Chopper raised his hands, jumping and shouting, "Me! Me! I want medical books! Buy me medical books from other countries!"
Zoro said coolly, "I want booze~"
Nami held out her hand to stop everyone. "Wait. If we're going to split the treasure, let's do it once the Merry Go stops."
The Merry Go circled in the air for a while before finally descending toward the coast at the entrance of a Marine base. Even before landing, everyone could clearly see the large characters painted on the fortress wall: "G-8 Fortress."
"This… this is a Marine base, isn't it? No way! This is like a sheep walking into a lion's den!" Usopp panicked, the color draining from his face.
"Puff~~ Puff~~"
With splashes like skipping stones, the ship bounced forward, heading straight toward the main gate of the Marine base.
At the same time, the patrol squads stationed at G-8 Fortress spotted the approaching vessel and sounded the alarm.
"Alert! Alert! Unidentified ship approaching the fortress! All personnel, prepare for Level One combat!"
Instantly, spotlights lit up, cannons turned, and a myriad of long-range weapons locked onto the Merry Go.
Vice Admiral Jonathan looked out from his office window, heard the noise, grabbed his saber, and headed out immediately.
Marines poured from the barracks in formation, swiftly manning their combat stations.
Moments later, Vice Admiral Jonathan and his forces stood assembled at the sea gate.
The Merry Go stopped just short of the dock, surrounded by an intimidating number of armed Marines. Weapons aimed. Tension high.
Vice Admiral Jonathan—wearing his Marine coat adorned with seven medals—stepped forward. He was tall and slender, and a long-time acquaintance of Admiral Akainu. His reputation was solid, especially after his contributions during the aftermath of the Summit War.
However, due to the lack of sails bearing the Straw Hat insignia and the wooden wings still attached from Shin'ya Kurozawa's earlier modifications, the ship didn't immediately raise suspicion.
Standing at the gate, Jonathan's gaze swept across the deck. His voice was firm and commanding. "This is Marine G-8 Fortress. I am Vice Admiral Jonathan. Who are you, and why have you come here?"
Without hesitation, Luffy stepped forward. "My name is Monkey D—"
Before he could finish, Nami darted over and slammed a fist onto his head.
Bang!
A massive lump instantly swelled on Luffy's head as he grimaced in pain.
Standing beside him, Nami offered an awkward smile to Jonathan and began quickly explaining. "We're tourists! We got caught in the Knock-Up Stream near Jaya Island and were launched into the sky!"
Her expression turned distraught, eyes reddening. "You wouldn't believe the hell we went through up there. We almost died! If our ship didn't happen to have a pair of wings, we'd have fallen and been crushed. It was terrifying!"
Jonathan didn't doubt her story—ships did occasionally fall from the sky in this region. Some were pirates, some merchants, others just unlucky travelers.
"Very well," Jonathan said. "We'll inspect your ship. If everything checks out, you may go. But if not... hmph."
He gestured toward his men. "Drake! Take a squad and inspect the ship."
"Yes, sir!" Drake replied, forming a team of ten Marines who marched toward the Merry Go.
Nami's heart raced. "What do we do? If they board, we're finished…"
"Let's wait. Maybe they won't find anything," Sanji said, serious.
"There are over a thousand cannons aimed at us," Shin'ya muttered, scanning the area. "If things go south, it won't be easy."
Drake and his Marines boarded the ship and began inspecting thoroughly.
"Apologies. If there's any misunderstanding, we'll correct it," Drake said politely.
After a full inspection, they found nothing suspicious—no flags, no weapons on deck, no clear pirate markings.
Just as Nami started to relax, Jonathan narrowed his eyes.
"Wait, Drake. Lower their sails. Let's have a look."
Before anyone could stop him, Drake pulled the rope—unfurling the Straw Hat flag in full view.
Jonathan's eyes widened. "So it's you... the Straw Hat Pirates."
"I knew something felt off."
"You infiltrated G-8 Fortress through the sky. That's impressive. Few can even approach this fortress, yet you dropped in like ghosts... and pretended to be tourists?"
"Well played," he sneered. "Now that your identities are confirmed—what's your next move?"
Nami groaned, "Stop with the dramatic speech! We really were swept up into the sky!"
"I don't buy it," Jonathan replied flatly. Then he raised his hand. "All hands—prepare to fire! Do not let the Straw Hats escape! Sink their ship! I'll handle their strongest fighter personally!"
But just as the cannons began to power up, Shin'ya stepped forward, holding a Den Den Mushi wearing a dog-head hat. "Wait! Before you go blasting us to pieces, maybe answer this call."
Everyone paused.
From the Den Den Mushi came a voice—calm, familiar, unmistakable.
Garp.
"Jonathan, is that you? It's Garp. Listen carefully. Under no circumstances should G-8 Fortress engage those kids. If you try to fight that brat Shin'ya, I guarantee this fortress will be leveled in seconds. I'll explain everything to Sengoku. Just let them go."
Jonathan broke into a sweat. His eyes bulged as his pride cracked.
"But… Vice Admiral Garp, if I just let them leave, G-8's reputation—my reputation—will be ruined! I've spent years building it up!"
Onboard, the crew finally exhaled a bit. Nami smirked.
"Maybe you should've thought about the fact you might lose."
Jonathan glared at her. "This isn't about winning or losing—it's about dignity! If word gets out we let pirates escape without a fight, my entire legacy goes up in smoke!"
From behind, Usopp whispered, "So… you'd rather the whole fortress get blown up than admit defeat?"
Shin'ya stepped forward again. "Just let us go. No one's going to talk. It's night—no one will see us leave."
Jonathan gritted his teeth. Then sighed.
"Sigh... Alright. Lower the alert. Open the sea gate. Let them leave."
With a few shouted orders, the weapons retracted. Spotlights dimmed.
The Straw Hats exhaled in relief.
Shin'ya grinned. "Thank you, Vice Admiral Jonathan! Luffy, let's go!"
"Sanji, turn the ship around. We're leaving!" Nami said, eyeing the Den Den Mushi in Shin'ya's hand with gratitude.
"Got it, Nami-swan~!" Sanji replied, quickly adjusting the rudder.
Nami smiled and whispered, "Old man Garp really is something. If it weren't for him, we'd be toast."
On the line, Garp chuckled. "Don't butter me up, you brats. Just behave. Especially you, Luffy. Stop dragging my name through the mud. I've got things to handle—see ya."
"Wait, Vice Admiral Garp!" Shin'ya interrupted. "Let's meet up in Water 7. I need your help. It'll benefit you too."
Garp paused. "Water 7, huh…? Alright. I'll be there in two days. You better not waste my time."
Shin'ya smiled. "Deal!"
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