Whoosh—
Dawn's first light tore through the night over the East Blue.
Marine 16th Branch.
Headquarters' orders had arrived.
\[East Blue 16th Branch Lieutenant Colonel — Rayne Hawk, is suspended in place and forbidden to leave the branch.]
\[Headquarters personnel will arrive to conduct a thorough investigation into Nezumi's death.]
\[All affairs of the 16th Branch are temporarily entrusted to Major Dane.]
The cold directives hung like an unseen cloud over the branch.
A faint, indescribable unease spread through the air.
Yet on the drill ground, the Marines continued their daily morning training.
This was a habit Hawk had led them to form.
Everyone was coming to feel the benefits of morning drills.
Fewer casualties in pirate pursuits, more trusting looks from the people.
Inside an office.
Hoo—
Hawk stood at the window, gaze calm as he looked out.
On the training ground, the ranks moved in perfect unison.
At the front was Major Dane, temporarily in charge of the 16th Branch.
Hmm?
Sensing something, he snapped his head up and met Hawk's eyes at the window.
Dane's movements halted for an instant.
Snap—
He straightened, raised a textbook salute toward Hawk's position, and held it with solemn respect.
Sunlight washed his face, a young countenance full of resolve and admiration.
…
Dane's thoughts drifted, unbidden, back to a few months before.
Then, he had been an ordinary youth from a fishing village, living a quiet, monotonous life.
Until—
Pirates came.
A black skull flag tore the village's peace to shreds.
Flames, crying, despair.
Everything he knew was mercilessly destroyed that day.
His parents fell in a pool of blood to protect him.
He himself almost perished in that sea of fire.
It was Big Brother Hawk who arrived in time and saved him.
When that slaughter of a battle ended,
everything he had was gone.
No home, no family.
Only himself, standing alone amid the ruins, looking around in a daze.
With no one to rely on, he chose to follow his savior and join the Marines.
He would repay the debt, and he would have his revenge.
From that day, he swore in secret
to follow in Big Brother Hawk's footsteps and send every piece of scum rampaging on the seas straight to hell.
In the training that followed, his talent for swordsmanship gradually revealed itself.
The cold blade felt like an extension of his own body.
He fell in love with swordsmanship, with that ultimate focus and power.
Big Brother Hawk saw his passion and potential.
After an anti-pirate operation,
Hawk used his own rightful share to get him a true famed blade.
"Dane, this is a fine sword, a Ryō Wazamono among the Fifty Skillful Grade, 'Yonagi.'"
"Though it's only a Ryō Wazamono now, the strength of a blade comes from the one who wields it."
"I believe that one day, because of you, it will rise to stand among the Twelve Supreme Grade."
…
From that day on, Yonagi never left his side.
Where the blade is, there I am.
Hoo—
The glaring sun pulled Dane back from memory.
He saw Hawk give him a small nod, then turn away from the window.
Dane lowered his hand in silence, the light in his eyes growing firmer, and threw himself back into the drills.
"All units—"
The shout rang louder.
…
Hawk sat back in his chair and tapped the desktop with a finger.
His eyes drifted to the calendar on the desk.
"In a blink, six months already."
In a blink, it had been six months since he crossed into the world of pirates.
At first, every morning he opened his eyes he worried about his remaining days of life.
Gradually, the days grew ample.
To strengthen himself, to hunt pirates more efficiently,
he began to convert Justice Points into power.
For these six months, he had either been killing pirates or on his way to kill pirates.
Moments like now, to sit quietly and think, were rare.
Good. It was time to plan the future properly.
Shff—
Hawk picked up a pen and began to write, sorting his thoughts as the words flowed.
He wrote three terms: Survival, Grow Stronger, Goal.
Survival was no longer an urgent problem.
Save up Justice Points, exploit the ten-year bug, and add days step by step.
Grow Stronger — he knew his own talent.
Some, but not much.
Compared to true monsters, he was far behind.
So in growing stronger, he would need the System to raise his power.
Hawk continued writing, organizing his current abilities.
Rayne Hawk
Observation Haki: Intermediate
Armament Haki: Intermediate
Physique: Intermediate
Martial Arts — Fist: Intermediate
Conqueror's Haki: Unawakened
Justice Points remaining: 3024
Days of life remaining: 3650
Observation, Armament, Physique, Martial Arts, Conqueror's — five abilities.
Aside from Conqueror's Haki, the other four were all at intermediate.
To advance any of these four from intermediate to advanced required ten thousand Justice Points.
Advanced to top tier, one hundred thousand.
Top tier to the ceiling, one million.
Conqueror's Haki, being the qualification of a king, cost ten times as many Justice Points to raise.
Once Justice Points were abundant, Conqueror's would have to be improved.
After all,
as Kaido once said, only Haki reigns above all.
So survival and strength both needed Justice Points.
One to extend days of life.
One to boost power.
If he wanted to become both the five-stat ceiling and an enduring existence upon this sea,
he needed a vast amount of Justice Points.
Fortunately, there was enough evil on this ocean.
So long as he kept his development steady and pressed forward step by step,
Justice Points would not be lacking.
By his calculations, the Justice System awarded points roughly in line with current Marine bounties.
For example, Arlong's bounty was 20 million Berries and yielded 2000 Justice Points.
If the target wasn't a pirate, the points aligned with his crimes.
Thus, Justice Points could be gained from pirates and non-pirates.
As for non-pirates,
the true evil on this sea
sat high above, acting foul deeds in the name of Order and Justice — the World Government.
They were the real root of all suffering and chaos in this world.
So-called Order
was the privileged order where the Celestial Dragons rode on the heads of the masses and stripped others of life and dignity at will.
So-called Justice
was the violent justice that maintained that rotten rule and crushed every voice of resistance.
Therefore the World Government and its faithful hounds — CP0, the Celestial Dragons, the God Knights, the Five Elders, Imu.
Killing them would all yield Justice Points.
But for now, his strength and influence were too small. He would wait.
As for pirates—
It was Year 1519 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
The Four Emperors of the New World had long since solidified their positions.
And in 1520, one year from now,
a world-spanning, era-shaping war would erupt.
The Summit War.
Hawk's gaze turned to the window. "That grand feast…"
Deep in those jet-black eyes, a flame named slaughter sparked to life.
The corner of his mouth lifted.
"I absolutely cannot miss it."