4 Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: I Am Actually A Good Marine

"Darren!!!" Gion glared furiously at the new admiral of the North Blue. Her legs were crossed and her eyes were full of frivolity as she stared at him, almost biting her teeth in anger. Before arriving in the North Blue, she had heard all sorts of terrible rumors about Darren: lust, depravity, corruption, abuse of power, and connections with both the political and business elite as well as the mafia and underground forces. She had braced herself for it, but she never imagined a Marine could fall so low.

The vulgar and indecent acts were twisted into "caring for the people" and "military-civilian cooperation" in Darren's mouth. Gion could hardly bear to associate these terms, which should have been pure and noble, with such corruption.

"What about your concept of justice!? Can you live up to the Marine coat you wear? Is military discipline meaningless to you?" she exclaimed angrily.

"If you keep this up, it won't just harm your reputation but disgrace the entire Marine," she continued.

To affirm her stance, she looked to Kake for agreement: "Am I right, Kake?"

"I really didn't expect one could care for the people so much. What a genius... Ah, Gion, yes, you are right!" Kake, who had been muttering to himself, suddenly reacted with feigned righteousness. He slammed his hand on the table and glared at Darren. "Yes, Darren, you are a disgrace to the Marine!"

Darren looked at Kake with a half-smile. "Is that so, Major Kake?"

"Of course I...ah no, I mean, of course I care about the people!" Kake corrected himself, turning red with embarrassment.

Darren smiled and exhaled smoke. He then turned his gaze back to Gion's angry face and said slowly, "This is what everyone wants. Madame Margaret is happy, and I am happy too. It's a win-win situation."

Gion couldn't accept such absurd reasoning and said through gritted teeth, "The governor of the Kingdom of Yadis won't be pleased! If he finds out about this, imagine the political implications!"

"Who said Lord Governor Tyrell wouldn't be pleased?" Darren suddenly smirked. Gion froze, suddenly understanding the insinuation, and fell silent.

An unbelievable thought dawned on both of their minds at the same time...

Darren flicked ash from his cigarette and added, "Moreover, these issues aren't significant, and I've made no attempt to hide them. If you know, headquarters knows too... But why has no one from headquarters ever moved to impeach me? Why hasn't Admiral Sengoku held me accountable? Have you ever thought about that?"

He stood, leaned forward onto the conference table with intensity, and an air of dominance and disdain emanated from him.

As the smile faded from Darren's face, Gion and Kake felt a sudden chill.

"Because I get things done," Darren continued, looking down at them. "You claim I damage the Marine's image, but tell me, do the Marine generals in Marineford have a good image?"

His question left them speechless. They remembered Vice Admiral Garp, who was often seen picking his nose and sleeping in, and Admiral Sengoku, who conversed with goats. They also thought of Sakazuki and Kuzan, often brutal with pirates and civilians alike, and the latter who seemed perpetually frightened by the world.

Suddenly, they weren't so sure about the image of the Marines themselves.

"No, this is not right," Gion thought, but before she could speak, Darren interjected, "That's enough for now. My training time is almost up. If you'd like, you can join me on the training ground. If you have any concerns about my methods, I'd be happy to discuss them with two experts from headquarters."

He put out his cigar, tossed a new box to Kake, and left the office.

As he exited, Darren paused and turned back with a smirk, "I may smoke, drink, and have my vices, but I think I am a good Marine. I'm better than the incompetent ones who can't get anything done."

With a cheerful wave, he left, closing the door behind him.

Gion and Kake sat in stunned silence until Gion snapped out of it. "That bastard! I won't be swayed by such nonsense!"

Furious, she grabbed the military phone bug to contact headquarters.

"Gion, what are you doing?" Kake asked curiously, hiding the box of cigars.

"I'm reporting Darren's conduct to headquarters!" Gion said with resolve as she dialed through the phone bug.

The connection established, and a cheery voice greeted her, "Haha, little Gion, have you reached the North Blue? How's everything there?"

"Admiral Sengoku, I've arrived at Branch 321," Gion reported seriously. "I've found that Rear Admiral Darren's personal behavior has severe issues that could tarnish the Marine's image and cause political disputes!"

There was a sound of intrigue from Sengoku on the phone bug, "What seems to be the issue? I remember Darren as quite competent..."

Gion hesitated, the phrase "caring for the people" echoing in her mind as she pondered how much truth there was in it.

She opened her mouth, her face gradually turned red, and she faltered, "He... he... he..." It was too embarrassing for her to say. Kake, next to her, grabbed the phone bug and said angrily, "He actually slept with the governor's wife of Yadis Kingdom!"

Sengoku, on the other end of the phone bug at the Naval Headquarters Marineford, Admiral's Office, looked at the outraged Kake with black lines all over his head. He reprimanded, "Sengoku-san, I strongly recommend that Darren be fired! That's the wife of the governor of the kingdom! She still looks charming, very beautiful!"

Sengoku's head was full of black lines. "No, dismissal and investigation will be handled appropriately. We can discuss this matter. Why are you always talking about Madame Margaret's looks?"

"Well, that's what happened," Sengoku muttered.

Hearing Admiral Sengoku's reply, Gion and Kake were stunned. "What the hell is 'um'? That's it?"

"Admiral Sengoku, your attitude..." Gion was a little dissatisfied.

Sengoku scratched his head and explained, "Gion, there are some things you don't understand. Darren does have a lot of problems. This old man and your elder sister are very clear about this. The issue you mentioned is not the first time. The Marine administrative and review department, where Tsuru-san works, has accumulated mountains of complaints and reports about Darren. As far as the old man knows, there are probably hundreds if not thousands."

Hearing this, Kake was stunned and trembling. Not a few, but hundreds? Does that mean that Darren "cared for" hundreds of noble ladies like Margaret? He smoked heavily on his cigarette.

Gion couldn't believe it and asked, "Then why is he still able to be promoted to Admiral of North Blue? If he continues to behave like this, the whole North Blue will be ruined by him."

Sengoku sighed, feeling that Gion was still too young and naïve. He realized that it was truly necessary for her to go to North Blue to experience it firsthand. "Gion, do you have a fax machine nearby?"

Gion glanced around and spotted a fax machine in the corner of the office. "Yes."

"I'll send you a document. Destroy it after you've read it," Sengoku instructed.

Soon, with the sound of the fax machine, a document from the military department appeared in front of Gion and Kake. They opened the work report Darren had submitted for his promotion to 'North Blue Admiral,' detailing his experience as the chief of branch 321 during the past two years.

The more Gion and Kake read, the more their eyes widened in astonishment. "Do you understand now?" Sengoku's voice had a hint of intrigue.

"The North Blue is chaotic with a long mafia history and high crime rate; many smuggling and black market routes run through here. There are constant wars among the countries, with Germa 66 trying to dominate and restore their kingdom's glory. But look at this report... During Darren's tenure, crime was well controlled, mafias were at peace, wars ceased, and living standards significantly improved. It's the most stable era in North Blue's chaotic history."

Gion, stunned, argued, "But Admiral Sengoku, our brilliant officers Borsolino and Sakazuki also served in North Blue. Is Darren's governance really better than theirs?"

Sengoku sighed, "You still don't know those two well. While Borsolino was there, he barely worked unless ordered. The pirates' activity increased until headquarters couldn't bear it and had to transfer him. And Sakazuki? He disregarded political sensitivities and civilian safety, causing too much destruction until the countries pressured headquarters to transfer him."

"But Darren is different. He understands the balance needed in North Blue. He's a true North Blue native who rose from private to his current rank. He's brave, decisive, and adept at navigating both dark and light sides of society. Even Sakazuki and Borsolino supported his promotion, recognizing his ability."

Sengoku's voice became more earnest, "You, especially you Gion, have been in headquarters your whole life and your understanding of justice and the Marines is shallow. We want you to go to North Blue, to expand your knowledge and learn. Darren is cunning and intelligent; there's much you can learn from him beyond headquarters."