At The Peak of One Piece

The dog-headed warship arrived at Marine Headquarters after just four hours of sailing. Built on a small landmass extending from the Red Line, the HQ seemed like a mere pimple on the continent's leg compared to its vastness—yet its scale dwarfed even Sabaody Archipelago. 

Docked at Marineford's sprawling harbor—capable of hosting thirty warships with ease—Garp disembarked, munching rice crackers. Vice Admiral Tsuru followed, trailed by formal Marines, then the trainee recruits. 

Garp led them to the plaza before HQ's towering central building. The trainees gazed up in reverence; seeing the fortress in person stirred far deeper awe than newspaper photos ever could. To them, this was sacred ground. Insult the Marines here? Death would be a mercy. 

Garp stood munching, leaving discipline to others. His veteran crew stood rigid; the newbies fidgeted, eyes wide with wonder. 

Victor scanned the area. He'd seen images of the Summit War battlegrounds, but the complex stretched far back toward the Red Line—likely housing barracks, training grounds, and family quarters. Unimpressed by skyscrapers from his past life, he noted only the building's solemn gravitas. He approached Garp. 

"Vice Admiral Garp, what's the wait? What's next?" Victor asked. 

"Waiting for your drill instructors, brat!" Garp grinned, almost gleeful. "You'll drown in theory lessons and basic conditioning at the New Recruit Training Camp. Hah! Suffer well!" 

He hated paperwork—let underlings handle it. 

"Excel there, and you'll advance to the Elite Training Camp. That's where you'll learn Haki. You'll breeze through, no doubt!" 

Beneath the goofiness lay calculation. 

"Could've sent you straight to Elite Camp. But since you'll serve on my ship, you need to learn ship operations and management first. All for your own good! Hahaha!" 

Truth is, Victor realized, 'the old man's sandbagging me. Thinks I'm too young and strong—needs to "humble" me in boot camp.' 

Victor stifled a groan. 'I came for Armament Haki, not to find "fair maidens and gold houses" in books!' He'd seek private tutors later. 

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As they waited, a crowd gathered—veterans and Elite Trainees alike—eyeing the newcomers. 

"This batch looks mediocre." 

"Expecting monsters like Vice Admirals Akainu, Kizaru, or Aokiji every year? Dream on." 

"A lucky Devil Fruit could change that!" 

"Bullshit! Even the best Fruit needs a strong body! What good is power if you're gone limp after two minutes?" 

"Hey… that sounded suspiciously 'un'-Devil-Fruit-related. You okay?" 

"Projecting his own struggles, maybe? Hahaha!" 

Amidst the chatter, Victor scanned the crowd, searching for familiar faces from the original story. The only ones he recognized were the white-haired Smoker and the pink-haired Hina. No other notable figures stood out. 

'Makes sense,' he thought. 'Most of the admirals and vice admirals were already in their fifties when they debuted. They'd be around thirty now—long since graduated and assigned to missions.' The youngest here were Smoker and Hina, followed by Momousagi and Chaton—though those two probably hadn't earned their future titles yet. 

Spotting Smoker, Victor walked over. Smoker noticed him too—he'd assumed Victor had already joined the Marines, but after arriving at HQ and hearing nothing, he'd wondered if he'd been lied to. Seeing him now was a surprise. 

"Yo, Smoker. Didn't expect you to get here before me. How's your strength these days? And who's this lovely lady beside you?" Victor greeted with a grin. 

While the others remained in formation, Victor had casually stepped out—his rebellious attitude drawing plenty of stares. 

Garp, however, just laughed heartily, as if seeing a younger version of himself in Victor's defiance. Back in his day, he'd also picked and chosen which orders to follow—ignoring the rest with a nap or a bored ear-scratch. 

'High rank just gets in the way of freedom,' Garp believed. Victor, on the other hand, figured true freedom came with being strong enough to do as he pleased. 

"Victor, I thought you'd skipped joining the Marines. With your strength, it'd be a waste not to be here. Best training, top resources—this is the place to be. You made the right call," Smoker said, his tone earnest. 

"Before enlisting, I stumbled upon a Logia-type Devil Fruit. After that, I just told my family and signed up," he added, scratching his head sheepishly. 

At this point, Smoker was still just a 16- or 17-year-old kid—none of the hardened authority he'd later embody. 

"This is Hina. She's in our batch too—a friend. Also a Devil Fruit user," Smoker introduced. 

"Ah, nice to meet you, Hina. I'm Victor, a fresh recruit. Looking forward to working together," Victor said, extending a hand. 

"Likewise. Smoker's told me about you—he speaks highly of you. Let's spar sometime. I'm Hina, currently in the Elite Training Program. Pleasure!" She shook his hand firmly. 

This Hina wasn't yet the chain-smoking, jaded woman from later years. Young, smooth-skinned, and well-proportioned, she was practically the rookie goddess of their batch. 

"Definitely. I'll hold you to that," Victor replied before turning back to Smoker. "Where are you bunking? You know our assignments yet? Come find me tonight for drinks, yeah?" 

"Sure thing. I'll swing by," Smoker agreed. 

Victor glanced around once more but found no other familiar faces. 'Might've been background characters in the original story.' Not that it mattered—he'd probably transfer to the elite program soon anyway. After exchanging a few more words, he returned to Garp's side. 

He wanted to pump Smoker for intel on HQ—it'd help him plan his training regimen. 

Theoretical study? An hour a day was plenty. His photographic memory wasn't just for show. The rest of his time would be spent on practical combat drills. 

"Kid, you know those two?" Garp mumbled through a mouthful of rice crackers as Victor returned. 

"Yeah. Met Smoker back in Loguetown. Hina's new—just got introduced." 

"Hah! Those two are the top of this year's elite trainees—both Devil Fruit users. You've got connections, brat!" 

"Oh yeah, totally. I also 'know' Admiral Sengoku. He just doesn't know 'me'," Victor deadpanned, rolling his eyes.