Chapter 1. The Sudden Arrival of the Inspection Team
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Time—
Year 1517 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
Location—
In the East Blue.
A calm stretch of sea.
A massive battleship was slowly making its way forward.
Flying high was a giant flag of justice: a white background with a seagull holding scales in its beak—the symbol of the Marines—alongside countless gun turrets and towering sails.
It was a Marine warship.
At that moment—
On the wide deck, an elderly man with white hair and a beard, tall and broad-chested with well-developed muscles, was lying back leisurely with his hands behind his head, eyes closed, seemingly enjoying a very comfortable nap. A bubble occasionally puffed out from his right nostril.
Suddenly—
A breeze from the East Blue gently blew in, popping the bubble under his nostril and waking him from his sleep with a jolt.
He drowsily glanced at the surrounding seascape, then casually grabbed a doughnut from a nearby small tea table and stuffed it into his mouth.
Chewing coarsely and rudely, he asked the Marine officer standing nearby, "Smoker, have we arrived at the 16th Marine Branch yet?"
A large battleship from Marine Headquarters would rarely appear in the East Blue, which was known as the weakest of the seas.
This trip to the East Blue served two purposes: to send Marine Hero Garp back to his hometown for a vacation, and to escort Headquarters Captain Smoker and his subordinates to the Loguetown base—a town known as the "Beginning and the End"—to take over and replace the stationed forces.
They also had to make a stop at the 16th Marine Branch along the way.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp."
The man called Smoker wore a biker-style jacket with the word "Justice" on the back—clearly different from the standard Marine coat—and had wind goggles hanging around his neck.
His well-defined abs and chest were bare, his short silver-gray hair slicked back, and a thick cigar hung from his lips. He didn't look like a Marine Headquarters officer at all—more like a gangster boss.
Watching Vice Admiral Garp eat his snack and lazily lie back down with a casual "Wake me when we arrive," Smoker couldn't help but reveal a helpless expression on his otherwise stern face. But he didn't say anything more—just shook his head.
Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku couldn't control Vice Admiral Garp. What could a lowly reassigned captain do?
He casually opened a military dossier in his hand. Inside was a Marine file—their target for this mission.
Name: Dante Shacher
Age: 23
Birthplace: East Blue, orphan
Position: Commander of the East Blue 16th Branch Base
Rank: Marine Headquarters Captain
Evaluation: A former genius student at the Marine Headquarters Training Camp, possessing extraordinary talent in swordsmanship. He was exceptionally promoted to Marine Captain after only two and a half years of training. He was later demoted after offending a superior. Since then, he has fallen into decline, lost his will, doubted his abilities, and has had no notable achievements or merit in the past seven years.
Note: Headquarters suspects that this person is colluding with pirates and betraying Marine justice. The Inspection Team is advised to investigate thoroughly!
To the right of the file was a photograph of a man in a Marine uniform.
He had black hair and eyes, sharp and well-defined features, and eyes as deep as the night. His entire aura exuded confidence and freedom.
"So this is Captain Dante Shacher? He doesn't really look like someone who would collude with pirates."
As Smoker frowned slightly, silently studying the photo, a female Marine officer nearby leaned over, looking at it curiously as well.
She had neat, short black hair, wore plain square glasses, and wasn't dressed in a Marine uniform—just a simple plaid shirt and slacks.
She looked like a sweet and friendly girl next door, but the serious expression on her pretty face and the fine sword—Shigure—at her waist gave her the air of a proper Marine officer.
Pushing up her nerdy glasses, she looked at the photo with curiosity. "I also heard that Captain Dante was an excellent swordsman back in the day. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding by Headquarters."
"Shut up," Smoker said flatly, glancing at his subordinate while taking the cigar from his lips. "As a Marine, never judge someone by their appearance."
From the dossier alone, he couldn't tell much. But as a once-promising captain in the East Blue, to have zero achievements in seven years, and then suddenly get reassigned from the 315th to the 16th Branch...
So, what exactly was this guy doing?
And the Mok Pirates...
This notorious pirate gang that he had constantly used to request more funds from Headquarters—were they really that hard to catch?
And what was the connection between Dante and the previous commander of Loguetown? Why was he recommended to take over the 16th Branch?
As Smoker pondered—
"We're almost there!"
The voice of his subordinate—Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi—snapped him back to attention.
He looked up.
In the distance, through the mist, the familiar outline of a Marine base marked with the number 16 slowly emerged over the horizon.
Smoker frowned slightly, took one more glance, then looked down again at the photo in the dossier and murmured: "Dante Shacher..."
What on earth is this guy hiding?!
…
Conomi Islands.
This area falls under the jurisdiction of the 16th Marine Branch.
At this moment—
In Cocoyasi Village… no, it should now be called Cocoyasi Town.
"Captain Dante is here! Captain Dante is here!"
"And Nami! Nami's come back too!"
"Idiot, you should call her Master Chief Petty Officer Nami now! Nami's finally… made something of herself! If Bell-mère knew, she'd be so proud. I thought she'd be a thief her whole life. I was really worried she'd never do anything good! Hurry and call Mayor Nojiko!"
As a Marine warship docked at the newly constructed port of Cocoyasi Town and a group of people disembarked, a wave of cheers erupted throughout the harbor.
At the front was a black-haired man dressed in the standard white Marine suit, draped in a black fur coat, a sword at his side, followed by several others. Wearing a smile, he walked into Cocoyasi Town amid the crowd's cheers.
"Damn it, who are you calling good-for-nothing?!" Nami, dressed in a white shirt and black skirt, immediately shouted in frustration at her fellow villagers, raising her fist. "Just wait, all of you! I swear I'll have you all arrested!"
She had even swapped out her usual plain striped short-sleeved top and slightly faded, over-washed mini skirt for a nice outfit. And yet, this bunch still had the nerve to call her good-for-nothing.
Of course~
Saying she'd arrest them was just a joke.
After fiercely "threatening" her fellow villagers, Nami turned her head. Her beautiful, slightly wavy orange short hair clung to her delicate, fair collarbones. Her gemstone-like brown eyes glanced at the man walking ahead, then at the transformed Cocoyasi Village—now a bustling town—and she felt a wave of emotion.
She hadn't expected everything to change so much—it felt almost like another lifetime.
Just a year ago, she had still been a member of the Arlong Pirates. And now, she was actually a Marine Master Chief Petty Officer.
The once-impoverished Cocoyasi Village had now become a prosperous town—and all of this was thanks to the man in front of her.
Thinking of that, Nami smiled slightly, then quietly stepped up beside Dante, who was striding forward with his hands in his pockets and cloak billowing, exuding authority. She hesitated, then whispered, "Hey… thanks~"
"???"
Why the sudden thank you?
Dante glanced at Nami in confusion. Then, as if understanding, he replied, "It's just a Marine Master Chief Petty Officer, that's nothing. That spoiled brat from Shells Town next door—because his dad's a Marine—even the two dogs he raises get taken care of by the Marines. If I had dogs, they'd be eating straight from the Marine Headquarters' mess hall by now!"
It wasn't like he was paying out of his own pocket anyway. Rather than letting Headquarters use those funds to protect the Celestial Dragons, he might as well use them to feed his own dogs.
Besides, Nami was quite talented. There was nothing inappropriate about her becoming a Marine Master Chief Petty Officer.
As for her past… it's not a big deal!
In this cesspool of a world, being a thief—and only stealing from pirates at that—basically made her clean and virtuous by comparison.
However.
As he finished speaking—
"???"
Nami's beautifully arched brows twitched. She was completely stunned by Dante's absolutely absurd words.
Who are you calling a dog?!
Hands on her hips and fuming with rage—yet before she could even say anything—
"Boss! Mayor Nojiko is here!"
A voice rang out beside them—refined, yet laced with a hint of amusement.