One Piece: The Freedom Fighters

Chapter 12: Vice-Admiral Rebound's Meeting

The elevator doors opened, and Genu walked out onto the fifth floor. It looked the same as the rest of the base; a white overcoat with various pipes and valves lining the walls. Whereas the other levels were crawling with Marines or Scientists, this one was noticeably less traveled. There was an eerie silence that hung in the air, as if the slightest noise could send everything spiraling into hysteria. This one was mainly used for administration and management, with the overwhelming majority of the floor being home to offices or file rooms. It was easily the most boring part of the fort!

Genu walked down the main hall, feeling oddly intimidated by the sheer quiet. His feet echoed loudly with each step, alerting others of his presence. He was sent up here to see Vice-Admiral Rebound, the undisputed leader of Techt Isle. Genu's never met him before, but the rumors don't exactly paint him in the best light. People say he's no-nonsense, and always gets what he wants. He's rarely seen outside of his office, usually spending all day in his room doing paperwork and counting money... To Genu, he doesn't sound very nice. He wouldn't want to grab some ramen with him, that's for sure!

Alas, no matter how he felt about Rebound, Genu knew he had to control himself. He has no idea why the Vice-Admiral wants to see him, but he's positive it can't be good. Before he could worry about it any longer, though, he arrived at Rebound's office. It was large, dwarfing the doors around it with it's sheer size. The doorframe was gilded, though Genu had a hunch that it was just paint. Real or not, the entrance gave off a fiercely imposing aura, as if there was a monster lurking the other side... Genu took a moment to collect himself, raised his hand, and lightly rapped on the door.

"Who is it?" A voice called out. It had a serious, yet light tone that caught Genu off-guard.

"G-Genu Engum, you... Wanted to see me?" Genu called back, feeling his hair stand on end.

"Ah. Come in!" The voice replied. Genu hesitated for a moment before reaching out and pushing the door open. The inside of the office was very... bright. The walls were freshly waxed, giving a gleaming finish to the room. The desk had a gold trim, and the chairs were were fitted with silver pillows. On the desk was an impressive stack of berries and neatly stacked paperwork, and a large vault stood proudly on a sprawling bookshelf. And sitting behind the desk was, of course, Vice-Admiral Rebound.

He was a large man; having a round belly and lanky limbs. He wore the traditional Vice-Admiral uniform and a pair of thick reading glasses. He had curly blond hair and slightly pale skin. Rebound was more or less what Genu was expecting! "Mr. Engum!" He started, giving a smile. "Please, sit down."

Genu walked up and took one of the silver chairs. It was super soft! "G-Good afternoon sir." He replied, forcing a nervous smile. He wasn't expecting him to act so... friendly!

"Yes, yes, you too. How is your day going?" Rebound asked, slightly leaning his chair forward.

"Erm... It's going good, I guess..." Genu replied, looking down to the floor. This small talk was making him creeped out. Get on with it! "So um... Why did you want to see me?"

"Ah, straight to the point, I like it!" Rebound grinned, reaching under his desk and shuffling around. "I called you up here today because... Well... One of your superiors found these in your office." Rebound explained, pulling out a few papers and placing them on the table. Genu grabbed one of the papers and looked at it, his eyes widening as he realized what was in front of him. His blueprints!

"I... I..." Genu stammered. He wasn't sure what to think of this. They're just blueprints, why would his superiors care? And why were they digging through his office without telling him? That's very rude! "Is that... bad?"

"Bad?" The Vice-Admiral asked, scoffing a little. "Not at all, these are incredible!" He smiled, spreading his arms out in a dramatic fashion. "The detail! The creativity! It's simply outstanding! Or... So they told me." He explained, taking the pile of prints and rummaging through. Genu felt a great weight taken off of his shoulders. They... They like his work? Not only that, but his superiors liked his work so much that they showed the Vice-admiral?! Amazing! "There was one that stuck out to me, though... Could you explain what this is?" Rebound asked, pulling out one of the prints and placing it on the table.