Chapter 46 : A year passes by

"Boy, you don't need to go to sea again after you come back this time. Anyway, you've already finished your internship," Garp followed closely, his tone firm.

He had made up his mind that he would not put Varen in the New World as soon as he came back. With Varen's strength now close to that of Marine's Admiral, there was not much difference between staying in New World or not. Garp wanted to keep a close eye on Varen, ensuring he was safe and away from the manipulations of cunning pirates.

Although the possibility of Varen becoming a pirate was extremely low, the Marine executives cherished him too much to take any risks.

...

...

Time flew by quickly.

It had been a year since Varen first set sail.

During this year, he mostly stayed at the Marine branch, handling various matters and helping make decisions. Garp discovered that Varen had a unique talent for decision-making and strategy. Through Varen's strategies, Marine casualties in New World dropped by 30%, and the total number of captured pirates increased significantly.

At first, Garp just wanted Varen to handle some tasks. But Varen's talent in strategy and decision-making was remarkable. Eventually, the chief of staff of the Marine branch became Varen's assistant, and more than 90% of the branch's decisions were made by Varen. This improved the efficiency and strength of the Marine branch, reflecting in the number of captured pirates and the reduced casualty rate.

Varen became quite famous throughout the Marine branch and New World Marine.

In the office, Varen processed a document and placed it on the table.

"Has it been a year? I heard that Mr. Zephyr has brought the interns back. It looks like it's time for me to leave." Varen thought to himself.

"Varen, if you don't say it, I'll almost forget that you're still a student of the elite camp! How about it? Otherwise, if you come to me after graduation this time, you may be able to replace me in a few years!" said Kitton, a sixty-year-old Marine branch Vice Admiral, with a smile.

He was the staff officer of the New World Marine branch, and although he was quite prestigious before Varen arrived, Varen's presence and actions had overshadowed him. However, Kitton wasn't angry. At over sixty years old, he was nearing retirement and was happy to see a capable successor.

"Kitton Vice Admiral, it depends on the future arrangements of the headquarters, and I can't make a decision. What's more, this position must be held by the Rear Admiral of the headquarters or the Vice Admiral of the branch," Varen replied humbly.

This gentle and humble attitude endeared Varen to the old Vice Admiral.

"Hahaha! That's true, but I will also write a letter to help support you and ask the marshal to give you a position where you can display your talents faster," Kitton said, smiling.

Kitton had been privately collecting petitions to support Varen for a month, hoping the headquarters would quickly give Varen a suitable position. Due to Varen's reputation in the branch, the number of real-named supporters in the petition had already exceeded a thousand.

"Then I thank you, old Vice Admiral," Varen responded with a smile, not refusing the support.

After leaving the office, Varen briefly explained to Garp that he was going back to the headquarters. He planned to take advantage of a warship returning to the headquarters that afternoon.

"Sakazuki, Kizaru, I wonder how their strengths are now," Varen mused, looking forward to seeing the two future Marine Admirals.

After a long time under Zephyr's training and their short-term experience in New World, Varen was sure their strength had grown significantly.

Although he had already gained experience from the two of them before and couldn't gain a second experience now, he was curious to see their progress.

As he prepared to return to the elite camp for the final exam, he knew he would likely have to fight Zephyr himself. The main questions on his mind were whether Zephyr would release water and if he could still unlock the template degree of Marine Admiral's strength by defeating Zephyr in this state. These were the issues that mattered most to Varen.