Spring gave way to winter, then spring again. Time flowed like water.
Two years had passed since the battle between Finn and Katakuri on Long Ring Island.
During those two years, the world had changed dramatically.
First, the chaos of the New World pirate wars had intensified to unprecedented levels. The new hegemonic class, led by Charlotte Linlin and Kaido, had begun challenging the old guard represented by Whitebeard and Shiki.
Kaido operated relatively independently, stirring up trouble on his own terms.
Charlotte Linlin had been far more brutal. She'd killed Captain John and heavily injured Ochoku, two former Rocks Pirates crewmates, in decisive fashion. For a time, the underworld had spoken of nothing else.
As for Katakuri's situation, it had been resolved relatively peacefully. Not long after being detained by the CP agency, he'd been returned to the Big Mom Pirates.
However, he hadn't been seen at sea since. No one knew what he was doing.
Though the news that the Charlotte Family's "perfect man" had been defeated by a Rear Admiral named Rodriguez Finn never made the newspapers, many people had learned this fact through various channels. Consequently, Finn's name had climbed high in certain information networks.
The Marines had undergone changes as well. On the macro level, strategic adjustments to keep pace with the changing times. Nothing particularly noteworthy.
As for Finn specifically, the Intelligence Department had been restructured under his guidance and was operating with remarkable success. Information acquisition capabilities had improved significantly.
After two years of training, Rosinante, Admiral Sengoku's adopted son, had officially joined the Marine Intelligence Department and entered the undercover program. However, he was still in training, not yet deployed against the Donquixote Family.
Finn had cooperated with Chief of Staff Tsuru on several operations. Together with Vice Admiral Garp, they'd traveled to the Kano Country in the West Blue and raided the Happo Marine's treasure vault in the Jewel Ice Sheet. With funding no longer an issue, they'd successfully established an intelligence commerce network rooted in the underworld. Though it wasn't particularly impressive yet.
Finn had suggested multiple times that they create a front organization similar to Pleasure Street to facilitate rapid development of the intelligence network.
Both Chief of Staff Tsuru and Admiral Sengoku had found the idea distasteful. They wanted to see if they could build this "non-existent organization" without resorting to such extreme tactics.
Finn found their reluctance frustrating, but there was nothing he could do to change their minds.
After serving in the Intelligence Department for two years, he'd recently resigned from his positions as Deputy Director of Intelligence and Assistant to Vice Admiral Tsuru.
However, because he was one of the founding architects of the "non-existent organization," his authority in that domain remained intact. He currently served as nominal head of the non-existent organization.
That said, since actual implementation had deviated so far from his original vision, Finn had lost interest in it.
Of course, don't misunderstand. His resignation from the Intelligence Department wasn't because something had gone wrong and he'd been stripped of power.
On the contrary, the position was simply no longer suitable. It could no longer accommodate him.
Because two months ago, Finn had been promoted to Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters for his meritorious service in intelligence operations and related work over the past two years!
At this moment, he'd spent nearly five years at Marine Headquarters, finally catching up with Kuzan, Sakazuki, Borsalino, and the others.
Though Tsuru held the crucial position of Chief of Staff, her military rank remained at Vice Admiral level.
Therefore, Finn and Chief of Staff Tsuru were now the same rank. From that perspective, he was naturally unsuited to continue serving as her assistant.
At the same time, to avoid the awkward situation where they might disagree on Intelligence Department matters but neither could effectively overrule the other due to equal rank, Finn had readily resigned from his Intelligence Department position.
After leaving that post, Finn, as a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters, had proposed to Admiral Sengoku the formation of a spearhead force specifically designed to handle important emergency situations.
Admiral Sengoku had recognized that Finn was young and ambitious. Becoming a Vice Admiral before age twenty-five naturally meant he had many ideas and wanted to make his mark.
Out of desire to continue nurturing Finn's potential, Sengoku had no objections.
The plan was approved. Finn subsequently formed the "Marine Headquarters Special Response Force."
This special unit was primarily designed to handle maritime emergencies, ensuring Marine combat power could respond immediately to critical situations rather than being delayed by other operational commitments.
Of course, since this "Special Response Force" had only recently been established, it currently had few members.
Finn served as commander. With a stroke of his pen, he'd assigned Momonga, Onigumo, Gion, and Doberman to the unit.
They became his direct subordinates.
Over the past two years, Momonga, Onigumo, and Gion had all achieved Rear Admiral rank at Marine Headquarters.
Doberman had graduated from the Eighth Officer Training Camp two years after them, so he was still a Commodore.
Currently, this Special Response Force had only one Vice Admiral: Finn himself, recently promoted.
On the surface, it didn't seem particularly impressive.
But Finn knew better. The people he'd chosen would all become elite Vice Admirals in the future. Especially Gion. She'd even become an Admiral candidate, no less capable than Kuzan and the others.
As someone determined to compete for Admiral rank in the future, Finn needed to nurture his own direct lineage.
As a Rear Admiral, he'd naturally lacked the qualifications to build such a power base. But now, these individuals were the first generation of his chosen team.
In the future, when they grew into elite Vice Admirals, Finn's voice and status within Marineford would naturally rise with them.
And if Momonga and the others reached their full potential, this Special Response Force would become abnormally powerful. Essentially a standing Buster Call fleet he could deploy at any time to help the Marines handle drastic changes at sea.
South Blue, Sorbet Kingdom.
Several massive Marine Headquarters warships slowly anchored in the port.
After a while, the gangway lowered. A tall figure wearing the Justice coat and Vice Admiral epaulettes descended.
Rodriguez Finn.
Compared to two years ago, his height had increased again. He now stood nearly as tall as Admiral Sengoku himself. Though he hadn't broken three meters, he'd reached approximately two meters seventy, the standard height range for Marine Admirals.
Beneath the Justice coat, he wore a simple white short-sleeved shirt with no patterns. Pure white. However, a hideous scar marked his left arm, stretching from forearm to elbow. The mark Katakuri had left him.
His heavy military boots struck the dock. Finn surveyed this unfamiliar country with a thoughtful expression.
He extracted a cigar from his pocket, placed it between his lips, and lit it. Exhaling smoke, he waved his hand. "Let's go meet the CP-0 representatives first."
"Yes, Vice Admiral." Doberman followed behind Finn, responding in a deep voice.
That's right. In the original timeline, Doberman should have joined the hawkish faction under Sakazuki, earning the moniker "Fighting Dog" for his fearlessness and willingness to bite anyone. Instead, Finn had recruited him shortly after graduation to serve as his assistant.
Doberman had been quite puzzled by this. He hadn't been Chief of his class in Officer Training Camp. He'd merely ranked in the top five. Why would Finn, known as the "Violent Tiger" of Marine Headquarters and a promising new Vice Admiral, specifically recruit him as assistant officer?
They'd had no prior relationship.
In truth, Finn had been equally pragmatic in his decision. He didn't know the four people who'd ranked above Doberman, especially the top graduate of the Eighth Session. He had no memory of them whatsoever.
Therefore, he'd judged that those individuals either died in future missions or became irrelevant.
Rather than searching for and training unknowns, better to recruit Doberman.
After all, Finn admired the man's fearless combat style.
The Sorbet Kingdom had fallen into chaos. As soon as they entered the port city, the atmosphere of depression was palpable.
Finn paid it no mind. He soon arrived at a hotel in the port district with a squad of Marine soldiers.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, he spotted several agents wearing white suits and masks standing guard.
Obviously, these individuals who favored white suits, masks, and acting mysteriously were CP-0 agents.
The gatekeepers acted as though they didn't see Finn. Didn't greet him. Of course, they didn't stop him from entering either.
Too lazy to bother with these bastards, Finn pushed open the hotel door and walked inside.
The interior environment was gloomy. A faint smell of blood hung in the air.
The hotel lobby had been thoroughly wrecked. Sofas, furniture, and tables lay in disarray, overturned and scattered everywhere.
Two CP-0 agents were currently beating a man.
"Tsk tsk, reminds me a bit of my own style back in the North Blue," Finn mused aloud, a teasing smile on his face. "Come to think of it, maybe a bastard like me would've been better suited to joining CP after all?"
As he spoke, he hooked his foot under an overturned sofa. With a light motion, he flipped it upright. Exhaling a stream of smoke, he sat down casually.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from the stairs leading to the second floor. A slim figure slowly descended.
"Oh? If Vice Admiral Finn is so inclined, you're always welcome to transfer to CP-0. I, Stussy, would genuinely look forward to it."
The woman descending was indeed Stussy. Compared to two years ago, she looked no older. On the contrary, her charm and sophistication seemed even more refined, flowing naturally.
"Haha, Commander Stussy, I haven't seen you in two years, and you're still as beautiful as ever," Finn said with an easy smile. "As expected, I was right from the beginning, wasn't I? Promotion and fortune came calling."
"You, Vice Admiral, look even more impressive now," Stussy responded with her own smile. "Congratulations on your promotion to Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Vice Admiral Finn."
Belated congratulations, perhaps, but genuine nonetheless.
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