NOVEL NEXT Chapter 211: Soft or Hard?
As the Vice Admiral of the Marines, while Shinra had only joined, his position, which should be lower, was sitting next to Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer of the Marines.
Tsuru's position, while it was weird, was more or less on the same level as Garp, or even the three admirals, as her words could change the direction of the Marines.
If Shinra was being honest, he would have thought of sitting next to his colleagues, but somehow, Sengoku and Tsuru asked him to sit next to Tsuru, so nothing could happen.
Then again, while the other Vice Admirals and the others were more or less okay, there was one bad boy among the Marines, who couldn't accept that Shinra was special.
"Whose child is that? How can he sit next to the Great Officer Tsuru?" Smoker smoked his cigar and didn't hide his displeasure. Considering how young Shinra was, he thought that Shinra was a child of a high-positioned officer among the Marines or other areas, which made him annoyed since, despite his strength, he was sent to the East Blue, the weakest sea.
"Shut your mouth, Smoker! You, the country bumpkin, who stayed on the weakest sea all the time, know nothing of him!"
"Just keep quiet if you can't keep your mouth shut!"
Smoker grew angry, but his friend quickly stopped him.
"It's as they have said, Smoker. You shouldn't act like that. He isn't a child of someone, or come with the nepotism, but a truly powerful man." Hina looked at her friend with a sigh, thinking that he was the same as ever, never thought of much of the consequences, and wasn't this the reason why this guy was on the lower rank when it was possible for him to be on the higher rank?
"Strong?" Smoker snorted as he glanced in Shinra's direction, as if trying to provoke him, but somehow, Kizaru, Kuzan, and even Akainu stared at him silently, which made him break out in a cold sweat. He then lowered his head, causing the three to look away boredly.
However, those who stood around Smoker snorted and even chuckled amusedly. This guy was so arrogant, yet when he saw someone with a higher position, he would look away, pretending not to see.
Bullying the weak and afraid by the strong.
Probably, this is how to describe Smoker's act at this moment, which made Hina shake her head and glance in the direction of Shinra longingly.
"You are good at making friends." Tsuru made a comment as she looked at Hina, then looked at Shinra, who ate nuts calmly and picked some as she joined him.
"It's not that I am good at making friends, but I have a value that makes them wish to make a good relationship with me."
Tsuru blinked her eyes as she stared at Shinra in a daze and nodded. "You are right."
Did she just meet someone who could replace her position?
All the Marines were more or less normal, but most of them were simpletons who only thought to beat up the evils with their muscles.
Everyone in the Marines, more or less, was the same. Their minds were simple.
The Marines were on the side of justice, and they fought the evil known as the pirates.
That's it, and that's all.
While those at the high positions had a certain understanding of how one should do their job, as they might as well be the dogs of the World Government, many people were like Smoker, who thought that they could do anything as they gained power and potential.
Still, for those people, Shinra felt that they were just hypocrites since what they dared to fight was just those whom they thought were weak, but when they faced those who were truly strong, they would cower, like how Garp would remain blind to what the Celestial Dragon did to many.
As for Smoker, this guy lacked potential as he couldn't utilize the power of the Moku Moku no Mi, a rare Logia-type Devil Fruit that could manipulate smoke.
'If this Devil Fruit is in my hands...'
The result would be different, he thought.
Regardless, in Tsuru's mind, Shinra's mind was on another level. Both power and intelligence. If there was a reason why everyone listened to her, it was because she had a strength that no one could beat. Yes, she was wise, but if she was weak, those simpletons, who thought that the brawl would trump over everything, wouldn't listen to her at all.
So, when Shinra appeared, Tsuru thought that he was as good as the future of the Fleet Admiral. Then again, if one wanted to stand at the top of the Marines, one only needed strength instead of brains, which made her helpless.
"By the way, you haven't married yet, right?"
"...."
Shinra stopped his eating action and looked at Tsuru strangely. Even if she was old and wrinkled, she was once a beautiful and heroic lady, but all of a sudden, she asked him this question, but why?
"I haven't, but I am about to become a father."
"Oh, that's good."
"Thank you."
"Do you mind if I introduce you to my granddaughter?" Tsuru asked.
"....." Shinra, Akainu, Kizaru, Garp, and Sengoku.
"Oi, Tsuru, why didn't you introduce your granddaughter to my grandson?!" Garp asked angrily. They were friends and had fought together from their youth till now. While he had a certain feeling and might even fall in love, he wasn't chosen, so he decided to move on, but if Tsuru's granddaughter could be with his grandson, would he refuse?
Still, Tsuru only glanced at Garp and said, "Put your hand on your chest and think whether your grandson is worthy of my granddaughter?"
"...." Garp.
"Moreover, does your grandson even have an interest in a woman?"
"...." Garp.
Taking a deep breath, Garp argued, "My grandson's Devil Fruit is Gomu Gomu no Mi, and he can make himself into a giant!"
"...." Everyone.
"Yes, I admit that he is strong, handsome as I am, and even smarter."
"..." Everyone.
"But..." Garp's eyes looked at Shinra's lower body with a snort, to which Shinra glanced at Garp calmly and said, "Do you want me to become a giant, too?"
"...you can?"
"I can."
Shinra then used his Bane Bane no Mi to expand himself, making himself bigger, like that of a small giant, not too much, since his suit might be torn apart before returning to normal.
"HOW?!"
"There are many things that the Mythical Zoan's power can do."
"..." Garp.
He wanted to say something, but Sengoku shouted, "SHUT UP, GARP! DON'T BE SUCH A SORE LOSER! IF YOU LOSE, THEN YOU LOSE! Also..." He let out a helpless sigh and asked, "Do you think it is a time for that childish argument?"
"...."
Garp was silent, and his thoughts became gloomy again as he thought of Ace, his adopted grandson, who was about to be publicly executed.
Watching Garp, who became sulky and gloomy, Shinra then glanced at Sengoku, who easily became a victor, and if he wasn't wrong, Sengoku's Devil Fruit could transform him into that of a Buddha, and he became gigantic.
When Shinra thought of that, he understood why Garp lost against Sengoku.
"Great Officer Tsuru, can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead. Also, you can call me Grandma."
"...." Shinra.
"My granddaughter is over there. She was with the women Marines."
Shinra looked in the direction pointed out by Tsuru and saw her granddaughter, who happened to look at him. The granddaughter was stunned, shy, then looked away nonchalantly, before she took a peek at him again, then looked away as he kept staring at her, realizing her naughty gaze.
"Cute, right?" Tsuru asked.
"...." Shinra.
"If you like it hard, then it doesn't matter since her Devil Fruit is Muchi Muchi no Mi, which makes her able to generate a whip."
"....." Shinra.
"C-Can we talk about this later? The public execution is about to start."
"You are right. Let's talk about this later when everything is over."
"LET THE CRIMINAL ENTER THE GALLOW!"
On those words, all the Marines subconsciously looked in the direction of the opening gate as Portgas D. Ace emerged under the lead of two executors, and as he entered, the public execution started.