Lanterns lit the ship bright as day.
Wine cups clinked in chaotic rhythm.
"Everyone— hic—let us drink to Little Brother Longinus— hiccup!"
The normally stern and dignified General Louis now dangled drunkenly off Longinus' shoulder, making a spectacle of himself.
Tina, standing beside them with her pink hair and tiny hands on her cheeks, looked mortified—
As if she had never met this man in her life.
"Hahaha! Hic! To Longinus!
To General Louis!
To Captain Jacks—hic—! Today's the best!"
"Crushed the enemy's plot… and we even met Longinus, the future of the Marines!"
The sailors shouted incoherently, falling over themselves and occasionally popping up like corpses revived, raising their cups to pour wine down their own faces, giggling like idiots.
Longinus' mouth twitched helplessly.
He had always disliked alcohol. Anything that dulled control was dangerous—
not only for him, but for everyone near him.
Fortunately, his youthful face worked as a flawless shield; no one would force a child to drink.
Besides, Longinus knew these men simply needed an excuse to let their hearts run free tonight.
It wasn't really about him.
"I'm…not drunk… give me another bottle…"
Louis, looking like a zombie, was promptly dumped onto his bunk by Longinus.
Still, the man tried to claw his way out of his blanket cocoon—
but blankets were, of course, mythical-grade sealing artifacts, far beyond his drunken strength.
Moments later he fell silent, snoring.
"Tina is so embarrassed… Longinus-oniisan had to deal with Daddy all by yourself…"
Tina's cheeks were bright red, her fingers fidgeting with her hem.
That familiar tone.
That gentle shyness.
Longinus instantly recognized the little girl—
this ten-year-old would grow into the cool, sharp, iron-willed Marine beauty two decades later.
"This is nothing," Longinus smiled, heading out to the deck.
Tina scampered after him in tiny quick steps.
"Um… Longinus-oniisan, Tina really wants to know—how did you manage to tame a Sea King?"
"Submission to a stronger being is the instinct of all lifeforms. Sea Kings are no exception."
Longinus replied, utterly solemn as he spouted nonsense.
"Oh! Tina gets it!
So it's because you're super strong and they're scared!"
Her eyes sparkled in admiration.
"Daddy said Sea Kings are super vicious. Even Fishmen try not to provoke them!"
"Of course. Only strong power can protect peace.
That's why I decided to become a Marine—to uphold justice."
Longinus shifted into his gentle persona, reaching out to pat her head lightly.
Warm. Comforting.
"How about you, Tina? Ever thought about your future?"
Tina, only ten, didn't think much of abstract futures—
she just thought the warmth of his hand was nice.
"Tina wants to be a Marine too!
If Tina becomes a Marine, she won't be stuck in one kingdom. Tina can travel the whole beautiful ocean!"
"Being a Marine isn't always as wonderful as it looks," Longinus said softly.
"It's responsibility… and restraint. When you carry the word 'justice,' you won't always be free to choose."
"Then why does Longinus-oniisan want to join the Marines?"
Tina tilted her head, only half understanding but instinctively sensing weight in his words.
"To kill someone, you might need a reason…
But to help someone—
why would you ever need one?"
Longinus smiled gently, and in this persona, every word radiated genuine purity.
The Next Morning
Louis, pretending he had not been rolling around like a drunk beast the night before, burst into laughter when he saw Longinus.
"Longinus! My boy! Tina tells me you're heading to Marine G-2 to enlist?"
Longinus nodded lightly. "I hope everything goes well."
"Too modest!" Louis clapped him on the shoulder.
"With your strength, even being promoted straight to captain wouldn't be difficult!"
Longinus simply shook his head.
He understood too well:
Yes, the Marines valued strength.
Yes, monsters like Fujitora and Green Bull would one day rise with zero prior military record.
But that happened because the Marines would be desperately weakened and in need of miracles.
Right now, however?
Three monsters—Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru—were rising like suns.
This was a golden age for Marine talent.
No way they'd break protocol for him just yet.
Still—Roger's last words had unleashed an age of chaos.
The Marines needed new officers—desperately.
This was why the World Draft was happening.
Longinus' timing… was perfect.
If he wanted to find Demi quickly, he needed rank.
Influence.
Visibility.
He had to become a symbol.
He knew the saying:
The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind.
But he also knew—
the forest would never grow if no trees dared to rise.
"As a joke… if you ever get disappointed with the Marines, the Hiska Kingdom will always welcome you!"
Louis chuckled.
"We may not be Alabasta, but in the first half of the Grand Line, we're among the stronger allied nations!"
Longinus only smiled politely.
Unless it was a powerhouse like Elbaf or Wano, even a kingdom meant nothing.
A slightly above-average pirate crew could topple a monarchy.
Even the "guardian deity" of mighty Alabasta would only fetch a twenty-to-thirty-million bounty.
Join a kingdom?
He'd have to be kicked by a donkey.
"Daaad~"
Tina tugged Louis' sleeve, pouting.
"Longinus-oniisan is gonna be a Marine Admiral.
Who would want your 'guardian deity' job?"
Louis choked, coughing violently.
"My little princess… please spare Daddy's dignity in front of guests…"
"No way! You couldn't even beat a 24-million-bounty pirate! Daddy, you're so embarrassing!"
"That was a tactical retreat! Tactical!
How can war… count as losing?!"
Louis flailed with righteous indignation.
Tina crossed her arms, unimpressed.