The wooden deck of the small boat shook violently with each muffled thud, accompanied by the painful groans of a pink-haired boy.
Luffy retracted his extended fist and looked down at the boy before him, his face swollen from a rough beating, tears welling in his eyes.
Luffy grinned widely, flashing a carefree smile. "Coby, and you think you can capture me like this?"
Coby clutched the rapidly swelling bumps on his head, humiliation burning in his tear-filled eyes. He had mustered all his courage, armed himself with a small knife for protection, only to have it flicked away into the sea with a casual snap of Luffy's fingers.
Then came the one-sided beating.
He was far too weak.
As Coby sank into self-loathing, a loud rumble broke the silence.
"Grrrblrrr "
Luffy rubbed his empty stomach and asked, "Hey, Coby, you got anything to eat?"
Coby froze. This was the boy who had just pounded him into a mess, and now he was asking for food?
Instinctively, he wanted to refuse, but seeing Luffy's massive, cobblestone-like fists made him hesitate.
Quietly and reluctantly, he opened the boat's small cabin and produced his meager provisions: a few hard, crusty loaves of bread and a jug of water.
Luffy's eyes lit up at the sight. He snatched a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. "Mmm! Delicious!"
Coby watched silently as Luffy devoured the bread like a whirlwind, then broke off another piece for himself and nibbled at it carefully.
Luffy swallowed and washed the bread down with a generous gulp of water. "Why do you want to be a Marine? Being a pirate is much better. More freedom!"
"No way!" Coby exclaimed, bristling. "Pirates are evil! Marines are the heroes of justice!"
"My dream is to become a Marine Admiral!"
Luffy raised his eyebrows, curiosity piqued. "A Marine Admiral? That sounds pretty impressive." He slapped Coby on the shoulder with a friendly but firm hand. "Then you better work hard for it!"
Surprisingly encouraged, Coby nodded firmly, feeling a spark of determination reignite within him.
Suddenly, the glimmering horizon drew their attention. A massive black silhouette approached fast.
A Marine patrol ship, painted in the official colors, glided toward them. The enormous seagull emblem on the bow gleamed proudly in the sunlight.
"Marines!"
Coby leaped to his feet, waving frantically.
"Oh, a big ship!" Luffy exclaimed with genuine excitement.
Without warning, Luffy grabbed Coby by the collar.
Coby's eyes widened in shock as Luffy's arm stretched backward like elastic.
"Gum-Gum Rocket!"
"Waaahhhh!"
Coby flew through the air like a cannonball, tracing a perfect parabolic arc before landing on the patrol ship's deck with a loud thud.
"Who goes there?!"
Marines immediately surrounded him, guns leveled, aimed at the pink-haired boy sprawled on the deck.
Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, Coby struggled upright, pointing toward the lone small boat still bobbing on the waves. "Reporting, sir! Over there…"
"There's a pirate!"
From the cabin, a middle-aged man in an officer's uniform emerged. His eyes were sharp, like an eagle scanning its prey. The new head of the 16th Division, succeeding Renn Hawk, had arrived.
He lifted his telescope effortlessly and locked onto the figure in the red vest and straw hat.
Huh. Seeing a Marine ship didn't slow him down. He accelerated away instead.
Ever since Vice Admiral Hawk had purged the East Blue with his iron fist, there had been no pirates left of note. Maintaining peace in this weakest of seas had cost him and the previous 16th Division head a great deal of effort.
And now, someone dared to raise the pirate flag here?
"All units, alert!"
"Gunners, ready!"
"Hey, Coby! Thanks for the boat!" Luffy's voice carried across the waves as he called his farewell.
"Boom!"
A cannonball whistled through the air toward the tiny fishing boat. Luffy leaned back with ease, dodging the projectile, while the waves it stirred pushed his boat farther into the distance.
"Hahahaha! You can't catch me!"
The laughter of the boy echoed across the vast ocean, fading into the horizon.
"Hmph, amusing."
The officer lowered his telescope, the icy rigidity of his face softening into a smirk. He turned to the communications officer and commanded, "Call the Colonel in Loguetown. Ask him if he's interested in a game of cat and mouse."
Meanwhile, in the New World, aboard the G–3 Base flagship, Hawk gripped his Den Den Mushi.
"Fleet Admiral, I need authorization to go to Impel Down."
Silence. The expression on the Den Den Mushi flickered with confusion.
"Impel Down? Why there all of a sudden?"
"I share Admiral Akainu's premonition. The seas are stirring. I need to raise my own strength and that of my men quickly."
He stared out at the churning waves. "Impel Down holds the most dangerous pirates a perfect training ground."
Sengoku hesitated, recalling Zephyr's earlier report. Hawk had two Marines under him with monstrous potential. Zephyr had stressed that resources should be allocated to them generously.
Under Hawk's ruthless purges, the pirates of the New World had nearly vanished. Most remaining Shichibukai now lingered in the New World. Provoking them prematurely would invite unnecessary conflict.
So if Hawk wanted to cultivate his force through battle… Impel Down was the best, perhaps only, choice.
This audacious plan, the "treasure hunt beneath the seas," was revolutionary. Hawk's strategy offered the Navy freedom from its previous constraints, opening unlimited potential. His request, bold as it seemed, could not be refused.
Hawk waited patiently for Sengoku's answer, confident in success. With his accomplishments and authority, his request carried weight. Impel Down the ultimate experience package was his for the taking.
"I understand, Hawk."
Sengoku's voice came through firmly. "You are authorized to enter Impel Down. I will personally notify Magellan."
"Thank you, Fleet Admiral." Hawk's tone shifted as he continued.
"But authorization alone is not enough. I need…" His voice grew colder, harsher, like a wind from the abyss.
"Authority to kill."
Sengoku's eyes widened in shock.
"Fleet Admiral, we require true life-or-death combat, not mere training."
"In that place, mistakes and accidental deaths are inevitable."
"But those Devil Fruit users… if they die, their powers may reincarnate elsewhere, escaping our control."
Hawk chuckled, a sound brimming with absolute dominance.
"Simple, Fleet Admiral. If a Devil Fruit inheritor dares to commit evil, we will kill them again. Every reincarnation of that power will face the Navy's judgment. Anyone who gains such power will only use it in service of justice."
A tense silence followed. Then Hawk's words cut through, unwavering.
"This is how the sea will learn to fear the Navy."