Gion stood in the Fleet Admiral's office with a neat stack of documents in her hands. Sengoku sat behind the wide desk, already looking like the meeting had interrupted something important. Tsuru occupied the chair to his right, calm as ever, a thin folder of her own resting on her lap. Garp had claimed the sofa against the wall and was loudly crunching senbei as if this were a snack break instead of an official discussion.
Sengoku's eye twitched at the noise.
"Must you do that here?"
Garp grinned, crumbs on his coat. "BWAHAHAHA! Senbei tastes better when you're trying to be serious. Want one?"
"No."
Gion stepped forward before the exchange could escalate. "Fleet Admiral. Vice Admiral Tsuru. I requested this meeting to present findings on the Sema Archipelago."
Sengoku gestured for her to continue. "I read the preliminary summary. Unusually stable territory under a young commodore. Explain why it needs more attention."
Gion placed the first set of reports on the desk. "Trade volume has increased steadily for three years. Incident reports have dropped each season. Tribute payments are clean and consistently on time. Local militia evaluations are high. The commodore in charge is Ashen D. Soren, age twenty-five, promoted to commodore last year with minimal fanfare."
Tsuru opened her own folder and spoke without looking up. "I remember the name. He was recommended for Sema five years ago after the previous officer requested transfer. The recommendation noted strong practical instincts and low political noise. Most officers that age either chase glory or create extra work for Headquarters. This one did neither."
Garp paused mid-bite. "Ashen D. Soren? Never heard of him. Is he strong?"
"His combat evaluations are solid but not flashy," Gion answered. "His real results are administrative. The archipelago runs with fewer complaints and fewer emergency requests than territories twice its size."
Sengoku flipped through the trade figures. "These numbers are clean. Almost too clean. Any signs of falsified reports?"
"None that I could find," Gion said. "I cross-checked harbor logs, merchant statements from neighboring kingdoms, and internal militia records. They align."
Tsuru tapped one page with a finger. "Look at the mediation councils he established. Local disputes are resolved before they reach Marine paperwork. That alone reduces Headquarters' workload. Most commodores prefer to push every problem upward so they can claim they are 'keeping us informed.' This one absorbs the problems instead."
Garp laughed again, spraying a few crumbs. "Sounds like my kind of lazy. Solve it yourself so no one bothers you later."
Sengoku shot him a glare. "Stop getting crumbs on my sofa."
"It's a strong sofa. It can handle senbei."
Tsuru ignored them both and continued. "There is another pattern. Repair requests from Sema are specific and modest. He asks for materials, not excess budget. Training reports show steady improvement in the local forces without inflated claims. The territory has become self-sufficient in ways most islands never manage."
Gion nodded. "That is what caught my attention. The results are consistent across multiple years. It is not a single lucky season."
Sengoku leaned back, arms crossed. "A twenty-five-year-old commodore turning an entire archipelago into a quiet, functional region without constant supervision. That is rare enough to examine more closely."
Garp pointed a senbei at him. "You just hate it when someone does the job too well and stops sending you dramatic reports."
"I hate it when you talk with your mouth full."
Tsuru closed her folder. "I suggest a formal review. Not an investigation. A supervision visit. Observe the systems directly, speak with the commodore, and determine whether the model can be studied or replicated elsewhere."
Sengoku considered it for a moment. "Gion, you have already done the preliminary work. You will lead the review. Take Tokikake with you. A second set of eyes will help."
Garp sat up straighter, senbei forgotten for a second. "I'll go too."
Sengoku's face hardened. "No."
"Why not? I haven't stretched my legs in weeks. A quiet archipelago sounds perfect for a little trip."
"You will create more chaos than you evaluate."
Garp waved a hand. "I'll behave. Mostly. Besides, Tsuru's right. If this kid is actually running a clean territory, someone should see it in person before the World Government finds a way to tax the efficiency."
Tsuru gave a small, dry smile. "He is not wrong about the last part."
Sengoku pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked at Gion. "You leave in five days. Formal supervision and review of the Sema Archipelago under Commodore Ashen D. Soren. Tokikake accompanies you. And apparently Garp will tag along whether I approve or not."
Garp raised both arms in victory and immediately went back to his senbei. "BWAHAHAHA! I'll bring extra. Travel food."
Sengoku looked one second away from throwing the nearest paperweight.
Gion collected her documents. "Understood. I will prepare the official orders."
Tsuru spoke once more before the meeting ended. "Pay attention to how he handles authority during the visit. Officers who build quiet systems sometimes react poorly when Headquarters suddenly appears. I want to know whether this one is simply competent… or carefully independent."
Gion met her eyes and gave a short nod.
She already had her own reasons for wanting a closer look.
As she left the office she could still hear Garp's loud laughter and Sengoku's rising voice behind the door.
[A/N: Don't get baited by the titles okay. I hate writing those so I'm just gonna spam some bs.]