About a month after Chief Petty Officer Tashigi became his dedicated adjutant, Rengoku received orders from Marine Headquarters to conduct a patrol voyage through the East Blue.
**
Marineford, the Marine administration building.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Ohhh, come in~"
A limp, listless voice drifted from inside the office.
Rengoku opened the door, stepped inside, and immediately saluted.
"Justice! Vice Admiral Rengoku! I have come on Admiral Aokiji's orders!"
Even in the face of Rengoku's enthusiasm, Aokiji still looked completely drained.
He really did seem to have no motivation at all.
"Once you're a vice admiral, you don't need to give your full name and rank every time..."
"Is that so!"
"Yeah...ugh, never mind. You really do take after Garp."
"Of course I do! He's my grandfather!"
Aokiji, who seemed to have been born with laziness and the word "troublesome" built into his bones, was never going to match Rengoku from the start.
But what could he do? Because of Garp, they had to keep crossing paths like this.
"Ahem... Headquarters has ordered selected vice admirals to conduct patrol voyages outside the Grand Line. The purpose is to inspect the quality of the branches and, while we're at it, suppress pirates. You've been assigned to the East Blue. Departure time is tomorrow at 06:00."
At Admiral Aokiji's words, Rengoku's expression did not change, but he still seemed dissatisfied with something.
"Is there a problem?"
"The East Blue is the weakest sea! I would prefer to be assigned to a stronger sea!"
This was not because Rengoku was some battle-crazed hothead who simply loved fighting or because he blindly pursued the strong.
It was just that this assignment did not align with his sense of justice.
-Justice is the fulfillment of one's abilities and responsibilities.
That was his creed.
Rengoku was by no means humble. He knew his own abilities very well, and precisely because of that, he wanted to be assigned to a place with stronger, more vicious pirates.
"Uh...if it had been another vice admiral, I would've probably decked him for saying something like that, but since it's you...fine, I get it."
"Then where will I be reassigned?!"
"The East Blue. All departure preparations are already finished, so just obey the order."
"Could you repeat that?"
"The East Blue. If you don't go, Garp will. Do you really want Garp going all the way to the East Blue at his age?"
"Understood!"
**
It was disappointing, but there was nothing to be done.
To follow orders and obey them—that was the Marines.
"Vice Admiral! I got promoted!"
Tashigi hurried up to him and delivered the good news.
"Hm! Lieutenant Tashigi, congratulations on your promotion!"
Rengoku congratulated her as he looked at her newly changed insignia.
"It's all thanks to the vice admiral's guidance!"
Since Tashigi, who had come to him as his adjutant, was a swordswoman, Rengoku had also taken the opportunity to teach her swordsmanship.
Although he mainly trained in Total Concentration Breathing, he had also mastered the sword styles of various schools in this world.
Because his body was stronger than it had been on Earth, he could endure learning multiple schools like this.
Thanks to that, Tashigi's skills improved by leaps and bounds over the course of a month, and today she had been promoted.
"Tomorrow at 06:00, we set sail for the East Blue on a patrol voyage! Prepare yourself!"
"Yes, sir! Justice!"
Tashigi saluted and turned around.
Thud!
"Oww..."
"There wasn't even anything there, and you still tripped. That's impressive!"
"Don't make fun of me, Vice Admiral!"
Tashigi answered, blushing with embarrassment.
"...Huh?"
In front of her was the hand Rengoku had held out.
Rengoku's crimson eyes gazed steadily at Tashigi.
"What are you waiting for? Take my hand."
"Ah, ah! Th-thank you!"
With Rengoku's support, Tashigi got back to her feet.
"Be more careful next time!"
"Yes, sir!"
Leaving her behind, Rengoku headed straight to his own office.
He needed to prepare for departure.
They would be resupplied at each branch, but it was still best to get ready in advance.
Garp's Vivre Card, Marineford's Eternal Pose, the Flame Wheel Demon-Slaying Blade and sword-maintenance tools, and even a video Den Den Mushi with plays to help pass the time...
It was his first time heading to the East Blue, but since it was the weakest sea, there was little reason to worry.
"Come to think of it..."
Rengoku seemed to think of something, picked up a Den Den Mushi, and sent out a message.
"Justice! Chief Petty Officer Tashigi!"
"Are you still a chief petty officer?"
"Ah, Vice Admiral! I'm a lieutenant!"
"Right. Anyway, bring me the wanted posters for the criminals currently in the East Blue."
"Understood!"
Even if the East Blue was called the weakest sea, the weak would still be swept along by the logic of the strong.
Even nobodies in the New World could rule as kings in the East Blue.
Not long after, a knock sounded at the office door.
"Come in!"
"Justice!"
"Lieutenant Tashigi, did you bring the wanted posters?"
"Yes! These are the wanted posters for criminals in the East Blue with bounties of over 10 million berries!"
The stack Tashigi handed over was fairly thin. The fact that the entire sea had only this many criminals with bounties over 10 million berries showed just how weak it was.
But Rengoku did not skim through them carelessly. He carefully checked every face, every bounty, and whether each was marked dead or alive.
"Hmm..."
The highest bounty was only 20 million berries for a fish-man.
There were only four criminals with bounties above 10 million.
Arlong at 20 million berries.
Don Krieg at 17 million berries.
Buggy at 15 million berries.
Gin at 12 million berries.
There was also Kuro at 16 million berries, but he had already been marked dead.
As for the others who came close to 10 million, most were fish-man pirates under Arlong's command. They looked like officers.
In the New World, middle-rank pirates with bounties of 20 million berries or more were captured every day, but in the East Blue, 20 million was the ceiling.
"Lieutenant Tashigi, what do you think?"
"The bounty amounts are definitely low compared to the other seas."
"But don't let your guard down. You never know—there may be someone hiding their true strength."
"Yes, sir!"
**
At dawn the next day, Rengoku and Tashigi boarded the warship bound for the East Blue.
Since this was something of an expedition, a number of regular troops had gathered to see them off.
The anchor was raised, and the ship departed.
By the time Marineford had become a tiny dot in the distance, Rengoku broadcast over the entire warship.
"Though the sea we're heading to is the East Blue, mocked as the weakest sea, there are always exceptions!
If, by any chance, you encounter a pirate who is beyond expectations or beyond the norm, refrain from all hostile action and report to me as quickly as possible!
All personnel must prioritize their own lives and return safely from this voyage!"
"Yes, sir! Vice Admiral!"
The Marines' thunderous voices, even from deep inside the office in the ship's interior, filled the entire warship.
**
Rengoku's Den Den Mushi (voice synthesis)
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