, shouldn't Bear Cub be back by now?"
"Normally, he should have just arrived in Loguetown. What, you're already missing him?"
"Actually, I told him I wanted to have a baby, and then Xiong ran away. If I didn't have a baby when he came back, it would seem like I was just talking nonsense. But I wasn't mentally prepared. I heard that childbirth is quite painful."
Although the previous actions were swift, there were still some hiccups at key steps. After all, if Ginny really wanted to drug someone, she should have done it years ago.
However, the bear's personality is like cotton; even if a stranger hits it, the bear will tolerate it, which means Ginny was never "exposed".
"Don't worry about that. It's just a C-section, no different from natural childbirth."
"You still have to make a cut, don't you?"
"It's different. A regular cesarean section involves cutting through the peritoneum, which is why it hurts during recovery. If I come here, I'll have an extraperitoneal cesarean section, which doesn't require cutting through the peritoneum, so the pain is less and the recovery is faster."
Bears' lineage dictates that they cannot allow outsiders to come into contact with their blood or that of their offspring. Bears themselves would avoid this, and they would be even more reluctant to let others handle the doctor's affairs.
"Although I don't quite understand, is extraperitoneal surgery better?"
"Theoretically yes, but it's more expensive and requires a higher level of skill from the doctor. Most people would just cut it open and let the patient heal on their own."
In short, do whatever you want, and I'll clean up the mess for you.
Xiong had no idea that while she was still out on fieldwork, even the child's name and postpartum care had to be arranged.
Even if this matter were to be implemented immediately, it would be a year from now. The current issue is still related to Gaspardi.
As the economy developed, nightlife in Piltover began to flourish. Gaspard was ordered to accompany and care for the wounded sailors, but there were nurses in the hospital, and Gaspard felt that he was not needed at all.
"Jonathan! What kind of prescription did you give? 250 energy packs plus 10 grams of potassium? If you want to go in, don't stop me!"
Amidst the nurse's roars, Gaspard walked out of the hospital, intending to relax.
He didn't notice anything wrong along the way, and everything was normal even when he was sitting in the tavern. But at some point, the people in the tavern began to leave one by one.
When Gaspard came to his senses, even the bar owner was gone.
"Gaspardy, would you like to talk to me?"
[when.]
Oran, who had been sitting at the bar, was now staring blankly at Gaspardi, which made Gaspardi feel a chill run down his spine.
If the other party wanted to kill me, I probably wouldn't even know how I died.
"Don't be so tense. If I wanted to kill you, there would be nothing you could do."
"Dr. Siddirell, aren't you a friend of the Navy?"
"Of course I am, but everyone has their own ideas. I'll be frank: do you want to be a naval hero, Lieutenant Gaspard?"
This was one of Oran's small goals: to create a naval hero, which wasn't difficult to execute.
More important than strength is reputation for a naval hero. As long as the reputation is great enough to boost the morale of the navy, then that person can be a naval hero.
Garp can fight on his own, but Coby can't. Coby wasn't called a Marine hero because he sacrificed himself to deliver that punch.
In the original timeline, he inexplicably cooperated with Blackbeard on Beehive Island to kill Wang Zhi and rescue many civilians, which earned him the title of hero.
Even if Gaspard doesn't grow into a full-fledged general, he'll still reach the level of a major general, which is at least better than Coby at that stage.
If Koby can become a naval hero, then with a little effort, others can too.
"Naval hero, Doctor, you're joking. I certainly don't have that ability."
Before he knew it, Gaspard realized that his collar was soaked, and he seemed to have been inexplicably caught up in some major crisis.
"I say you have it, so you have it. Gaspardy, tell me the truth, why did you join the Navy?"
"For the Navy's justice!"
Gaspard spoke with righteous indignation, but Ginny had already heard everything he was thinking.
"Brother Oran, he's lying. He's after money and fame."
Unseen by Gaspard, Ginny was deciphering his inner thoughts, which were pretty much what Oran had guessed.
Defection to the Navy depends on how it happened. Zephyr left the Navy because the World Government recruited Weevil, who had cut off his arm and killed his student in the original timeline, as a Shichibukai.
Saul's problem stemmed from a lack of acceptance of justice, while Kuzan's was more complex, though this factor also played a role.
Gaspardé, after seizing the warship, defected overseas. Later, while plundering other ports, he discovered the rare steamship "Salamander" and seized it. In the annual death contest held in Hannahbar, he used despicable means to obtain the prize money.
The motives of someone like this joining the Navy are unlikely to be so simple; revenge and justice are completely foreign to them.
He was simply looking to make a profit.
"Power, money, fame."
With each word Oran uttered, Gaspard felt as if a hammer had struck his chest. He realized he had been seen through so easily, something he had never mentioned to anyone before.
"I can provide you with some information about pirates, and I can put credit in your hands, allowing you to rise rapidly within the Navy. You can get what you want without leaving the Navy, isn't that great?"
"So, what will you get?"
"You will know when it is your turn to know."
The spy doesn't necessarily need to be activated. In the short term, Orlando doesn't need Gaspardi to provide anything, and even later on, it will only be some intelligence.
A chess piece should only be used at the most crucial moment.
Oran is very familiar with the Navy; Zephyr, Kuzan, and others are old friends.
He also had good relations with Garp and Sengoku, but none of these people would tell him naval secrets. Zephyr was no exception; he had been helping Oran within the rules of the Navy and still had a certain degree of trust in the Navy.
In such situations, it's necessary to send someone up to obtain special intelligence, and use that intelligence as a starting point to unveil the secrets of the navy at a crucial moment.
Project Garp himself had a similar purpose.
The Navy knows most of the people around him to some extent, so sending them undercover is not realistic. Recruiting them separately would require an even more complicated process. Finding someone who is already in the Navy would save a lot of trouble.
"Aren't you afraid I'll tell the Navy what I said?"
"Hahaha, do you think the Navy Headquarters would believe a captain like you, or me?"
Will the World Government eliminate me to maintain "purity," or will it erase you, the one who raised the question?
Oran dared to say these things directly to Gaspard because he wasn't afraid Gaspard would report him, since Gaspard couldn't prove that these things were true.
Even if he recorded these words and took them to the Marine Headquarters verbatim, Oran could still easily slip away. It's just asking a Marine if he wants to be a hero, isn't it? Zephyr said this every day in the recruit camp.
Moreover, just as Oran said, his value far exceeds that of a mere captain; even an ordinary lieutenant general would be of no use to him.
After weighing the pros and cons, the World Government and the Navy are not going to break ties with others for the sake of an ordinary admiral.
"Or let's change the subject, Captain Gaspard. Do you think the Navy will make things difficult for me if you die here tonight? Maybe they'll even send a special envoy to comfort me and tell me not to worry about it."
Glug
Gaspard swallowed hard. His purpose in joining the Navy was simple: to get promoted and make money. He never expected to be targeted here.
"I don't seem to have the right to refuse."
"Of course you can refuse, I respect your choice."
"No, I think this is a great opportunity. I want to be a naval hero!"
Hearing Oran say the word "respect," Gaspardy still chose to accept the offer; at least for now, it didn't seem to do him any harm.
"Work hard. A captain won't do; you'll have to be a colonel. I hope your rank will have changed by the time I see you next time."
Oran didn't intend to help the other party from the ground up; he wanted to see at least how far Gaspard could go after pushing him.
He is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user, possessing the Gummy Fruit ability, which grants him immunity to both physical attacks and slashes; however, he still experiences pain.
Flour and similar substances allow people to touch its physical form. The fruit's properties are quite good. With a little effort, becoming a general will definitely not be a problem.
Gaspard didn't know when Oran left; when he looked up again, Oran was gone.
But there was a mechanical Den Den Mushi and several bundles of banknotes on his desk, worth about three million Berries.
"Oh dear, I think I just blacked out. What happened?"
"Forget about it, don't worry about it, just keep drinking!"
The people in the tavern were saying some strange things, and after a moment of stunned silence, Gaspard put away all the Den Den Mushi and the money.
"Brother Oran, he has accepted it, at least for now, but he still harbors quite a bit of resentment towards you."
On the roof of the tavern, Ginny and Oran were basking in the moonlight, with Ginny continuing to provide feedback on Gaspard's ideas.
"But Brother Oran, is this guy trustworthy? I feel like he's a scoundrel."
"There are advantages to being a scoundrel. Such a person is actually more suited to this position. He has no sense of justice, so it's best to change your mind."
There are plenty of die-hards in the navy; they are willing to give almost everything to uphold their ideals of justice.
"To enslave scoundrels, use money as bait and fear as a whip. As long as you frighten them to the point of not daring to resist, and then give them a little treat, these kinds of guys will naturally become obedient."
"What if he disobeys and rebels after gaining a high position?"
"Under normal circumstances, this is impossible. Once such a person has tasted the benefits, he will never give up the profits he has gained."
Even if Gaspard chooses to "endure humiliation," he will be unable to escape Oran once he gains enough power.
Everything he has is thanks to Oran, who has countless weaknesses in his hands. Once all of this is revealed, it means Gaspardi will lose everything.
With this criminal record, the best outcome would be a life of leisure in a dead-end job, and even then, there's always the risk of being eliminated when the truth comes out. Such a person would never make that kind of sacrifice.
Moreover, even if he defected, he might not succeed. Gaspard has no evidence tonight. To outsiders, this is how Oran created a "naval hero," which is a good thing.
Now this naval hero has turned his back on us; this is true ingratitude.
"He is greedy, and it is precisely because he is greedy enough that he has no principles, which is why he is trustworthy."
Even in the worst-case scenario, this is enough to shake the resolve of some people.
If the soldiers found out that the hero was a fame-seeker, the impact would be enormous.
Human nature and desires can be deadly at times, but Oran's understanding of them is merely superficial.
The demons of Valoran will prove that this is nothing. Those are the real monsters who have mastered desire and turned people into puppets.
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