The bonds between people can sometimes be utterly inexplicable.
Lucci, who had come to interrogate Griffin as part of his mission, took an immediate dislike to the man upon their first meeting.
Perhaps due to the influence of their Devil Fruits - in nature, wolves and leopards were natural competitors, not to mention the deeper animosity between cats and dogs.
Lucci's questioning attitude was extremely rude, which earned him a thorough beating.
Yet after his defeat, instead of the expected refusal to cooperate, Griffin recounted every detail of what had happened at that time.
Under that traitor's orders, he had actually dared to intercept the fearsome Red Hair Pirates!
What incredible loyalty to the World Government!
...
Lucci had undergone rigorous training since childhood. Aside from his instructors, he rarely interacted with anyone, and during missions, he would even kill allied kingdom soldiers.
In his worldview, the weak had no right to exist.
Having grown up surrounded by praise and developing an arrogant personality, Lucci was experiencing the perspective of the defeated for the first time.
Griffin was stronger than him, yet was willing to spare him...
Magnanimous, loyal, powerful - these were the labels Lucci attached to Griffin.
...
When news of Saint Luo's assassination reached him, Lucci was ordered to represent the CP Department and work with the Marines to detain Griffin. On the way there, he felt deeply conflicted.
Griffin...
Was there a legitimate reason why he failed to protect the Celestial Dragon, or did he flee in the face of danger?
If it was the latter... what should I do...
What if Saint Luo had been just one defender short? Wouldn't that mean my recommendation of Griffin led to Saint Luo's death...
What a terrible sin that would be!!
But after locking eyes with him, Lucci knew.
I wasn't wrong about this man.
His guilt and pain were genuine. What happened to Saint Luo wasn't something he wanted.
...
...
"Due to the sudden appearance of Sea Kings, Ginny went missing, and I led the team to pursue them..."
"Dammit!! If only I could have stayed by Saint Luo's side the entire time!"
"Even if I couldn't defeat that villain, at least I could have died before Saint Luo!"
"If only... if only I could have..."
Griffin spoke slowly, his emotions becoming somewhat unstable as he continued, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes.
Watching this, Lucci felt an inexplicable pang in his heart.
A CP member behind him stepped forward with documents: "We did indeed find remains of giant Sea Kings at the relevant locations."
"According to our investigation, it appears that individual defeated the Sea Kings with a single blow."
They had investigated everything along the route from when Saint Luo descended to the lower world.
...
"You should go search for that person. Vice Admiral Tsuru and I can handle things here." There was still another questionable aspect to this incident.
That was the whereabouts of Barladi, who served as the Celestial Dragon's guard.
The World Government still couldn't determine whether the man was missing or dead. If it was the former... then he had defected.
There was even speculation that Barladi might have participated in the Celestial Dragon assassination plot.
...
With both an apparent perpetrator and a strongly suspected mastermind behind the scenes, no one in the World Government would suspect that a mere Marine Colonel like Griffin could have planned and executed this incident.
"Kid Lucci, you've asked enough questions by now."
Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke up: "I have some matters I'd like to ask him privately as well."
Lucci frowned slightly and looked at Griffin: "Griffin is my friend. I hope Vice Admiral Tsuru won't make things too difficult for him."
"Higher-ups have said he's only to be detained, no harmful interrogation is permitted."
...
This stance feels wrong... Didn't we Marines used to say this to the CP organizations...
Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled wryly and shook her head: "Don't worry, I won't do anything to your... friend."
She led Griffin from the bow to the stern of the ship, smiling at him with narrowed eyes without speaking for a long while, making Griffin somewhat nervous.
"Though I don't understand what you're using to affect our senses, could you turn it off now?"
"Even I'm starting to feel sorry for you when you look like you're about to cry."
Griffin paused, the Sharingan beneath his ice-blue irises deactivated.
With the cover of his Devil Fruit Ability, he could use the Sharingan to influence minds without drawing attention.
The effect was subtle - the still inexperienced Lucci couldn't detect it, but the veteran Vice Admiral Tsuru had noticed long ago.
Griffin scratched the back of his head, showing an innocent smile: "It's my Devil Fruit Ability, it slightly increases others' favorability toward me. I just wanted to avoid unnecessary conflicts..."
"With such handsome features and a Devil Fruit Ability that has charming effects..." Vice Admiral Tsuru shook her head and smiled: "I wonder how many women will fall for you in the future."
"You're practically the Navy's version of Hancock."
"You flatter me."
Vice Admiral Tsuru's smile faded, indicating she was done with jokes: "Colonel Griffin, please answer me..."
"Were you involved in this incident!"
"Don't answer hastily, think carefully before you speak."
...
...
"How could I possibly be involved in such treasonous matters? Everyone at Branch 179 knows I admire the Five Elders the most!"
"The Celestial Dragons are descendants of the creators, they are..."
"No need for all that, just answer with yes or no." Vice Admiral Tsuru interrupted Griffin, her wise eyes fixed intently on him.
Griffin took a light breath and looked seriously at Vice Admiral Tsuru.
He answered firmly: "No!"
...
...
"Good, remember - no matter who asks you about this, your answer is no."
Vice Admiral Tsuru patted Griffin's shoulder and whispered in his ear: "We don't care whether you were involved or not. What matters is that you must never leave any evidence that could be used against you."
"I've already taken care of those unregistered marines for you. Find an opportunity to let them die heroic deaths."
...
Was it because those guys were prisoners that she started suspecting me...
This wasn't evidence of assassinating Celestial Dragons - I just didn't bring my personal guards because I thought there might be conflict and it'd be easier for me to escape alone...
At this point, it's impossible to explain clearly, and Griffin didn't care whether Vice Admiral Tsuru had figured something out.
Having lived to their age, they've seen everything. Griffin never thought his acting could fool them.
He was betting that the Navy higher-ups didn't want to investigate thoroughly.
And that's exactly what happened - Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had noticed something amiss, not only didn't pursue the matter but even helped cover for him.
She had practically explicitly reminded him never to slip up.
As for the disposal of those people...
Vice Admiral Tsuru practiced pure justice, not non-lethal justice.
...
...
"What's the disciplinary action against me?" Griffin asked the question that concerned him most.
If it was just house arrest for a period of time, he could accept that. But if they dared to dismiss him from his position, then he would simply return to his old profession and go find his teacher Kaido.
"You'll be placed under house arrest at Marine Headquarters under the joint surveillance of the Marines and CP."
"Once the World Government forgets about this incident, or the real culprit is captured, you should be fine. Based on past experience, it should take at most six months."
Six months... That's quite long.
Noticing Griffin's thoughts, Tsuru chuckled lightly: "Smoker submitted an application for you to join the Officer Training Camp, and it's been approved internally. With some maneuvering, you can undergo training at the Officer Training Camp - that also counts as house arrest..."
So that's possible...
Griffin rubbed his nose: "That guy Smoker has quite some influence, huh? Someone at headquarters actually owes him a favor?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru shook her head: "Sakazuki is in charge of reviewing applications. He wouldn't grant favors to even Kuzan, let alone Smoker."
"It's your strength and your courage in fighting against the Red Hair Pirates that made him agree to let you enter the Officer Training Camp."
"Rewarding brave Marines is what we should do."
...
...
I see...
Then Griffin thought of another point he didn't understand.
"Logically speaking, I'm taking the fall for that guy Lucci... the former guard of Saint Luo."
"Why does he get off scot-free?"
He recalled the original timeline, where after being defeated by Luffy, this guy was sentenced by the Five Elders for defiling the World Government and was even hunted by the Marines.
Yet two years later, he not only returned to the World Government but also became the head of CP0.
He got promoted even faster than the legendary deserter king!
Does this guy have some powerful backing?
Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled mysteriously: "Just as you guessed."
"There's a high-ranking official who thinks very highly of Lucci, though I don't know who it is."
"But I advise you to have less to do with this guy. The waters run too deep there - you wouldn't be able to handle it."
A high-ranking official...
Considering events ten years later, someone who could make the Five Elders grant favors to readmit Lucci... ordinary Celestial Dragons wouldn't have that kind of influence...
The God's Knights?