-Real World-
The revelations about Tenseiga, Sea God's Treasury, and the Trident of the Sea God had been meticulously recorded by intelligence agencies worldwide. Most analysts speculated that Nami's eventual massive fortune—estimated at nearly ten trillion berries—was directly connected to the diminutive fish-man Marlin and his mysterious access to ancient treasures.
The Sky Screen's broadcasts had triggered a gold rush mentality across the seas. Fish-Man Island found itself under siege from treasure hunters while simultaneously facing increased mermaid kidnapping operations. Pirates saw no contradiction in pursuing both forms of profit simultaneously.
These explosive revelations had viewers glued to their screens since dawn, hungry for more details about the changing world. With pirates mobilizing across all four Blues, many wondered: what was the Marines' response to this unprecedented crisis?
-Broadcast-
"Something's been bothering me lately," Zoro said, his single open eye studying the Sky Screen thoughtfully. "Why does it feel like there are more Marine Admirals now? That female Admiral who wielded a sword—I've never seen that fighting style before, but her technique was genuinely impressive. Where are they finding all these powerful fighters?"
The question highlighted a gap in the crew's knowledge. During their 5 years separation, most of the Straw Hats had been completely isolated from current events. Sanji's time in Kamabakka Kingdom, Nami's studies on Weatheria, Luffy's training with Buggy and Rayleigh—all of them had been too focused on their individual development to follow global politics. They'd only received occasional newspaper updates, providing no real insight into the world's transformation.
Robin and Marlin had experienced something entirely different. Their first two years post-timeskip had been relatively peaceful, but the final three years had been a nightmare of constant pursuit by increasingly aggressive Marines.
"I have some troubling news, Luffy," Robin said, her voice carrying uncharacteristic gravity. "Three years ago, I was working with the Revolutionary Army when something terrible happened. At the end of that year, the Marines deployed four Admiral-level fighters—all Logia Devil Fruit users. They completely destroyed Revolutionary Army headquarters on Baltigo."
The casual mention of such a catastrophic event sent shockwaves through the crew. Robin's time with the Straw Hats had softened her edges, but the memory of that one-sided massacre still haunted her. She'd been powerless to help, forced to flee while good people died protecting her.
"Four Admirals?!" Nami exclaimed, her navigator's mind immediately grasping the strategic implications. "Why was the Marine expansion never reported in any newspaper?"
"The destruction of Revolutionary Army headquarters should have been front-page news worldwide," Usopp added, his sniper's paranoia activated. "That kind of information blackout isn't normal."
Robin's expression darkened as painful memories surfaced. "If not for my Devil Fruit abilities allowing me to stay afloat, and Marlin's rescue, you might never have seen me again. Too many brave people paid with their lives protecting someone like me."
Luffy's reaction was notably subdued. While he knew Dragon was his father, they'd never had any meaningful relationship. He'd been raised by Windmill Village and occasionally brutalized by Garp's "training sessions." The concept of paternal affection was foreign to him.
"I'm not really interested in Revolutionary Army politics," Luffy said with characteristic bluntness, picking his nose as he pondered. "But doesn't the Marines only have three Admirals? I saw Kizaru, Aokiji, and Akainu at Marineford. Those three were troublesome enough."
"The Revolutionary Army leadership called these four fighters 'Admirals' during the battle," Robin explained, her voice growing cold with memory. "Admiral Shirouma, Admiral Aohebi, Admiral Ryokugyū, and Admiral Fujitora. Each one commanded power equivalent to natural disasters."
The mention of four unknown Admirals, combined with the sword-wielding female Admiral from Fish-Man Island, meant they'd already encountered five Admiral-level threats. The implications for their future adventures were terrifying.
"Marine Admiral rank isn't granted lightly," Usopp said nervously, his cowardly nature triggered by thoughts of facing such overwhelming opposition. "If the Marines really underwent this kind of expansion after Marineford, we're in serious trouble."
"The weather's changing fast," Nami observed, her meteorological training alerting her to atmospheric shifts. What had been clear skies moments before was now dominated by dark clouds crackling with lightning. A storm was brewing over the previously calm seas.
"I'm a Logia user now—the Kumo Kumo no Mi (Cloud-Cloud Fruit)," Nami announced with newfound confidence. "A little cloud formation like this can't threaten us."
She raised her hands, and the storm clouds responded to her will, dispersing and reforming according to her desires. 5 years of intensive weather study had transformed her from someone who merely predicted storms into someone who could control them directly. The ability was invaluable for a navigator.
Despite Nami's intervention, a light rain continued to fall on the Thousand Sunny's deck. But the crew had avoided what could have been a devastating tempest.
"Someone's boarding our ship," Zoro announced suddenly, his Observation Haki detecting an intruder. "Everyone stay alert."
The raindrops on the deck began moving against gravity, gathering and coalescing into recognizable shapes. Limbs formed first, followed by a torso, until a complete human figure stood before them—nearly two meters tall, wearing a Marine's justice coat and blue uniform. Two snake tattoos were visible on his exposed chest, and his thick blue hair was unmistakable.
Most striking were the dark circles under his eyes, unchanged despite everything else about his appearance having transformed.
"Straw Hat Luffy," the figure said quietly, "do you recognize me like this?"
"Gin!" Luffy replied instantly, without a moment's hesitation.
The rest of the crew stared in bewilderment. "How could you possibly recognize him?" they demanded in unison.
"It's obvious," Luffy said matter-of-factly. "Only Gin from East Blue had those heavy dark circles under his eyes. He's easy to spot. Nothing's really changed."
"Easy to recognize?!" Sanji sputtered, delivering a punch to their captain's head. "Everything about him is different except those bags under his eyes! I wouldn't have known him at all!"
"Just like you, Luffy," Gin said with something resembling a smile. "When we parted at the Baratie, I promised we'd meet again on the Grand Line. After all these years, I've finally kept that promise."
The Marine justice coat draped over his shoulders told its own story—Gin had switched sides, transforming from pirate to Marine. Yet his lack of aggressive intent suggested their old connection might still matter.
Robin's face went pale as recognition dawned, her expression shifting to one of hatred and terror. "Should I call you Mr. Gin, or Admiral Aohebi?"
Gin's already grim expression darkened further at having his identity revealed. "Ms. Robin, you should consider yourself fortunate that you joined the Straw Hat Pirates. Otherwise, you'd be buried in my rain alongside Revolutionary Army. You're lucky I was the Admiral assigned to Baltigo's destruction."
The casual mention of murder sent chills through the crew. This wasn't the desperate pirate they'd met at the Baratie—this was something far more dangerous.
Character Notes: Marine Admiral Aohebi (Blue Snake) - Gin, Ame Ame no Mi (Rain-Rain Fruit) user
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