Chapter 3: Questionable Orders

Chapter 3: Questionable Orders

The next morning, Jonathan rose from his bed feeling surprisingly well, all things considered, but as he prepared himself in front of the mirror, he couldn't help but notice that a few strands of his blond hair seemed to have lost their lustre and were now streaked with grey.

"Grey hair already?" Jonathan thought to himself, and a hint of disbelief creeped into his mind. He tried to rationalise it with a half-hearted joke: "Well, good thing it is not a receding hairline." He let out a half-hearted laugh to comfort himself.

Setting the concern aside, Jonathan managed a faint smile. "Well, I suppose I'll have to embrace this look until I can get my hands on some dye," he mused to himself.

With that, he turned away from the mirror, preparing for the day ahead.

John made his way down the stairs, the sound of movement drawing him towards the bar.

"Oh boy, you look terrible," Marie said teasingly as he entered the room.

Sitting down, he looked at Marie and responded sarcasticly, "Well, good thing you're a ray of sunshine, brightening up the place."

They shared a subtle laugh, feeling a kindred spirit in each other.

"Anyway," Marie continued, handing John a plate piled high with fresh eggs and bacon.

"Tristan stopped by earlier," the woman said, her tone matter-of-fact. "He arranged a nurse for you, child. As you're still getting your bearings here," she paused, watching John's reaction. "He wants you to visit the clinic later today."

"Shall we go now?" John asked, his nerves obvious as he stood up again.

"Slow down," Marie calmly replied. "Let's eat first, while the food is still warm. We've got time. Visiting hours are in the evening; if you go now, you'll just be in the way."

John sank back into his chair, relaxing slightly as he reluctantly picked up his fork and started eating.

"Good, eat up," Marie encouraged, "and get ready to head over to Tom's place. He asked me to show you the way, but I figure I'll tag along. I could use some fresh fruit anyway."

John gave Marie a grateful nod, which she ignored, and they soon made their way to Tom's orchard.

John squinted at the rows of fruit trees, their branches still heavy with unripe produce. He turned to Tom, a puzzled expression on his face. "What's the deal, Tom? This place isn't anywhere near ready for harvest."

Tom chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "We can't have you breaking your back on the first day, can we?" He replied with a grin.

As the day wore on, John found himself engaged in various chores around the orchard,from pruning branches to clearing away debris.

Every task was accompanied by lively banter and friendly exchanges among the workers.

Tom, the seasoned orchard owner, chuckled as he handed John a basket of apples to sort. "Take it easy there, John. No need to rush. We've got plenty of time; the big harvest is only in a couple of weeks."

John nodded, a sense of camaraderie building as he worked alongside the others. "Thanks, Tom. I'm getting the hang of it."

By day's end, John was surprised to find himself feeling relatively fine, the day's work not as exhausting as he had anticipated.

From the distance, Marie approached and said, "Tristran asked me to come and fetch you since he wants to go over the care needed for your family."

"Okay, let me go and find Tom for a moment."

Soon, John had said farewell to Tom and the rest of the crew. "See you all tomorrow," he called out, a sense of belonging settling within him.

With a strange smile, Marie greeted him. "Ready to head to the clinic?"

John nodded, grateful for her presence. "Yeah, let's go."

Tom watched them leave with a tinge of pity in his eyes as he observed John's retreating figure. He sighed softly, a sense of empathy washing over him as he returned his attention to the orchard.

"Boss!" The worker's voice cut through the air, sharp and urgent. "There's something strange in one of the orchards. You've got to see this."

Tom's turned his head towards the worker, his focus drawn instantly to the urgency in the worker's tone. Without a word, he nodded, already moving to follow the worker to the orchard.

Grand Line: Marineford

A mixture of awe and dread filled the man's eyes as he stood motionless and looked out the window. The sky outside was a swirling mass of grey and black clouds as the thunderstorm continued to rage on.

It was a sight that both captivated and unsettled him. The raw power of nature was on full display, with each crack of thunder reverberating through the air like a warning.

Despite the tempest raging outside, there was an odd sense of stillness within the man. It was as if the chaos beyond the window had somehow seeped into his very being, leaving him suspended in a moment of contemplation.

As the storm raged on, he couldn't shake the feeling that something ominous was brewing on the horizon. And as the first drops of rain began to splatter against the glass, he knew that whatever lay ahead would test him in ways he had never imagined.

The storm was like nothing he had ever seen before. Reports stated it had covered more than half of Paradise; it was beautiful and simultaneously terrifying. The full power of nature was on display.

A Den Den Mushi's shrill ring echoed through the office.

The natural rhythm of the storm outside clashed with the insistent beeping, making it impossible to ignore. Reluctantly, he approached the device, questioning the need for a call at such a late hour.

"Moshi moshi," a harsh voice crackled through the transponder snail as he answered, hoping the caller had a damn good reason for disturbing his rare day off.

"Akainu, we have a situation," the snail's voice boomed, carrying a grave undertone.

Recognising the voice, he understood the urgency of the situation if they were contacting him during his free time. Despite his annoyance at the interruption, he asserted, "This better be important, Kong."

Bracing himself for the worst, he knew this caller wasn't one for idle chatter. His mind raced as he tried to comprehend the unfolding crisis.

As he listened intently to the voice on the other end, bracing himself for the worst, Kong continued, undeterred by his response. "CP agencies are conducting a covert reconnaissance mission in the East Blue Kingdom after receiving credible information about a potential threat."

"But the results are disturbing, to say the least."

"The kingdom is planning a rebellion and is boldly trying to gather support. Even now, its arrogance is growing, and it's becoming increasingly vocal against the World Government."

"The kingdom is flexing its military muscles, citing the pirate problem as the reason. But that's just a smokescreen. Behind closed doors, they're cooking up something else entirely.

The worst part is that it's not just them. They're luring in other kingdoms, planting seeds of rebellion like it's a bloody garden party. It's a recipe for disaster, spreading dangerous ideas like wildfire."

The Den Den Mushi sat there, blinking like it couldn't quite wrap its antennae around what was going on.

Its confusion lingered, almost as if it couldn't fathom why any of this mess was its concern. After all, politics wasn't exactly the Marines' job description.

Kong cleared their throat, catching onto the Den Den Mushi's bewildered look. "Hey, keep your focus up," he snapped. "You need to understand the whole picture."

All that came through the Den Den Mushi was a disdainful "Hmpf," dripping with disinterest. It was clear that Akainu wasn't about to get invested in this conversation anytime soon.

Instead, he pushed his nagging doubts aside, burying them deep down where they wouldn't bother him—at least for now.

"As I was saying," Kong continued unperturbed, "our agency has stumbled upon a plot.

"The kingdom is hiring pirates to attack neighboring kingdoms and exaggerate the pirate threat on the global stage."

"If this plan goes through, we're in for a world of hurt. Picture this: kingdoms ditching the world government left and right, sending the East Blue into a nosedive straight into chaos. We gotta shut this down pronto, before it blows up in our faces."

"Exaggerate!?" Akainu exploded, his anger boiling over into a wild tirade. "Each and every one of these pirates is a potential threat that must be exterminated in the name of justice."

The Den Den Mushi wore a look of disbelief, but it quickly faded into a mask of neutrality. On the other hand, the agent couldn't help but wonder: Was this an act, or did Akainu really believe that even the lowly pirates of the Four Blues posed a real threat?

For the government, pirates worth less than a hundred million berries were basically walking advertisements, free to roam.

They were the perfect exquese for squeezing kingdoms dry, demanding a ridiculous amount of celestial tribute just to secure their place in Reverie, all in exchange for a thin veil of marine protection.

Only the big ones lurking in the depths of the New World are a threat worth worrying about.

After a moment, Kong snapped out of his musing and barked, "Shut up!" at the still babbling Marine.

"Now let me finish!" he continued, bringing the conversation back on track.

"The hired pirates didn't follow the script. Instead of going undercover, they made a fuss and drew the attention of some bigwigs in the New World," the caller explained.

"Now they are all on their way to the Oykot kingdom, not to help them, but to destroy and plunder them."

A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by Akainu's question, slicing through the tension. "Am I being tasked with intercepting and apprehending these pirates?" The anticipation in his voice was palpable.

"No," came the authoritative reply, firm and unwavering. "Consider this intel part of your secondary mission. Had it not been for the unforeseen influx of high-profile pirates, you wouldn't even be in the loop."

"The primary reason for my call is to respond to a request from higher-ups for assistance in capturing a high-priority target," the voice said, getting down to business.

Still seething with irritation and baffled by the apparent disregard for urgency, Akainu asked in a restrained yet exasperated tone, "Pray tell, who is of such paramount importance that their capture eclipses the immediate threat posed by a coalition of pirates?"

"I'm getting to it, STOP interrupting," the officer cursed loudly, his frustration boiling over at the constant interruptions.

"Hours earlier, reports surfaced of a man emerging from a cloud of smoke, attracting the attention of a nearby CP captain. The agent followed the individual for a while but eventually deemed him irrelevant to the mission."

"Just as the agent was on the verge of calling off the tail, the man was seen engaging in conversation with the newly identified primary target."

"We stumbled upon one of the world's oldest and most sought-after bounties purely by chance," Kong exclaimed, punctuating the statement with a resounding fist slam on the desk, causing it to groan under the impact.

As he spoke, his excitement grew and became palpable.

"After urgent consultation with the Five Elders, you have been chosen to lead the operation and provide support if the initial ambush fails," the voice said solemnly.

"A fleet of marine vessels will provide backup as you lead a covert 'kingdom' rescue mission, ensuring you capture the target before the wrong people catch wind of her survival," the voice outlined the gravity of the situation.

Kong's voice turned grave as he continued explaining. "If the capture mission is deemed impossible, you are ordered to exterminate the target by any means possible, even if you have to destroy the island. She cannot escape!"

"The primary objective of your mission is the apprehension of Farseer Marie!"

Akainu's irritation seeped through his words as he asked, "And who exactly is that supposed to be?"

While he realised that this 'Farseer' was probably of considerable importance, he couldn't help but question the extent of her significance to justify the destruction of yet another island just to wipe her out. Especially as he had never come across her name before, not even in the form of a legend.

The question brought Kong's attention to his own oversight.

As Akainu had only recently risen to his position, and with the widespread belief that Farseer Marie was deceased, nobody had taken the time to brief him adequately on her importance and powers.

Kong took a moment to compose himself before beginning to explain. "Farseer Marie is not your ordinary pirate."

"Farseer Marie possesses the gift of foresight and has been involved in numerous plots against the world government."

"Her capture not only mitigates potential disasters but also grants us access to her ability to foresee future threats."

"Now that you grasp the gravity of the situation, it's clear that apprehending her is paramount, wouldn't you say?"

Kong paused, silence echoing in the room. "So, be a good soldier and follow the damn orders," he declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Dismissed"