Chapter 133: Establishment of the G-10 Branch

The following morning, the news of the establishment of the G-10 Branch spread across the world via the newspapers. Along with the report of the new branch came the announcement of Luo Lan’s appointment as the youngest Rear Admiral in history.

East Blue, Shells Town.
"The new commander of the Grand Line’s G-10 Branch is Rear Admiral Luo Lan. Hey, look at the photo, everyone! Isn’t that Mr. Luo Lan, the one who helped us defeat Captain Morgan?"
"Did Mr. Luo Lan actually join the Navy? And he was promoted directly to Rear Admiral!"
"Look at the paper, besides Mr. Luo Lan, Koby has also become a Marine, and that pirate hunter, Zoro, has become a Major."
"A Major... how many years would it take me to reach that rank? Mr. Zoro is truly young and promising!"

Inside the brand-new Marine base, all the soldiers were reading the paper, happy for Luo Lan and Zoro. Even the clerk at the local clothing store posted a copy of the newspaper featuring Luo Lan’s photo on the door as an advertisement; after all, he had actually bought clothes there once. Not just the clerk, but Nus, the old blacksmith, also took out a rare bottle of fine wine, reclining in his shop while reading the paper and sipping his drink with quiet contentment.

East Blue, Cocoyasi Village.
"Gen-san, Nojiko, look at the paper, look!" A middle-aged man panted as he ran toward the house in the orange grove from outside the village, shouting as he went.
"Oh, Uncle Darren, why are you running so fast? If there’s something to say, you can just tell us!" Nojiko stepped out of the house at the sound, spotting Darren immediately.
"Nami, Nami is in the newspaper!" Darren handed the paper to Nojiko, beaming with the pride of a parent. "I knew it when I saw that boy Luo Lan back then—he was destined for greatness. Look, he didn’t just join the Navy himself, he even brought Nami along with him."
"If Bell-mère knew this, she would definitely be smiling with comfort."
"Of the two little ones she brought home all those years ago, one of them has actually followed in her footsteps to become a great Marine soldier."
"Yes, Bell-mère would be so happy." Looking at the paper, Nojiko smiled as well. In the photo, Nami looked truly happy—happier than she had ever been back at Arlong Park. This was what Bell-mère had hoped for; she wanted both of them to live freely and strive for their own dreams. Having left Cocoyasi Village for so long, Nami had reached the Grand Line, and surely, she would see all kinds of seas and realize her dreams.

After saying goodbye to Uncle Darren, Nojiko took the paper to the cliff outside the village, intending to share the good news with Bell-mère. But when she arrived, she found someone already standing there, smoking a cigarette and reading the paper—it was Gen-san, who had clearly had the same thought. Smiling softly, Nojiko left quietly, leaving the time to Gen-san and Bell-mère.

East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.
"Master, Master, look! Zoro is in the newspaper!" A young boy ran into the dojo holding a paper, rushing up to the kind-faced Koshiro.
"The newspaper? Doesn’t Zoro appear in the paper often? Why is this surprising?" Koshiro wasn't particularly shocked; since Zoro left to sea, he seemed to have been a pirate hunter the whole time. Whenever he wiped out a major pirate, the papers would report it. What he found strange was that for the past few months, Zoro had seemed to vanish into thin air, never appearing in the news. After such a long time, Koshiro was a bit curious.
"No, Master! Zoro is a Marine now! His superior, Mr. Luo Lan, is the Commander-in-Chief of the newly established G-10 Branch on the Grand Line, and Zoro is a Major under his command." The boy handed the paper to Koshiro, excited. "A Major, Master! That’s a Marine Headquarters rank. I heard he’s even more powerful than Captain Smoker from Loguetown. I never imagined Zoro could become this strong in just two years!"
"The Navy, huh?" When Koshiro heard the word, he didn't seem as happy as one might expect. He picked up the paper and read it carefully, finally letting out a sigh of relief. If he was following such a superior, then there was no need to worry about Zoro’s future. Because that Luo Lan, besides being a Rear Admiral, seemed to be a master swordsman—a dual-wielder—which would be very helpful for Zoro’s progress.

East Blue, Rosia Island.
"How is this possible?" When the villagers gathered to look at the day's paper, they were stunned by the young man on the front page.
"Isn't Luo Lan the son of a pirate? How could he become a Marine Rear Admiral? And lead a branch base?"
"Look at all of you. You all said Luo Lan was just like his pirate father and would grow up to be a heinous criminal. I said it wouldn't happen—it was impossible. Luo Lan wouldn't become that kind of person; it was you who insisted on driving him out of the village."
"Hey, that’s rich coming from you. I remember you were the loudest one when we drove him out that year! And you were at the front of the line when we split the loot. Now you’re playing the good guy?"
"Do you think Luo Lan will come back for revenge? With his status and power, he could just say one word and make this pathetic little island disappear, couldn't he?"
"What are you thinking? Luo Lan isn't that kind of person. If he wanted revenge, he would have done it months ago. Why wait until now?"
"The situation is different now. If he killed us back then, he would have cemented his identity as a pirate. But now, he could just give an order to some subordinates and let us rot on our own."
"Heh... heh... no... that won't happen. You’re definitely overthinking it."
The group eventually dispersed, but they left in a state of anxiety, their faces pale, as if the things they had discussed might happen the very next day.
"Luo Lan, you son of a pirate, how do you deserve to be a Rear Admiral? How do you deserve to lead a base? How!" In a house in the village, a middle-aged man, full of hatred and jealousy, tore the photo of Luo Lan from the newspaper into shreds.

Grand Line, aboard a moving warship.
"Captain Smoker, Mr. Luo Lan is truly amazing. He’s actually become the commander of the G-10 Branch. Looking at the map, the Charmaine Fortress is very close to here. Should we drop by and see Mr. Luo Lan?" Tashigi looked at the photo of Luo Lan in his uniform, her eyes full of admiration.
"Why go there? To salute that brat Luo Lan?" At the mention of this, Smoker’s temper flared. He had been the one to start first—joining the Navy, leading a base—so why was it that Luo Lan could become a Rear Admiral in just a few months and have the Headquarters build him a new base to command, while he himself had spent so many years working diligently only to remain a Captain, stuck in the East Blue, the weakest of the seas, leading an ordinary branch base?
"We need to hurry. According to intelligence, the Straw Hat Luffy’s final destination is the Alabasta Kingdom. We’ll go straight there and wait for him."
"He caused a scene in my Loguetown and thinks he can just pat his butt and run off? Not a chance." Smoker glared at the stunned Tashigi, looking thoroughly annoyed.
"Yes, Captain Smoker." Tashigi quickly left the deck to relay the orders. She didn't notice that behind her, upon hearing the title "Captain," Smoker made a face as if he were constipated.
"Sigh..." Finally, the constipation-like expression turned into a long, weary sigh. Smoker couldn't help but look toward the other side of the sea, in the direction of Marineford. It was true that he was jealous of Luo Lan, but he was also worried for him. After all, becoming a Rear Admiral less than six months after joining the Navy—how would those old guard officers, who had worked diligently for decades and were still only Captains, view this? If they were truly jealous, there was no telling what kind of crazy things they might do.