Marineford. Marine Headquarters.
The sky was a muted grey, heavy snow like goose feathers drifting down to blanket the headquarters in silver-white silence. A cold wind cut through the air, sharp and biting.
A warship docked slowly in the crescent-shaped bay of the military port. The gangplank lowered. Sephiroth disembarked, followed by Kuro, Zango, and the Catman Brothers.
"Is this Marineford?" Kuro murmured. "Marine Headquarters… It feels a bit unreal."
He raised his right hand and adjusted his glasses with a push of his wrist. His tone was thick with something—wonder, maybe, or disbelief.
Three or four months ago, he'd been just a rookie pirate, setting sail for the first time.
Then he'd run into Sephiroth—an end-of-level boss on hell-difficulty mode—and been brought to his knees almost immediately.
He hadn't expected to be taken in as a subordinate, to become a Marine soldier tasked with hunting pirates.
Sephiroth, walking ahead through the white snow, turned his head. He looked at Kuro and smiled.
"By the way," he said. "Do you want to enter the Marineford Military Academy? For further study?"
"Your current rank as Branch Sergeant and your military achievements aren't quite enough," Sephiroth continued. "But with my special recommendation, you could go directly to the academy. Your strength already surpasses most ordinary military school students."
When the officers from Marineford arrived, Kuro was freed from his heavy duties. Sephiroth also began formally teaching the 'Six Styles' techniques to Kuro, Zango, and the Catman Brothers.
They were minor characters in the original plot, but they could hold their own. They were stronger than most Marines in the East Blue.
Especially Kuro. His self-taught high-speed movement technique, similar to 'Soru,' made him uniquely valuable. If he received systematic training, he could become a Marine General in the future.
If Sephiroth were a bit more generous—if he gave Kuro a suitable Devil Fruit—Kuro's path to becoming an elite Vice Admiral would be practically guaranteed.
Sephiroth himself disliked the restrictions of the Marine. But he didn't mind cultivating a representative within it. Kuro's talent and disposition were perfect for that role.
As for Gion…
That woman was too rigid in her own concept of justice. She wouldn't do anything against her conscience. She wasn't suitable.
"No," Kuro said. "Staying by your side is good enough."
He shook his head, refusing the suggestion outright.
As a rational man, he understood the principle: choosing the right side was more important than raw ability.
Compared to the uncertain future of the Marine Academy, he preferred to stay with Sephiroth. He'd earn military achievements, get promoted, raise his salary smoothly, and become a high-ranking Marine.
Through conversations with the officers dispatched from Marineford to Branch 16, Kuro had learned Sephiroth's temperament.
They walked another block. As they passed Oris Plaza, a commotion drew their attention—forty or fifty Marines had gathered around two figures.
One was a man wearing a Rear Admiral's justice cloak, his gold hair tousled, his features stern.
The other was a woman in a Major's cloak. Waist-length pink hair framed a face both cold and beautiful, touched with a hint of allure. Her voluptuous figure held a certain undeniable appeal, though the lady's cigarette between her lips struck a slightly discordant note.
Huh? Was that Tina?
Recognizing her, Sephiroth edged closer out of curiosity. He slipped into the crowd, ready to enjoy the show.
"Major Tina, from the moment I first saw you, your beauty captivated me. Even in this bitter winter, my feelings for you burn as ardently as ever!
Please, be my girlfriend!"
Tina took a slow, deliberate drag from her cigarette and exhaled a faint plume of smoke. Her tone was utterly calm.
"I'm sorry, Rear Admiral Kadaru. I'm not interested, and I don't wish to be your girlfriend."
Unfazed, Kadaru thought for a moment before pressing on.
"Then… let's start as friends!"
"..."
Tina felt a headache coming on. This man was persistent, and his tactical retreats were exhausting.
A while back, while on a mission in the New World with Vice Admiral Tsuru, she'd crossed paths with Rear Admiral Kadaru. They'd worked together briefly…
Somehow, he'd become infatuated. The attentions began—and then escalated.
He'd even arranged a transfer from G2 Branch in the New World back to Marineford just to pursue her.
Given his family's considerable influence within both the Marines and the World Government—and his status as the current heir—Tina didn't want to provoke him outright.
She'd refused politely several times, hoping he'd take the hint and back off.
But…
She never expected him to pull a public spectacle like this.
As she wracked her brain for a way to make him give up without causing a major incident, her peripheral vision caught someone in the crowd: Sephiroth, watching the scene unfold.
An idea sparked. A charming, dazzling smile bloomed on Tina's face. She took a few quick steps, reached out, and clasped Sephiroth's left arm.
"I'm truly very sorry, Rear Admiral Kadaru. You should stop this…
I wouldn't want Sephiroth to misunderstand."
"(UωU\")!?"
Caught off guard, Sephiroth tilted his head slightly toward Tina. His eyes signaled a silent question:
*What kind of mess are you dragging me into?*
Tina lifted her chin just a fraction and blinked back at him.
*Stop complaining and help me.*
"Ahem!… Rear Admiral Kadaru, as a man, I understand your feelings completely. But…"
"Also as a man, I hope you can understand *my* feelings."
"Please stop bothering my Tina, all right?
Otherwise, I'll be very upset, and the consequences will be… severe."
As he finished speaking, the smile on Sephiroth's face softened into something almost benevolent. But his eyes sharpened into blades, fixed coldly on the Marineford Rear Admiral who still knelt on one knee, pink roses in hand.
*Gulp.*
In an instant, goosebumps appeared on Rear Admiral Kadaru's skin. His throat bobbed, and a bead of cold sweat traced a path down his temple.
A saber materialized in his perception, its edge radiating a killing chill as it pressed against his throat. One word—'no'—and his life would end in the next heartbeat.
Having mastered Haoshoku Haki, and with a killing intent forged in countless battles, Sephiroth had refined his Ittoryu: Dai Shinkansen into a 'kill intent illusion.' The technique allowed him to lock onto a target with precision, weaving deceptive phantoms and mental pressure.
Against opponents two or three levels beneath him—those too resilient to be felled by Haoshoku alone, yet not so weak as to be mere fodder—the effect of the illusion was always, startlingly, perfect.
This, in an intangible way, saved him a lot of trouble...