Miles gazed at the towering Red Line with a look of longing and said.
"Master, I've heard the North Blue is completely different from the East Blue. The people there are fierce, and their combat skills are incredibly strong."
Raleigh nodded in agreement with this point.
In fact, the North Blue was indeed the most formidable of the four seas in terms of combat prowess.
Perhaps due to its geographical location, being close to the latter half of the Grand Line, its weather was just as unpredictable as that of the Grand Line.
Because of this harsh environment, kind-hearted people simply couldn't survive in the North Blue—they would be devoured by others.
"That's right, Miles. Compared to the East Blue, the North Blue is like hell on hard mode!"
"Many monsters have emerged from the North Blue. The most famous vice admirals in the Marines now, Sakazuki and Borsalino, are both from the North Blue."
"Your master, me, I'm from the North Blue too."
Raleigh sat on the elevator, gazing at the sea of the East Blue as he sank into memories.
"Eh? Master, you're from the North Blue? But I've never heard you mention it before." Miles asked curiously.
Betty beside them also pricked up her ears, very curious about Raleigh's past.
"Because that experience wasn't pleasant. Back then, my brother and I were struggling to survive in the North Blue."
"There are too many Mafia families in the North Blue. Pirates and criminals love trafficking children the most. My brother and I were constantly hiding, never having enough to eat."
"Later, after my brother ate a Devil Fruit, we brothers finally gained a foothold in the North Blue and no longer had to worry about being sold like goods."
"After that, my brother joined the Marines and made a name for himself, then brought me into the Marines as well."
As Raleigh spoke up to this point, a faint smile lingered on his lips.
To be honest, those experiences were far from pleasant.
Constantly hiding, eating scraps, sleeping under bridges or in caves.
But now when he looked back, he unconsciously overlooked the bitterness in those memories, leaving only the sweetness behind.
He only remembered bickering with Borsalino, stealing bread from the Mafia with Borsalino, and outsmarting foolish pirates with Borsalino using clever schemes!
Nearby, Gion sighed inwardly upon hearing Raleigh's words.
She was a privileged daughter of heaven.
She had been brought to Marine Headquarters by Tsuru since childhood and had never experienced the hardships Raleigh and Borsalino endured.
In fact, if Raleigh hadn't spoken about it, she wouldn't have known that Borsalino and Raleigh had lived such a life when they were young.
But seeing Raleigh's relaxed expression, it was clear that he had come to terms with his childhood memories.
"Raleigh, is this what your childhood with Vice Admiral Borsalino was like?"
Gion's words made Miles and Belo Betty, who were nearby, gasp in shock.
What the hell?!
They had been feeling deep sympathy for their master's childhood, thinking he was one of their own kind, only to be told that his brother was a Marine Vice Admiral?!
Good heavens!
The highest-ranking officer they had ever seen in their lives was their own master, the commander of a Marine branch with the rank of Rear Admiral.
But their master's brother was actually a Vice Admiral—it was simply unbelievable.
"Well, you two never asked, did you? Besides, given how strong I am, isn't it normal for my brother to be a Vice Admiral?"
Raleigh didn't feel like he had been hiding anything.
It wasn't his fault they never asked.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino isn't just any ordinary Vice Admiral. He was one of the two most outstanding graduates of the first Marine Officer Training Camp and is known as a monster-level genius."
"The other one, who stands alongside him, also hails from the North Blue—Vice Admiral Sakazuki, who possesses the Magma-Magma Fruit. Tsuru-nee told me that both Vice Admiral Sakazuki and Vice Admiral Borsalino might be promoted to Admirals in the future."
Gion's words even startled Tokikake, who understood the weight of the title "Admiral."
It could be said that every Marine soldier dreams of becoming an Admiral, because the term "Admiral" represents the strongest in the Marines.
Every person who becomes an Admiral has faced countless challenges, defeated numerous opponents, and step by step climbed to the pinnacle of the seas before being granted the title of Admiral.
Naturally, Tokikake also aspired to become an Admiral, which made him even more amazed by the strength of these two seniors.
Raleigh, however, wasn't particularly surprised by this.
After all, in the future, both Sakazuki and Borsalino did become Admirals, and after the Summit War, Sakazuki even became the Fleet Admiral.
But these were things Raleigh couldn't say out loud.
"Let's focus on training. They're just a few years ahead of us. What they can achieve, I believe we can achieve too—it might just take a bit longer."
Raleigh tried to motivate those around him, though whether it would work or not, he didn't really care.
However, what Raleigh didn't know was that while he was still crossing the Red Line.
....
Far away in Mary Geoise, within the World Government headquarters, some people had grown suspicious about the events in the East Blue.
In that magnificently decorated office, a man dressed like an official with gold-rimmed glasses was sipping coffee while reading the newspaper in his hand.
"Tsk tsk tsk, this is truly troublesome. The Kingdom of Tottenny is a member nation of the World Government, yet it was so easily slaughtered by pirates. What a bunch of trash."
Standing before his desk was a lean man with an expressionless, ice-cold face.
"Peddy, if you called me back just because of some lowly commoners' deaths, I'll report your recklessness to the Five Elder Stars."
The man's voice carried no emotion whatsoever, mechanical and rigid.
"Goda, the reason our World Government doesn't need to worry about funding is precisely because of the Heavenly Tribute paid by those 'lowly commoners' you speak of."
"Although we look down on them, without them the World Government would struggle to provide sufficient funds for the nobles' pleasures."
The elegant man paid no mind to Goda's threat, continuing to speak casually.
"Since the Five Elder Stars have entrusted me with governing the East Blue, I, Peddy Wockley, must take responsibility."
"What exactly are you trying to say, Wockley? I don't have time to waste with you."
Goda Steele was growing impatient.
"The newspapers claim it was the Mad Blade Pirates, but I sense something amiss. During this massacre, the Marines seemed to make no response whatsoever."
"This is highly irregular. I suspect there might be some connection between the Marines and these pirates. The World Government only trusts the CP organizations under its command."
"And you, my friend, CP9's most cold-blooded killing machine, are most suited for this mission."
After a lengthy conversation, they finally reached the main point.
The World Government official appointed as East Blue supervisor was no fool—he too had noticed the Marines' unusual behavior, so he planned to investigate personally.
Whatever he uncovered would count as political achievement, and even if he found nothing, having CP9 eliminate the Mad Blade Pirates would still complete the mission.
If CP9 ultimately failed the mission, it would simply prove they were incompetent.