Year 1492 of the Sea Round Calendar. (Approximately 30 years before the War of the Best)
North Blue waters.
The sun shone brightly, and a cool sea breeze rippled across the water's surface.
A warship flying the pure white seagull flag sailed steadily across the sea, with a towering mast and a giant sail imprinted with the black letters spelling "Justice."
"Gion… my Gion, I love you, please accept my affection!"
On the deck of the warship.
A somewhat scruffy-looking navy major slid dramatically, dropping to one knee in an exaggerated motion, holding a bouquet of bright roses, his eyes filled with deep longing as he gazed at the beauty before him.
Before him stood a tall girl with long black wavy hair. She wore a navy justice cloak, a pink halter top, and hot pants that revealed a pair of long, fair legs.
"Major Kaji is so brave!"
"Go, Major Kaji!"
"…"
As Kaji's public confession of love echoed, the other sailors on the deck cheered excitedly.
Some threw confetti, others blew trumpets, some set off fireworks… Some even held up a banner that read "Major Kaji's 38th Confession of Love."
As if inspired by the shouts and enthusiasm of his subordinates, Kaji felt an overwhelming surge of confidence. As he raised the bouquet, he also flicked his greasy hair with a swagger, trying to appear handsome in his own eyes.
"Gion, accept my love, there is no man better than me in this world!"
Gion: …
Her lips twitched as she sighed and spoke in a calm tone:
"Kaji, you're a good person, but we're just not right for each other."
Suddenly, the deck fell eerily silent.
The sounds of trumpets, cheers, and fireworks all abruptly ceased. The sailors looked at Major Kaji, still kneeling with the flowers in his hand, his posture now appearing so desolate and forlorn.
The sight tugged at their hearts.
'Poor Major Kaji…'
'He's confessed so many times already…'
'Sigh…'
They subconsciously walked over, wanting to offer some comfort. But just as they were about to speak, Kaji suddenly turned his head, and two trails of tears were visible on his scruffy face.
"Did you hear that?"
Kaji bit his lip, his eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Major Kaji, we all heard it…"
"Actually, you don't have to feel so down…"
"That's right, a man should always be brave…"
The sailors gathered around, offering their reluctant comfort.
"Gion actually praised me as a good person!!"
Kaji suddenly sprang to his feet, his tear-filled eyes shining with a dazzling light. His face flushed with excitement as he shouted:
"She finally acknowledged me!! What does this mean!? It means I just need to keep confessing, and maybe next time she'll agree to go out with me!"
The sailors: …
Was she praising you?
Is "you're a good person" really a compliment?
They exchanged glances, their faces stiff with awkwardness, and after a subtle exchange of looks, they all smiled and nodded in unison:
"Right, right!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
"Yes, yes!"
"I knew it!!"
Kaji immediately cheered and clenched his fists.
"She's testing my patience! I finally understand your good intentions, Gion!!"
He turned his head and, grinning widely, said:
"You don't have to test me anymore, we've known each other for so long. Don't you know how I feel about you? Come on, give me a kiss…"
With that, Kaji puckered his lips and leaned toward Gion.
Bang!!
In the next moment, he was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the mast before crumpling to the ground like a limp ragdoll.
Two streams of bright red blood poured from his nose, and his body twitches occasionally.
The sailors around seemed unfazed by the scene, putting away their cheering tools as if nothing had happened and returned to their respective duties.
With the commotion over, Gion rubbed her temple and sighed helplessly.
She flipped open the military documents in her hands, revealing the profile of a navy officer.
Name: Rogers Darren
Age: 19
Origin: North Blue, Orphan
Position: Base Captain, North Blue 312 Division
Rank: Navy Headquarters Captain
Abilities: Suspected Devil Fruit power to manipulate metals, details unknown
Evaluation: An ambitious figure with a decisive and ruthless style, straightforward, holds strong influence in the North Blue, with incredible potential; may be considered for officer training camp selection.
Notes: Personal conduct raises serious concerns.
Beneath this profile were lines upon lines of records detailing his pirate suppression achievements and merits. Additionally, the file included a photograph provided by the Navy's photography division.
Gion casually glanced at the photo, her black onyx-like eyes flashing for a moment.
The man in the photo had black hair and eyes, his features sharp and deep, his gaze as vast as the stars. He exuded a wild and free-spirited aura.
"This guy's kind of handsome… he's almost worthy of challenging me."
At that moment, Kaji, with his swollen, bruised face, leaned over and clicked his tongue.
"So this guy named Darren is our target for inspection?"
Gion glanced at Kaji, whose nose was still stuffed with tissues, suppressing the urge to beat the shameless guy again. She spoke flatly:
"That's right. This guy controls the North Blue like a local emperor. There are even secret intelligence reports claiming that he has private dealings with underground forces, the mafia, and several nations in the North Blue."
"According to Sister Tsuru, Darren is a dangerous and capable individual."
"We're here not only to award him an honor from the headquarters, but also to conduct an inspection."
"This is my mission. Why are you here?"
She looked at the shameless guy standing in front of her with dissatisfaction.
She had her mission to attend to, yet Kaji insisted on tagging along.
"Where you go, I go."
Kaji winked and grinned, then mumbled indifferently:
"But this guy's just a Captain at the headquarters, does it really deserve all this attention from someone like Tsuru?"
Tsuru, whom Gion referred to as "Sister Tsuru," was a high-ranking strategist in the Navy Headquarters, one of the core figures in the world's justice system.
People who were on Tsuru's radar were typically legends like Whitebeard, Shiki, or Roger—great pirates.
But this kid was just a Captain stationed in the East Blue, despite his higher rank by two levels. This was merely because she had grown up in the headquarters and hadn't yet had time to accumulate enough merits for a promotion.
Once she started completing missions, she could easily surpass this guy.
Gion shook her head.
"No, Sister Tsuru must have her reasons for saying that."
Kaji's eyes twinkled.
"So if we uncover any problems during the inspection, do we take action?"
He asked, unable to suppress the urge to crack his fingers, a look of excitement on his face.
For some reason, when he saw the photo in the file, he felt an impulse to beat this guy up.
He couldn't explain why.
But it definitely wasn't because the guy was more handsome than him.
"No, we just need to report back to headquarters."
Gion slowly closed the file and turned her gaze toward the distant sea.
The vast, endless sea breeze blew towards her, lifting her black hair as it danced in the wind.
She remembered the advice Sister Tsuru had given her before she set off, and the various rumors she had heard about this Darren back at the headquarters…
The North Blue… the most chaotic sea among the Four Seas…
As her thoughts drifted, in the distance, the outline of a heavily guarded military base slowly emerged from the mist.
"We're almost there," Gion said quietly.
The military horn sounded faintly from the lookout on the warship.
The clear, resonant sound of the horn echoed out, and from the direction of the 321 Navy Division, the same horn call came back in response.
They echoed each other.
"Prepare to disembark."
Gion turned to the sailors, her voice steady.
Soon, the warship slowly docked at the port of the 321 Navy Division.
Rows of armed navy soldiers were stationed on the land, forming a formidable military formation that radiated an intense, killing intent.
"This North Blue Navy... not bad..."
Kaji stroked his chin, eyeing the soldiers of the 321 Division with interest. Unable to hold back, he commented.
Though the 321 Division was the largest and most powerful branch in the North Blue, the quality of the navy in the Four Seas was famously low, with a stark gap when compared to the Headquarters.
But Kaji noticed that the soldiers here were all in excellent spirits. Each one exuded a fierce and intimidating aura, their gazes tough, their sidearms and bayonets top-notch.
Just from the way they carried themselves and their equipment, even the elite forces of the Headquarters would be hard-pressed to match them.
Something didn't add up… This guy, Darren, was able to train the North Blue Navy to such a level.
Gion and Kaji exchanged a glance, both noticing the other's shared confusion.
"Salute!"
At that moment, a 20-something-year-old Navy major with a military cap stepped forward from the formation, calling out loudly.
As soon as his voice fell, every sailor on the port saluted in unison.
Gion and Kaji returned the salute before stepping off the warship.
"Major Wenshu, it's a pleasure to meet you," Gion extended her hand, her eyes scanning the man before her. He had dark purple hair, a stern, icy face, and a steady presence.
In her mind, the relevant intel about this man surfaced.
Wenshu, Navy Major, Deputy Captain of the 321 Division's base in the North Blue, and right-hand man to Base Captain Rogers Darren.
Wenshu shook Gion's hand firmly and said in a deep voice:
"Welcome, Major Gion and Major Kaji, to inspect our base."
Although they held the same rank, Gion and Kaji came from the Headquarters and represented the Navy's authority, so a certain level of respect was necessary.
"We're all colleagues, no need for such formalities," Gion smiled, but her eyes were darting around, taking in the surroundings.
"Where is Captain Darren?"
Wenshu's expression faltered for a moment, and he seemed somewhat hesitant:
"Captain Darren... is still busy."
Still busy?
Gion furrowed her brow and, just then, noticed an elegant official ship docked by the port.
The ship was adorned with bright ribbons, and its mast flew the flag of the Kingdom of Yadis.
"This... is the official ship of the Kingdom of Yadis?"
Gion recognized the flag instantly, and her expression turned icy.
She recalled the rumors about Darren she had heard back at headquarters… instinctively clenching her teeth.
This official ship clearly had a feminine style. Could its owner be…
A bad feeling stirred in her chest, and she clenched her jaw. Without a word, she stepped past Wenshu and made her way toward the base Captain's residence.
Her mind was filled with the stories of Rogers Darren's decadent and lecherous lifestyle!
*******
Note: This story takes place earlier than the timeline of One Piece. During this era, Kaji and Gion hold the rank of Major, which is equivalent to "Major Captain" (少佐, Shōsa) in the Marines, a position two ranks below Captain (Darren's rank).