"Do you think this will really work?"
At G1 Headquarters, in Momousagi's backyard, Fujitora sat on a stone bench, holding a cup of tea freshly brewed by Vivian, and asked with some concern.
During their time on the warship, he had interacted a lot with Jinbe. Perhaps it was because they both liked wearing kimonos and wooden sandals, but they got along like old friends.
Because of this, Fujitora genuinely wanted Jinbe to join the Marines, so they could play cards, drink tea, and enjoy Vivian's cooking together.
"I'm not sure… but judging by their reaction to Caesar Clown being a former World Government scientist, it seems like a big deal… maybe the higher-ups will consider it?" Momousagi replied.
"But how did you know about Caesar Clown's identity?"
"Of course, he told me himself."
Facing Momousagi's question, Vivian calmly shrugged, "I had Jinbe find him and deal with him. Perhaps in the face of death, he wanted to live and spilled all his secrets to Jinbe."
"Is that really the case?"
Momousagi looked skeptical, but seeing Vivian's calm expression, she couldn't find any flaws and had to let it go.
Until the next afternoon.
"The government has approved it. They said Jinbe can join the Marines, but only as a First-Class Seaman. And…"
"And what?" Vivian glanced at the navy soldier who came to inform them.
"And… as a Fish-Man, he can never be promoted to a rank above Lieutenant Commander…"
"Fish-Men can never be promoted above Lieutenant Commander?"
Such blatant discrimination…
But allowing a Fish-Man to join the Marines is already a big step forward, isn't it?
"From today, you are a First-Class Seaman in the Marines. Jinbe, I hope you will dedicate yourself to this position and never betray the organization…"
"I will do my best to follow orders, capture pirates, and protect civilians…" Jinbe, somewhat awkwardly, saluted the navy officer in the same manner as Vivian, then took the navy uniform and cap from him.
As Jinbe took these items, Vivian noticed his hands trembling.
How much courage did it take for him to reach this point?
Jinbe's childhood idol, Fisher Tiger, the captain of the Sun Pirates, died on a navy ship because he refused a blood transfusion due to his hatred for humans.
One could say Tiger died at the hands of the navy.
So why did Jinbe choose to abandon his hatred and compromise now?
Perhaps it was due to Queen Otohime's persistence during her lifetime.
Or maybe it was the "justice" he saw in Vivian and Fujitora.
Or perhaps… Jinbe was never as stubborn as other Fish-Men. This was evident from his acceptance of the Warlord invitation and his service to the World Government.
He truly wanted to improve relations between Fish-Men and humans.
He genuinely wanted to contribute to the people of Fish-Man Island.
At the very least, before he died, he wanted to see his people live free from oppression and prejudice, under the sun. This had become his lifelong wish.
"Reporting to Captain Vivian, Marine recruit, First-Class Seaman Jinbe, officially reporting for duty!"
"Very well…"
Under the midday sun, Vivian and Jinbe stood outside the base gate, both standing tall and looking at each other, unable to hold back their heartfelt laughter.
"From now on, please take care of me."
"Yes."
…
Vivian, who had crossed over to this world, never expected to recruit a future member of Luffy's crew into his own team.
But everything seemed to make sense, didn't it?
At least with the help of Fujitora and Jinbe, the safety of his warship was greatly enhanced.
"If I can recruit a few more powerful individuals to my ship, then as long as I don't encounter the Four Emperors, I should be able to sail freely, right?" Vivian, now promoted to Captain, thought happily as he lounged on a deck chair with his legs crossed.
He had already sent a recommendation letter to his superiors to transfer Domino from Impel Down to the headquarters. Given his recent achievements, this shouldn't be too difficult. So, the next part of the story…
"According to the original plot, the Straw Hat crew should reunite on the Sabaody Archipelago in a month or two."
As long as he avoided contact with them, he could enjoy a leisurely life, clocking in and out of work until he retired and lived in seclusion…
He began to fantasize about his future life.
While thinking, he took a freshly squeezed orange juice from a chef's apprentice and drank it down in one gulp.
"Hic!"
Gion continued to hunt down the former Warlords of the Sea, while Vivian, due to his recent recovery, was "forced" to stay near the headquarters and start his "boring" patrol duties.
Having completed his two-year mission, Vivian now felt incredibly relieved.
Just as he was about to take out his phone to watch a movie and chat with Domino, a soldier in the lookout tower suddenly turned around and shouted, "Emergency situation!"
"Hmm?" Vivian put down his phone and looked up.
"Captain Vivian, a Whitebeard pirate ship has been spotted ahead!"
"What?!"
A big question mark appeared on his forehead.
The Whitebeard Pirates?
What are they doing in this area?
This doesn't make sense, does it?
As he pondered this, several options suddenly appeared in his mind:
[Option 1: Shout, "Who do you think I am? Bring the ship closer!" (Reward: Random Logia-type Devil Fruit)]
[Option 2: Take out a loudspeaker and challenge Whitebeard to a 1v1 duel. (Reward: Random combat skill from another dimension)]
[Option 3: Turn around and flee. (Reward: Random Zanpakuto)]
[Option 4: Surrender and admit defeat. (Reward: Random basic attribute +1)]
Vivian: "…"