Meanwhile on the Grand Line, Tashigi was in a Marine base outside a town. She was on the way to Marineford and stopped at an archipelago called Cream Mist. They all had been called back for a big war. She thought there were multiple ways of getting back and this was one of the bases which was a bit further away.
She looked down to see Shichiseiken in her hand. She thought it had been given by Ben, the pirate. The man who had taken her first kiss. Her cheeks fluttered.
A small group of Marines watched her. Their eyes wide with respect and awe.
"Seriously, she's so beautiful," one muttered as he leaned on his rifle.
"Check out the sword she's carrying, too," another added as he noticed the unique hilt of the Shichiseiken.
"I heard she actually defeated some seriously strong pirate to claim that blade," a third Marine whispered.
"She is just so cool," the first man finished with a sigh of admiration.
"Tashigi," they all shouted.
Tashigi held the sword up. She closed her eyes. The sword glowed an intense green. "Mystic Beam," Tashigi said as she shot a concentrated green beam of energy from her blade. It went forward and hit a brick wall. There was a shattering explosion, and a massive smoke cloud billowed high into the air.
The Marines who were watching her collectively stiffened. Their jaws dropped.
"W-what was that?!" one stammered, his eyes were wide.
"Did you see that? It just vaporized the wall," another Marine exclaimed as he nearly dropped his helmet in shock.
"That sword is no joke. Tashigi is awesome," he added.
"I wouldn't want to be the pirate on the receiving end of that," another whispered,
"Tashigi," they all shouted.
"You all are annoying," a voice muttered. He puffed his cigarette and walked toward Tashigi. "This place can't make up its mind, sometimes it is hot then cold," he remarked. He looked forward. "You've gotten stronger," he said.
Tashigi looked to her left and saw Smoker. "Captain Smoker," Tashigi greeted as she put her sword down.
Smoker puffed his cigarette. "You look a little different," Smoker remarked.
Tashigi's cheeks went red. She immediately thought of Ben who stole her kiss. "I am still the same," she responded.
Smoker glanced at her sword. "You seem like you have a new resolve," he observed. He walked closer. "I heard you ran into them again," he added.
"Ben?" Tashigi questioned.
"They say he and that Straw Hat pirate were involved in freeing a dangerous criminal and causing property damage," Smoker said, his tone heavy.
"Yes, I have heard of that as well," Tashigi replied. She thought back to when the Straw Hats and Love Pirates had stormed Enies Lobby to save Robin.
"I heard you had been with them, too," Smoker pressed.
"Captain Hina and I were trying to capture him, but he got away," Tashigi replied. She thought that was only partially true.
"Are the rumors true? Is he as bad as they say?" Smoker asked as he took a long drag from his cigarette.
Tashigi hesitated for a second. He was a pirate, but he wasn't bad. She remembered the strange things, though he was a pervert, walking around naked. He had a good body, however, he was a pervert. He was a womaniser, but the women with him all seemed happy and they even called her sister.
Smoker stared at her. "You are hesitating," he stated flatly.
"No," Tashigi responded quickly. She wasn't. He wasn't bad. But then, she recalled he had blueprints for Shubshria, a weapon that could threaten the world. She felt a deep uncertainty about what it could do.
Smoker looked directly into her eyes. "Remember your loyalties," Smoker said firmly.
Tashigi thought of loyalties. She thought of Ben. She looked at the Marines and then raised her sword. She looked at Shichiseiken.
"Another ship has docked, " Rear Admiral, T-bone with Wanze and Jerry have arrived," a Marine shouted.
Tashigi snapped out of her thoughts and looked up.
"Those two got reshuffled into the Marines after that," Smoker remarked.
Meanwhile, on another island on the Grand Line, there was silence. The small, dusty port town was built right against a huge cliff face. It had little shacks and market stalls. The air was thick with heat and the smell of stale fish.
Shalria sat high atop a luxurious, gold-trimmed palanquin carried by four people in chains. All four were utterly exhausted and sweating profusely. Their muscles strained with every step.
Shalria looked around idly. Below her, she saw the local people kneeling in the dirt. Their heads were bowed low and touching the ground. Shalria didn't even blink. She didn't care about the town or the people. She just looked straight ahead, completely uninterested.
The palanquin stopped and was gently lowered down. At that moment, a man opened the curtain. "Madam," he said.
Shalria looked up and raised her pistol. She pressed the trigger and shot the man. "You ruined my mood," Sharlia said as she got up. She looked to see the man on the ground. He was in a pool of his blood. "Digusting," she said. She looked at a woman. "Take your rags off now and put them down here," Shalria ordered.
A woman kneeling in the dust looked up. Her eyes were terrified. There was sweat dripping down her face. She hesitated for a fatal second.
Shalria looked down at her and casually raised her pistol. She aimed and fired. The bullet went through the air and struck the woman directly in the chest. The woman dropped instantly and hit the hard ground. A patch of blood began to spread.
"Mummy," a small child's voice cried out. Shalria glanced over and shot the child as well. The child dropped to the ground.
She then looked at another kneeling woman. "Your rags," Shalria commanded dismissively.
The woman immediately tore her clothes off and quickly moved forward. Now only in her underwear, she spread her clothes flat on the ground and got back to her knees. Shalria stepped off the palanquin and walked smoothly across the makeshift carpet of clothes and onto the dirt road.
"This is a disgusting town," she remarked with a sneer. "Maybe I should just destroy it," she added.
The townspeople were still kneeling. They were sweating profusely and were paralyzed by terror.
At that moment she looked at a wall nearby. She saw a bounty poster. She saw Demon King Ben. A smile appeared on her face. "Where is he?" she asked as she tore the bounty poster free.
There was no answer. Everyone was frozen in fear.
Shalria lifted her pistol. She was about to press the trigger when someone spoke. "He is not here," one shouted.
A Ciphor Pol agent walked forward. "There are reports, he is heading to Sabaody," he said.
"Then let's go," Shalria ordered. She took the poster and hugged it. "You will be all mine," Shalria remarked.