Going Home

Jon had been staying at Marine Headquarters' Strategy Division, but he never expected to receive a new mission so soon.

"We're going to the South Blue? Vice Admiral, is this for real?"

When Jon learned that he was being assigned a mission in the South Blue, he was overjoyed.

He hadn't been home in over eight years. Two years ago, he had a chance to return, but he was too focused on improving his strength and missed the opportunity. After that, he simply never had the time.

Now, with this mission sending him to the South Blue, Jon was thrilled—it meant he could finally go home.

"Yes, that's right. This mission might take a long time, so you'll definitely have a chance to visit your home."

"That's great!"

Jon was ecstatic, then asked, "Vice Admiral, what's the mission this time? Am I leading the team?"

Since it was a mission in one of the Four Seas rather than the Grand Line, Jon naturally assumed it wouldn't be too difficult.

However, Crane's answer shocked him.

"No, Vice Admiral Sengoku is leading the team. He specifically requested your involvement due to your abilities. This mission is of the utmost importance—we're searching for the bloodline of the Pirate King, Roger."

"The Pirate King's bloodline?"

Jon was stunned. He had thought it was just a routine mission, but it turned out to be something this significant.

Thinking about it, though, the timing made sense. If Roger's child was to be found, now was when the search would begin. The Marines had already begun narrowing down the possible locations.

"Yes," Crane nodded, her expression serious. "No one expected Roger to manipulate us the way he did—not only using his public execution to deceive the world but also secretly leaving behind his bloodline. He played us all."

By making his execution a grand spectacle, Roger spread his will and ignited the ambitions of countless individuals, pushing them to set sail as pirates.

At the same time, this drew the world's attention away from his wife and child, allowing them a chance to escape unnoticed.

Even Roger himself didn't know if his plan would succeed. As a precaution, he entrusted his wife and unborn child to Garp, believing that Garp's strength and reputation would be enough to protect them.

But no matter how meticulous Roger's plan was, the intelligence agencies of the World Government were not incompetent. By carefully analyzing clues left behind, they managed to deduce that Roger had likely left behind a bloodline—and now, they were closing in on its exact location.

"The bloodline of Roger must not be allowed to survive," Crane continued. "This time, you'll follow Sengoku's lead. Do whatever it takes to find Roger's child."

Sengoku had personally requested Jon's presence on the mission due to his extraordinary Observation Haki. Among all Marines, no one surpassed Jon in this aspect. His ability to sense and locate people would be crucial to the mission's success.

For Jon, there was no reason to refuse.

Not only was this mission important, but it also gave him a chance to return to the South Blue.

Of course, Jon already knew exactly who Roger's wife and child were—Portgas D. Rouge and Ace. But he couldn't say anything.

Even with his advanced Observation Haki, it would be impossible for him to pinpoint specific names and locations without prior knowledge. If he suddenly claimed to know where they were, he would undoubtedly attract suspicion.

The Marines acted quickly. After receiving orders from Fleet Admiral Kong, Sengoku immediately organized a fleet and set out for the South Blue with three warships.

Since the mission was primarily a search operation, local Marine branches in the South Blue would provide additional manpower. Sengoku was bringing only elite forces from headquarters.

"Jon, if we find Roger's bloodline, that'll be a major achievement."

Jon was bringing Peberton along on this mission, and the two of them sat together on the same warship. Peberton was visibly excited.

To him, this was just a simple search mission—nothing too dangerous.

"Easier said than done," Jon replied.

He knew finding Rouge would not be easy, as he had no direct way of identifying her.

More importantly, he was aware that Garp had already left headquarters and was headed for the South Blue a few days prior.

Since Garp knew exactly where Rouge was, if he reached her first, it would be nearly impossible for the Marines to find her afterward.

Because the mission's target had yet to be pinpointed, the fleet wasn't in a rush. Upon arriving in the South Blue, Jon requested some personal leave from Sengoku.

Sengoku hesitated but ultimately approved. Right now, Jon's Observation Haki would be crucial to the search, but since they hadn't yet determined the exact location, Jon's temporary absence wasn't an issue.

That said, Sengoku did assign him a small task—when returning, Jon was to bring reinforcements from the 47th Marine Branch.

Jon and Peberton then split from the main fleet and set course for the 47th Branch.

The South Blue was Jon's home, where he had spent the first seventeen years of his life. Now that he was back, even the air felt different.

Because he had a Log Pose pointing to the 47th Branch, finding his way there was not difficult.

After a full day of sailing, Jon finally returned to the 47th Branch base.

After all these years, he was finally home.

Standing at the familiar port of the Marine base, Jon felt a wave of emotion.

Both he and Peberton were dressed in standard Marine uniforms, with their coats bearing the word "Justice" draped over their shoulders, marking them as Marine officers.

The soldiers stationed at the base's port, seeing the two well-dressed officers, immediately stepped forward.

"Reporting, sirs! This is the 47th Marine Branch. May I ask what orders you have for us?"

Looking at the soldiers, Jon realized he didn't recognize any of them.

But that was understandable—he had been away for many years, and the personnel had likely changed multiple times.

"No special orders, I'm just here to visit home. Is Brigadier General Woolson at the base?"

Years had passed, and Jon's father, Woolson, had been promoted from a Marine Captain to a Brigadier General, still serving as the commander of the 47th Branch.

"The Brigadier General is at the base. Would you like us to inform him of your arrival?"

The stationed soldiers could tell that Jon and Peberton were high-ranking officers. The uniform of a Marine Headquarters officer was slightly different from that of a branch officer, making it clear that they were from the main force.

"No need. I'll go find him myself."

Jon waved off the offer.

"Uh…"

The soldiers hesitated. Even though Jon's presence commanded authority, letting unknown individuals wander in unchecked was against protocol.

Jon simply smiled. "Don't worry. I'm Rear Admiral Lyons Jon from Marine Headquarters. Brigadier General Woolson is my father—we're on the same side."

"A Rear Admiral from Headquarters? And he's Brigadier General Woolson's son?"

The soldiers were stunned.

They had heard that Woolson had a son who had left years ago to join Marine Headquarters, but now, that son had returned as a high-ranking officer.

"All right, back to your posts. I'm heading in."

Jon gave a casual order before walking into the base with Peberton.

One of the soldiers instinctively wanted to stop them, but the squad leader held him back.

"Captain, are you sure we should just let them in?"

The squad leader scolded, "Are you an idiot? That man is a Rear Admiral—higher-ranked than our own commander! Besides, he just said he's Woolson's son. Lyons Jon… I've heard the older officers mention his name. This is definitely real."

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