Chapter 71

"Captain Woman, I see a pirate ship ahead at 12 O'Clock!" Within one marine ship that sailed through the harsh sea, a watcher shouted in his lungs, "And judging by the jolly roger, it's...!!!"

The watcher seemed terrified. Trembling from fear, he stood with his jaw agape in shock, before screaming,

"T-the Deadend pirates!!!"

Captain Woman, a bald male Marine Officer with the letter 'W' engraved on his head, gritted his teeth and shouted, "All marines, prepare to engage!!!"

The marines on the deck gulped. However, they held onto their firearms with determination, placing their trust in Captain Woman's decision.

And in no time, one pirate ship appeared in front of their naked eyes. However... something seemed wrong.

Ripped sailing masts. Broken railings. The pirate ship wasn't in a normal state, and,

"...Skeletons?" Captain Woman whispered as he held his hand up, "Keep your guard up, but don't fire."

Upon sailing closer to the pirate ship, the marines came to the sight of a horrifying scene. There was no survivor at all but skeletons only.

Captain Woman carefully stepped onto the pirate ship. Carefully walking on top of a messy deck that creaked every time he took a step, Captain Woman eventually stopped in front of one skeleton that was wearing a captain's hat.

"...So he really died," Captain Woman whispered, "Deadend Frankenstein. Wanted for 180 million Beli. Judging by your current state, you must've died at least months ago. To think you, a man who used to be hailed as the greatest doctor in the world, would meet your end like this..."

Captain Woman then turned back to his soldiers and ordered, "Notify the Marineford immediately!"

Deadend Frankenstein. The death of this man wasn't a normal event. He was just your average pirate who sailed in the New World, however, at the same time, a skilled doctor who was the user of 'Op Op fruit.' Therefore, his death meant,

<<5 billion Beli—! Pirate, marine, or whoever you may be, the World Government will purchase the Op Op fruit for 5 billion Beli!!>>

the release of Op Op fruit back out to the world. And the World Government was drooling to take this fruit for their own.

__________

"Kuwahahaha!!!"

Reading down the paper report that detailed the World Government's official statement, a bird-human named Morgans laughed out loud.

"To think you would get this desperate for that one single fruit, Elders...!!" Grinning shrewdly, Morgans revealed his excitement, "So it is true then I assume?! Op Op fruit... that devil fruit can really make one immortal, huh?!!"

As the News Coos and hired reporters busily worked around him, Morgans then threw away that paper and grabbed another one in front of him.

"Mhm, but unfortunately, you got a contender, dear Elders." Morgans said to himself, "Kuwahaha, that Id... he finally moved after years of dormancy!!"

*To Morgans. 7 billion Beli for Op Op fruit. 1 billion goes to you for the advertisement.*

"KUWAHAHAHA!!!" Morgans jumped in joy, before crazily running around the busy room, "What shall the next title be?! The whereabouts of the doctors' dream fruit?! No no, too bland. Death of the world's greatest doctor?! Nope, that's not the key—AHA!!"

Morgans turned to a reporter next to him and shouted in anticipation,

"Here it is!! The title of our next newspaper shall be,"

Morgans spread his wings wide open,

"The Race for the Forbidden Fruit!!!"

One reporter muttered in response, "That... doesn't sound right—"

"KUWAHAHAHA!!! GET BACK TO YOUR WORK, FELLAS!!!!!" Morgans wasn't in a condition to listen.

__________

__________

[January 1st, 1506]

"New year, new start," Smoker muttered while holding onto a slip of paper, "along with the new set of problems."

He was currently sitting in the port. And by his side, there sat a blonde, Cancer.

"Hey, at least we are aware of them," Cancer shrugged, "better than being oblivious."

"Heh, true." Smoker chuckled before reading through the paper. It read,

*Bring rice crackers from Rubeck island when you return. -Garp.*

"Hm..." Smoker hummed thoughtfully, "I haven't tried the rice crackers in North Blue yet, have I?"

Then, Smoker and Cancer noticed a small shadow that extended from the back. Turning back, they found an orange-haired teen with X-shaped scar on his chin, X Drake, looking at them solemnly.

X Drake pointed his finger at Cancer, "You!"

Cancer raised an eyebrow, "Dafuq, kid."

"I heard that you're going to hunt Diez Barrels!"

"And?"

"Take me with you!"

Cancer, out of annoyance, scratched the back of his head, "Why should I?"

X Drake, clenching his fists fight, shouted aggressively, "I'm going to punch some sense into that bastard myself!!!"

Smoker, eyeing Drake's physique, noticed that this teen was trained. However, whether he could be of use to Cancer was a completely different question.

Cancer, in response, simply raised a middle finger to Drake, "How about no, emo?"

Standing up from his spot, Cancer tapped Smoker on the shoulder, "Welp, I'm heading out now, buddy. Cya in the North Blue."

Smoker and Drake watched as Cancer whistled while casually walking toward his ship nearby, where all his subordinates boarded and readied for the departure.

"...Damn it!" Drake, exhibiting frustration, cursed, "As if that's going to make me give up!!"

Smoker who too stood up from his spot, then watched with amusement as Drake managed to sneak himself in at the back of the departing Marine ship, through the use of a rope that he found from who-knows-where. Smoker initially wondered if he should stop Drake, however, he then remembered,

<That's it, bwahahaha!! Hold onto that rope tight!! Bogard, tell soldiers to speed up the ship!!>

that he underwent the exact same experience during his training.

'Meh,' Therefore, Smoker concluded, 'Shouldn't be that dangerous—'

"Boo."

Just then, a feminine voice intruded from Smoker's back. Smoker turned back, and found a pink-haired woman, Hina, looking up at him with a blank face.

"Surprised?"

Smoker chuckled, "Very."

He then took a step back and saw that Hina was wearing a red suit, and more importantly, a justice coat around her shoulder.

"Congratulations," Smoker exclaimed with a grin, "Ensign Hina."

"Well, Hina's just begun." Hina returned with a smile of her own, "But thanks, Smoker."

January 1st. Today, Hina's finally graduated from Zephyr's training, and officially took another step to her marine career.

"And also,"

Then, Hina suddenly saluted,

"Ensign Hina, hereby reports that she is now allocated to the 31st division under the command of Vice Admiral Smoker!"

Smoker, for once, found himself dumbfounded, "...Wha?"

"Duh," Hina, dropping her serious demeanour, nudged Smoker's arm playfully, "Hina is your subordinate now."

"...Hah," Smoker, though caught off guard, smiled, "Welcome aboard then, Hina."

The two of them casually began to walk back to Marineford town.

"And also, Hina ate a devil fruit."

"Oh, cool," Smoker exclaimed with his hands in his pocket. Then, his eyes widened upon realizing what he just heard,

"Wait, what?!"

"It's called Cage Cage fruit. Sounds perfect for a marine, doesn't it?"

"Well..." Smoker replied dryly, "You might've been better off without that fruit though."

"Don't underestimate the power of Paramecia, Mr. Logia."

It seemed that 'Black Cage' Hina was now official.

__________

[A week after; January 8th, 1506]

"Rations?"

"Check."

"Weapons?"

"Check."

"Navigation?"

"Check."

"Ship's condition?"

"Check."

"Any other concerns?"

"All is good."

At the port stood a Marine warship, ready to depart at any time. The marine soldiers stood still with their determined eyes facing their front. Senor Pink, though filled with a complicated mix of emotions, replicated the acts of those soldiers. Meanwhile, Aramaki and Rosinante were checking for any anomaly prior to the departure.

"That's Lieutenant Aramaki. He's the Forest human, having eaten the Forest Forest fruit. As for that blonde man, he's Warrant Officer Rosie or Rosinante, whichever you prefer. He's the Soundless human, having eaten the Calm Calm fruit." Smoker, on the other hand, was introducing his division to Hina, "And that man with sunglasses. He's Chore Boy Senor Pink, previously a pirate who's currently become a marine as a way of 'atonement.'"

"Hina understood." Hina nodded with her arms crossed.

"Oi, Smoker-san, we're good to go!" Then, Aramaki approached and grinned at Smoker, "And also, who's this over here?"

Hina saluted Aramaki in a monotone, "Hina is Ensign Hina. Pleased to meet you, Lieutenant Aramaki."

"Rahahaha, the feeling's mutual!"

"She's the Cage human," Smoker added on with a chuckle.

Behind Aramaki stood Rosinante, who bowed at Hina, "Pleased to meet you, Ensign Hina! I'm Warrant Officer Rosinante, and I look forward to working with you!"

Hina nodded, "Same over here."

"Alright then," Smoker then walked forth, gazing at the horizon that lied ahead of them, "As you already know, we'll first cross the Red Line and enter the New World, prior to sailing through the Calm Belt. Our destination is Flevance within the North Blue. Is everything clear?"

"""Yes, sir!"""

"Then set sail."

Smoker's mind was full of optimism—that he will prevent the tragedy of Amber Lead syndrome. But little did he know,

that there was someone watching him from afar.

__________

"...Flevance."

Atop one roof of Marineford, where was one orange-haired Marine Officer—Admiral Blaise—gazing at the departing Marine ship.

"Flevance, hmm... yes, sounds troubling." Blaise muttered, "World Government already discovered that the cause of that unknown disease is the accumulation of amber lead over generations. This information was hidden in order to extract the adequate amount of amber lead from the mine—for the 'greater good.' But that Smoker..."

Smoker's feats up until now, with whom he was close to, and of what kind of ideal Smoker possessed—Blaise has long before deduced that Smoker was a dangerous fellow.

"Two problems lie with Smoker's intervention in Flevance. One, the fall in the productivity of amber lead extraction. Two, the possibility of him revealing the World Government's neglection of Flevance. Either way, there is no benefit for us at all."

Blaise, forming a slight frown, stood up. Then, he raised up his wrist, where a mini Den Den Mushi lied, before speaking into it,

"Hook."

<<...>> There came no word out of the Den Den Mushi. However, Blaise knew that the call was connected to the other side.

"Assault Vice Admiral Smoker and his division before they manage to enter the Calm Belt. Ensure that he and Warrant Officer Rosie remain alive, but you may do whatever you want to do with the rest."

<<...>>

"Am I clear," Blaise said coldly, "Slave?"

<<...Yes. Roger that.>>

Then, the call was cut. Blaise, lowering his arm back down, looked up and gazed at the blue, peaceful-looking sky above.

"Bull, Tiger, Rabbit, Goat, Monkey, Pheasant, Dog, Pig, Mouse, Horse, Snake, and Dragon. Such are the animals that an Admiral receives as a codename." Blaise whispered, "However, no Admiral has ever received 'Dragon' as a codename. After all, the only dragons in this world are the 'Celestial Dragons,' the gods who govern this world into that of an order."

When looked closer, one would find, the absolute madness in Blaise's eyes. Looking at the sky with deranged faith, he said in glee,

"All for the glory of the sky."

At present, there were three types of marines. First, the believers of Moral Justice such as Kuzan. Second, the believers of Absolute Justice such as Sakazuki—believing in the notion that Marine is the very definition of Justice. And finally, the believers of a different version of Absolute Justice, that... the 'World Government' alone is the only justice of this world.

Admiral Blaise, he was the leading figure of the third type.