One Piece: Ulquiorra Template

Chapter 58: Flight of the Bold

[A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!!

[A/N] - Don't Forget to leave a [Review] – Your Voice Matters!!!

...

At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku paced back and forth in front of his office desk, his gaze fixed on the Transponder Snail connecting him to Garp's warship. As Fleet Admiral, standing at the pinnacle of the Marines, few things could unsettle him.

But this situation involved a Warlord and the Marines' most promising rookie. If things went awry, the consequences could be dire.

"Fretting won't change anything, Sengoku." Borsalino, ever the nonchalant observer, lounged on a nearby sofa, taking a leisurely sip from his teacup before speaking. "You know that."

Upon returning from Mary Geoise, Sengoku had immediately convened a meeting with the Vice Admirals and Admirals currently stationed at headquarters. Borsalino, having just returned from a mission, was present as well.

"Don't be so relaxed, Borsalino..." Sengoku grumbled. "When will you ever learn to take things seriously? You and Kuzan are both the same, always so laid-back!"

"Oh my, Sengoku-san. Feeling a bit targeted here." Kuzan chimed in.

He was even more relaxed than Borsalino, sprawled out on the floor, seemingly about to drift off to sleep. Akainu, his fiery counterpart, fumed beside him, his fists clenched, molten lava crackling around him, raising the temperature of the room.

Borsalino chuckled. "Well, both Moria and Crocodile were among the most promising rookies years ago. They ventured into the New World and clashed with those monsters, Kaido and Whitebeard, respectively, and survived. Then they received invitations from the government to become Warlords..."

"I know!" Sengoku interrupted, his voice laced with tension. That was precisely why they had been chosen as Warlords.

Tsuru, the Marines' Head Strategist, sat beside Sengoku's desk, her gaze calm and composed. "But this boy is certainly bold, isn't he? Such intense hatred for pirates..."

"Well, he did survive an encounter with them. I'm curious who his next target will be. Both Moria and Crocodile challenged Yonko and failed. The only other Warlord with a similar experience is Doflamingo, who usurped a throne and possesses knowledge of an ancient weapon. Or will he go straight for a Yonko?"

From their first meeting, Tsuru had sensed that Ian was destined for greatness. His Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, his swordsmanship, the confidence and determination in his eyes, qualities lacking in many of the current Vice Admirals. He possessed an unsettling calmness.

Even seasoned Vice Admirals trembled before the might of Admirals and Yonko.

But Ian's gaze had remained unwavering, whether facing her, the Marines' Head Strategist, or Garp, the hero of the Marines.

Such an attitude in an ordinary individual would be dismissed as conceit. But coming from Ian, who had defeated Gecko Moria before even reaching headquarters, it was different.

Perhaps his heart had hardened, consumed by a desire to eradicate all pirates. If Ian were present, he would have cried out in protest.

Ulquiorra was simply born with a stoic expression. He would have insisted that beneath his mask of indifference lay a vibrant and playful personality. He would have confessed to trembling before their presence.

"You seem to have high hopes for Ian, Tsuru."

Sengoku looked at Tsuru, a hint of surprise in his voice.