In the office of Admiral Sengoku at Marine Headquarters, the air was thick with tension—though that was mostly due to Sengoku shouting at Garp. As usual, Garp had wandered in uninvited to snack on rice crackers. The door opened, and Vice Admiral Berck entered to deliver his report.
"Hey, Berck! You doing well, kid?" Garp called out, raising a hand before the master of the room could even speak.
"Vice Admiral Garp. I strive to be at my best at all times," Berck replied formally.
"Still as stiff as ever, I see. You're a Vice Admiral now, too. We're on even footing."
"With all due respect, I still consider you a man worthy of the highest regard."
Berck stepped forward to hand over his documents. His uniform was stained with blood, and he looked uncharacteristically exhausted for one of the Navy's most promising rising stars. Garp crunched on a cracker and eyed the injuries. "Who'd you run into?"
"The Twilight Pirates. Sakazuki acted impulsively against 'The Witch.' Borsalino stepped in to assist, but even with the two of them, they were no match for her."
"Bwahahaha!! So our future Admiral candidates got their tails handed to them by the Witch herself?!"
"Is that a laughing matter, Garp?!" Sengoku barked. He turned his attention back to Berck. "Were those injuries sustained protecting the other two?"
"Yes, sir. Furthermore, we confirmed the presence of the 'Hexad Grand Spear,' whose bounty recently topped six hundred million, as well as the 'Giant Shadow,' who is over four hundred million. We were lucky to retreat at all."
"I see," Sengoku said, taking the report.
The Twilight Pirates had expanded at a terrifying rate over the last few years. While the Navy couldn't ignore them, Kanata herself was considered a moderate compared to other pirates. She was a far cry from the reign of terror led by Shiki the Golden Lion or the underworld dealings of Big Mom. Still, to the World Government and the Navy, she remained a top-tier threat.
"We haven't seen 'Dragon Claw' lately," Berck noted. "Should we assume they've had a falling out?"
"Who knows. What do you think, Garp?" Sengoku asked.
"I wouldn't know," Garp grunted, sipping tea with total indifference.
Berck quickly moved to refill Garp's cup, prompting Sengoku to sigh. "He's your subordinate, Berck. You don't have to baby him. Have some dignity."
"I'm used to it, sir."
"Kanata was formidable even when she fought me years ago," Garp mused. "Just thinking about how strong she's gotten gives me a headache. How are Sakazuki and Borsalino?"
"They sustained heavy injuries and were taken to the infirmary upon arrival."
Sakazuki held the power of magma and Borsalino the power of light—both formidable Logia users—yet they had been systematically dismantled by Kanata's ice. It was a miracle there were no fatalities, likely because the other high-ranking officers had successfully held off the enemy executives.
"She hasn't caused any major incidents lately," Sengoku muttered, "but given the growth of her fleet and the strength of her officers, we may need to re-evaluate her bounty."
"Raising it any further won't change much," Garp pointed out. "It's already at a record high. Other pirates won't even try to collect it."
While Kanata occasionally clashed with Shiki and Big Mom, those battles never escalated into full-scale wars. All parties seemed to understand that a head-on collision would be too costly.
Berck rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Sir, I am concerned about her funding. She is focusing heavily on territorial expansion, but where is the capital coming from?"
"Good point," Sengoku agreed. "She collects tribute from a few islands, but the math doesn't add up."
"She was a merchant originally," Berck continued. "We know she's trading, but the scale is unknown. It might be far larger than we realize."
If they could strike just one of her major trade routes, the whole network might collapse like a house of cards.
"I'll leave the investigation of the Witch to you, Berck," Sengoku decided. "Your name is already being floated for an Admiral position. Solve this, and you'll have my full recommendation."
"I am honored, sir, but I still have much to learn. I will give it my all."
Sengoku watched Berck leave, then turned back to Garp. "Go home and see your family, Berck. You're a newlywed. Garp, take notes—family matters. Look what happened with Zephyr."
"Yeah..." Garp's smile faded. The tragedy involving Zephyr's wife and child was still a raw wound for the Navy.
"Things are quiet for once," Sengoku said, reaching for another snack. "A day or two of rest won't hurt anyone."
Suddenly, the door burst open. An officer rushed in, clutching a telegram. "Emergency report, sir!"
"What is it?!"
"The Golden Lion and the Resonance have made contact! A massive clash has broken out in the waters near Dressrosa!!"
Sengoku and Garp both spat out their tea in unison.
+++
In a dining hall on a lawless island in the New World, a group of thugs was busy harassing the owner.
"We've been put in charge of this island by the Twilight Pirates! Defying us is the same as defying the Witch! Do you understand?!"
The chubby shopkeeper was drenched in sweat, his eyes darting around for help. But the other patrons looked away, and some even slipped out the door to avoid trouble. The thugs, armed with swords and pistols, kicked out the remaining customers and loomed over the owner.
"We protect you, so it's only natural the tribute goes up. Hand it over."
"But... I just paid last week..."
"The rates changed! You think protection from the Witch comes cheap?!"
The shopkeeper trembled. This wasn't what he had heard. He thought the Twilight Pirates were disciplined and stuck to their contracts. Just as he was about to give in and hand over his life savings, the door creaked open.
A small girl entered, carrying a massive scythe that looked entirely too large for her.
"Hey, kid. We're in the middle of business. Get lost," the leader growled.
"I heard the conversation," the girl said calmly. "You aren't direct members of the Twilight Pirates. Which crew do you belong to?"
"Huh?!"
The leader reached out to toss her aside, but in a flash, the girl swept his legs and slammed him into the floor. She looked at the skull emblem on his back and pulled a notebook from her pocket.
"I don't recognize this mark. Are you new recruits to the alliance?" She flipped through the pages until she found a match. "I thought so. Pirates who can't follow the rules aren't needed. You're expelled. You can either come to the guardhouse quietly or be taken there by force."
"You brat! Kill her!!"
The girl—Kaie—systematically neutralized the thugs. Once the floor was covered in groaning men, she called out to the man waiting outside. "Kuro! Come in."
Kuro walked in, accompanied by a young Teach. "Whoa, you really did a number on them," Kuro chuckled. "What now?"
"Take them to the guardhouse. Call their captain and have him answer for this. If he's defiant... well..." Kaie tapped her neck.
"Fair enough," Kuro said, pulling out a Baby Transponder Snail to call for back-up.
Kaie helped the shopkeeper to his feet. "Are you injured?"
"N-No... Who are you people?"
"We are members of the Twilight Pirates. We apologize for the trouble our subordinates caused."
Kuro approached with a grin. Despite his tattooed chest and intimidating build, he had a surprisingly friendly aura. "Sorry about that, boss! Here's some 'inconvenience' money." He dropped a stack of bills on the counter.
The shopkeeper stared at the money and then at Kuro, completely bewildered. By the time he found his voice, the group had already left, and a squad of disciplined soldiers had arrived to drag the thugs away.
+++
"We've been expanding the fleet so fast lately that the discipline is slipping," Kuro remarked, snacking on yakitori skewers as they walked through the night market.
"Kanata said she expected some growing pains, but being called out every day is a hassle," Kaie replied.
"Don't be like that. We should celebrate a job well done. Hey, that fried Water-Water Meat looks amazing—"
"No detours," Kaie snapped.
"A little snack won't hurt. Right, Teach?"
Teach looked caught in the middle. While Kuro was technically the superior, Kaie and Teach had been tasked with keeping an eye on him. "Don't ask me..."
"Kanata's been working us to the bone. We deserve a treat!"
The rapid expansion of the crew had brought wealth and power, but it had also put a strain on their internal order. Pirates were naturally rowdy, and those strong enough to reach the New World often had massive egos. While Kanata's policy was generally inclusive, many believed they needed to tighten the reigns.
Kaie reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device with a single button.
"What's that?" Kuro asked.
"A tool I was given. If you do something stupid or try to wander off, I'm supposed to press it."
"Does it call for help?"
"I don't know the specifics, but a receiver on the other end counts the presses. Every press is one penalty point for you."
"Who came up with such a terrifying thing?!"
"Katerina."
"That kid makes the weirdest gadgets!" Kuro tried to snatch the device, but Kaie dodged him with ease. Katerina and Samuel often used Kuro as a test subject for their inventions, much to his chagrin.
Eventually, Kuro gave up and slumped his shoulders. "Fine, fine. I'll go back quietly."
"Why do you wander around so much anyway?" Kaie asked. "You don't want to cause trouble for Kanata, do you?"
"Life is short, Kaie. If you see something interesting, you check it out. I want to live with no regrets. That's my creed."
"I don't get it."
"Heh, maybe not. But it's human nature to seek out the unknown. After all, the things we don't understand are the only things worth fearing." Kuro looked at Teach. "You get it, right?"
Teach thought for a moment. "A little bit."
"Then you've got a bright future. A man's gotta walk through the wilderness."
Kaie tilted her head, confused, as Kuro patted her hair. The trio made their way back to their post. They had stopped at this island to resupply after their skirmish with the Navy, but they were scheduled to depart tomorrow.
Their destination: The North Blue.
With orders to expand their trade routes and gather information on Devil Fruits, Kuro felt a surge of curiosity. He was heading into uncharted waters, and he couldn't wait to see what was waiting for them.
***
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