Chapter 86 - 86: The Vice Admiral’s Adjutant

Words : 1540 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

The reason Yoriichi Tsugikuni left the Boin Archipelago and returned to Marine Headquarters was primarily due to a major development, Marine HQ had decided to mobilize 80% of its total forces to launch an all-out assault on the Roger Pirates. According to intelligence gathered by the World Government and the Marines, Gol D. Roger had already collected all four Road Poneglyphs and was now preparing to set sail for the Final Island. This revelation had shaken the World Government to its core. The highest echelons seemed to know what was hidden on that island and were determined to prevent anyone from reaching it. Orders were immediately issued to the Navy: destroy Roger's crew and stop their plans at all costs. Because the order came directly from the World Government, Fleet Admiral Kong summoned the elite from all four seas and gathered all Marine personnel at Marineford to hold a war council. Both Garp and Zephyr foresaw that this would be an unprecedented war. As a result, they brought Yoriichi back from the Boin Archipelago. By now, Yoriichi had grown into a formidable force. Still, Zephyr hadn't called him back to earn military honors on the battlefield. He simply wanted Yoriichi to witness the scale of this war firsthand to feel the power of the top fighters of the seas up close. Such an experience would help broaden his horizons and benefit his growth. The operation meeting, held in the Marineford assembly hall, lasted the entire morning. But to call it a "meeting" was a bit misleading, it was more like a one-sided issuance of orders. The battle plan had already been laid out by Sengoku and Tsuru. The purpose of the meeting was to assign each segment of the plan to the appropriate commanding officers. To be honest, the meeting had little to do with Yoriichi, who had only just been promoted to Captain. At his rank, he wasn't even qualified to lead any specific phase of the plan. On the battlefield, he would simply follow orders, charge when told to charge, retreat when told to retreat. He had no autonomy. Being present was merely to familiarize himself with the overall strategy. After the meeting ended, Marines began filing out of the hall. Yoriichi walked alongside Zephyr, Garp, and Kuzan as they headed toward the residential quarters for officers and their families. By then, it was already noon. The familiar group had agreed to grab lunch together. Zephyr had also invited Sengoku and Tsuru, though the two were busy and planned to eat at their offices. Garp and Kuzan, however, had nothing urgent on their schedules. More than a year had passed, and though Kuzan still held the rank of Vice Admiral, there wasn't much difference between his position and Yoriichi's as a newly promoted Captain. When it came to war, all that mattered was following orders. The midday sun burned away the lingering fog over Marineford, casting warm light across the stone paths. As they stepped out of the hall, Zephyr stretched lazily, then took a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled. Turning to the young man beside him, dressed sharply in a white officer's uniform, adorned with gold medals on his chest, he said: "Yoriichi, starting today, you are officially a Captain of Marine Headquarters." "By tradition, that means you're now eligible to command a warship on your own." "But there's no rush. My suggestion is that you return to the Boin Archipelago after this war, focus on your training, and only return to active duty once you've reached adulthood." "Of course, that's just my opinion. What do you think, Yoriichi?" Zephyr's words immediately drew Garp's and Kuzan's attention. Both turned to look at Yoriichi. Before he could reply, Garp chimed in first: "Hmm! Zephyr's got a point. I'm not sure how strong you are now, but you're still young. That island's environment should still be useful for your growth. No need to rush into missions just yet—better to take your time and build a solid foundation!" It was rare for Garp to agree with Zephyr. Normally, he believed the sea was the best teacher for a Marine. But he also knew Yoriichi's case was unique. Yoriichi's strength had grown at an explosive pace, and his ability to grasp techniques was frightening. He could master a skill with just a glance, hardly needing any practice to incorporate it into combat. According to intel Garp had gotten from Dragon, Yoriichi had already figured out how to use Advanced Armament Haki (Ryuo) a year ago. Since then, he had also mastered Observation Killer. Who knew what level he had reached by now? Even so, Garp knew that Yoriichi's physical potential was still far from fully developed. In his view, Yoriichi should continue focusing on internal refinement. Field missions could wait. Kuzan didn't offer any comment. It had been over a year since he last saw Yoriichi, and upon seeing him today, Kuzan felt an overwhelming sense of pressure. He realized that Yoriichi's strength must now be extraordinary. If you asked Kuzan, the kid didn't need more training—he was ready to sail. "Zephyr-sensei, now that I'm a Captain, does that mean I can lead a warship on missions?" "To be honest, the Boin Archipelago isn't doing much for me anymore. Lately, my physical growth has slowed down noticeably." "Even with the help of Life Return, I can feel my body approaching equilibrium." "It's like I've already… 'eaten my fill.'" "I want to set sail. Maybe battle is what will push me even further." Yoriichi didn't take Zephyr and Garp's advice. Thanks to his ability to access the Transparent World, he was acutely aware of his own condition. His rate of growth had stabilized. The explosive improvements of the past were gone. To continue advancing, he now needed to refine the strength of his Haki. But enhancing Conqueror's Haki wasn't like training physical strength—it was driven by willpower and intent. He hoped that by experiencing the world firsthand, his Haki might evolve. Besides, the Boin Archipelago was just a food-rich island to him. As long as he could resupply often, going to sea wouldn't hinder his development at all. "You want to go out to sea, huh?" "Well, fair enough. You've been stuck on that island for over a year. Traveling the world might be good for you. As long as the ship is stocked with enough food, your growth won't be affected." Sure enough, after a bit of thought, Zephyr nodded in agreement. He didn't object to Yoriichi's reasoning. At that moment, Kuzan grinned and said, "Hey, Yoriichi, how about being my adjutant?" "Sure, you're a Captain now, and you can technically command your own ship. But let's be honest, you don't have much experience, right?" "Why not serve on my ship for a while first? Once you've built up some experience, then you can go lead your own missions." "Heh, I still haven't found a proper adjutant. I was going to ask Kyros to join me, but after graduating from the Marine Academy, he got sent to the G-3 base in the New World." "That spot's been empty ever since!" Zephyr and Garp both nodded in unison. If Yoriichi was serving as Kuzan's adjutant, they wouldn't have to worry about his safety. Kuzan might not have the strongest Haki, but as a Logia user, he had mastered his Devil Fruit powers. Among the new generation of Marines, his combat ability was top-tier. Besides, the two were both young and familiar with each other. Yoriichi wouldn't be treated like a typical subordinate. Garp and Zephyr both felt Kuzan's offer was a solid one. "Adjutant, huh?" "Yeah…" "You make a good point. Alright, I'm in." Yoriichi considered it briefly and agreed. Though he had been with the Marines for over a year, his sailing experience was virtually zero. Leading a crew on his own might be fine in the Four Blues, where the sea was relatively tame. But on the Grand Line, or worse, the New World, his lack of navigation knowledge could become a serious problem. He couldn't very well abandon ship every time they hit a whirlpool or tsunami using Moonwalk, right? It made sense to gain some maritime experience first. He wasn't Luffy, after all. He didn't have a genius navigator backing him up. "Kuzan, I'll leave it to you. But just so we're clear, don't expect me to shovel coal for the boilers this time!" ************************ Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 350 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch! For advance chapters, please do visit and consider joining me on P(a)treon, it really helps me out and I'd love to have you along for the journey! p(a)treon.com/Lnee *remove () to open it

Chapter 86 - 86: The Vice Admiral’s Adjutant

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