New World.
Marine G-1 Branch.
Located at the entrance to the latter half of the Grand Line, adjacent to the Red Line and aligned with the Holy Land Mariejois.
The fact that it could protect the Celestial Dragons from opposite ends of the Red Line alongside Marine Headquarters Marineford demonstrated the importance of the G-1 Branch.
Port.
Former G-17 Branch Base Commander Rear Admiral Momonga stood waiting on the shore.
Half a year ago, after the Sabaody incident, he had been transferred to the G-1 Branch as Deputy Base Commander.
Judging by this transfer pattern, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it was only a matter of time before he succeeded as Base Commander of the G-1 Branch.
...
His Marine service record was nearly flawless. He had joined the Marines in his youth, following Garp and Sengoku, and participated in operations to capture the belligerent Shiki and Roger.
Later, during Shiki's attack on Headquarters, he performed exceptionally and was admitted to the Officer Training Camp.
Serious and rigorous by nature, he had captured many notorious pirates with his excellent command skills and formidable personal strength, earning a reputation among his subordinates as a highly reliable officer.
Among his exploits, the debut battle of the current Seven Warlords of the Sea, Hancock, had taken place within his jurisdiction.
Although his subordinates were all petrified, leading to the failure of the confrontation with the Kuja Pirates,
his unwavering resolve—not retreating a single step even in the face of the Pirate Empress's beauty—prompted Headquarters to designate him as the liaison officer for the Pirate Empress.
After all...
If someone less resolute were sent, they might just discard their Justice Coat and fervently join the ranks of the Kuja Pirates.
...
As the morning sea mist dissipated, Momonga spotted the approaching Naval Warship.
The warship resembled a giant wolf cleaving through the waves, its prow featuring a massive silver-white wolf head with ferocious fangs and eyes inlaid with pale blue gems that refracted a cold gleam under the sunlight.
The mane of the wolf head extended to form the gunwales on both sides of the ship, its lines smooth and brimming with a sense of power.
The hull was primarily silver-white, with four masts bearing standard Marine sails, and a row of cannons neatly arranged along both sides of the deck.
The entire vessel exuded an aura both solemn and severe, as if ready to tear out an enemy's throat at any moment.
...
"It's enormous... completely beyond the scale of a Commodore's flagship..."
Momonga murmured under his breath, observing the warship that visually spanned about forty meters in width and clearly exceeded a hundred meters in length.
Standard Marine warships measured approximately 60–70 meters in length; a Vice Admiral's flagship could exceed a hundred meters, though few opted for such size to maintain sailing speed.
Only during special missions, such as a Buster Call, would the Marines deploy super-large warships.
Momonga counted the cannon ports again, mentally calculating the ship's armory based on experience...
He couldn't help but mutter to himself.
This is even bigger than my Vice-Admiral Onigumo's Battleship... It's against regulations...
—
—
White Wolf.
This was the warship Griffin had custom-ordered at Water Seven half a year ago. The name was simple, but its internals were anything but ordinary.
After becoming a Commodore, he gained the authority to commission a custom warship.
Headquarters provided a portion of fixed funds, sufficient to meet the basic requirements for a Commodore's warship. Any additional equipment had to be paid for out of pocket.
At that time, Griffin used the headquarters' allocation and his limited personal savings to cover the down payment for this warship.
The down payment alone amounted to a staggering 900 million Berries!
To acquire this ship, he still needed to pay an additional 1.7 billion Berries!
Such a huge sum was enough for the Marines to organize an entire fleet, yet it was spent on constructing just one ship. The reason...
The White Wolf was entirely built from Adam Wood!
Yes, the same Adam Wood used by the Pirate King Roger, with a single section fetching hundreds of millions of Berries on the black market!
...
After the Sabaody incident, Griffin, having received the headquarters' funds, dialed the number of Water 7's mayor, Iceberg, before even leaving the hospital ward.
He wanted this shipwright, who studied under the legendary Tom, to build him a large ship from Adam Wood.
When Iceberg first received the call, he thought he was dreaming.
A hundred-meter-long ship made of Adam Wood—what a joke!!
Even Roger's ship wasn't that large!!
...
After much persuasion and a cash payment of 900 million Berries, Iceberg reluctantly agreed.
Just procuring enough timber from the black market took several months, with Iceberg nearly exhausting his entire fortune.
If not for Griffin's rising prominence, Iceberg would never have taken on such a high-risk project.
...
The risks were indeed high.
Griffin had long decided that if he couldn't pay when the ship was finished, he would simply seize it.
Of course, to avoid gaining a reputation for breaking rules and losing future suppliers,
Griffin planned to threaten Iceberg into concealing his crime of hoarding the Pluton Battleship Blueprint in exchange for the ship.
It was a wicked plan, but Griffin had never been a good person.
Sacrificing his entire fortune to avoid a capital offense was a bargain!
...
In the end, however, Griffin settled the remaining payment without resorting to such methods.
The savings he retrieved from Chin Jao were more than enough.
The only one who suffered was Chin Jao's treasure hoard, while Iceberg even made a small profit.
...
In this world dominated by the sea, the importance of a ship is self-evident. Facing extreme weather, a good ship is the foundation of survival.
The prime example of failure here remains Shiki.
During that great storm, Roger's ship emerged unscathed, while Shiki's ship's rudder shattered and impaled his head—a truly humiliating defeat.
To prevent such disasters, Griffin specifically instructed Iceberg to ensure every component of the ship was sturdy, with no room for oversight.
Upon delivery, Iceberg confidently guaranteed that the ship's durability rivaled even the Pirate King's vessel!
...
On the deck, Griffin stood triumphant, his Justice Coat flapping sharply in the sea breeze. The brim of his naval cap was pulled low, but it couldn't suppress the grin on his face.
One of his childhood dreams was to own an extravagantly luxurious pirate ship, sailing across the New World.
Preferably, the same model as Roger's.
Now, though it was a naval ship, it was still the same model—one dream fulfilled.
Next...
...
...
"Commodore Griffin, will you come down now?"
Momonga's voice pulled Griffin from his visions of the future.
The White Wolf had already docked, and Momonga, having waited without seeing anyone disembark, finally spoke up.
Griffin walked to the edge of the deck and leaped down, his Navy Coat spreading like an unfurled banner.
Landing steadily before Momonga, he pressed down his hat with one hand and extended the other.
A smile as bright as the sun shone on his face.
His still-flowing long hair resembled a cascading black waterfall.
"Pleasure to meet you, Rear Admiral Momonga."
"I am the headquarters Commodore temporarily taking over your duties, Uchiha Griffin."
...
...
Momonga took a deep breath.
Although he had been prepared...
To possess the same level of charm as the Pirate Empress based on appearance alone... What a terrifying man!
In the end, he still didn't extend his hand, turning sideways instead and saying: "Let's go, I have an urgent mission. After I brief you, I need to depart immediately."
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