It took nearly a year... honestly, if Robin hadn't been helping me with my studies via our correspondence, I might still be stuck in that classroom.
Hello everyone, it's me, Don Krieg—the man who (according to a very lie-filled poll) the world most wants to see make a comeback.
In my original life, I never did see myself reappear in the manga past the Whole Cake Island arc, but here I am, carving out a new destiny.
And finally, I have officially become a Headquarters Commodore! Cue the fanfare and confetti!
A Commodore! You remember Pudding-Pudding? Poor guy's screen time was saltier than the sea he sank in. A Branch Commodore should technically have the strength of a Headquarters Captain, but I guess he just had bad luck with his opponents.
Then there's the rest of the Commodore club—Yarisugi, Bilic, Brandnew, Daigin... Let's face it, in this world, if you're not a Vice Admiral, you're just background noise.
Those monsters like Momonga and Onigumo are currently only Captains or Majors, but I know where they're heading.
I wonder what happened to the "original" me? Last I saw, Gin knocked him out and took him away on a boat. He probably got claimed by a bounty hunter or rotted in Impel Down. He never even made it into a cover story.
Returning to Marineford meant the official disbanding of my "Marine Independent Company," better known as the Seagull Platoon.
I thought about handing the reins to someone else, but I couldn't find a suitable successor. I sat my flower-themed subordinates down, explained the situation, and sent them back to their respective departments.
Most of them have trained hard and earned promotions; they'll be the backbone of the future Navy.
As for Gin? Well, he's not with me right now. When I introduced Belle-mère to old man Zephyr, he took one look at the kid and demanded I leave him in his care for a few years.
I figured, hey, Zephyr taught me plenty, and as the Chief Instructor, he's turned out more legends than I can count.
I asked Gin what he thought, and he just said, "If it helps me catch up to you." So, I left him and Belle-mère under Zephyr's iron fist.
That left me to endure "Flag Officer Education" under Admiral Sengoku and a few others. I was supposed to finish in six months, but my brain just wasn't built for that much bureaucracy. It took a full year.
Being a Flag Officer is a whole different ball game than being a Field Officer. The scope of command and the weight of responsibility are massive.
I was the one who kept pestering Sengoku and Kong about the necessity of this education (mostly to prevent idiots like Captain Nezumi or Commander Shepherd from failing upward), but I never expected it to be such a pain in my own neck.
Well, the pay is better now, my pockets are lined, and I've got some breathing room. I think it's time to go visit Zephyr's training grounds. I've been so buried in textbooks for the last six months that I haven't had a chance to say hello.
Meanwhile, in the Marineford Briefing Room...
A high-level personnel meeting was in session. The topic? None other than the newly minted Commodore.
"Now that everyone is settled, let us begin," announced Vice Admiral Naz, the moderator. "Please look at the materials in front of you.
Today's agenda concerns the future placement of Commodore Krieg, who has just completed the inaugural Flag Officer Education program."
"Wasn't he the one who constantly preached about the importance of such training?" one officer remarked.
"Indeed. And because of that, Instructor Zephyr has suggested he be assigned to the Education Department."
"Let's not be hasty," another countered. "This is a man who led a highly successful independent unit. His request was for a roving patrol mission with no fixed maritime boundary, wasn't it?"
"Yes, but he explicitly stated he does not want a fleet. He requested a 'minimal crew of elites' to maintain flexibility in emergencies."
"Hmph. He's produced results with a single ship before, but I feel we're wasting his potential by not giving him a full command."
A representative from the Science and Technology Bureau raised his hand. "If I may? We would like him as a Technical Officer.
His ideas are brilliant, and many of our recent breakthroughs are based on his feedback. We even have a dedicated sub-department for his specific armor and weaponry; we'd like him to head research there to feed back into the general Marine arsenal."
"The Medical Bureau has an interest as well," another chimed in. "The data on his physical constitution is... fascinating.
He claims his strength is entirely self-attained through training. If we could replicate even a fraction of his physiological development, the Navy's combat power would skyrocket."
"No, no! He needs to be on the front lines to earn merits for a quick promotion!" a more hawkish officer argued. "Look at the report! He's mastered the Six Powers and their variations.
He has Armament and Observation Haki. His Observation is mediocre, sure, but his Armament Hardening is top-tier! Plus, he's close with the three 'Monster' Vice Admirals. He is clearly the future of the Navy!"
"He's only 24," Naz reminded them calmly. "And thanks to his 'Sanctioned Pirate' initiative—which he co-authored with the three Vice Admirals—our manpower shortage has actually eased slightly."
"What about his... habit?" someone asked. "He has a tendency to 'pick things up' during his voyages. If we send him out again, what will he bring back next time?"
Naz looked at a list. "So far: pirate weapons (sent to R&D), jewelry, animals, and children. Mostly orphans. The animals are usually released, though some stay—Private Second Class Sigma is a prime example.
The children are sent to the orphanage he sponsors or, if they wish to enlist, to Instructor Zephyr."
"That mysterious bear-creature... it got promoted?"
"It's a special case," Naz sighed, looking around the room. "Please, for the love of the Sea, do not let this become a trend. Not everyone can command a bear."
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