After successfully convincing Yoriichi Tsugikuni to beco his adjutant, Kuzan was in unusually high spirits during lunch. He even ate noticeably more than usual.
To Kuzan, this was truly fantastic news. He could already picture his future life at sea, no need to personally deal with minor troublemakers, just leave it to the adjutant to lead the Marines and sort them out. As for himself, he'd only need to occasionally offer support from the sidelines. How relaxing was that?
Out at sea, he could lounge on the deck with his legs crossed, sunbathing while leaving everything else to his capable second-in-command.
With that thought, Kuzan polished off a bowl of rice, then got himself a second helping, a wide grin spreading across his face.
Zephyr, Garp, and Yoriichi, who were eating with him, had no idea what was running through his mind. But seeing Kuzan in such a good mood and with such an appetite, they couldn't help enjoying their al as well.
After lunch, Kuzan didn't give Yoriichi a mont's rest. He dragged him straight to the port, wanting to introduce him to the crew and show him the ship he'd be joining.
As a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Kuzan was currently under the command of the G-5 Branch in the New World, a relatively large division. While Fleet Admiral Sengoku held overall authority, the G-5 base itself was led by a Vice Admiral.
Below the base commander were several other Vice Admirals, each in charge of their own detachnts. Kuzan served in the third division of G-5, where he held the post of second unit commander.
Normally, division commanders were Vice Admirals or Rear Admirals, while unit commanders were typically Rear Admirals or Vice Admirals. Captains, at most, served as aides in these New World branches, they were not qualified to lead a warship on their own.
To lead a warship as a Captain, one had to be assigned to a branch in the Four Blues.
Take Smoker and Vergo, for example. Both would eventually beco Vice Admirals in the G-5 Branch. However, Vergo would be the G-5 base commander, while Smoker would only command a division. Though their ranks were technically the sa, their authority and combat strength differed drastically.
At present, Kuzan held the rank of Vice Admiral, but his position as a unit commander was even lower than the future post of Division Commander Smoker.
His "flagship" was nothing grand either, a small warship just over fifty ters in length, with a draft of less than two ters. It was only slightly longer than the Thousand Sunny.
As for his subordinates… the number was pitifully low, totaling fewer than a hundred n.
In other words, Kuzan's Vice Admiral rank barely put him above a glorified lone officer.
This problem of lacking subordinates would eventually be sothing Yoriichi might also face if he ever led his own unit at sea.
The Marines placed heavy emphasis on "seniority." Most Marine officers worked their way up from the bottom, aning that by the ti they reached higher ranks, they had plenty of forr comrades and subordinates from their early days to rely on. Officers who rose through the ranks from scratch didn't have to face what Kuzan was currently going through.
But for soone like Kuzan, who had been promoted unusually quickly, the situation was very different—he couldn't even find a proper adjutant.
Even future Captains like Koby and Tashigi didn't get to lead crews on their own, partly for the sa reason.
And Smoker, who ca up from a branch station, only managed to take over an undesirable ss because no one else wanted it. Most of the Marines in Loguetown were useless in the New World anyway.
By now, the Navy had already beco a fully structured system. Every "hole" already had its "peg." If the higher-ups didn't step down, where would new officers get their troops?
Sure, it was possible to build your own unit from scratch. As long as you could rally a crew, the Navy would fund it.
But in the world of One Piece, how many people were willing to risk their lives for a few tens of thousands of Berries a month? Jobs like this were death traps. If you were going to die anyway, wouldn't turning to piracy be more profitable?
Which was why, in this era, most Marines still held a touch of idealism in their hearts.
Under Kuzan's lead, Yoriichi arrived at a small dock on the north side of the naval port. Moored there was a green-painted warship.
It was a retrofitted sail-powered vessel upgraded with modern propulsion. The hull was made of wood and painted in green anti-corrosive paint, with the white "G-5" emblem emblazoned on the side.
However, it was clear the ship hadn't seen much maintenance. Yoriichi noticed peeling paint, exposing the wooden planks beneath to the harsh sun and sea spray. So areas had even begun to rot from saltwater erosion.
The sails were retracted, and at the top of the mast was an old-style lookout post—completely exposed to the elents, without even a cover.
This "warship" gave Yoriichi a rather desolate feeling.
"Hey Kuzan, this is your ship?"
"One round of cannon fire from a pirate crew and this thing's sinking, isn't it?"
Yoriichi asked, surprised. It wasn't that he looked down on shabby ships, but this "flagship" of Kuzan's barely even looked functional. If not for the standard Navy paint job, he would've assud it was a derelict.
And even if it had propulsion, would the ship actually hold together?
"No, no, don't worry. With on board, enemy cannon fire will never touch this ship!"
"Co on, I'll give you a tour."
"This ship has fifty rooms in total. After accounting for the ss hall, rec room, and other shared facilities, there are thirty-eight rooms for living quarters."
"Regular Marines bunk two to a room. But since you're the adjutant, you get your own cabin and even a personal study for handling confidential matters."
"How's that for treatnt? Not like when you were cramd into a shared room on Vice Admiral Garp's ship."
Kuzan bead proudly. When he boasted that no cannonball could touch his ship, he sounded completely serious, never realizing Yoriichi had been poking fun at him.
"Right… I'll take a look then."
Yoriichi wasn't expecting much from the "private room" anyway. Thankfully, he didn't have high standards for accommodations. All he hoped was that Kuzan's crew was reliable—that would save him a lot of trouble.
But the mont he set foot on the ship with Kuzan, he knew he had been too optimistic.
Every one of Kuzan's subordinates had a… unique look. More importantly, Yoriichi couldn't sense even the faintest bit of powerful aura from any of them. Not even a trace of ferocity.
They didn't feel like soldiers at all.
Kuzan's crew was clearly made up of ordinary people with little to no combat experience.
After taking one glance at the Marines patrolling the deck, Yoriichi couldn't help but ask:
"This... this is your unit?"
"Kuzan, are you serious? These guys…"
Before he could finish, Kuzan cut in with a grin.
"Yep! Every one of them is a new recruit filled with admiration for the Navy!"
"As for combat strength, well, it might be lacking just a little bit… but you can rest assured, they've got the spirit of a true Marine!"
After that, Kuzan clapped his hands, gathering the Marines on deck. With a loud voice, he declared:
"Let introduce soone! This is Yoriichi Tsugikuni, a Captain from Marine Headquarters!"
"He's going to be my second-in-command! Co on, everyone, greet Captain Yoriichi!"
At his command, the Marines raised their arms and shouted in unison. Though their numbers were small, their enthusiasm was surprisingly high.
"…"
"Hello, everyone. I look forward to working with you."
Yoriichi let out a silent sigh. Forced to accept this reality, he quickly composed himself and returned their greetings with a smile.
As of today, he was officially a mber of the G-5 Branch.
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