Chapter 13: My Ambition Would Frighten You
A few days later.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
This was a steel fortress upon the sea, exuding an aura of terrifying majesty. Thick and solid, it had withstood the tests of time and war, yet still stood unyielding. It was not merely a military fortress, but also a symbol of justice, a place of faith in the hearts of countless Marines.
At this moment, many important figures from Headquarters were gathered in a spacious, brightly lit conference room. Today was supposed to be Ian's promotion ceremony. Ian had arrived safely at Marineford an hour ago and was immediately directed to this conference room to meet with the top brass.
But the current atmosphere felt more like a tribunal convened specifically for him.
The reason it felt like a "tribunal" was because Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself, leading eight high-ranking officers—four on his left and four on his right—had arranged themselves in a fan-shaped semi-circle facing the front. Ian stood in the middle of this "encirclement," giving a comprehensive report on the incident involving the Donquixote Family ship days prior. He was required to recount even the minute details of the battle without omission.
Hina stood near the conference room door, participating in the meeting as a special attendee.
After the report concluded, Ian carefully observed the legendary top brass of Headquarters. When he had first entered, Hina had privately introduced them. Based on their distinctive appearances, it wasn't difficult to identify them.
Seated in the central core position was, naturally, Fleet Admiral Sengoku! To his left were Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Garp and Chief of Staff Tsuru. On his right, one of the three Marine Admirals was also present: Admiral "Aokiji," Kuzan! The other five were all elite Vice Admirals of Headquarters: "Pink Rabbit" Gion and "Brown Pig" Tokikake, both Admiral candidates; and Momousagi, Momonga, and Doberman, three veteran Vice Admirals who had once participated in the "Buster Call" on Ohara. Every one of these top-tier combatants of Marine Headquarters possessed terrifying strength.
This kind of lineup, assembled just for a soon-to-be-promoted Commodore... It was rare. Extremely rare!
"Jock Ian," Sengoku began, his voice stern after listening to Ian's account, "based on the events you just described, what evidence do you have to support your conclusion that there was a 'secret' hidden aboard the Donquixote Family ship?"
"There is no evidence. Only deduction," Ian replied, standing with his hands behind his back, his posture straight, answering without any stage fright.
"Deduction?" Sengoku's expression was grave, his tone firm as he continued questioning. "Are you unaware that as a Marine Branch Captain, you have no authority to initiate conflict with any of the Seven Warlords of the Sea without orders from your superiors?"
It was about rules and regulations. Ian's ears were practically calloused from hearing it. He knew well that in peacetime, what Sengoku and Hina said was indeed very important. But now was an era of all-out war upon the seas. It required a powerful Marine force to uphold the rules while dealing with a host of lawless pirates. He wondered how many of those present here truly enforced the law strictly according to the regulations.
"I may not have the qualification, but I have the responsibility to protect the East Blue," Ian said, his expression calm, his gaze steady. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I've made myself very clear. They attacked first. I was acting in self-defense. I was merely demanding an inspection, not declaring war. Isn't it strange that a ship belonging to the Donquixote Family, one of the Shichibukai from the New World, would appear in the East Blue? In fact, everyone here knows it's very strange. I believe the Donquixote Family also understands that their presence in the East Blue would be considered very strange by us Marines. Even though they know we know it's strange for them to appear in the East Blue, they still insist on doing strange things. They simply rely on their backing and are utterly fearless! Therefore, I had to inspect them!"
Ian remained unruffled, speaking rapidly, listing his reasons for action like a rapid-fire volley. To sum it up simply: No matter how strange you are or aren't, we're going to inspect you!
At the front of the room, Garp's shoulders shook with silent laughter, one hand clamped over his mouth as he struggled not to laugh out loud.
Tsuru glanced at him and whispered, "Laughing so happily... Did you even understand what the boy said?"
Garp grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. "No, not at all."
Tsuru: "..."
Probably the only person present who could speak so confidently about something he didn't understand was Garp.
Then, Garp continued, "Tsuru, you don't need to understand all those words at all. I only understood one thing: He knew the other party was a Shichibukai, but he wasn't afraid in the slightest. Even after our warships had given way, he still insisted on his bottom line for justice. Very courageous, this brat!"
Tsuru stared at Garp's expression and couldn't help but be taken aback. She rarely saw Garp show such appreciation for a young Marine.
After a brief silence, Sengoku changed his approach and continued questioning, "Jock Ian, you will soon be taking up your post at Headquarters and will face more complex situations in the future. Based on your performance over the past few days, it's hard for me to believe you would obey your superiors' orders on the battlefield. What do you have to say about this?"
Ian thought for a moment. He knew what Sengoku wanted to hear was nothing more than a few soft words of submission. For example: I promise to be obedient in the future, I promise to follow my superiors' instructions, I promise not to act recklessly...
However, Ian said, "If my superiors' orders are to punish evil, I will carry them out without hesitation. But if I were asked to weigh the pros and cons and ignore the lives of ordinary people, I could not do it. Fleet Admiral Sengoku, fifty young children... fifty fresh, young lives... If you were the Fleet Admiral, what orders would you give?"
Sengoku's face darkened: "..."
The senior officers present all looked at Ian in surprise. This was a meeting targeting Ian, yet this kid had turned around and questioned Fleet Admiral Sengoku! He truly was a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger, daring to say anything!
Ian was no fool; he wasn't just responding randomly. Instead, he stood upon the moral high ground, making it impossible for Fleet Admiral Sengoku to give a precise answer. Saying "military orders are supreme" would be equivalent to disregarding the lives of ordinary people. As the publicly recognized Admiral of Marine Headquarters, how could he possibly say such a thing!
Being unable to explain or refute Ian didn't mean what Ian had done this time was right. Sengoku's beard trembled slightly as he said in a tone tinged with anger, "What a fine 'Adjudicator of the Sea'... Ian, do you think that just because you've achieved the feat of a 'Pirate-Free East Blue,' you can look down on everyone at Headquarters?"
Caught off guard, Ian snapped to attention, saluted, and replied righteously, "No, Fleet Admiral Sengoku! In my eyes, this isn't even a significant achievement. My ambition is... a world completely free of pirates!"
His innate talent for performance instantly took over. Ian fully embodied the image of an upright, fearless, and passionately just Marine. He unleashed a series of these "moral justice" punches. Who wouldn't be bewildered after being hit by them?
The moment Ian stated his ambition, the way everyone present looked at him immediately became completely different!
Ignited by this "flame of justice," Garp suddenly stood up. "Hey, Sengoku, I think that's enough. This kid saved fifty children. That's definitely a great merit. How about I personally teach him the rules he needs to learn here at Headquarters? Hahahaha!"