[Rumble—]
A blinding flash of lightning tore through the sky, briefly illuminating the dark ocean shrouded beneath the thick storm clouds. But it was only a fleeting burst of light. The blackish-blue waves ceaselessly battered the towering Red Line.
[Splash!!]
A single Marine warship, bristling with gunports, came crashing down from the unseen summit of Reverse Mountain. It barreled down along the climbing current like a wild beast, slamming forcefully into the sea.
And then, every ten minutes, another identical 'beast' would plunge down in the same manner—until a fleet of five colossal warships, each vastly larger than ordinary vessels, stood proudly upon the waters at the base of Reverse Mountain.
"What a welcome—the moment we arrive, we're greeted with a torrential storm."
Clad in a green suit beneath a Justice coat, Dragon stepped out of the cabin and onto the deck, eyeing the gloomy sky, the howling winds, and the driving rain with a touch of exasperation.
But thanks to the power of the Storm Fruit, an invisible current swirled around him, shielding him naturally from all wind and rain.
After days of sailing, they had finally reached the South Blue.
[Whoosh—]
Dragon glanced around at the surrounding warships. A faint green aura suddenly emanated from his body and expanded outward. In that instant, all five warships were blessed by the wind: an invisible membrane shielded them from the storm, and their sailing speed visibly increased by the second.
At that moment, Marines of various ranks—who had been sheltering inside their cabins—gradually noticed the strange phenomenon. Apart from those who needed to remain on duty, many came out onto the deck, happily enjoying the fresh air.
"Rear Admiral Dragon, your ability really is convenient—just what one would expect from a Logia-type fruit!" a fellow rear admiral chuckled as he walked over.
For this operation, Rear Admiral Ivan was temporarily assigned as adjutant. Normally, only vice admirals were assigned long-term adjutants at Marine Headquarters, so this situation was an exception.
Strictly speaking, someone like Dragon—still a rear admiral—should not have been commanding a fleet of five top-tier warships. Yet here he was, and therefore required an adjutant to assist with fleet coordination.
Not that Rear Admiral Ivan had any complaints. First, Dragon was the son of Garp, and it was only natural that he'd be treated differently. After all, there weren't many Marines who didn't hold respect for the Hero of the Marines. Second, Dragon's strength was undeniably convincing.
Even before he gained his Devil Fruit, Dragon's physical prowess and Haki had already surpassed the average level expected of a rear admiral. Now, with the addition of a top-tier Logia, he had clearly grown even stronger.
Many Marines were already beginning to compare him to the three admiral candidates: Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.
"Have we gathered intel on the Marine branches near the Kingdom of Thutmose?" Dragon asked seriously, skipping over any small talk.
"Yes, sir. South Blue Branches 289, 242, and 194 are all located roughly 50 nautical miles from the Kingdom of Thutmose. They're stationed to the northeast, southeast, and due west of the kingdom, respectively. As for us, we're currently positioned at the northwest, just off Reverse Mountain."
Dragon gave a slight nod, though his thoughts lingered. Those four Marine branches are so close to the stronghold of that so-called Slave King... So why has he managed to remain hidden all these years?
"What about the troop strength and configurations of these branches?"
"Branches 289 and 242 are about the same—roughly 3,000 personnel each, with five small warships. The closest one to the Kingdom of Thutmose is Branch 194, which is relatively stronger. According to intelligence, it has nearly 5,000 Marines and eight small warships."
Rear Admiral Ivan relayed the gathered intel, then followed up with a question: "Should we inform them now and ask them to cooperate with this operation?"
The Kingdom of Thutmose boasted a standing army of nearly 30,000, along with another 10,000 scattered across the world in various slaver fleets—though how many of them might return was uncertain. Even with the five high-grade Marine Headquarters warships they had brought, trying to completely encircle the enemy would be a tall order.
A single Headquarters-class warship typically carried around 800 men. Five ships meant roughly 4,000 troops. While these forces hailed from Marine HQ and were far superior in combat ability and individual strength compared to the average Marine stationed in the Four Blues, they were still vastly outnumbered.
It was important to remember: the Kingdom of Thutmose sat on a medium-sized island, already significantly larger than Drum Island.
So, to eliminate the Slave King Taklama and his entire force, a joint operation with the surrounding South Blue branches would be essential.
But Dragon shook his head.
"No. We'll notify them only when we're one day away from the target. Those three branches are just 50 nautical miles from the Kingdom of Thutmose—at most, two hours' travel. There's no need to rush."
Rear Admiral Ivan paused to reflect. After a moment, he understood Dragon's reasoning—it was clearly a precaution against anyone tipping off the Slave King.
And it made sense. Taklama had been operating in this part of the South Blue for decades. The idea that his influence hadn't seeped into the nearby Marine branches was… laughable.
After all, not everyone could resist temptation.
"Understood, Rear Admiral Dragon!"
Ivan suddenly found himself reevaluating this temporary commanding officer. Apparently, he wasn't one of those musclebound types who solved every problem with brute force.
"Oh right, who currently has the highest bounty in the South Blue?" Dragon asked again, shifting the topic. Ivan thought for a moment.
"That would be the Black Cat Pirates and the White Cat Pirates. The captain of the Black Cat Pirates, 'Three-Legged Cat,' has a bounty of 48 million Berries. The captain of the White Cat Pirates, 'Cat-Fishing,' has a bounty of 43 million Berries. These two crews have been the most notorious pirates in the South Blue in recent years."
"'Three-Legged Cat'? 'Cat-Fishing'? What kind of joke names are those?" Dragon turned his head with a look of confusion. The names didn't sound at all like ones befitting fearsome pirates.
Ivan simply shrugged, indicating he didn't know either.
"Heh, the names might be silly, but according to intel, both are Zoan-type Devil Fruit users—specifically of the Cat-Cat Fruit. Since their real names are unknown, they go by nicknames instead."
"Apparently, they're blood brothers and extremely close. Neither wanted to outshine the other, so each formed his own crew under the title of captain—but the two pirate crews have always operated jointly. Over the years, they've grown strong enough in both strength and territory to dominate a region of the South Blue—and they've even avoided entering the Grand Line, likely to maintain that control."
"I see... Zoan users, and two of them at that. That explains a lot." Dragon nodded in realization and no longer questioned their odd nicknames.
"In that case, send word to those three branches—no, to all nearby branches. Tell them we're here to capture those two 'cats'. Have them keep an eye out for their movements and be ready to provide backup on command!"
South Blue, Marine Base of the 194th Division on Watermelon Island.
Inside the base stood three cylindrical buildings painted blue—one tall and two short. In front of them was a vast training ground; in back, the base connected to a port filled with rows of warehouse-style buildings.
Marines stood guard everywhere, their cheeks ruddy, their bodies robust, and rifles in hand. In the harbor, eight small warships were moored side by side. Each vessel could typically carry 300 people, with a maximum capacity of 500.
At that moment, on the top floor of the main building, inside a spacious 300-square-meter office, Colonel Harros—whose natural light-blond hair and hooked nose made him easy to recognize—stood before a wide floor-to-ceiling window. He admired the view of the island, his eyes occasionally drifting toward the far-off horizon.
"By my estimate, it should be arriving soon…"
[Knock! Knock! Knock!]
"Come in."
A rather plain-looking major stepped inside, carrying an unremarkable wooden box. After closing the door, he respectfully addressed the colonel's back.
"Base Commander, the goods have arrived, along with your item."
"They're here!"
Harros spun around sharply, his eyes gleaming with joy as they landed on the box in the major's hands. He quickly strode over and took it, about to open it—then paused, glancing at the major before him.
"You may leave now."
"Yes, sir!"
Once the man exited, Colonel Harros could no longer hold back. He eagerly opened the lid of the wooden box—and there it was: a Devil Fruit, gleaming bright green and covered in spiral patterns, resting inside along with a card.
"Haha! Finally! Now my son's future is secure!"
He excitedly lifted the fruit, inspecting it from every angle like a precious gem. And it was indeed a treasure—at least in terms of price.
He had spent a full 500 million Berries to buy it from the King of Taklama, practically draining half a lifetime of savings.
Thankfully, ever since he had become the base commander here, his annual income had been rather substantial. Thanks to the 'protection fee' that the Kingdom of Thutmose regularly sent.
Of course, that fee wasn't for him as an individual—it was for his position as Commander of the 194th Division Marine Base.
Colonel Harros' son was named Gasparde. Thanks to his naturally tall, brawny, and powerful build—along with a formal recommendation from his father—he had joined Marine Headquarters as a third-class seaman three years ago.
But after all this time, he had only just been promoted to first-class seaman. Even though Harros had heard through his connections that his son was about to be promoted to corporal, he still felt it was far too slow.
Of course, he understood that rising through the ranks at Marine Headquarters was much harder than in the divisions stationed across the Four Blues—after all, the pirates in the Grand Line were far more powerful.
So, for the sake of Gasparde's future and safety, Harros had the idea of finding a powerful Devil Fruit and sending it to him. But while he was indeed a colonel, his influence was... limited.
Marine HQ did technically have a system where Devil Fruits could be exchanged for military merit. But not only was it cumbersome and difficult, there was no guarantee regarding the abilities of the fruit—and over the years, all the good ones had long been snatched up.
He'd agonized over this for quite some time before thinking of someone with 'vast connections' and influence 'spanning all Four Blues': King Taklama.
At first, he had merely asked on a whim. But not long after, the king surprisingly agreed to provide a Devil Fruit that sounded remarkably promising.
It was a Special Paramecia-type: the Candy-Candy Fruit. It granted the user the ability to turn their body into gummy candy, resembling the elemental transformation traits of a Logia-type!
Colonel Harros was naturally thrilled. However, it didn't come without conditions.
First: the price—500 million Berries!
Utterly outrageous. A regular Paramecia-type Devil Fruit typically sold for about 100 million, but this was a special variant, so the cost was somewhat understandable.
Second: he had to promise not to transfer away from his current post for the next five years.
That wasn't a big deal. The current Marine system didn't have any fixed terms of service. As long as he didn't mess up during his tenure—or make some kind of major achievement that drew Headquarters' attention—there was little risk of demotion or reassignment.
He just needed to stay put and lie low.
Third: he had to provide further support for the Kingdom of Thutmose's commercial interests—such as dispatching escort fleets when needed.
In short, he had agreed.
"With this Devil Fruit, that brat Gasparde is at least set to become a colonel at Headquarters. He might even make admiral one day. If that happens, I'll have a solid foundation for running things in the South Blue!"
Harros knew full well that he lacked the talent himself. Even if he ate a Devil Fruit, his potential would be capped. It was better to give it to his gifted son.
If one day he had a son who was a Marine officer—maybe even an admiral—then he'd be untouchable here in the South Blue.
[Knock! Knock! Knock!]
Just then, the office door knocked again. Immersed in his rosy dreams of the future, Colonel Harros frowned in mild annoyance but nonetheless placed the Candy-Candy Fruit back in its box.
"Come in."
"What is it now?"
It was still the same major from earlier. He entered and reported, "Commander, Rear Admiral Monkey D. Dragon of Marineford has arrived in the South Blue, leading a fleet of five Headquarters warships. He says he's here to hunt down the Black Cat and White Cat Pirate Crews and requests our assistance in locating them, as well as our readiness to provide support at any time."
"What? Five warships?!"
Colonel Harros looked thoroughly confused.
"Sure, the bounties on the Black Cat and White Cat crews are pretty high, and their numbers aren't small… but isn't five warships overkill? And now they want us ready to assist?"
The fleet led by Dragon—according to the major—was made up of HQ-grade warships. Harros had seen their terrifying specs firsthand back when he took his son to report at Marineford.
"Ahem… Acting as Rear Admiral Dragon's temporary adjutant is Rear Admiral Ivan. He quietly informed me that this Dragon is none other than the son of Vice Admiral Garp. That's why he's urging all South Blue divisions to take this seriously," the major added with an exasperated smile.
Colonel Harros froze for a moment—then suddenly burst out laughing in realization.
"Oh, I see! So that's what this is! The son of the Marine Hero himself! He's out here racking up military merit! Poor cats—if this operation goes smoothly, they're done for. But if they somehow injure Rear Admiral Dragon… tsk, tsk, it'll be a disaster! Hahahahahaha!"
Then, with a sharp shift in expression, he looked at the major with serious eyes and issued an order: "Send out the command. Ready the warships immediately. The moment we receive the order, we move—no delays allowed!"
In his mind, this was a golden opportunity to make contact with Dragon. If he could manage to slip in a mention of his son's name, all the better.
After all, the son of Vice Admiral Garp—now that's the top tier of second-generation Marines!