Chapter 26: The Sabaody Assignment
Ian played the part of the approachable captain and delivered his speech. In front of all the leadership, he naturally had to appear well-behaved and kind. Once they were at sea, he would show these people who was really in charge!
Clap clap clap!
Clap clap clap!
...
The three cadres gave Ian's speech a warm round of applause. The several big shots at Headquarters also applauded. Kuzan kept muttering, "This kid has a way with words."
Sengoku waved his hand, and the applause ceased. "Very good. Now that the unit commander is acquainted with everyone, Ian, what I'm going to discuss next is... the mission you are about to undertake! I've discussed this with Garp and Tsuru, and I can offer you two options."
"The first option is to serve as the base commander of the G-4 branch near Reverse Mountain. The term is one year."
"The second option is to go to the Sabaody Archipelago for garrison duty near our Headquarters. The garrison period starts at four months."
"Do you need me to explain the details of the two locations?"
Sengoku looked at Ian, asking if he wanted him to continue.
Ian took two steps forward and shook his head. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, no explanation is needed. I understand the specific implications of these two missions. Reverse Mountain is a crucial passage leading from the Four Blues to the Grand Line. Pirates from all over the world basically pass through there. The Sabaody Archipelago is the endpoint of the first half of the Grand Line and the only way to the second half, the New World. Powerful pirates heading to the New World cannot avoid it. In recent years, both locations have been key areas where the Navy has lacked effective management."
To put it bluntly, both were aimed at eradicating potential pirate threats at the root!
The former was like uprooting seedlings.
The latter was like felling trees.
Considering Ian's current needs, there would definitely be more pirates to fight at Reverse Mountain. The quality of pirates encountered at the Sabaody Archipelago would be screened and higher. After all, no unknown pirates could land on that island and proceed to the New World. That was the island where the Pirate Supernovas were born!
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku... I choose the Sabaody Archipelago!" After a moment's thought, Ian gave his answer.
Garp, standing to the side, sighed silently. The thing I worried about has finally happened.
...
Morning time.
The scorching sun shone down on the departure port of Headquarters.
Three warships were anchored there, looking majestic.
The one in the middle was a Rear Admiral-sized warship, with four hundred soldiers standing in formation, each one tall and straight, ready to set sail at any time.
On each side was a Captain-level small or medium-sized warship, each carrying over a hundred Marines.
The three warships belonged to Ian, T. Bone, and Peacock respectively. After Ian chose to carry out the mission at the Sabaody Archipelago, the department's vigorous and efficient work style was once again fully demonstrated. He was given only one hour to prepare!
At the port, everyone except Ian had already boarded their ships. Although Peacock and T. Bone had their own ships, following Ian's instructions, they remained on his vessel, waiting to hold an internal meeting after setting sail.
Peacock stood by the railing, looking down at Ian below, and praised in a gentle voice, "What a remarkable man! The Commodore is setting sail. Headquarters' hero, Garp, and Admiral Aokiji are here to see him off personally. This kind of treatment is truly rare!"
T. Bone's face was stern as he echoed, "After all, he is Vice Admiral Garp's beloved disciple, so naturally he is treated differently."
Skylark stood beside Peacock, cautiously poking her head out to look at Ian's figure from afar.
Before leaving, Garp still felt worried. His awkward expression revealed his inner unease.
"Old man, what's with you today? That's not like you at all. Where's that devilish look you have during training?" Ian teased Garp lightheartedly. Was it just going to the Sabaody Archipelago? It seemed like he'd made a wrong choice.
Kuzan adjusted his eye mask and said, "Mr. Garp, if you didn't want Ian to go to the Sabaody Archipelago, you should have told the Fleet Admiral earlier. Why create a multiple-choice question and let him choose? You should know that with this kid's personality, he'll probably choose the more difficult mission. It's not like you to be so indirect."
Kuzan's words confirmed Ian's suspicion. Would the Fleet Admiral personally assign a mission with real room for choice? The reason the option appeared was most likely because Garp was manipulating it.
"Tsk, kid, couldn't you have chosen a less difficult mission? You've just formed your unit and haven't participated in any Headquarters military missions. You have no idea what the Sabaody Archipelago is!" The wrinkles on Garp's forehead deepened as he spoke in a troubled tone.
"I understand, Mr. Garp. After all, I've been a Marine for so many years. The Sabaody Archipelago is... the territory of the Celestial Dragons! Because of its unique geographical location, there are rising pirate stars heading to the New World, and there are also those returning from the New World. Of the 79 numbered groves, nearly 30 are lawless areas. Because the Celestial Dragons and the World Government are intentionally 'relaxing their policies,' the Navy's law enforcement on the island is much more difficult than expected. It feels like... Mr. Garp is putting Seastone handcuffs on me. My hands and feet are tied!"
Ian's words made Garp and Kuzan look at him in shock. They had thought Ian hadn't considered the situation and had just arbitrarily chosen a difficult environment. Now it seemed Garp had underestimated him.
"You little brat, you've done a lot of homework. I thought you were just messing around. Since you know so much and insist on your choice, I will only advise you one thing... When the Celestial Dragons appear, no matter what happens or what you see, do not meddle in their affairs! As long as it doesn't involve the Celestial Dragons, you can cause any other trouble you want!" Garp grabbed Ian's shoulders and spoke in an extremely serious tone.
Ian had dared to attack a Warlord's subordinate before even taking up his post at Headquarters. Once he arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, given his personality, it wouldn't be surprising if he couldn't stand the Celestial Dragons.
"Don't worry, they are the descendants of the Creators. Why would I mess with them? I have another question, Mr. Garp... What if... what if... I can't help it... We have a minor conflict with the Celestial Dragons. What should we do?" A cunning look flashed in Ian's eyes as he watched Garp's expression change playfully.
Whoosh...
Whoosh...
Whoosh...
Garp threw three consecutive punches aimed at Ian's head. Ian was prepared and nimbly dodged them.
"Bastard! How could I have raised a troublemaker like you! What if we get into trouble with those trash, ahem... I mean, the Celestial Dragons?"