Fenric's plan wasn't particularly complicated.
He intended to assassinate a Celestial Dragon — and his only opportunity was during the appearance of a Celestial Dragon representative at Navy Headquarters after the assessment concluded.
Because the main storyline hadn't officially started yet, he couldn't rely on the plot to locate a Celestial Dragon.
The world of One Piece was vast — an enormous map filled with countless islands and oceans.
And the system had only given him seven days!
Finding the whereabouts of a Celestial Dragon within that limited timeframe was nearly impossible.
So, Fenric disguised himself as a Navy recruit and infiltrated headquarters, biding his time for the right moment to strike.
However—
Navy Headquarters was teeming with elite combatants. In such a heavily guarded environment, assassinating a Celestial Dragon under strict protection was no simple task.
According to intel from Aurora, after the naval assessment, the top three candidates would be received and honored by a representative of the Celestial Dragons.
Fenric's goal, then, was to blend in as a fake recruit, earn a top ranking, and wait for the Celestial Dragon representative to appear.
Only under those conditions could he get close safely.
That was his plan.
Extremely dangerous.
Even a single mistake in any step could expose him — and once exposed, he'd be hunted down by an Admiral.
"Senior, can I sleep here? There's a window nearby — it helps disperse my smoke!"
The young Smoker pointed at the bed next to Fenric, a look of excitement on his face.
It had always been his dream to join the Navy.
"Of course," Fenric replied with a smile. "Just call me Mundo."
"Got it, Senior Mundo! Thank you for your generosity."
Smoker cheerfully laid down his bedding, then asked, "By the way, Senior Mundo, does my smoke bother you? It's from my Devil Fruit ability — it won't affect you."
"I don't mind," Fenric said, shaking his head with a faint smile.
"Senior Mundo, you're really kind and generous!" Smoker said sincerely.
At that moment—
The dormitory door creaked open again.
A burly man, nearly two meters tall, stepped inside.
Both Fenric and Smoker turned to look.
The man scanned the room, and when he noticed the best bed already occupied by the two, he marched over without hesitation.
He looked at Fenric first, then at Smoker. Judging by Smoker's younger appearance and the constant smoke irritating him, the man must've thought he could push him around.
"Hey, smoker," the man growled. "You're on my bed. Move your stinkin' stuff before I lose my patience!"
Smoker might have still been young and somewhat inexperienced, but he wasn't a fool.
"The beds are first come, first served. I got here before you."
The man snorted. "I don't care when you got here. I said that bed is mine, so it's mine!"
Fenric stayed seated on the bed, watching the exchange calmly.
Smoker looked helpless. He had just joined the Navy and didn't want trouble—but this guy was clearly picking a fight. And Smoker wasn't going to just swallow his pride.
The next moment—
His body began to swell and transform, turning into a massive smoke giant, nearly brushing the ceiling.
He loomed over the brawny man, gazing down with cold eyes.
"A D-Devil Fruit user…!" the man stammered, pale with fear.
"This is my bed. Any objections?" Smoker asked coolly.
"N-no… no objections…"
Satisfied, Smoker returned to normal size, deactivating his powers.
The brawny man no longer dared to look him in the eye. Instead, he turned his frustration toward Fenric.
"What the hell are you looking at—"
Boom!
Before he could finish his sentence, he was sent flying across the room.
Fenric sat calmly back down on the bed, as if nothing had happened.
"!!"
Smoker was stunned.
He had just said that Senior Mundo was kind and generous...
Now he wasn't so sure.
The Next Day
Early morning.
Ding-ding-ding—!
A loud bell echoed through the recruits' dormitory, rousing many from their sleep.
"Recruits, up and out! Assemble in the square in ten minutes!"
Veterans shouted from the corridors, their voices loud and stern.
Grumbling quietly, countless recruits got out of bed, washed up, threw on their uniforms, and rushed toward the square.
When Fenric and Smoker arrived, they saw ten massive broadcasting platforms arranged throughout the giant square.
At the front was a high platform lined with many chairs — clearly reserved for important guests.
"Senior Mundo, I thought we were here to be assessed?" Smoker whispered. "What's all this?"
Fenric smiled. "This is probably the most important part of the assessment."
Smoker looked confused and was about to ask more when an excited shout came from nearby:
"Look! It's the Fleet Admiral Sengoku! He's here!"
"And the three Admirals too!"
All the recruits turned their eyes toward the platform.
Fenric did the same.
A group of high-ranking naval officers strode out slowly and purposefully.
Leading them was a man wearing frog-shaped glasses, with a long beard twisted like rope. His cap bore the Navy's iconic seagull insignia.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
He looked calm and composed — but Fenric knew better. This man was incredibly powerful.
Behind him walked three towering men, each about three meters tall.
Fenric's eyes lit up instantly.
Aokiji. Akainu. Kizaru.
The three Admirals of the Navy Headquarters — symbols of the Navy's ultimate power.
Trailing behind them were a dozen vice admirals.
Among them were notable figures like Garp, Tsuru, and Momousagi.
In truth—
Some of the vice admirals were as powerful as the admirals themselves. They simply preferred to stay low-key or had no interest in promotion.
The most famous among them was none other than the Hero of the Marines: Monkey D. Garp!
On paper, Garp's feats far surpassed those of the three Admirals.
Once all the distinguished guests had taken their seats on the high platform, Fleet Admiral Sengoku stepped forward. Looking down at the sea of recruits, he began to speak.
"I am Sengoku, Fleet Admiral of the Navy. On behalf of the Navy — I welcome you all!"
A wave of cheers and applause erupted from the square.