At the G-5 Branch Fortress in the New World.
A Marine battleship slowly entered the harbor and docked at an available berth. The gangplank was lowered, and a sturdy man with silver-white short hair and a large coat emblazoned with the word "Justice" on the back stepped down. He wore a heavy green jacket, two cigars perpetually clamped in his mouth, and his slightly menacing face carried a hint of thuggishness.
Behind him followed a bespectacled woman carrying a katana. She was wearing a pink coat of "Justice" and looked quite heroic.
"Smoker-san, we're finally here!" Seeing the large 'G5' designation on the fortress, Tashigi sighed in relief and offered a small smile.
"Huff… Hoo…"
Smoker took a deep drag from his cigars, exhaling a thick plume of white smoke. He didn't speak but instead surveyed his surroundings.
As far as the eye could see, the harbor was filled with men whose faces looked vicious. Their hats were askew, their clothes loose and sloppy. Their general appearance was anything but Marine-like. If not for the few who wore Marine caps, jackets, or the standard Justice coats, they would look exactly like pirates.
Some were moving supplies, some were standing at attention (or a rough approximation thereof), and many more were leering at Smoker and Tashigi as they disembarked.
"Yo! Another rookie!"
"They even brought a female Marine!"
"She's gorgeous!"
"Hey, beautiful! Wanna grab a drink?"
A group of G-5 Marines whistled and catcalled, completely ignoring Smoker and focusing only on the newly arrived Tashigi.
As the Marine's main bridgehead and a deeply rooted nail in the New World, the G-5 Branch is the most forward line of defense against pirates. It is also the branch with the highest casualties every year.
Excluding the tiny minority who volunteer to be transferred here, the Marines stationed here are mostly troublemakers marginalized from other bases. They constantly fight vicious pirates, with death ever-present. They endure unbearable heavy losses, which has made the G-5 Marines an exceptional and unorthodox force within the organization.
They barely resemble Marines and act more like pirates; ignoring orders from Marine Headquarters is a common occurrence, and they engage in terrible acts, such as torturing and murdering captured pirates.
However, G-5's Marines are arguably the most combat-effective unit in the entire organization. Excluding the high-level personnel, even the elite forces from Marine Headquarters and the G-3 Branch (previously led by Garp) are only just comparable.
"Hello, you must be Commodore Smoker from Headquarters!"
A man in a loose white shirt and a Justice coat glanced at the photo on the document in his hand, looked Smoker up and down a few times, and said lazily, "Please follow me. Vice Admiral Vergo is waiting for you in his office!"
Smoker nodded and, along with Tashigi, followed the man toward the interior of the fortress.
…
Base Commander's Office.
Thump-thump-thump... Thump-thump-thump...
Smoker and Tashigi walked in and saw a man wearing a checkered coat and a Justice coat, standing behind the desk and wearing sunglasses. He had lightning-shaped sideburns on both sides of his face, and a string of Sanshoku Dango (three-color dumplings) was inexplicably stuck to his right cheek, though he seemed unaware of it.
It was Demon Bamboo Vergo, a Marine Vice Admiral and the Base Commander of the G-5 Branch!
"I've heard a lot about you, Commodore Smoker," Vergo greeted, reaching out a hand. Though his face was stern, his tone was quite mild. "The people here at G-5 are crude and clumsy, but once you spend time with them, you'll find they aren't as bad as the rumors say. Before long, you'll see them as rather endearing subordinates."
"Perhaps, but the G-5 soldiers seem quite capable, aside from their discipline, of course." Smoker raised his head noncommittally. However, his last remark wasn't baseless.
From the harbor to the Base Commander's office in the heart of the fortress, every Marine he saw along the way carried a fierce aura and a hint of killing intent. He didn't spot a single weak soldier. However, these strong Marines were individually undisciplined, unlike the usual strictness of a Marine base.
"It seems they've left a deep impression on you," Vergo's mouth twitched slightly, looking like he was forcing a small smile.
Weeeng… weeeng….weeeng…
A piercing siren suddenly blared, instantly echoing throughout the entire G-5 fortress.
Bang!
The office door was suddenly thrust open, and a Marine with a crooked hat rushed in, gasping for breath. "Vice Admiral Vergo, the surveillance ship spotted five pirate ships!"
…
At the Royal Forest outside Clifford Kingdom.
"More More: 100x Slash!"
A thirty-meter-long, snow-white katana suddenly appeared, like a star-slicing blade from a space war. It swung down with a sharp, whistling sound, carving a semicircle in front of it. Over a dozen large trees within the arc were instantly sliced in half.
Rumble… Rumble…
The tall trees crashed down, their cut surfaces smooth and without any rough edges. A massive cloud of dust rose, startling a flock of birds into flight.
"Hahahaha! What a ferocious strike!"
Aeridar quickly flew into the air, laughing loudly at the devastated scene below.
"More More: 10x Gun!"
Dimitri burst out of the woods, aiming the large-caliber flintlock in his hand at Aeridar in the sky, and instantly pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The gun fired, and the bullet left the barrel. The thumb-sized projectile suddenly magnified tenfold mid-flight, turning into a pitch-black, soccer-ball-sized iron sphere that rapidly flew toward the sky.
"You really play rough! Impact Gun!"
Aeridar grinned, hooking his thumb against his index finger and pressing down on the sole of his foot.
Pop!
The air gave a light crack, and a ripple of air fluctuation appeared.
Boom!
A violent explosion occurred in mid-air, black smoke billowed, and intense, scorching flames rose up.
"Rankyaku!"
Aeridar lifted his right leg and kicked down from the air.
Swish…
A massive blue-white slashing attack burst forth from the void and struck down in the blink of an eye.
Boom!
Dust flew everywhere, and a deep, ten-meter-long fissure appeared in the ground.
"Ptooey! Ptooey!"
Dimitri stood up from the ground, spitting out mouthfuls of dirt, and rolled his eyes, complaining, "Captain, you didn't hold back either!"
"More More: 10x Speed!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Dimitri suddenly vanished from his spot.
The next moment, he reappeared in front of Aeridar in the air.
"More More: 10x Slash!"
The animal-tooth dagger in his hand instantly swelled in size, forming a giant, three-meter-long blade that cleaved down toward Aeridar's head.
Clang!
With a heavy impact, the three-meter-long giant blade struck Aeridar's crossed fists. Sparks flew as the pitch-black fists, hardened with Armament Haki, firmly blocked the cutting edge. The powerful force created surging shockwaves that spread outwards.
Boom!
Aeridar in the air was struck by a huge force and slammed down, landing heavily on the ground. The earth under his feet immediately collapsed and sank, forming a large crater several meters in diameter, with dense cracks radiating from the edges.
Rustle… Rustle…
Suddenly, the bushes in the woods began to shake. Aeridar, who was preparing to counterattack, and Dimitri, who was ready to continue his assault, paused and looked over.
"Captain! The Blackbeard Pirates have arrived! They are requesting an audience with you!"
Gorbo rushed out of the bushes, shouting loudly at Aeridar.
"Nani?"
Aeridar and Dimitri widened their eyes, looks of disbelief crossing their faces.