Chapter 175: The Admiral Candidate
BWOOOOM!
The resounding horn of a warship fleet echoed across the sea, and the entire town of Mock Town instantly fell silent. Even the most arrogant and unruly pirates suddenly became obedient. They hid their Jolly Rogers, covered their ships, and retreated to the island's bars to drink, not even daring to go near the port.
Mock Town was one of the entrances to the underworld, a regular gathering spot for the pirates and gangsters of the first half of the Grand Line. It was also a place where shadowy brokers often came to do business. Pirates with bounties over ten million Berries were a common sight.
But today, all the stronger pirate crews, the ones with even higher bounties, had already gathered and left Mock Town, drawn by the rumors of [El Dorado].
And just this morning, a new rumor had spread: the Marines had suffered a massive loss in the waters near Skuld Island. The vanguard fleets of seven different branches had been completely annihilated. More than ten officers of Captain rank or higher had been killed in action. This incident had shocked Marine Headquarters, and a fleet was immediately dispatched from HQ to handle the situation.
The news in Mock Town was that the rumor of [El Dorado] had alarmed the highest levels of the World Government. The Marines were pulling their strongest forces from nearby waters, determined not to let the city of gold fall into anyone else's hands.
This news had even reached the New World. In that far more turbulent sea, the most vicious pirates, the powerful warlords, and even the "Emperors of the Sea" who stood at the very pinnacle, had all learned of El Dorado's reappearance. However, the New World was far away. It wouldn't be easy for those great figures to come in person. Only a few of the most terrifying lone wolves might make an appearance.
And in this world, there were a few pirates whose power was unrivaled, yet who had been given a special pardon by the government: the [Seven Warlords of the Sea]. Ever since the "World's Greatest Swordsman," Hawkeye Mihawk, had mysteriously vanished half a year ago, this group had been quiet. But just yesterday, someone had witnessed the [Heavenly Yaksha] flying across the sea.
All signs pointed to the Skuld Island sea area becoming the new hotbed of the Grand Line. A terrifying, large-scale incident was about to erupt.
Hina watched the massive fleet approach. The lead ship's figurehead was a twin-headed dragon. The one to its port side was a Dalmatian.
"Vice Admiral Gion… Vice Admiral Dalmatian…" Hina whispered, sucking in a breath. The ones who had come were all high-ranking, powerful Vice Admirals from Headquarters, the kind of monsters who spent their years hunting the most dangerous criminals, all of them masters of Haki with physiques beyond a normal person's imagination.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Three figures shot through the air, kicking off the air itself, and in an instant, they had landed on the deck of the G-51 ship.
Hina immediately snapped her feet together and saluted. "Captain Hina, G-51 Branch, welcomes the Vice Admirals from Headquarters!"
The other Marines, seeing the figures in their greatcoats, all scrambled to salute.
Gion, in her gray suit, her helmet modeled after the twin-headed dragon, looked at the G-51 Marines, saw their sloppy, disorganized salutes, and sneered. "I suppose you wastes of space ran away before you even saw the enemy's face."
Hina's expression was calm. "I saw him."
Vice Admiral Dalmatian, in his spotted dog hat, looked the woman over and nodded. "Then you'll come with us. The rest of you are dismissed. Return to your branch for re-assignment."
Dalmatian was also a hard-liner, but he was far gentler with his own men than Gion. He grabbed Hina's shoulder, his hand so large it could have crushed her skull, and with a single leap, he shot back across two hundred meters of open water, landing on the deck of the HQ warship. Gion and Doberman followed, using Moonwalk.
Hina noticed that these HQ ships were on a completely different level from her own. And all the Marines on board radiated a sharp, fierce aura, the kind that only came from being a veteran of a hundred battles.
The fleet did not stop at Mock Town. It immediately changed course and headed for the target coordinates. The Vice Admirals gathered on Dalmatian's flagship. Hina now saw that in addition to [Gion], [Doberman], and [Dalmatian], there was also [Vice Admiral Vergo]. He was a powerful and famous officer, the head of G-5. She hadn't expected him to be pulled for this as well.
"Captain Hina. Report everything you know," Gion commanded.
Hina nodded and began her report. "The man's name is [Enel]. His origins are unknown, but his priests and guards all have white wings. They may be from a sky island."
The Vice Admirals nodded. This first piece of intel was something HQ had not been able to provide.
"Enel controls the power of lightning. He can summon it at will and can unleash a devastating electrical attack over a radius of dozens of nautical miles. He is almost certainly a Logia-type Devil Fruit user."
"Our fleet was struck by lightning when we were still nearly ten nautical miles from the island. Therefore, the target also likely possesses a powerful sensory ability and an over-the-horizon attack capability."
As Hina relayed the information she had gathered over the past two years, the Vice Admirals' expressions grew more and more serious.
SPLASH!
A loud sound came from the sea. The three Vice Admirals reacted instantly. Doberman appeared in front of Hina, and Dalmatian, like a phantom, was already at the edge of the deck.
A figure leaped from the water, did a light flip in the air, and landed on the deck. The sound he made was no louder than a cat.
A master of physical arts?!
In the next instant, Dalmatian was in front of him, his hand at the man's neck. But another hand was already there, blocking his arm.
"Whoa, whoa, Vice Admiral-sama! I'm on your side!"
Kaito Shirogane's pupils slowly returned to normal. The physical prowess of a Headquarters Vice Admiral was beyond his expectations. In the anime, these guys were always just background fodder for the main villains. But the speed that this Dalmatian-hat-guy had just displayed… it was far beyond his own. It was a speed that the first tier of power simply could not produce.
Even with his [Pre-Initiative], he had only just managed to block the attack. If the man had been serious, his neck would have been snapped.
So strong…
[You have accepted the invitation from plot character Hina. You have joined the Faction: Marines.]
Kaito hadn't been picky. He was a Reincarnator, not a role-player. Joining a faction didn't change what he was. He immediately equipped his [Savior] milestone.
[Due to the effect of the Milestone: Savior, your base reputation with the Marine Faction has been set to: Friendly (1/100)]
Dalmatian looked at Hina, who nodded, confirming this was one of her men. His expression immediately softened. He clapped Kaito on the back, and Kaito instantly leaped forward, expertly dissipating the force.
"Good man! I thought the G-51 was all trash, but it seems you have some elites after all! Which class were you? You must have trained at HQ."
Gion and Doberman also nodded. They were all masters of physical combat, and they could see that Kaito's technique was incredibly refined.
"By the way," Dalmatian said, "I remember there was another soldier from G-51, a man named Coby. He also trained at HQ. Vice Admiral Garp even praised him. Where is he?"
Hina's expression faltered, but Kaito answered, his face calm. "Coby is dead. On that island. Killed by the so-called 'God.'"
The Vice Admirals' expressions grew grim. Kaito continued, "And as we were escaping, we saw the Warlord, Doflamingo, get defeated by Enel."
He glanced at Vergo, and saw his face, his breathing, and his heartbeat, all flicker.
Kaito looked at the Vice Admirals. "Sirs. I request we call for an Admiral."
Gion and the others exchanged serious looks. But before they could speak, a new voice spoke from the cabin.
Clack, clack, clack…
A figure in geta sandals walked out. Kaito's pupils contracted. He hadn't even sensed this man's presence.
"My, my, the Admirals are very busy. I say, young man from the branch, is this Enel fellow really that strong in your eyes?"
The man was wearing a casual brown shirt, a Justice coat, and a cowboy hat. He had no special aura.
But Kaito knew who he was. A smile unconsciously spread across his face. "Heh. I was just... a little spooked by the sight."
The man was the Admiral Candidate, [Chaton] Tokikake.
Four Headquarters Vice Admirals, and one Admiral Candidate… The Marines aren't underestimating Enel at all.
But, Kaito thought, it's still not chaotic enough. It needs to be... more chaotic.
In his heart, where no one could see, Kaito's desire for a greater conflict was growing. And on his right hand, the crimson "Sin" mark glowed faintly.