One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

Marine Headquarters, Marineford—the symbol of power and justice.

Located at the center of the "Grand Line," adjacent to the Sabaody Archipelago, the Red Line and the holy land of Mary Geoise.

Between the "Judicial Island" Enies Lobby and the underwater prison Impel Down, it is surrounded by three "Gates of Justice" forming a government-exclusive whirlpool current.

Due to its strategic position, it serves as a deterrent and cleanup force for pirates from all four seas attempting to pass through the Sabaody Archipelago.

As a result, most pirates keep a low profile when crossing the archipelago, avoiding any actions that might disrupt public order.

However, its primary purpose for being situated here is to protect the Celestial Dragons residing in Mary Geoise.

Managing pirates and other Marine duties have become secondary objectives.

Yet, judged by actions rather than intentions, the Marine Headquarters has undeniably made significant contributions to curbing the Great Pirate Era.

At the port, a Marine warship carrying Jake and Monet slowly approached.

After undergoing roughly seven inspections, the vessel was finally permitted to dock.

The scrutiny was incredibly thorough—not only was the ship subjected to comprehensive weapons and safety checks, but every cabin corner, crew member's background and even the ship's damage and its causes were meticulously examined.

Even having Kizaru as the ship's commanding officer made no difference.

Given the Marine Headquarters' proximity to Mary Geoise and the fact that Marineford housed the families of high-ranking officers, security protocols were inevitably the strictest.

The Marine's administrative system was far from as lax as portrayed in anime.

Regulations on uniforms, weapons, ships, troop numbers, routes, missions, repairs—every detail was governed by stringent rules.

Even an officer of Kizaru's rank had to submit a detailed report if he eliminated an unknown pirate crew at sea.

The report had to specify the time, location, reasons, ammunition expended, ship damage and crew injuries.

Though Kizaru had aides to draft such documents, failure to submit them would result in penalties, even for him.

After all, these reports were the basis for annual budget calculations and requests to the World Government for military funding.

Missing documentation could lead to a one-third budget cut the following year—enough to destabilize the entire Marine system.

In essence, the Marines worked for the Celestial Dragons because their organization survival depended on it.

Disobedience meant dissolution—what other choice did they have?

However, high-ranking Marine officers weren't entirely passive.

Since Fleet Admiral Sengoku took office, he had deliberately fabricated some false reports to secure additional funding—though he couldn't push it too far, as the World Government had its own accountants.

Though most of those accountants tended to meet their end via 'Finger pistols'...

Kizaru had shared all this with Jake during their journey.

After all, this trip to Marineford signaled Jake's imminent entry into the Marine Headquarters' inner circle.

Knowing these basics would help him make informed decisions moving forward.

As the anchor and chain were dropped, the ship gradually steadied.

An automatic staircase extended from the cabin, with Kizaru standing at the forefront, followed closely by the composed Jake and the slightly nervous Monet.

The soldiers on the ground saluted Kizaru, though the method of saluting in this world differed slightly from his previous life—they directed their palms towards their superior.

The reason is quite simple.

Ships that primarily operate with sails require constant pulling of ropes and the dust from the ropes dirties the palms.

It would be impolite for superiors to see such dirty hands, so in the One piece world, the salute is performed with the back of the hand facing outward.

"Vice Admiral Borsalino! The ship inspection is complete! All personnel accounted for! Awaiting your orders!"

"Oh~ Still so full of energy, aren't you~ But I don't have any orders~ Just let us pass~ Fleet Admiral Sengoku wants to see us now. He's really impatient, isn't he~"

Hearing Kizaru's words, the soldiers, clearly accustomed to his mannerisms, quickly stepped aside to clear the path, continuing their salute until Kizaru and the others had completely disappeared from view.

Jake, puzzled by this, asked.

"Borsalino-sensei, why do the soldiers salute for so long? Is it a requirement here at headquarters?"

Kizaru shook his head in response, then sighed and said.

"It's not like that. It's the soldiers' own initiative. You know that behind Marineford is the residential area for soldiers' families, right?"

"Yes, I heard most officers' families live there."

"No, you heard wrong. Not most families. Marineford is not that big and there are so many soldiers. If every soldier's family wanted to live here, there simply wouldn't be enough space to accommodate everyone."

"Although we could purchase daily necessities and food from outside, the cost would be enormous. Not to mention, it would severely reduce the living space originally reserved for officers' families. So, in the residential area behind Marineford, the families are mostly those of captains and above."

At this point, Kizaru sighed again and scratched his head.

"In other words, even T-Bone's family isn't qualified to live in Marineford, let alone those below the rank of lieutenant commander at headquarters. So, on the entire island of Marineford, it's uncertain whether even one-fifth of the soldiers' families live in the residential area."

"Because of this, many soldiers try to build good relationships with high-ranking officers, hoping to secure their families' safety this way. But honestly, most high-ranking officers don't take the goodwill of ordinary soldiers seriously—they mostly ignore it."

"Even so, for the sake of their families' safety, ordinary soldiers still try to please higher-ranking officers with better attitudes. Even if the hope is slim, they have to try."

Hearing this, Jake fell silent.

He looked towards Marineford's largest building, staring at the two large characters on it, feeling a sense of helplessness in his heart.

Even here, true justice is scarce.

But he didn't criticize it too much.

Often, this is the best way things can be handled.

After all, absolute equality is impossible—relative equality is already an ideal world.

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