章 68: Potential Asset or Threat #68
Marineford
Vice Admiral Momonga's office
The vice admiral stopped working on the mountain of paperwork on his desk and raised his head as he heard a knock. "Come in," He calmly said as he straightened his back and adjusted his posture.
"Oh? Commander Strode and Warrant Officer Isuka, huh?" Momonga said as he watched a tall young man walk into his office, followed by a vermilion-haired young woman. "It's good to see that you two have made it safely from your deployment," He added with a satisfied nod.
"Morning, vice admiral," Cedric said as he saluted Momonga, and Isuka copied his gesture. "We received instructions to report the results of our deployment to you, sir..." He added, trailing at the end of his sentence as he waited for a reply.
"Take a seat and report then, commander," The vice admiral said as he gestured toward the empty chairs.
...
One hour later
The fleet admiral's office
"Greetings, fleet admiral," Momonga greeted as he entered Sengoku's office after getting permission to enter. "I'm here to inform you of my evaluation of the new recruit's performance, as instructed," He calmly added.
"Oh? The kid Garp brought is already back from his first deployment?" The fleet admiral asked as he raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised. "Take a seat and make the report short, if possible," He added, nodding after a brief pause.
"Yes, sir!" The vice admiral said as he sat on the chair opposite the fleet admiral's desk. "Commander Cedric Strode's first deployment was a resounding success," He went on as he retrieved a piece of paper from his coat's inner pocket and raised it to eye level.
"Not only was the target captured alive, but the commander's crew also suffered zero casualties..." Momonga said as he glanced at the paper report. "They unveiled a ring of former pirates and criminals operating an illegal betting ring in Hannabal Island," He concluded as he cleared his throat.
"I see... good," Fleet Admiral Sengoku said with a satisfied nod as he wrote something down. "What about the boy's performance as an individual?" He asked as he raised his head and turned to the vice admiral.
"As for Commander Strode's performance, it was unorthodox but highly efficient according to reports from Z-sensei's aide, Ain," Momonga said as he retrieved another piece of paper and read it aloud.
"Cedric Strode displayed astonishing combat prowess and knowledge as he managed to not only take down Gasparde but also did it without employing the sea-stone equipment provided to him..." The vice admiral said, causing Sengoku's eyes to widen, albeit slightly.
"He seemed aware of the natural weaknesses of all logia devil fruits, in General Gasparde's case, flower..." Momonga went on. "Besides his prowess, Cedric's unique familiarity with the workings of the underworld was as concerning as it was impressive, as he managed to track down General Gasparde in no time," He continued.
"Finally, the commander displayed a glaring lacking in the leadership skills that marine officers are required to possess..." The vice admiral calmly remarked. "He refused to rely on his crew and opted to do most of the work himself," He concluded.
"That is rather concerning... but he is still young and inexperienced," The fleet admiral said after a brief pause as he processed the report. "Is the personality evaluation ready?" He asked, to which Momonga nodded and retrieved another piece of paper from his pockets.
"Commander Strode displayed several traits that might prove troublesome according to those who worked with him so far..." The vice admiral said as he raised the paper and read it. "According to Ain, his violent tendencies and fondness for women and drink were some of the most concerning," He added.
"That said, he also displayed a willingness and desire to help civilians as he took the time to treat wounded civilians on more than one occasion, even at the cost of delaying the mission," He went on. "As for Z-sensei, he stated that Cedric displayed signs of restlessness, which grew with every day, and his students agreed with that assessment," He continued.
"Z-sense attributed Cedric's restlessness to a possible love of freedom, and after talking to the young man before and after the deployment," The vice admiral said, trailing at the end of his sentence. "I'm prone to agree as well," He added with a nod after some thought.
"Though he never outright stated it, Commander Strode might not hold the World government in high regard," Momonga continued. "Due to his background and personality traits, the young recruit might be prone to disobeying orders that might conflict with his yet-to-be-defined moral compass, possibly even in times of crisis," He went on.
"Overall, while Cedric Strode might prove to be an incredible asset to the Marine Crops and the World Government, he might become an even bigger threat if not handled with care..." Momonga said. "Or so I have assessed according to the reports," He concluded, shaking his head.
"You've done well, Vice Admiral Momonga," Sengoku said, his expression showcasing his approval as he looked at the vice admiral. "Will there be anything else to report?" He asked.
"No, sir. I've offered Cedric a promotion to the rank of captain and the bonus for capturing General Gasparde, and he accepted," The vice admiral replied, pausing as he seemed to think over something. "However, I must say that he didn't seem excited or happy about the promotion. He accepted it without showing any reaction," He added.
"That is of no consequence. Different people have different standards for success," The fleet admiral said as he carelessly waved off Momnga's words. "Feel free to leave if there is nothing else, and leave the papers on my desk," He added as he turned his attention back to the paperwork without waiting for a reply.
Momonga nodded as he placed the written reports on the desk and left wordlessly without bothering the fleet admiral. Sengoku sighed as soon as the vice admiral left, picking up the papers with one hand and rubbing his forehead with the other.
"What a headache..." The fleet Admiral muttered to no one in particular as he glanced at the reports. "I'm either looking at the next Garp or some dangerous pirate... both would be an equal amount of pain in my ass..." He added in an exasperated tone.
"I'm getting too old for this nonsense..." He concluded, shaking his head as he put away the reports and resumed working on the paperwork on his desk.
...
"We're home..." I said as I patted Chuchun's head, to which he replied by pushing his head against my palm. "Be good and I'll buy you a nice treat tommorow," I added, grinning as the giant bird let out a soft cry and flew away.
I watched Chuchun leave before heading inside the house, passing by the kitchen and picking up a light snack on my way to the bedroom. "What a stupid little trinket..." I muttered as I sat on my bed, inspecting the medal I received. "Too bad I can't sell it..." I added with a chuckle as I carelessly threw it on the table.
"Time to tend to my wounds..." I said as I removed my coat and shirt, revealing the bandages beneath. "That fucking wound near my kidney is itchy as fuck..." I sighed as I ripped off the bandages and inspected the only lingering wound from my battle with Gasparde.
My biggest haul from the battle was my breakthrough in muscle control, which was how I survived the hail of bullets the pirates sent my way without using Tekkai.
Though the projectiles penetrated my skin and drew blood, I was able to twist and contort my muscles to catch and stop their momentum before they got too deep. But the technique required a lot of focus, and I've yet to master it, hence the bullet wound in my stomach.
Besides that, I've yet to learn how to control my blood vessels to stop the bleeding properly, which was another technique I needed to work on, but it's only a matter of time, as all things are.
"Still... the Method's healing factor and Torino Island's medicine working together sure is a sight to behold..." I said, smiling as I applied a healing salve to the wound and watched it heal at an alarmingly visible rate.
"That'll do..." I muttered as I quickly put a new shirt on and headed for the room's exit. "Time to report back to Z-sense..." I added, humming a pleasant tone as I walked.
...
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