Naval Base 179, West Blue. Base Hospital.
By the hospital bed, a middle-aged female military doctor held the injury report, speaking gravely as she reported to Kizaru.
"Colonel Griffin's injuries have been assessed as severe trauma. Examination shows at least six ribs in his chest are shattered, with the broken bones causing compressive damage to his lung lobes."
[...]
"Simultaneously accompanied by liver contusions, gastric wall tearing, and massive internal bleeding in the abdominal cavity - typical multi-organ compound injuries."
"Compared to the external blade wounds, the internal organ damage is much more severe!"
The military doctor paused before adding, "Fortunately, Zoan-type Fruit users possess regenerative abilities and damage thresholds far exceeding ordinary humans."
"If this were a regular person, they would have died instantly from massive hemorrhage and organ failure upon injury, with no chance of survival."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but turn back to glare angrily at Griffin.
She scolded him in a low voice: "Did you really think becoming Base Commander made you invincible! Who does Red-Haired Shanks think he is!"
"He's a famously prominent figure on the Grand Line, what difference is there between you challenging him and an egg hitting a rock!"
Griffin had joined Base 179 when he was only 12 years old, and Smoker wasn't the type to take care of others.
During the first few years, it was this medical mother who looked after Griffin's daily needs.
On the hospital bed, Griffin was wrapped up like a zongzi, only his handsome face visible.
He smiled awkwardly: "I was just trying to protect the civilians..."
"Enough, I know you better than that."
The medical mother gave him a stern look: "You just wanted to fight!"
Despite having delicate, almost feminine features, Griffin had been notoriously troublesome when he first arrived, having fought almost every kid his age in the base.
This caused the medical mother's workload to skyrocket.
"If you say so~"
Griffin waved his hand dismissively, his demeanor giving Kizaru an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Strange... why does this feel so strongly familiar.
[...]
Kizaru shoved his hands in his pockets and ambled over to the window, his smile teasing as he joked: "Colonel Griffin, I personally tend to agree with the doctor's assessment."
"The Navy has plenty of missions - perhaps you could consider your own safety more in future operations, what do you think?"
Griffin's expression darkened as he shook his head helplessly.
"Of course I know the gap between me and Shanks."
"It was CP9."
"I received orders from CP9's Who's Who - even at the cost of my life, I had to stop the Red Hair Pirates."
"He even threatened me that if I didn't follow his orders, he'd have our base disbanded!"
By this time, that guy should have been imprisoned by the Five Elders anyway.
Griffin had no psychological burden about pinning the blame on him.
Kizaru wasn't the type to dig too deep, even if he wanted to investigate.
Who's Who claiming some base colonel threatened to kill him...
Would Kizaru believe a severely wounded naval colleague, an outstanding young officer who fought pirates to the death now lying in hospital?
Or some bug from that spy organization?
What a joke - I wouldn't be afraid even if this went all the way to the Five Elders!
——
CP9 is a direct intelligence agency under the World Government. While both the Marines and CP organizations belong to the World Government, they operate independently without direct hierarchical relationships.
The Marines serve as the public face of the World Government, handling open military operations, while the CP departments focus on covert missions.
To draw a simple analogy, it's somewhat like the distinction between regular armed forces and imperial secret police.
...
Even Marine Headquarters approaches relations with CP departments with caution.
Branch bases represent local forces stationed in remote areas - when facing orders from CP departments, they essentially have no choice but to comply.
"CP9, huh..."
Normally, Griffin's authority as a Colonel would only grant him knowledge of CP1 through CP8. Yet he not only knows about CP9's existence but can accurately name its members...
After pondering for a moment, Kizaru leaned down slightly, bringing his face close to Griffin's and meeting his gaze through the sunglasses.
A full ten seconds passed in complete silence.
Griffin might not measure up in other aspects, but when it came to staring contests...
Did they really expect an Uchiha to look away first?
After another moment, even the doctor felt the atmosphere growing uncomfortable.
Kizaru's lips curved upward as if he'd confirmed something, then he pushed up his glasses and straightened.
"Well, you've had quite the ordeal. I'll report your achievements - protecting Roguetown's citizens from the Red-Haired Pirates' invasion is truly remarkable."
The subtext...
Don't mention CP9 to anyone else. You fought Red-Haired Shanks to protect the civilians.
"I understand."
Griffin pulled several photos from his bedside, clearly showing him intercepting Red-Haired Shanks at the port and their intense battle.
He'd asked a local crime boss to take these shots - the man worked in the entertainment district and had photography skills rivaling professional journalists.
"These are...?"
"Evidence."
Griffin handed the photos to Kizaru: "Without visual proof, ignorant civilians might think we Marines are just boasting again."
"I recommend Headquarters heavily publicize my feat of driving back Red-Haired Shanks and build me up as the Marines' new generation Supernova!"
...
Even the experienced Kizaru didn't know what expression to make, numbly accepting the photographs.
"Colonel Griffin... I know you're quite capable."
"But this... seems rather ostentatious, doesn't it?"
"Shouldn't you lay low and develop your strength quietly while you're still growing?"
Griffin looked up at Kizaru, his gaze profound.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino, you might not understand."
"Commander Smoker was my mentor, and I'm grateful to him. But to be realistic... there's not much more he can do to help me."
"With his personality, he'll inevitably cause major trouble sooner or later. I need to grow stronger quickly to be able to assist him."
"But I don't have monstrous talent like you all possess - I'm not a Logia-type ability user..."
"I need achievements! I need reputation!"
"Being just some branch Base Commander can't satisfy me!"
"If I can become the new public face of the Marines, Headquarters' resources will inevitably tilt in my direction. I might even get into the Officer Training Camp - that would greatly benefit my promotion!"
Kizaru's brow furrowed slightly.
Even he had joined the Marines for justice's sake - such utilitarian talk...
"Don't you understand the dangers that fame brings?"
Griffin smiled faintly. "How could I not understand that 'the tallest tree catches the wind'?"
"But what choice do I have? For someone like me without backing, if I want to climb up, I can only rely on risking my life."
The moment he learned of Red-Haired's appearance, he began contemplating how to maximize the use of this incident to secure the greatest benefits for himself—if he managed to survive.
It was also to test whether that panel would show any reaction.
As for dying... well, then he'd die.
...
...
"Colonel Griffin, what kind of justice do you uphold?"
Kizaru asked the most frequently raised question within the Navy.
Without hesitation, Griffin replied, "Justice is the Navy!"
"The true ruler of these seas has never been the Pirate King, nor any so-called Pirate Emperors—it's the Navy!"
"The strongest is justice!"
...
Griffin wouldn't attempt to conceal his true thoughts in front of someone like Kizaru.
The strong could sometimes be naive, but they weren't fools.
Deception would eventually be exposed; it was better to reveal one's true nature from the start.
He hadn't joined the Navy to protect civilians, but as long as his actions benefited the Navy, they would accept him.
Smoker was arguably the most orthodox Navy officer, but if the Navy were full of people like him, the first to suffer would be the World Government.
...
...
"I see..."
"I'll bring it up to Admiral Sengoku, but there's one thing you got wrong, Colonel Griffin."
"Oh? What would that be?"
Kizaru tucked the photo into his coat, the edges of his body dissolving into specks of light.
"Though I didn't witness it firsthand, I sensed it from afar..."
"When I was eighteen, I wasn't as strong as you are."
"You're far more deserving of the title 'monster'!"