One Piece: Marine to Warlord to Conqueror

”Hmph! I told you to stay put, and you actually had the nerve to run off and report to the pirates-right under my nose?”

Smoker’s expression was livid as he glared at the captured Marines of the 16th Branch. His sharp eyes swept over them, filled with both anger and disappointment.

”Looks like the 16th Branch has been completely infiltrated and corrupted,” he scoffed, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. ”We got rid of one rat, and now a fatter one shows up.”

His gaze darkened. ”Good, good, good. You all keep crying to Marine Headquarters about being broke, yet when we show up-this branch is practically drowning in wealth.”

What was in that report again? Something about the former Base Commander embezzling and being corrupt, the troops lacking combat power, no training, no practical experience, and most importantly, a severe lack of weapons and equipment. They supposedly didn’t even have ten standard Marine swords, not a single warship. Couldn’t even give two people a single gun. Claimed they didn’t have the strength to uphold justice. ’What a joke! Not a single word of it was true.’

Not a single warship? There were five docked right at their harbor. This level of combat power... Even some branches in the New World couldn’t compete.

And yet, they were whining about how powerful pirate crews in the weakest sea were too much for them?

This force could take on pirates in the Grand Line!

’Something isn’t adding up.’ Smoker had already ordered his subordinates to keep watch, commanding every Marine in the 16th Branch to remain in place. And yet, someone still had the guts to sneak away right under his nose?

No, there was definitely something fishy going on.

”N-no, it’s not that rich,” one of the captured Marines stammered, flashing an awkward smile under Smoker’s piercing glare. ”I didn’t sneak away! I just-uh, saw it was about to rain and remembered I left my laundry outside. So I ran home to get it.”

His nervous chuckle only made the silence that followed more unbearable.

’As expected of a Marine Captain transferred from Headquarters,’ he thought. ’I was so careful, yet he still caught me?! He’s way too sharp!’

If only Headquarters had given them some warning before sending an inspector. They could have at least hidden their assets!

In fact, if he hadn’t secretly contacted the Captain during the commotion and received orders to stay put, the entire branch would probably be preparing for an all-out fight with Smoker’s unit right now.

The Marine stole a glance at Garp, who was happily munching on rice crackers, completely unfazed by the tension. His heart sank. ’The boss is really screwed this time!’

He’d originally planned to personally ask the Captain what to do next, but... he was still caught, and even the Den Den Mushi he’d secretly hidden was confiscated.

’Even the Hero of the Marines has come this time. It seems Headquarters definitely suspects the Captain. Although the boss isn’t a bad person, he has undeniably violated the Laws and Regulations.’

”Collecting laundry?” Smoker sneered. ”You still dare to make excuses?” He crossed his arms. ”Forget it. Just tell me-where is Dante Ashford? I’ll ask him myself.” His eyes narrowed. ”As a Marine Captain, does he even try to uphold justice?”

”Captain Smoker, you’ve misunderstood!” Seeing Smoker’s demeanor, the Marine knew he probably couldn’t escape this time.

He hesitated, glancing at Smoker, then at the Hero of the Marines himself. Gritting his teeth, he looked Smoker directly in the eye and said firmly, ”Captain Dante is a good person. In our eyes, he hasn’t violated any so-called justice. He’s our hero!”

However...

”Justice? Hero?” Smoker scoffed.,

Still, as he looked at the Marine-who was trembling yet dared to stand his ground-he snorted again. The contempt in his gaze faded slightly. Taking a slow drag from his cigar, he exhaled and said flatly,

”In that case, tell me-has your Captain colluded with pirates?”

’To be able to get the approval of his subordinates, could it be that they really misunderstood?’ As soon as he finished speaking...

”Of course not!”

The Marine straightened his back, voice unwavering. ”Captain Dante would never collude with pirates.”

...Though, technically, the Mock Pirates were a pirate crew raised by Captain Dante. That wasn’t collusion, right?

His voice took on a righteous tone. ”Even after his demotion, the Captain has never abandoned the justice in his heart-”

But before he could finish...

”Captain Smoker!”

Tashigi, Smoker’s second-in-command, clutched the hilt of her katana, her expression tense. ”A group of pirates is approaching.”

Immediately, Smoker, Garp, and the others turned their gazes toward the sea.

”The Mock Pirates?”

What a coincidence.

”...”

The Marine stiffened. His mouth twitched as he looked at the slowly approaching ship.

The corner of his mouth twitched. As he looked at the Mock Pirate ship slowly approaching, he had a sentence he wanted to blurt out, but it seemed to be stuck in his throat, unable to escape. ’Mock, you absolute idiot-why are you here now?!’

Looking at Smoker’s scrutinizing gaze, his face paled.

He needed to say something-anything-to steer the conversation away. Just as he was about to open his mouth-

”Eh? Isn’t that Nota?”

A loud, cheerful voice rang out from the pirate ship.

It was Mock himself-the Mock Pirates’ Captain.

”Oh! And there are some new faces, too. Are they new recruits from the branch? Forget that-Nota, where are you guys heading? Why’re you in such a tiny, busted boat? Heading to Cocoyasi Village?”

Mock laughed heartily. ”Man, that thing’s slow! We’re making a delivery-come on up! We’ll take you there!”

Silence.

Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at the Marine behind them-Nota.

Garp was still snacking. Smoker’s gaze as sharp as a dagger. Tashigi adjusted her glasses with an expression of cold disbelief, as she was on verge of pouting for being deceived.

As for Nota...

His body trembled. His hands trembled. Even his soul trembled.

Under their scrutiny, he forced a stiff smile, turned to Mock, and shouted, ”T-thank you!!”

Mock beamed. ”No need to thank me-we’re all buddies!”

And just like that...

Under Mock’s warm hospitality, the four of them boarded the pirate ship.

Heading straight for Cocoyasi Village.

However...

”What’s wrong?” Looking at the group, Mock scratched his head in confusion, especially looking at Nota, who had a look of crying and melancholy. ”Nota, you feeling sick?”

”I-I’m fine,” Nota choked out. ”Just... remembered I left my laundry outside.”

Mock laughed. ”It’s just rain! Let it get wet-who cares?”

Then, turning his attention to the three unfamiliar faces, he asked, ”Who are these guys? New recruits? Why do they all look so grumpy? And this old guy-why’s he still a Marine? He looks like he’s at the retiring age!”

’For the love of... Please stop talking!’ Nota wanted to die. He blinked his eyes and was about to give this big oaf a hint, telling him to quickly contact the Captain secretly and tell him about the situation.

Suddenly...

*Knock knock!*

Tashigi, who was pouting, walked to the door of the cabin next to her, reached out and knocked, frowned, and asked, ”What’s inside here?”

A muffled noise came from within.

As soon as these words fell.

”?!”

Nota, who was about to give a hint, seemed to have thought of something, and his face changed again. He quickly opened his mouth and said, ”N-no, there’s nothing inside...”

Before he could finish speaking...

”There’s really nothing,” Mock said, also walking to the door of the cabin with a smile. He opened the door directly and said, ”Just some refugees who can’t get enough to eat. I’ve rounded’em up.”

As the door swung wide, the room came into view.

Instantly.

What came into the eyes of the three was a spacious but dim warehouse, and in the warehouse... it was actually filled with countless figures.

Dense and numerous.

Men, women, old, children-all crammed together, their eyes filled with fear and desperation. Mothers clutching their children. Malnourished figures in ragged clothes. Because the door was suddenly opened, everyone looked up at them in panic.

Silence.

Nota ”...”

Smoker ”...”

Tashigi ”...”

Garp ”...”

’What better conclusive evidence could we get?’

And then-

Just as the three of them had black lines all over their faces...

*Puru puru puru~*

The Den Den Mushi rang.

Mock, who still didn’t know that something big had happened, took out the Den Den Mushi with a smile and said, ”Ah, it’s the boss!”

But after only a moment, he scratched his head again in confusion, looking at the Den Den Mushi that had been hung up. ”Why did the boss suddenly tell me not to call him boss? If not boss, what should I call him? Did something happen?”

He looked at Nota, who had a look of despair, with a puzzled expression. ”Nota, do you know what’s going on? And... what’s wrong with you?”

”I’m fucking... fine!” Nota was about to say something, but feeling the three cold gazes behind him, he still held back and said through gritted teeth, ”And don’t call me by my name, I don’t know you!”

Before Mock, who was at a loss, could say anything...

”Is that it ahead?”

Tashigi’s suddenly called out, and everyone also looked up and looked towards the bow of the ship. What came into their eyes... was a huge dock that didn’t match the town at all.

And standing on the dock was a familiar figure.

Black hair, a white Marine uniform, not wearing the Justice cloak granted by Marine Headquarters, but wearing a black fur coat...

Marine 16th Branch Base Commander Captain Dante Ashford.

Colluding with pirates, capturing refugees.

Smoker narrowed his eyes slightly, staring straight at the figure on the shore, coldly taking the cigar from his mouth.

’Do you still live up to the justice you’re supposed to uphold? Soon to be former-Captain Dante!’

---

At the same time...

On the Cocoyasi Town Dock, Dante, who was preparing to return to the branch, also noticed the Mock Pirate ship slowly approaching.

After looking at the five figures on the ship, he fell silent and the corner of his mouth twitched.

’Who the hell did you bring along!? You bastard!’