One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 49 My future is bright.

Sengoku didn't want his office to be attacked by lava and ice, so he stopped the two from arguing in time, while giving Borsalino a deep look that was full of warning.

But at that very moment, Garp suddenly appeared in front of Roman: "Little girl, would you like some snacks? These are some high-grade senbei that I just found from the Sengoku period. Come and eat with me, hahaha!"

Before Roman could react, Garp forcefully stuffed a mouthful of senbei into his mouth.

"Garp, you bastard..."

The Warring States period simply leaped over.

"How stingy, Sengoku period."

After that, the two started fighting, just like a street brawl.

Looking at Roman, whose eyes were wide open, Borsalino sighed again: "This time, he's really lost face!"

This time, Sakazuki wasn't angry; instead, he simply pulled his hat brim down.

The tense conflict began to seem comical after Garp's actions, and Zephyr burst into laughter again, leaving Vice Admiral Tsuru with nothing to do but sigh helplessly.

"As expected of Mr. Garp!" Kuzan also adopted a more relaxed posture and continued to watch the show.

Then, chaos ensued.

……

"You must be Roman." Sengoku, who had almost finished fighting, suddenly remembered that he had important business to attend to and began to look serious. If you ignored his hair, which had been messed up by Garp and his clothes, which had been torn, he still looked quite imposing.

"Yes...yes, the Warring States General." Pinching his hand to avoid laughing out loud, Roman also began to respond seriously.

"Hahaha, Sengoku, your appearance... hahaha."

Countless "wells" emerged from the minds of the Warring States period.

"Kapp!!!"

The situation, which had finally calmed down, has become chaotic again.

"Enough is enough, Sengoku, Garp." It was Vice Admiral Tsuru's authoritative voice.

Both of them stopped fighting at the same time. After all, Tsuru was terrifying when she got angry, and even Sakazuki, who dared to fight with others, didn't dare to attack Tsuru indiscriminately.

Then He changed to a kind smile: "What a lovely little girl. Although you're not used to it yet, you'll get used to it in the future."

"Ahem." Sengoku once again tried to regain his authority.

"We welcome you to the Navy, but Syl Roman, I'd like to ask you, what is your sense of justice? Or what is your reason for joining the Navy?"

Here it comes, this is an unavoidable question, after all, this is a shonen anime.

But if you were to actually openly declare that you are following some kind of justice, regardless of what others think, Roman simply couldn't bring himself to say it.

Justice is too abstract and elusive. In the real world, might makes right, but Roman doesn't want to completely follow this law of the jungle because she is human.

What I follow is not justice, but my own conscience.

This was her answer, but she couldn't say it aloud.

"My sense of justice? I don't really understand it yet, but if I had to say I joined the Navy, it would be to find like-minded partners. For a long time, I've been alone, but I've also met someone who can accept me. However, he also told me that I have a lot of talent and that my future will not be limited, but that I will achieve great things. At that time, he couldn't be with me. At that time, I realized that not everyone has the ability to protect themselves. Many people can't even protect themselves. So I thought, if I join the Navy, can I do more? So I came here. This should be the answer."

Roman's answer was simple, but it was truly touching.

"It seems you had a rather difficult experience before!" Crane's tone became even gentler.

After hearing this, Sakazuki's hostility towards her was no longer obvious, and Kuzan, who originally had no problem with Roman, was naturally even more satisfied.

The Warring States period nodded in satisfaction.

Garp went even further, saying, "What a sensible child. If I had a grandson, I would definitely raise him to be like you." This wish, barring any unforeseen circumstances, is unlikely to come true.

“I believe there must be children in the training camp who share your ideals.” Zefa’s goodwill towards Roman was once again on full display.

This pleased Roman greatly, as the situation appeared to be favorable for him.

But from the very beginning, that person kept scanning her, which inexplicably made her feel irritated.

Borsalino.

His expression remained subtle.

Compared to Kuzan's gentleness and Sakazuki's purity, he is, in some ways, the most tolerant of evil among the generals.

Although descriptions of him are limited, Roman felt he was quite dangerous upon their first meeting.

How should I put it? It's like two seasoned veterans sitting in the same office, completely aware of each other's every move.

Roman wasn't sure if his simple words had truly moved others, but they certainly hadn't moved Borsalino.

At this moment, he might still be pondering her words, trying to discern their truth.

It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it.

Roman felt that she might be able to anticipate the actions of Sakazuki or Kuzan, but she could never have predicted the actions of Borsalino.

Because Borsalino's principles are ambiguous, it's difficult to tell whether he's acting on orders or his own will, or what he really wants. Although there have been rumors that he's an undercover agent, Roman feels that there's a lack of evidence to support them.

However, there's no need to worry too much. As long as it doesn't concern him, he doesn't interfere much. After all, he's always been someone who hates trouble. Compared to him, Sakazuki might pose a greater threat to her. His sense of justice is too absolute. If she wants to develop here long-term, it's clearly unlikely she can avoid clashing with Sakazuki.

There's no need to worry about Kuzan, since he often has a kind heart towards pirates, and Roman doesn't think Kuzan will be a threat to him.

Garp and Tsuru are also inclined to be doves, and they are not incapable of communicating properly. Garp, in particular, dares to directly call the Celestial Dragons trash, which shows how "tolerant" his thinking is.

As for Sengoku, although he was also a hawk, he was much more tolerant of doves than Sakazuki was hostile towards them. He was also a conservative among the hawks, and he even accepted the unidentified Rosinandi, which shows that he did not care about background.

As for Zephyr, that's even easier to explain. Before that accident, Zephyr was more of a dove than a general. Now, as a teacher, he's more like a mentor than a general, and I'm about to become his student. I'm not worried that Zephyr might have a problem with me.

Well, if she performs well, she can almost gain the approval of more than two-thirds of the people here.

She has quite a promising future.