Chapter 296: Volunteering for the Mission

As a Vice Admiral, Gion needed to submit a request and wait for approval if she wanted to lead a unit out on a mission—unless she was on duty or on leave.

After all, not every Vice Admiral had the privilege of someone like Garp.

The approval process usually took some time, but coming directly to the Fleet Admiral's office to see Sengoku in person was a way to bypass some of the red tape.

This alone was enough to show Gion's sense of urgency.

"You want to go to the Sabaody Archipelago? Is it because of Maude?"

Sengoku's eyes glinted as he instinctively glanced at the neatly categorized intelligence reports on his desk. Among them was the latest update regarding Maude's arrival at Sabaody.

Gion gave a straightforward nod in response to Sengoku's question.

As soon as she learned of Maude's arrival at Sabaody, she had immediately made her way here.

Sengoku hummed in thought.

From a strategic standpoint, as Fleet Admiral, he couldn't simply ignore the presence of Maude at the Sabaody Archipelago.

However, with the Seven Warlords of the Sea meeting approaching, he had temporarily set the matter aside.

He hadn't expected that before he could act, Gion would take the initiative—going as far as personally requesting the mission.

"Very well. I'll assign you the task of eliminating Maude."

Sengoku approved her request without much hesitation.

Right now, his focus was on the upcoming Warlord meeting. Entrusting Gion with dealing with Maude would save him the trouble of handling it personally.

"I'll set out immediately!"

Hearing this, a glimmer flashed in Gion's eyes as she appeared eager to depart.

A Marine wearing sunglasses, standing nearby, silently observed her reaction and felt an inexplicable sense of curiosity.

There had been rumors circulating in the Marines that Maude had done something unforgivable to Gion.

Back when Maude was still an unknown figure, Gion had personally worked tirelessly to have him placed on the bounty list.

Thanks to her efforts, despite being just a nameless youth from the West Blue, Maude had received a 68-million-beri bounty even before making a name for himself.

Later, in order to deal with Maude, Gion had even gone to Loguetown to wait for him.

When she learned that Maude had already entered the Grand Line, she immediately pursued him without hesitation.

Her relentless pursuit seemed a little too intense. The gossip-loving Marine in sunglasses found it hard to believe there was no deeper story behind it.

Among the many rumors that had started to sound increasingly plausible, what intrigued him most was why Gion had frequently traveled to the West Blue for a period of time.

Perhaps that was where the so-called 'fateful entanglement' between her and Maude had begun.

"Her heart belongs to someone else, and that love has turned into deep hatred, huh? Sigh… No wonder Vice Admiral Chaton has been rejected so many times."

The Marine's inner gossip instincts burned with excitement. Thinking about how Chaton had been turned down repeatedly by a woman whose heart was preoccupied with someone else, he couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

Speaking of which, if it were purely about looks, Bacardi Maude was undeniably far more attractive than Vice Admiral Chaton.

Sigh…

Unaware of her colleague's internal monologue, Gion swiftly turned to leave after receiving Sengoku's approval.

Sengoku watched her departure thoughtfully.

Around this time last year, Portgas D. Ace had arrived at Sabaody Archipelago.

The Marines had not ignored such a rising Supernova. A Headquarters Vice Admiral had been immediately dispatched to hunt down Ace.

During that battle, even though Ace possessed the power of the Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit, he had been completely suppressed by the Vice Admiral's Haki, gradually being forced into a desperate situation.

However, at the last moment, through sheer willpower, Ace had awakened his own Haki in the face of certain defeat. The sudden breakthrough allowed him to turn the tide and defeat the Vice Admiral who had been sent to eliminate him.

After that battle, Fire Fist Ace had cemented his status as a fearsome Supernova and blazed his way into the New World.

And this year's Supernova?

There was no doubt—it was Bacardi Maude.

"Hopefully, Gion will be able to take care of Maude without any complications."

Sengoku mused silently.

After leaving the office, Gion headed straight for the shipyard where the warships were docked.

Before requesting approval from Sengoku, she had already instructed her subordinates to prepare for departure.

By now, everything should be ready. The moment she arrived, they would set sail immediately.

With that thought, she quickened her pace.

As she passed through a corridor, two figures approached from the opposite direction.

One was an older man, close to middle-aged, with somewhat unrefined facial features.

He wore a yellow top hat and an outdated mustard-colored suit, his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he walked with a slouched posture.

The other was a much younger, stockier man with a sumo-wrestler-like physique.

His distinctive bowl-cut hairstyle and the stitched scar on his face made him easily recognizable. He wore only a red belly band.

These two were Chaton and Sentomaru.

The former was the middle-aged Vice Admiral.

The latter was the Captain of the Marine Science Unit and a direct subordinate of Admiral Kizaru.

The two of them walked side by side until they noticed Gion approaching swiftly from the opposite direction.

"Hm?"

Chaton's eyes lit up at the sight of Gion. Without hesitation, he executed a Shave, instantly appearing in front of her in a flashy manner.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Gion! Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"This doesn't concern you."

Gion had no patience for Chaton's antics. She swiftly sidestepped him and continued forward.

Noticing Sentomaru, she gave him a small nod in greeting.

"Gion-senpai."

Sentomaru also acknowledged her as they passed each other.

Chaton inhaled the lingering fragrance of Gion's passing presence, momentarily savoring it before quickly catching up to her.

Running into the woman he admired was enough to make him momentarily forget about Sentomaru.

"I'm just worried about you! You seem to be in a rush—must be an urgent matter, right? I happen to be on leave. I can lend a hand."

Gion glanced at Chaton upon hearing this.

Seeing her reaction, Chaton thought he had a chance and was about to press further when Sentomaru's voice suddenly chimed in.

"Gion-senpai, I'm also free."

Without making a sound, Sentomaru had come up beside them.

Chaton's mouth twitched. 'This brat, what business does he have meddling in an adult's affairs?!'

Sentomaru, however, remained oblivious and simply looked at Gion with eager anticipation.

To him, accompanying someone he knew on a mission was a rare opportunity.

Gion glanced at Sentomaru in surprise but shook her head. "Thanks, but I can handle this alone."

"Ah…"

Sentomaru looked disappointed.

Chaton glanced at him and scoffed, thinking: 'A kid like you doesn't understand the art of persistence.'

He immediately stuck close to Gion again, shamelessly adding, "Come on, Gion! The more, the merrier—bringing me along wouldn't hurt."

Gion, long accustomed to Chaton's pestering, simply ignored him.

But Chaton was dead set on being an unshakable nuisance—once he latched on, there was no shaking him off easily.

Standing behind them, Sentomaru watched the scene unfold with a bewildered expression. After a brief moment of contemplation, he decided to follow along.

Half an hour later, a Marine warship departed from the dock.

Inside a traditionally styled cabin...

Garp lounged comfortably, munching on senbei crackers. He cast a sidelong glance at Vice Admiral Tsuru, who was seated across from him on the sofa, and chuckled, "Looks like little Gion still can't sit still."

Tsuru remained silent, gently sipping her tea with an air of composure.

Seeing this, Garp shifted his gaze to Aokiji, who was seated nearby, and asked, "Aokiji, aren't you going to join in on the fun?"

"Ara ara..."

Reclining lazily on the plush sofa, Aokiji naturally understood what Garp meant by "fun." With a laid-back tone, he replied, "I think I'll pass."

Ever since his brief conversation with Maude on Lorre Island, his attitude toward him had undergone a subtle shift.

"Haha."

Garp let out a hearty laugh before saying seriously, "I thought you'd at least be a little interested."

At Garp's words, Aokiji's lips curled slightly, but he chose to remain silent.

Just then, a tall female Marine captain entered the room and walked straight up to Vice Admiral Tsuru, holding a faxed document in her hand.

"Tsuru-san."

The female captain handed the fax to Vice Admiral Tsuru.

Tsuru accepted the document and gave the captain a slight nod.

The female Marine smiled, saluted both Garp and Aokiji, then turned and left the room.

Once she was gone, Tsuru skimmed through the contents of the fax.

After reading it, she remained expressionless as she handed the document to Garp.

Garp took it and scanned through the contents. Raising an eyebrow, he clicked his tongue, "Tch, he just arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago and already took out five Supernovas."

"Maude?"

Aokiji glanced at the document in Garp's hand.

Garp nodded.

"That does sound like something he'd do."

Aokiji scratched his cheek, his mind involuntarily recalling the words Maude had spoken to him back on Lorre Island.

What a shame...

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