One day later.
The small ship docked quietly at Marineford's harbor.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan!"
The moment Aokiji stepped off the ship, the surrounding Marines straightened in shock, saluting with utmost respect.
Aokiji nodded lazily. "At ease." He turned to Liam Ross. "You've just returned. Take a day off to rest. Report to me tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Vice Admiral."
Their brief exchange instantly drew envious stares from the nearby soldiers. The young man walking beside a Vice Admiral was already the center of attention.
But Liam remained calm and collected, unaffected by the whispers or gazes around him. Together, he and Aokiji walked through the main gates of Marine Headquarters before parting ways inside.
As Aokiji watched Liam disappear down the corridor, he let out a quiet sigh, then headed toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
Inside Sengoku's office, the smell of fresh tea filled the air.
"Did the boy do anything suspicious on the way back?" Sengoku asked after taking a careful sip from his cup.
Aokiji scratched his head. "Uh… if training like a maniac counts, then yes. Oh, and he ate about six or seven donuts."
Sengoku nearly burned his tongue on the tea. "Pfft " He coughed, glaring at Aokiji. "You call that suspicious behavior?"
Aokiji shrugged helplessly. "Just reporting what I saw."
Sengoku waved a hand, brushing off the remark. "Forget it. About his position let's promote him to Ensign and assign him as your aide. How does that sound?"
Aokiji frowned slightly, thinking it over. "His talent isn't bad, but I'd recommend sending him to the training camp for formal instruction instead."
"There's no rush," Sengoku replied, calm as ever. "We'll decide after the hunting operation is complete. For now, keep him close to you."
"Fine," Aokiji said with a sigh. He clearly wasn't thrilled but had no choice orders were orders.
Sengoku smiled, satisfied, and leaned back in his chair. "Good. Now, about yesterday's intel. Reports from the underworld city confirm that Emperor Tian has ties to Capone Bege, the Mafia Godfather."
Aokiji's expression sharpened instantly. "When are we making a move? And are you confident we can take him down?"
Sengoku set his teacup down, a rare glint of seriousness in his eyes. "Confidence? Not a hundred percent. Plans never keep up with change. We'll wait. I've sent word to gather more intelligence before acting. We can't afford to move blindly."
Half an hour later, Aokiji left the office.
Meanwhile, Liam Ross returned to his modest quarters for the first time in weeks. He hung up his uniform neatly, then lay on his bed with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.
From now on, every step must be taken with care, he reminded himself. No mistakes.
He knew he was under scrutiny. The Navy might smile to his face, but behind the politeness were watchful eyes.
He didn't know what their next move would be but he wasn't afraid. Whatever came, he would adapt.
He checked his system panel again. The experience cards he'd recently obtained had all gone into his swordsmanship.
Swordsmanship: 860/1000 (Expert)
His clones weren't strong enough to handle major battles yet. He needed to push his swordsmanship to the next rank Swordmaster as soon as possible.
The next morning, sunlight spilled across Marineford's white stone walls.
Dressed in a crisp Navy uniform, Liam walked confidently into the headquarters building.
"Hey… Liam? Weren't you assigned to the patrol fleet? Why are you back so soon?"
He turned to find two familiar faces Jennings and Jabibo cleaning the floors nearby. Both stared at him in surprise.
"Oh, it's you two," Liam said with a smile, giving them a friendly nod.
Jennings' eyes widened as he noticed the insignia on Liam's shoulder. "Wait a second you're a sergeant major now? Already?!"
Jabibo leaned closer, squinting. "You sure you're not just wearing someone else's uniform?"
"What?" Jennings blurted, startled.
Liam chuckled. "You really think I'd walk into Headquarters wearing stolen ranks?"
The two looked at each other, then nodded awkwardly. "Fair point."
"Anyway," Liam said as he walked past, "I'll treat you both to drinks tonight. For now, I need to report to Vice Admiral Kuzan."
It took them a full minute to process what he said.
"Wait did he just say Vice Admiral Kuzan?"
"Yeah," Jabibo murmured, eyes wide.
Both men stood frozen, the realization sinking in.
On the fifth floor, Liam knocked on the door to Aokiji's office.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan, Ensign Liam Ross reporting for duty!"
Aokiji looked up and gestured lazily. "From today onward, you're officially promoted to Ensign. You'll serve as my aide. When we're not on missions, you'll stay at Headquarters. Go to logistics later and pick up your Navy coat."
"Yes, sir!" Liam saluted.
An aide, huh? He hadn't expected that but it made sense. They wanted him close where they could keep an eye on him.
Still, it wasn't all bad. Staying in Marineford meant safety and freedom, to an extent.
After leaving Aokiji's office, he headed to the logistics department to receive his new coat the one embroidered with the bold word Justice across the back.
He then dropped by to visit his old superior, Buck.
The man was so stunned that he immediately saluted. "Sir!"
Liam couldn't help but laugh. Mimicking Buck's old tone, he said, "Work hard, kid. I've got my eye on you."
Buck stood there speechless as Liam walked away.
Meanwhile, far across the sea at the border between the West Blue and the North Blue
A massive black warship sailed steadily through the waves, the flag of a flamingo fluttering proudly above.
On deck stood a young man with two streaks painted across his face, a trimmed beard, and a crimson cloak draped over his shoulders. His chest was bare, and a rapier hung from his waist. He gazed out at the endless ocean, a fierce, confident smile curving his lips.
A few meters away, a blond youth lounged in a white recliner. He wore a black feathered coat and a red hood, his face painted like a jester's. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he basked in the sunlight.
The rest of the crew busied themselves around the deck some drinking, others managing the sails.
Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi began to ring.
"Buru buru… buru buru…"
The blond youth stretched lazily, picked up the snail, and answered.
A chilling laugh echoed from the other end.
"Fufufufu… My dear brother, have you arrived in the West Blue?"
The voice was smooth, mocking and unmistakably dangerous.
The man with the crimson cloak grinned wider. The game was only beginning.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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