Kotzia – Temporary Headquarters of the Bounty Hunters
The large command room, once bustling with the comings and goings of Mirks and his elemental brigade, now felt strangely empty. Burned flags, torn maps, and shattered weapons on the ground made it look like a battlefield frozen in time.
"Eisah, you're the only remaining high-ranking officer. You must take back control of the survivors and reorganize the East Blue branch. We will send you funds. But above all—do not provoke the Straw Hat crew."
The voice of Paul, the leader of the Grand Line branch, still echoed through the room like a veiled threat.
"Their bounty will increase significantly. Let our Grand Line division handle it."
Xaheis, the replica of Eisah, nodded even though he knew Paul couldn't see him.
"Understood, sir. I'll restructure what remains. We only lost a fifth of our forces on the island… but the material damage is catastrophic. The port, the warehouses, the barracks, the ships… everything has to be rebuilt. I'll await your funds promptly."
He cut the transmission, then turned his head toward the shifting shadow behind him.
In that animated darkness, two faintly glowing blue eyes stared back at him:Heartless Eisah, back to his normal self now that Jordan no longer needed him for combat.
The replica and his Heartless…Two beings meant to function together.Two perfect leaders for information and control over Kotzia.
Xaheis rubbed his temples.
"We've got our work cut out for us… and I hate paperwork."
He didn't have time to say more.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Who's there?" he asked in a neutral voice, already slightly annoyed.
The door creaked open, revealing Lieutenant De Gaulle, still in his Marine uniform, looking tired, his shoulders slumped, holding a relay transponder snail under one arm.
"Lieutenant De Gaulle, intelligence officer…" he sighed. "I've come to inform you that the Marine is increasing its presence in East Blue. Until you… restore your bounty hunters to an acceptable status."
Xaheis raised an eyebrow, calmly observing the officer.
Behind him, Heartless Eisah made a subtle motion, just enough for his replica to notice.
De Gaulle added, a bit bitterly:
"And… I'm also being reassigned. I've received a new mission."
Xaheis smiled softly—too calm, too calculating.
"No need for Marines here, Lieutenant. If they start meddling in our business when there are no more dangerous pirates around, my men won't have bread to feed their families. Trust me, that's in no one's best interest."
The lieutenant swallowed, clearly understanding the meaning behind the words.
But Xaheis continued, now more friendly:
"And as for your new mission… I think I can guess. You're to follow the Straw Hat crew, aren't you?"
De Gaulle looked down briefly, slightly embarrassed.
"I'm not allowed to confirm or deny that."
"No worries, I'll save you some time."
Xaheis crossed his arms.
"Head to the Mechanical Island. It's the next logical stop. They're visiting all the islands in East Blue in order. You'll find them there."
The lieutenant blinked, surprised at the precision.
"Thanks for the information… Mr. Eisah. I'll relay the Marine request to HQ, then depart immediately."
He gave a stiff salute and left, leaving Xaheis alone amidst the ruins of the old regime.
The replica turned to his Heartless twin, a cold smile creeping across his face.
"Jordan… you've reversed the entire food chain of East Blue. Very well. Let's see how far I can evolve this branch."
One Day Later — Aboard the Going Merry
The sun rose timidly, its rays grazing the water's surface like a golden veil. The air was calm, filled with a light breeze carrying the pleasant scent of salt and fresh fish.
As I did every afternoon, I had gone diving for a long swim with Meumeuh. Between the two of us — and mostly thanks to her — we'd brought back an impressive haul of fish, enough to feed the entire crew without Sanji having to worry about supplies.
Sanji, working in tandem with Kazuki, had turned the fishing haul into a true banquet. Kazuki's speed and precision complemented the cook's movements perfectly.Meumeuh, of course, had her own special meal — and her satisfied moo echoed like fireworks under the setting sun."As long as she doesn't ask for anything too fancy, I can handle it," Sanji muttered."And considering how Luffy eats, more or less doesn't make a difference..."Kazuki laughed, nodding. "With me, you can delegate without stress, little chef."Sanji blushed and whispered for her not to call him that — he'd endured enough of that nickname from his mentor Zeff — but Kazuki loved teasing him.
That morning, we resumed our usual swimming routine. Everyone was tied to the back of the Merry, protected by Meumeuh who watched the depths… and by Merry herself, who managed the currents to intensify our training.
I gave it my all, swimming against the current that Merry deliberately strengthened — when suddenly…
A tiny sailboat approached, bobbing awkwardly on the waves.And on it…A very recognizable figure: round glasses, a pristine Marine uniform despite the nervousness visible in his movements.
Lieutenant De Gaulle.
My Observation Haki confirmed his identity even before I reached the surface.
I immediately asked Merry,"Stop the current on me. I'm going to see what he wants."The water flow eased, and I pushed myself upward, water streaming down my body as I swam quickly to his boat, grabbing onto the side while staring at him."You know we're pirates, right? The Marine isn't supposed to tail us… unless you're here to arrest us."The poor man turned white as a sheet, but stayed composed.
"Sir… Heartless. May I… come aboard and explain myself to everyone?"His voice trembled slightly, but he held firm.
I looked up toward the Merry and shouted:"Guys! Morning session's over! We've got a visitor!"
I launched myself from the water, landing on the deck in a spray of droplets.In the same motion, I grabbed Kazuki's rope with one hand and Luffy's with the other."Up we go!"With one swift pull:
Luffy landed like a spring on the deck, laughing out loud.Kazuki landed on her feet, perfectly graceful even when soaked.
Zoro climbed back up fastest on his own, followed by Kuina and Koby, who quickly came over to me.I smiled and conjured a small fireball to float in front of me while Merry gently warmed the wooden deck to help the crew dry off.
When Usopp climbed up with his rope, Kaya was already clinging to him, making him smile as he joined the warmth.
Sanji and Nami were last to come aboard — Nami because her strength hadn't improved much yet, and Sanji still lacked the arm power compared to the swordsmen of the crew… though honestly, they were only ten seconds behind.
Once everyone was dry, I extinguished my fireball and we watched the Marine's movements closely.
The little boat docked, and De Gaulle tossed the mooring rope slowly, like he was handling a bomb.
I sighed deeply before grabbing De Gaulle by the collar of his jacket."Come on."I flew up and back in a flash, lifting him like a panicked kitten before dropping him gently in the middle of our group, surrounded by all our stares.
He paled instantly.
His clenched fingers trembled like he'd just been tossed into a lion's cage.
I turned toward Luffy.My captain nodded, unusually serious."So, what do you want, Lieutenant?" I asked, arms crossed. "Or rather… what do your superiors want?"
De Gaulle swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and clenched his fists for courage.
"I won't hide anything from you… I was ordered to infiltrate your crew."
Kaya blinked, horrified."Infiltrate… us?"
Usopp muttered, "That's the first time I've heard of a plan so suicidal…"
The lieutenant continued:"But I know that's impossible. So I'd like… to request permission to stay aboard, openly, and travel with you. In return, I'm willing to comply with certain conditions you set."
A heavy silence fell.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Then Luffy finally spoke, scratching his cheek."I don't think this was Grandpa Garp's idea… but he probably approved it."He sighed. "Tch… that old man…"
Meanwhile, Kazuki and Sanji had already slipped away toward the kitchen, as if political drama had nothing to do with them.
"If we accept him, I already have an idea for one of the conditions," Koby said with a small mischievous smile.
Nami and I exchanged a look, whispering quickly about possible rules, restrictions, or ways to make him useful.
Finally, Luffy turned to De Gaulle, arms behind his head and wearing a simple smile."Alright. You can come. But I want to hear my friends' conditions before deciding if I add one."
"Thank you, captain!" De Gaulle replied, bowing deeply, sweating profusely."I'm ready to hear all of them."
I looked at Koby."You start with yours."
Koby straightened up, very serious."You have your communication equipment, right? Transponders, portable printers, that kind of thing? Because I'd like us to get some devices from a Marine branch so we can… print photos and documents."
He smiled, shy but proud."I want to create a newspaper about our adventures. A real one. Not something twisted by Morgan or the government news outlets."
A wave of amused murmurs spread across the crew.
De Gaulle nodded immediately."I have all of that on my ship. All the standard-issue equipment for reporting and communication. But… I can't write the articles myself. I still have obligations toward my hierarchy."
I laughed softly."Then we'll give the equipment to Bell-mère and Jerry. We'll see if anyone else wants to help later on. They can make the newspaper, and I'll send copies to our friends and family."
Koby nodded but looked thoughtful."It's true we won't be able to spread it across the world…"
"Don't worry," I smiled."We'll leave a copy with a traveling seagull. If Morgan finds it interesting, he'll make an article out of it. Even if… knowing Morgan… he'll probably rewrite 40% of it."
The whole crew burst out laughing, imagining their loved ones reading overly dramatic headlines.
The atmosphere became light, almost family-like.Lieutenant De Gaulle, standing in the middle, watched these people — these pirates — and finally understood why Vice Admiral Garp always smiled when talking about them.
"For the other conditions, I hope you have other clothes. Because you definitely won't stay dressed as a Marine while traveling with us. Otherwise, everyone will think we kidnapped you," Nami declared, arms crossed, gaze sharp as steel.
"Of course! I have civilian clothes. I'll leave my uniform on my boat."
He took a deep breath, the tension slowly leaving his shoulders."And… you can call me Charles."
Kaya smiled, soothed.Usopp gave him a small pat on the back.Luffy simply gave a thumbs-up.
The mood relaxed on its own.
I spoke next."My condition comes in two parts," I said, stepping forward.Charles immediately raised his eyes toward me.
"First: you participate in all our training sessions. All of them. Even forced swimming."
He paled at the sight of Luffy, Kazuki, and Koby sweating just from the thought.
"And second: there will be times when I have to use certain… particular abilities. During those moments, you step away or isolate yourself. I only reveal those secrets to the legitimate crew."
Charles nodded without arguing."That's perfectly normal, Mr. Jordan. I won't ask for more."
Luffy stretched suddenly, hands behind his head and that mischievous kid smile spreading across his face."My turn! I have a condition too!"
Everyone turned toward him, curious or worried.
"Your communication equipment stays in Jordan's room," Luffy said, surprisingly serious."If you want to use it, you just ask. As long as one of us listens to what you say, it's fine."
Charles raised his brows, surprised by the captain's clarity.
"And…" Luffy added as he stepped closer, "…you call me when you know my grandpa can answer. That way I can annoy him a little."
A pause.
Then a huge explosion of laughter.
Charles looked overwhelmed but oddly touched."I understand and… I accept."
Luffy held out his hand."Then welcome aboard, Charles!"
He shook it with trembling sincerity.
A little later, I took Charles with me to retrieve his boat.
I lifted it with one hand, like a toy, and set it gently against the Merry under the stunned gaze of our new guest.
"This is… truly magical…" he whispered, on the verge of fainting.
Zoro, Koby, and Charles unloaded the equipment while I stored the small ship in my inventory — causing Charles to lose all sense of reality for a good five seconds.
We set up all the communication equipment in a small room that could be locked from my cabin.Charles only kept his camera.
While the crew kept him busy, I made a quick round trip through a portal to Heartless Island to deliver the printing press to Bell-mère, who accepted it with enthusiasm, already excited at the idea of playing editor.I retrieved the Devil Fruit for Sanji and fed it to a giant tuna before turning it into a Heartless to acquire the abilities, just like we did with Zoan fruits. Now, all that's left is to slip that Heartless into his shadow.
On the way back, I made a detour to Kotzia to activate the volcano's lock.The Heartless were already spreading: soldiers, shadows, and even some flying units. With Xaheis stationed there, the last of the corrupt officials would be dealt with, and the new bounty hunter branch would be clean.
Then I returned to the Merry just in time… to see an enormous fleet appear on the horizon.
"You… seeing this?" Usopp muttered, adjusting his spyglass."Looks like an aggressive carnival…"
The sails flapped in the wind…All of them covered in large, flashy symbols: clovers, red hearts, black spades, golden diamonds…Dozens of identical flags that even a blind man would recognize.
Charles went pale as a sheet."Oh no… not them…" he gasped.
"Who?" asked Luffy, already excited at the idea of hitting something.
"We're in trouble…" Charles whispered. "That's the Trump Family fleet…"
He turned to us, slightly trembling."A private armada of bounty hunters that only go after pirates. They're… weird, filthy rich, completely unhinged… and numerous. The Navy never took them seriously, but…"
He swallowed hard."I didn't think they had that many ships."
Ten ships.All armed.All decorated like deadly circus playing cards.And already…
A voice, amplified by a Den Den Mushi, was starting to shout something in the direction of the Merry.
(Author's note: I love ending on a cliffenger ^^ In case someone doesn't know, this comes from Movie 2: Adventure on Clockwork Island)