One Piece: My code name is Green Bull

Jon's contributions during the mission were decisive, which made Major Matt extremely grateful. After completing the patrol, Matt immediately set sail for Marine Headquarters to escort Jon and the others back.

As for Coleman and the other captured pirates, they were to be handed over to the headquarters upon arrival and imprisoned in Impel Down, the most secure prison.

The journey back to the headquarters went smoothly without any incidents. Within a few days, they arrived at Marine Headquarters.

After bidding farewell to Matt and his crew, Jon dismissed his subordinates to let them rest. After exchanging a few words with Pemberton, Jon headed straight to the Staff Office to report to Vice Admiral Tsuru about the mission.

"I've already seen the report from Noville. You did an excellent job."

This was the first time since Jon had joined the staff office that Tsuru had formally praised him. He wasn't used to it and felt a little awkward.

"I was just doing what I should."

Tsuru looked at him intently and asked, "What's your opinion on this incident?"

"My opinion?" Jon was slightly confused by Tsuru's question.

Tsuru's tone grew serious. "There's no one else here—it's just the two of us. You don't need to hold back. Speak your mind."

Jon let out a small breath of relief. He had been under Tsuru's command for more than six months and understood what kind of person she was. Like Zephyr, she was a mentor figure—an elder and superior he could trust.

"If I had to share my thoughts... I think those archaeologists didn't deserve to die."

"But you must understand," Tsuru interjected, her expression becoming stern, "they crossed the World Government's line by pursuing secrets that must never be revealed. If these secrets were exposed, it could cause global upheaval. Knowing that, do you still believe they didn't deserve death?"

Jon pondered for a moment before replying, "To ordinary people, history isn't that important. Most people care more about the future. I don't believe that ancient history alone could destabilize the entire world."

In truth, Jon couldn't fully understand what the World Government was so desperate to hide from 800 years ago.

They had ruled for 800 years—how many people in the world actually cared about the events of that distant past?

Those who did care were either idealistic historians or individuals dissatisfied with the World Government's rule.

Jon, having watched the original One Piece storyline, knew some of the truth, though the full history had yet to be revealed even before he was reincarnated.

Tsuru said, "Sometimes, when you don't fully understand something, you shouldn't make hasty judgments. If you believe the scholars weren't deserving of death, then why did you hand them over to Cipher Pol (CP)? You knew what their fate would be once they were handed over."

Jon's response was steady: "Following orders is a soldier's duty."

Tsuru chuckled but didn't refute him. Instead, she spoke with a grave tone:

"You're right. Following orders is a soldier's duty. But even more important is upholding your convictions and sense of justice.

"There will be times when upholding justice requires sacrifices. In those moments, you must make a decision."

"For example, in this incident—if you had shown mercy and released those scholars, that would have been the real mistake.

"The mission itself may have had its flaws, but to prevent greater chaos, capturing them was the best option."

"This not only prevents global unrest but also serves as a warning to other archaeologists that some boundaries must never be crossed."

"To sacrifice a few to save many—that's a choice you'll face again and again. We can teach you many things, but some lessons... you'll have to learn on your own."

Jon listened carefully. He understood a lot and had his own ideas, but in this world, Tsuru's life experience far surpassed his. She could see the harsh realities of the world more clearly.

Everything she said made sense—it wasn't just advice but also guidance.

However, there was one thing Jon felt she had misjudged: the World Government's attempt to "send a warning" wouldn't work.

They underestimated the resolve of the scholars from Ohara.

In the near future, those scholars would set sail again—and their actions would shake the world.

"Yes, I understand," Jon finally responded.

Tsuru nodded approvingly. She thought highly of Jon—not only because of his remarkable talent but also because of his intelligence and perceptiveness. He could grasp the deeper meaning behind things with ease.

In the staff office, where he had trained alongside female officers for months, Jon had never caused any conflicts. In fact, many of the female marines admired him. This showed that Jon was calm, composed, and adept at handling relationships.

"I also heard that during your journey back with the branch's warship, you wiped out an entire pirate crew. Good work. Fighting pirates—that's the real duty of the Marines."

"This was your first official mission, and you did very well. I'll be submitting a commendation for you. You should expect a promotion soon."

Although Jon hadn't done much in the grand scheme of things, he had successfully completed part of the mission assigned by the World Government. For someone at the rank of ensign, that was no small feat.

On top of that, he personally captured a pirate with a bounty of over 89 million beli. With Tsuru backing him, a promotion in rank was almost certain.

"Besides that, is there anything else you need? Feel free to tell me."

Jon thought for a moment and said, "There is one thing I'd like your help with. You know my abilities, so I'd like to get some rare plant seeds—trees, flowers, herbs, anything unusual. I want to experiment and develop my powers further."

"Plant seeds? That's no problem—it's not a difficult request. I'll have someone keep an eye out for anything special."

Tsuru was aware that Jon's abilities were plant-based. She had even looked into the Devil Fruit compendium but couldn't find a definitive match for Jon's fruit. His powers didn't seem to align exactly with any known fruit in the records.

Since Jon wanted seeds to strengthen his abilities, Tsuru had no reason to refuse.

"Jon, your strength is already enough for missions at sea. The reason I didn't send you out earlier was to give you time to grow and steady yourself.

"But after this mission, I can tell—you're capable of handling yourself. I'll start assigning you more missions. Are you ready?"

"No problem at all."

Jon was overjoyed. This was exactly what he wanted.

Staying cooped up at the Marine Headquarters had bored him for ages. He had always dreamed of traveling the seas, fighting pirates, just like Sakazuki and Borsalino.

"Good. You can head back for now. When I have a mission for you, Gion will come and inform you."

"Thank you, Vice Admiral. I'll take my leave."

With that, Jon happily left Tsuru's office.

Tsuru watched him leave and murmured with a smile,

"If this boy wants to sail, then let him."

The Marines managed vast territories across the seas. The staff office, as one of the key departments, always had missions available.

Tsuru hadn't previously assigned Jon any missions because she had wanted to temper his character.

Now that she believed Jon had grown enough, she was ready to send him on his first real assignments.

----------

Powerstones?

10+ Advance Chapters: patreon.com/milezen

Make Sure to give a Review!

Collections please!