Taro needed a favor, so he took the initiative to salute, feeling that there was nothing inappropriate about it.
The Major who had brought Taro over looked a bit awkward, his lips twitching slightly as he squeezed out a few words from between his teeth.
"Vice Admiral Prody, the Great Staff Officer is here..."
Prody gave the Major a faint glance.
"You may leave now!"
Then, he stood up and returned the salute.
"Great Staff Officer Taro, a pleasure to meet you!"
After saying that, he sat back down.
Taro frowned, not understanding why this Vice Admiral Prody was so cold toward him.
Not to mention that as the Navy Grand Staff Officer, he was theoretically Prody's superior.
Even based solely on military rank, both were Vice Admirals. As a junior, it was only right for him to salute first, but this reaction was far too impolite, wasn't it?
After thinking for a while, Taro still couldn't figure out when he might have offended this old man he had never met before.
He sat down directly opposite Vice Admiral Prody and spoke in a business-like manner.
"Vice Admiral Prody, I've come this time to inquire about the movements of certain pirates."
Prody acted as if he hadn't heard anything and continued eating his dinner.
Taro's brow furrowed again.
"The Whitebeard Pirates Remnants..."
Prody stopped what he was doing and said in a heavy voice,
"Lord Great Staff Officer seems to have made a mistake. This is a frontline base for monitoring 'Big Mom'."
Taro naturally knew this.
However, Furen Island was the Marineford's highest-level intelligence agency deep within the New World.
If you don't know the movements of pirates deep in the New World, who else could I ask?
Taro was silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Fine then! Furen Island previously sent back intelligence that the Big Mom Pirates were gathering on Cake Island. I want to know what the current situation is and why they are gathering."
Prody put down his knife and fork, looked up directly at Taro, and for a moment, had no intention of speaking.
Taro, incensed by his repeated cold attitude, felt a surge of anger.
"I believe that as the Navy Grand Staff Officer, I have the right to know these things!"
Prody heard the anger in Taro's voice, and the corner of his mouth twitched in a mocking way.
"Cake Island is the center of that sea territory. As the Great Staff Officer, you should know how difficult it is to obtain intelligence there!"
"There is no new intelligence. They have already gone their separate ways; nothing happened!"
Hearing this, Taro lowered his eyelids and began to ponder.
The Blackbeard Pirates' location is unknown, and the Whitebeard Pirates Remnants have also set out, yet the Navy hasn't received a single piece of news!
Now, the abnormality of the Big Mom Pirates has nothing to do with the 'Payback War'.
He really couldn't think of anyone else he could learn from regarding which sea territory this war would break out in!
"Vice Admiral Prody, please prepare 100 servings of Doughnuts and hot Black Tea for me. Also, give me a map of Totto Land!"
Taro thought for a long time and decided to go investigate.
Vice Admiral Prody was stunned by Taro's words.
"You're going to find Big Mom?"
Taro shook his head, not wanting to explain further.
"No."
Prody stared intently at Taro for a long while.
"Taro, I have heard a bit about your way of doing things..."
Prody said, then paused.
"I have been a friend of Garp for many years. Ever since I heard Garp brought back a recruit from the East Blue, I have been paying attention to you!"
Taro's eyebrows twitched. This man, who looked to be only in his fifties, was actually a friend of Garp?
Does that mean his actual age is much older than he looks?
"Uh, Vice Admiral Prody, what do you mean by this?"
He had thought Prody was in his 50s, similar to Akainu, but he hadn't expected him to be of Garp's generation and have a history with him. This made Taro's attitude toward Prody slightly better.
Prody also noticed the change in how Taro addressed him, and his eyes flickered.
"Garp once talked about you with us old friends and subordinates. We old fellows know a bit about what you want to do..."
Taro was shocked. Holy crap, did Garp sell me out?
"Um, and then?"
Taro asked, feigning nonchalance.
"I am very old and have served in the military for decades. What is wrong with the Navy now? And how can you make us believe that the changes you make will make the Navy better?"
Prody stared straight into Taro's eyes and asked seriously.
Changing the fixed ideas of the elderly was not easy.
Taro naturally understood this, so he had never thought of using drastic measures to reform the entire Navy.
What he cared about was only the thinking of the new generation of Marines, especially the thoughts of the ordinary Marine Soldiers.
Although these ordinary Marine Soldiers were weak, they were the most numerous.
Just like in this world, the vast majority of people were ordinary people.
What Taro wanted to do was not simply change the Navy; he wanted to change the entire world!
What the Navy needed to do at this stage was to maintain stability, keep the seas calm before the final battle arrived, and protect those innocent civilians who had no power to control their own fates.
After the final battle, they could then quickly move out to pick up the pieces and stabilize the situation.
This was the mission of the Navy, the mission of ordinary Marines!
As for the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, Lord Imu... and so on, ordinary Marines did not need to get involved.
Taro pondered for a moment, then looked directly into Prody's eyes and smiled.
"I also think the current Navy is quite good. As for whether it will become better, who knows!"
Then, shaking his head, his tone became somewhat mocking.
"Vice Admiral Prody, except for the Marine Soldiers under my command, I have never demanded anything from other Marines. Your concern is unnecessary!"
"I don't need you to understand what I want to do or what I am doing! You wouldn't be able to understand it anyway!"
Finally, he stood up.
"Please prepare the items I just asked for as soon as possible. That is all!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
Prody's brow furrowed into deep wrinkles. He took a few deep breaths and then left the Marine Canteen.
Thud!
Prody slammed his office door shut.
Then, he grabbed a den den mushi, fiddled with it, and roared,
"Is this what you called 'the future of the Navy'? Garp!"
"Puhahaha, old partner, are you talking about Taro? Why bring him up all of a sudden?"
The den den mushi mimicked Garp's wild laughing expression, laughing until tears came out.
Garp's reaction made Prody even angrier.
"Shut up, you old bastard!"
After shouting his rebuke, he gave a muffled snort.
"Hmph, old Garp, that young man you think so highly of is actually giving me orders! Heh, Great Staff Officer, huh? What a grand air he has!"
Garp was stunned, his tone becoming a bit urgent.
"That kid ran off to your place? What is he doing there?"
Prody's eyes twitched, and he opened his mouth wide, almost swallowing the receiver.
"You bastard, I'm complaining to you about Taro, get your attitude straight!"
Garp laughed again.
"Hahahaha, alright, old partner, that kid is a bit unsteady sometimes. I'll teach him a lesson for you later!"
"Now, tell me first, what is he doing at your place?"
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