By the time Sakazuki and Enel reached the Marine branch at the base of Tree No. 66, the full moon was already high overhead—the dead of night.
Enel had finally regained his composure. As Sakazuki came to a halt, Enel asked quietly,
"Aren't we going in?"
Sakazuki shook his head.
"We are. Just not through the front door."
Before Enel could reply, Sakazuki grabbed his shoulder. In a flash, their figures vanished, slipping into the base through a hidden corner.
They emerged atop the tallest building in the branch, the wind cold and sharp at this height.
Sakazuki turned to Enel.
"Use your Observation Haki. Take in everything happening here."
Enel nodded, closing his eyes as his senses spread through the compound.
—
Down in the mid-level hall, the Marine branch was bustling despite the late hour. A squad of soldiers hauled crate after crate into the room, nearly filling half the space. Blood still dripped from more than a few of the boxes, but the soldiers acted as if it was business as usual.
Once the work was done, all the soldiers—save for two standing guard at the main gate—gathered in the hall.
At the front, Branch Commander Demora flashed a wicked grin.
"Let's hear the report."
"Yes, sir!"
A clerk beside him opened a logbook and began reading aloud:
"This week's protection fees collected: 3.17 million Belly.
Loot and gold seized from various pirate crews: 43.24 million Belly.
Profits from capturing and selling slaves and pirates to human traffickers: 10.32 million Belly.
Report complete."
Commander Demora looked down at his men.
"Same deal as always—Ross, divvy up the protection money among everyone!"
"Woooo!!"
The soldiers cheered. Maybe the money was dirty, but in this place, with this crowd, everyone was in on it. How much could a Marine earn doing things by the book? How much justice paid the bills? Demora's weekly cut was worth two months' official salary.
Demora eyed his troops—so easy to manipulate, so eager to believe.
"Alright, keep it down. Ross, once the protection money's handed out, send the rest of the loot to my residence. I'll handle the… finer distribution. Gotta grease the right palms, up and down the chain."
His voice was just loud enough for every Marine in the hall to hear. Then Demora turned and strode out, the corners of his mouth curling in smug satisfaction.
Bunch of idiots. Hahahahaha…
What Demora didn't know was that, high above, two figures with monstrous Observation Haki had witnessed everything.
When Demora was gone, Enel spat out two words, voice trembling with fury:
"Parasites. Vermin."
Sakazuki's tone was flat as ever.
"Demora. Rear Admiral, Marine Headquarters. Took command of the Sabaody Archipelago branch three years ago. Since then, the Marine-controlled zone and its surroundings have been swept clean. But the man's greedy, cunning, and utterly without scruples."
He looked at Enel.
"Now, think like someone in power. How would you deal with him?"
Enel was silent for a long moment. Finally, he forced out,
"Let him be…"
Sakazuki nodded.
"Exactly. Leave him alone."
He gazed out over the city, voice low.
"Sabaody Archipelago is the gateway to the New World. This place is a den of monsters—powerful pirates and bounty hunters everywhere you look. In just three years, Demora purged the Marine district and its borders. Whatever else you say about him, the man gets results. The higher-ups know all about it. And there are plenty more like him among the hundreds of branch commanders."
He paused.
"But there's no way to deal with them. Do you know why?"
Enel thought for a moment.
"Our main enemy is the pirates."
Sakazuki nodded.
"That's right. Pirates are the real enemy."
He continued,
"Let me put it plainly: If we punished every Marine with a guilty conscience, half the branches would collapse overnight. Sure, some of these guys are clean, but not many. We've been recruiting and training kids orphaned by pirates, but they're not ready yet. If we replaced this whole lot, the Marines' weakness would be exposed for all to see."
Enel frowned.
"Weakness?"
Sakazuki nodded again.
"Yes. Weakness."
He stared into the distance, his voice heavy.
"The Battle of Scagri looked like a win on paper, but it was all smoke and mirrors. Admiral Sengoku is missing. Admiral Zephyr has retired. Over twenty thousand of our best died in that war. Right now, the only ones holding up Marine Headquarters are Fleet Admiral Kong, Vice Admiral Garp, and myself. The rest are old warhorses, and they're not getting any younger. Headquarters is at its weakest—there's a gap between generations."
He gestured down at the branch.
"These cunning, capable branch commanders? They're just a mask. They make the world believe Marine branches are strong, that the Marines can keep the seas safe. But this mask won't last much longer. Ambitious pirates will catch on, sooner or later. They'll test us. If Sengoku never comes back, the balance of power will break. If there's another Battle of Scagri, the Marines will lose—guaranteed."
Enel let out a heavy sigh.
"I get it now."
Sakazuki placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be so pessimistic. It's just not time yet."
Enel looked up.
"How much longer until it is?"
Sakazuki stared into the night, his voice almost a whisper.
"How long…? Until you all grow up. You, Barrett, Borsalino, Gion, Doberman, Dalmatian, Strawberry…"
He murmured a string of names into the darkness.
After a long silence, Sakazuki snapped back to the present.
"Come on. Let's head back. It's late.
Tomorrow, I'll show you what kind of 'adventurers' these pirates really are."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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