In stark contrast to Luffy, Zoro—who was only two years older—behaved completely differently. He was by Rowan's side for guidance, not for play. Aside from training his swordsmanship, the only things that interested him were meat, wine, and other master swordsmen. Thus, the wonder of the Sabaody Archipelago held little charm for him; his mind was still occupied by the pointers Rowan had given him the previous night.
As for Momousagi (Gion), she had visited Sabaody too many times to count. Her attention was fixed entirely on Rowan. Although she was no longer clinging to his arm as desperately as she had the day before, she kept a close watch on him, as if he might slip away the moment she relaxed.
"Vice Admiral Rowan!"
Before Rowan had even departed from the Marine Headquarters, Sengoku had already notified the Marine branch base at Sabaody. Knowing that a heavyweight senior like Rowan was arriving, the highest-ranking officer of the Sabaody base—a man with the rank of Vice Admiral—had arrived at the shore early to wait.
As Rowan stepped off the warship, the officer, a man named Toller, immediately snapped into a crisp, respectful salute.
"Toller-boy? Haven't seen you in forever. You've made it all the way to Vice Admiral? Not bad at all."
Rowan stared at the forty-something-year-old Toller for a good while before finally recognizing him.
"Mr. Rowan... I truly didn't expect that after all these years, you would still remember me." Hearing this, Toller's eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Toller remembered vividly that when he first joined the Navy over twenty years ago, he was physically frail and his training scores were consistently at the bottom of the class. Logically, with such physical stats, getting into the Marine Headquarters training camp was nearly impossible; his family had pulled every string imaginable just to get him through the gates.
He remembered how his instructors looked down on him. With his performance, he stood no chance of passing the final recruit assessment. His most vivid memory was a 20-kilometer weighted cross-country run during emergency training. Halfway through, he tripped over a branch and slammed into the ground, his calf pierced by a jagged stone.
The agonizing pain made him scream, but no one in the formation stopped to help. Even the medics and instructors didn't spare him a glance. The medic's later explanation haunted him: "If I stop to treat you and an elite soldier gets hurt later, what then? If an elite soldier suffers a permanent injury because they didn't get immediate care, can you take responsibility for that?"
To them, it was better to follow the high achievers than to waste time on a "waste" who couldn't pass the exam anyway. That day, Toller watched the main force disappear into the distance. He curled up under a tree and cried, his heart cold with despair.
But just as his passion for life was about to extinguish, a pair of strong hands reached out to him. He could never forget that kind, warm smile silhouetted against the sun. The owner of that smile hadn't just patiently bandaged his wound; he had shared life philosophies that would guide him forever, reigniting his hope and giving him the strength to endure the rest of the training.
Later, that old man would occasionally give him pointers. The advice was sparse but hit the mark every time. Under the old man's guidance and his own relentless effort, Toller eventually passed the final assessment—barely—and became a proud Marine soldier bearing the weight of Justice.
That old man was Mr. Rowan!
Years later, when Toller was promoted to a commissioned officer and went to the Headquarters to share the good news, he learned that Mr. Rowan had retired and left. But he didn't lose heart. He remembered what Rowan said: every drop of sweat shed in training would eventually become the nutrients for his growth. His efforts weren't for anyone else; they were for himself and for the Justice on his back.
Since then, he had performed countless deeds of merit, and his rank rose steadily. Five years ago, his accumulated merit was enough to reach the rank of Rear Admiral. In front of the entire Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku personally bestowed the rank upon him. He had become the first among his batch of recruits to reach the general level! And recently, he had successfully risen to Vice Admiral of a branch base.
All of his success stemmed from meeting Mr. Rowan on that one afternoon. Over the decades, Toller thought he would never see him again. He never expected that twenty years after their parting, he would receive a notice from Sengoku to welcome Mr. Rowan!
How could he not be emotional? And more importantly—Mr. Rowan still remembered him! A legendary figure of the Navy remembered a "worthless brat" from decades ago!
"Alright now, you're a grown man. Why the tears?" Rowan smiled and reached out to wipe the tears from Toller's eyes.
"Company, ATTENTION!" Toller suddenly shouted.
"SALUTE!"
Toller snapped to a rigid attention and gave Rowan a deeply respectful salute. Behind him, the rows of Marines followed suit, performing the most standard salute possible. Since Toller arrived at the Sabaody base, they had heard him speak of this old man's deeds countless times. Over time, they had developed a profound respect for Rowan.
A few life philosophies and scattered pointers were enough to turn a "bottom-dweller" into a general who surpassed his peers. A legendary figure known as the "Marine Godfather" was certainly no ordinary man. Such a person deserved their utmost respect.
Seeing Vice Admiral Toller's reverence for Rowan, Ain felt a ripple of emotion in her heart. Just how much weight did Rowan hold in Toller's heart for a single meeting to cause such a reaction? Even though he was "only" a branch Vice Admiral, Toller's story was well-known at the Headquarters as an inspirational tale.
Only Momousagi looked on as if it were the most natural thing in the world. This was exactly the kind of treatment her unique Mr. Rowan deserved.
After half a minute, Toller finally lowered his arm and spoke respectfully. "Mr. Rowan, now that you are at Sabaody, if you have any needs, just give the word. No matter what happens, I, Toller, will not blink an eye!"
The debt of guidance was like the debt to a parent. Only Toller knew the depth of emotion behind those words. Whatever Rowan asked of him, he would do it without hesitation. Even if Rowan told him to attack Mary Geoise, Toller wouldn't waver for a second.
The World Government? Did their status in his heart even compare to a single hair on Mr. Rowan's head?
The Justice on his back wasn't carried for the World Government!
And this was the irreplaceable status Rowan held in the hearts of some ordinary Marines.