Chapter 54: The Death of the First Child
To the honorable Master Ross,
It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter. When I looked over the battle report from April 24th, I understood — I, no, we — have broken our promise.
Ever since joining the Navy, the children of House Nasdaq made a vow: to take collective leave on June 1st, return home together, and reunite as a family.
That day was meant to be little Mona's birthday. We had all prepared gifts in advance, along with souvenirs from our respective stations — small tokens to share with our beloved brothers and sisters.
But an unexpected tragedy claimed "Gragor's" life.
It happened during a special incident. In the G5 branch prison, a seemingly ordinary fruit transformed into a Devil Fruit — the "Momo Momo no Mi," one of the most powerful Paramecia-type fruits. A vile pirate consumed it, plunging the entire facility into unprecedented chaos.
Gragor was a brave marine and a fearless warrior. During the command transition between rear admirals, he led the defensive forces in a heroic counterattack. All 327 remaining inmates were neutralized. Our ships and logistics crew managed a complete retreat without casualties.
He successfully stopped that pirate. He protected most of the valuable assets. And the price he paid for that victory fills me with burning rage.
I'm sorry. I've been demoted for letting the Momo Fruit fall back into the hands of the sea. But I don't regret my actions. He was my family. He once called me "Big Brother Sakazuki."
I personally oversaw the cremation of his noble body, so he could rest in peace within a beautifully crafted urn.
I will bring him home — even if he can no longer speak. I believe… in his final words before death, he must have mentioned you. Because from the moment he was reborn into this world, we were all he had left.
We… and you.
— Your disciple, Colonel Sakazuki.
---
In his office, Ross — for the first time in ages — felt the urge to smoke a cigar.
Though in his thirty-plus years he had never once even tasted tobacco, something about this moment made him long for that bitter, numbing release.
The Nasdaq family had grown and flourished. The children he had nurtured for years to assist in internal affairs were now capable of handling things on their own.
He had recently taken some time to relax and even brought Barrett over to stay with him.
He should have been happy.
He no longer needed to worry about military strength. He could spend more time with his wife and children, enjoying the innocence and joy that came with raising them.
His fifth son and sixth daughter had just been born. His fourth son, Walter Nasdaq, had just celebrated his first birthday.
All these happy events had filled Ross with joy. He had been glowing with pride lately. There was nothing he loved more than raising children.
But...
This letter tainted that joy with grief.
"I always knew… someday, they might die. They were just adopted children, after all…" Ross murmured.
Events like this wouldn't break him — but they could wound him deeply. They reminded him of the painful truth: these children he had raised and loved would, one by one, leave him behind.
He intended to post the letter on the public bulletin board, so that all the children would know what had happened — that they had lost a brother.
But he would come home.
He would return, like the other children who had joined the Navy — brought back with full honors, as a hero of the Marines.
Even if… even if Ross himself hated that word — hero.
But that was the only reward he truly deserved—
and the only thing that would let him keep "living."
---
Elsewhere—Marine Headquarters
In the year 1485 of the Sea Circle Calendar,
the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line were relatively stable.
Except for the G3 Branch, the Marines had reassigned all garrison commands to rear admirals.
More and more forces were being dispatched by Fleet Admiral Kong to the New World,
in a relentless effort to squeeze the pirates' territory—
determined to purge the last legendary pirates before his retirement.
Outside the residential quarters—
Sakazuki, newly demoted from rear admiral to colonel,
lay back in a chair, staring up at the sky, a cigar smoldering between his lips.
He knew this was a token demotion.
Garp had already given him a heads-up.
There was no way around it.
He had broken regulations.
When it came to pirates who had consumed powerful Devil Fruits—like the "Momo Momo no Mi," one of the pinnacle Paramecia abilities—the World Government's standing order was to prioritize capture.
That wasn't a Marine decision to overrule.
Of course, if it were an emergency or special circumstance, direct elimination was allowed—
as with the two great pirates of the New World: Shiki and Whitebeard.
If either of them were killed outright, no one would object.
But the situation at the time had clearly not qualified as urgent or exceptional.
That lucky bastard who'd eaten the Momo Fruit had already been cornered.
Sakazuki could have taken him alive without any trouble.
But he hadn't.
Instead, in front of countless witnesses, he cut the pirate down, destroyed the body,
and turned on his heel—carrying the corpse of Captain Gragor away.
That act had earned him a fierce loyalty among the rank-and-file Marines.
His uncompromising nature—repaying every grievance and protecting his own—was exactly the kind of leader most of them dreamed of following.
Everyone wanted a superior like that.
Besides, Sakazuki was fearless, imposing, and stronger than nearly anyone—
with a cadre of Nasdaq family elites at his back.
"Ah~ look at this," drawled a voice behind him, lazy and teasing.
"I'd only just gotten back, and already I've heard so many terrifying stories about you, Sakazuki~ Even the regulations set by the World Government don't seem to scare you one bit, do they?"
"If you keep talking like that," Sakazuki growled, not even turning around, "I swear I'll tear your arm off. Logia types aren't invincible."
"Don't be so hot-tempered, Sakazuki~ I surrender, I surrender~"
"Hmph."
With a low, heavy snort, he let the tension ebb away.
The Armament Haki that had surged around his clenched fist dissipated,
and he lowered his hand, deciding to ignore the insufferable man behind him.
Borsalino.
Three years his senior, the man had been lucky enough to eat one of the top-tier Logia Fruits—
the Glint-Glint Fruit.
It was what had brought him from the North Blue branch all the way to Marine Headquarters.
But because of his eccentric attitude,
even with such overwhelming combat power, he remained only a major.
After all, the Navy didn't lack strength these days.
As long as someone like Borsalino didn't go rogue and turn pirate,
they were content to keep feeding him a salary.
By his own account, he'd been perfectly happy serving in a branch office—
with no intention of revealing the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit so soon.
But the sudden outbreak of all-out war had forced him to relocate and show his hand.
Compared to chaos,
the calm and orderly Marine Headquarters was a far better place to idle around.
Come to think of it,
he and Sakazuki were both from the same hometown.
"If you've got something to say, then say it," Sakazuki said, his tone more restrained.
"If not, go drink your damn tea somewhere else."
"Oh~ you wound me," Borsalino sighed theatrically.
"Fine, fine—put that fist down, will you?"
Seeing Sakazuki's hand start to darken again with Haki,
Borsalino finally dropped his facetious tone—
though, to him, he'd only been trying to sound friendly.
"Mr. Sengoku plans to have you do a rotation at G1 Branch," he explained.
"He asked me to pass it along to you and Vice Admiral Zephyr.
The formal orders will come down in a couple of days.
That's it. My report's done.
Bye-bye~"