South Blue.
On the deck of a large merchant ship bound for the first half of the Grand Line, Paradise, young men and women gathered from all directions sat or stood in small groups, chatting animatedly.
They were all aspiring youths heading to Marine Headquarters in Paradise to participate in the Marines' worldwide military draft.
Sharing a common goal, these young men and women quickly became acquainted, exchanging rumors and tidbits they'd gathered from newspapers or other sources.
Some spoke admiringly of Admiral Sakazuki, others wished to serve under the Marine hero Garp, while most simply hoped to catch a glimpse of the Fleet Admiral's majesty.
It was no exaggeration to say that the vast majority of young people aboard this ship were making the long journey from the South Blue to Marine Headquarters out of near-fanatic admiration for its young leader.
"Brothers, I hope we all pass the draft and become official Marines, then train together as recruits!"
Suddenly, a young man leaped onto a table, looking down at the dozens of like-minded youths on the deck as he shouted excitedly.
"For justice!"
As his voice faded, the previously noisy deck fell silent.
Then, one after another, the young men and women stood up, raising their hands in salute just as they'd seen Marines do in their hometowns, and shouted in unison.
"Justice will prevail!"
****
Inside the cabin.
A green-haired man in his mid-thirties sat by the window, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
His sunglasses hid the growing gleam in his eyes.
"Aramaki, what are you doing here?"
Another man in his thirties approached, handing Aramaki a bottle of alcohol. Glancing through the window at the energetic youths on deck, he smiled knowingly and said.
"Want to go chat with them? Then tell them your idol isn't the Fleet Admiral—but Admiral Sakazuki!"
Aramaki took a swig from the bottle, then frowned and said.
"There's one thing I still can't figure out—how exactly did Fleet Admiral Orion pull off that military coup? I've read the reports about it, though much was covered up. But even with most vice admirals and rear admirals supporting him, there's no way he could've succeeded against Admiral Sakazuki and the other two top-tier Marine combatants. Most importantly, with so many departments within the Marine and Commander-in-Chief Kong stationed at the Holy Land, how did the coup even work? I still don't get it!"
"Don't get stuck in that dead end," the man replied seriously. "Look at what happened afterward! Remember the live execution of Whitebeard Jr.? Didn't you see how Fleet Admiral Orion pressured the Warlords to their limits? Throughout that, all three admirals stood firmly behind him. What does that tell you?"
"It means—whether it's your idol Sakazuki, or Kuzan and Borsalino—they were all subdued by Fleet Admiral Orion."
"And then there's everything that followed. Just take Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, two emperors ruling the New World—Orion executed them without hesitation. That kind of resolve? Even the former Fleet Admiral Sengoku couldn't compare!"
Hearing this, Aramaki nodded. "Now that you put it that way, it makes sense! Whatever—this time at Marineford, I've got to make my mark. If I can't become an admiral right away, at least I'll make vice admiral in no time. Best if I end up under Sakazuki's command!"
Just as the man raised his bottle to clink with Aramaki, his pupils suddenly contracted, his gaze snapping toward the endless sea outside the window.
*****
At the same time.
Across the vast ocean, three twin-masted pirate ships cut through the waves, growing clearer in his vision.
Each ship's mast flew an identical Jolly Roger—they belonged to the same crew.
Before the man could react, a shrill alarm blared from the ship's intercom.
A hired guard burst out of the cabin in a panic, shouting at the young men and women on deck.
"Get below deck, now! Pirates incoming! Move, move, move!"
"Pirates? Where?"
"Starboard side—damn it, three ships! Everyone, get inside!"
"Below deck? Hell no! We're gonna be Marines!"
"Perfect timing! Let's take these scum out and bring their heads to HQ for the recruitment!"
At the sight of the pirate ships, almost all the young men—and a few women—on deck surged toward the railing, eyes blazing as they stared down the approaching vessels.
"Hah! We're not even Marines yet, and pirates are delivering themselves to us! Think we'll earn military merits for wiping them out? The base commander back home said the Fleet Admiral introduced the Four Great Military Exploits. Ever since, every Marine's been hungry for glory. Just one of those feats means endless rewards and promotions!"
"Is that so? Then today's First achievement is mine for the taking!"
"I must seize that damned pirate flag and trample it underfoot!"
Under the fervent gazes of the young men and women, the three pirate ships sailing side by side suddenly spread out.
Almost immediately after distancing themselves, dull cannon roars erupted from the three vessels.
The next second, a dense barrage of cannonballs tore through the air like hailstones, hurtling straight toward the large merchant ship.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM—"
Deafening explosions erupted as the cannonballs struck the sea around the merchant ship, sending towering waves that engulfed the vessel completely.
After the first volley, arrogant laughter rang out from the lead pirate ship:
"Ahahahaha, listen up, merchant ship ahead!"
"This lord only wants your wealth, not your lives! Stop your ship immediately, or you'll all die!"
Drenched from standing on the deck, the group of young men and women grew furious at the pirates' taunts.
The leader among them immediately turned toward the captain's cabin and shouted.
"Stop the ship! I'm going to kill these arrogant bastards!"
Inside the captain's cabin, several middle-aged men cowered.
The youths didn't know the pirates' cruelty—but these men did.
Especially since the pirates now attacking them were the most notorious crew in the South Blue, specializing in plundering merchant ships.
If they didn't get the treasures they wanted, they'd slaughter everyone aboard without hesitation.
Though the South Blue Marine branch had launched multiple operations against them, the pirates always managed to escape.
"Captain, we're doomed this time!" one of the middle-aged men stammered, trembling.
"It's... the Ed Pirates!"
Before the captain could respond, the cabin door burst open.
In strode Aramaki, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Ignoring the men's shock, he walked straight to the window, his chilling gaze fixed on the three pirate ships as he issued an unyielding command.
"Bring the ship closer."
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