Perhaps Roldy himself did not fully realize how greatly everything he was experiencing now would benefit his future.
He endured the suffering—but savored the joy of growing stronger.
And such days lasted for a full seven years.
Seven Years Later
Marine Headquarters
"Report!"
The door to the Fleet Admiral's office was knocked on roughly.
Now promoted to Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Kong sat behind his desk, several intelligence reports in hand, his brows tightly furrowed in thought.
Before he could respond, the person outside pushed the door open without permission.
Kong sighed helplessly.
In the entirety of Marine Headquarters, there were only three people bold enough to do that—counting Zephyr and Garp.
And since those two were currently out on assignment, the identity of the intruder was obvious.
"Fleet Admiral Kong! Marine Headquarters Colonel Fite Roldy reporting for duty!"
The man who strode in stood over five meters tall, built like a solid wall of muscle. The white Marine uniform—symbol of justice and peace—somehow looked almost like gangster attire on him. His salute was textbook perfect, yet his massive physique made it appear oddly disproportionate. The black-and-white fur at his shoulders gave off a wild aura.
Overall, Roldy looked like a silverback gorilla standing upright.
One glance—and it was hard to look away.
"You brat, take it easy! You've broken seven of my doors this year alone!"
Kong tossed the reports onto the desk irritably, pulled out a cigar from a box, lit it, and took a deep drag.
"Heh, only seven this year! Fleet Admiral, you're the top dog of the Marines—you should show a little more tolerance for rising stars like me!"
"It's only March, damn it!!!"
Over the past seven years, Roldy's personality had undergone a dramatic transformation.
From the polite kid who first joined the Marines to the sly and mischievous young officer he had become now—sometimes Kong even wished he could travel back in time and slap his past self.
Of all the instructors he could have assigned, why had he chosen Garp and Zephyr?
Zephyr was manageable—just a bit rough around the edges.
But Garp?
A complete headache.
After seven years of "careful instruction" under the two of them, Roldy had somehow merged the worst traits of both.
In public, he was the serious rising Marine star.
In private, he was an insufferably cheeky brat with no sense of boundaries.
"How did the mission go? Barle isn't an easy opponent."
Roldy had only been promoted to Marine Headquarters Colonel in the past two years. The reason was simple—he was ready to stand on his own.
Since then, under deliberate arrangements from the higher-ups, missions had come one after another. With his growing list of accomplishments, combined with his formidable strength and the Headquarters' intentional promotion of him as a "future star," Roldy had begun to attract attention across the seas.
"Not bad. Just a small fry with a 140 million Beli bounty. Not worth my time."
Without ceremony, Roldy grabbed Kong's teapot, poured himself a cup, and gulped it down in one go.
His tone was arrogant—but no one could refute it.
Seven years was neither short nor long, but the seas had changed dramatically.
The most obvious sign?
Inflation.
Seven years ago, a bounty exceeding 100 million Beli marked someone as a major pirate.
Now, in the New World, a 100 million bounty wasn't exactly common—but it was far from rare.
"Hmph. I trust your strength," Kong said. "Once this mission is settled, your accumulated merits should be sufficient. Go prepare yourself. When Zephyr and Garp return in a few days, we'll hold your promotion ceremony for Brigadier General."
Ordinarily, the promotion to Brigadier General would not warrant such personal attention from the Fleet Admiral.
But Roldy's status was sensitive.
Thanks to the media's coverage, he was now widely seen as the prized disciple of two Marine legends—the future hope of the Marines.
His promotion ceremony would require a formal press conference.
"Got it, got it! But this time, Fleet Admiral, you'd better screen those reporters properly. In the last interview, they actually asked me if I had a partner! What kind of nonsense is that? I'm only fifteen!"
"Don't even mention it—it still pisses me off!" Kong snapped. "Sure, it was rude of them to ask that. But what exactly did you say in response?"
"Well… I just said, 'Women would only slow down the speed at which I draw my blade.'"
"Exactly! That's what you said! And the very next day, those trashy tabloids were running headlines claiming the Marine Headquarters' rising star had 'unusual preferences'!"
After enduring a lengthy lecture in the Fleet Admiral's office, Roldy made his escape as if fleeing a battlefield. On his way out, he casually helped himself to a packet of premium tea from Kong's cabinet.
"Seriously… has the old man hit menopause or something? Why's he so cranky?"
Muttering to himself, he hummed a tune as he strolled toward the residential district of Marineford, his steps light.
"Yo, Colonel Roldy! Back already? Looks like another mission completed flawlessly!"
"Truly young and promising! Seems like Marine Headquarters' youngest Brigadier General is about to be born!"
Along the way, familiar faces greeted him warmly. Roldy responded with easy smiles, and before long, he arrived home.
Yes—the boy who once had been as insignificant as dust now lived in a residence he once could only dream of.
His house stood right next to Zephyr's estate. Strictly speaking, a Marine of his rank had no right to such a property.
But when you're Zephyr's proudest student—and an acknowledged disciple of Garp—
well, people are different.
"Sindy Gerva Auntie! Are you home?"
The dreams of his past were nothing special anymore.
Instead of entering his own house, Roldy headed straight into Zephyr's. The moment he stepped inside, he called out loudly.
A soft sound came from within, and the door opened.
A woman with long black hair and gentle features stepped out.
"Auntie, I'm back! Look what I brought you—premium tea from the West Blue!"
Roldy grinned broadly.
Of course, given his personality, the woman knew full well where that "gift" had probably come from. Still, she didn't expose him.
"It's enough that you're back safely. Why bring gifts? Your teacher doesn't even like tea."
Yes—this woman, Sindy Gerva, was Zephyr's wife.
At thirty-eight, Zephyr had successfully been promoted to Marine Admiral last month and married shortly thereafter. A true winner in life.
And his wife was every bit as gentle as he was stern. To Roldy—though he now stood over five meters tall, yet still retained the heart of a child—she showed boundless care and affection, just as Zephyr did.
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