Loguetown Marine Base.
Click.
Captain Nezumi placed the receiver back onto the Den Den Mushi, his eyes fixated on the oil painting hanging on the wall, momentarily lost in thought.
If the intelligence brought back by those deserters was accurate, it meant that "Iron Fist" Hepody had also fallen at the hands of "Deep Sea Reaper" Davy Jones.
Previously, Captain "Axe-Hand" Morgan of a local Marine branch had already been eliminated. Now, even a Marine Headquarters officer like Hepody was dead. This clearly demonstrated how dangerously vicious Davy Jones was.
He didn't care what your rank in the Navy was—he wouldn't show mercy just because you were an officer, nor did he care about the consequences his actions might provoke.
Captain Nezumi swallowed nervously, tucked the Den Den Mushi back into his coat, and walked down the corridor, eyes darting restlessly, back toward the main conference hall.
Inside the war room, two rows of tables lined the chamber, separated by a long table in the center. The commanding officers of various East Blue Marine branches were all present, engaged in a heated discussion about the situation surrounding Davy Jones.
Captain Nezumi, as the commanding officer of the 16th Branch, sat to the left of Captain Lippa(OC) of the 153rd Branch and to the right of Captain Bling (OC) of the 77th Branch.
The 153rd Branch had originally been commanded by Captain Morgan. After his fall, Lippa was promoted to captain and had taken over as acting commander.
It was clear that if he performed well in the upcoming suppression operation, his current role would likely become permanent.
As for Bling, the commanding officer of the 77th Branch, he was a Rear Admiral—a rank above Nezumi—and his jurisdiction bordered Nezumi's, making them fairly familiar with each other. Bling was known to be a warm and enthusiastic person.
Technically, Bling could've claimed a seat further up in the hierarchy due to his rank, but because he had personal business with Nezumi, he'd swapped seats temporarily.
"Captain Nezumi," Bling greeted with a warm smile, seeing the thin-mustached officer return. "You must be quite busy, huh? Even in a meeting, you're stepping out to take calls."
"Oh no, not at all," Nezumi quickly replied, not daring to slack off. He hurried to sit down and poured tea for Bling with a sycophantic smile. "Just a minor matter, nothing serious."
He had no intention of bringing up Hepody's death just yet.
Bling went straight to the point: "I wouldn't normally concern myself with the affairs of other districts, but I've recently heard some rather disturbing rumors."
"Rumors?" Nezumi looked up in surprise.
Captain Lippa also heard the comment, but as a newcomer in the room, he didn't feel it appropriate to interrupt. He picked up his tea to hide both his curiosity and discomfort.
"I heard that a group of fish-men entered your jurisdiction," Bling said loudly enough for those nearby to hear, "and have occupied more than twenty villages and towns, doing whatever they please!"
Nezumi shivered at those words, a chill running down his back. His hand, mid-pour, trembled so much that the tea nearly spilled over the edge of the cup.
"Where… where did you hear such wild rumors?"
"This is no mere rumor!" Bling declared passionately. "Several civilians who fled from that area told me firsthand of the horrors happening there! I even heard one town was completely burned to the ground!"
Damn it, Arlong!
I told you to keep a low profile! You're going to get me killed!
Nezumi cursed inwardly, his entire body tense with anxiety. His eyes darted around as he tried to maintain a façade of ignorance.
"That… such things actually happened? My district is vast; it's possible I overlooked something. After this operation against Davy Jones, I'll personally investigate the situation."
"An investigation won't be enough!" Bling countered righteously. Of course, he had no idea Nezumi was colluding with pirates—he was simply being thorough. "Fish-men are an exceptionally strong race. If they're indeed present, then our districts should join forces for a joint suppression operation—just like the one we're planning now against Davy Jones. After all, they're fish-men too, and should be dealt with accordingly."
A joint suppression operation?
If he really enters Cocoyasi Village, everything I've hidden for years will be exposed!
Nezumi's heart pounded wildly. He frantically thought of ways to deflect or delay the plan. Fortunately, Bling gave him an out at that very moment.
"Captain Nezumi, let's discuss this matter later," the purple-haired Rear Admiral with the oddly-styled hair said, gesturing toward the head of the table. "It seems the meeting's about to begin."
Nezumi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly.
Captain Lippa, seated nearby, silently observed the exchange. He took note of Nezumi's odd behavior, but couldn't quite guess the reason behind it.
After all, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't imagine that a Marine branch captain would dare to collude with pirates—especially here in the East Blue, the homeland of the hero Garp.
As the doors to the conference hall opened, the room gradually quieted down.
A figure took the seat at the head of the table—but surprisingly, it wasn't Vice Admiral Garp. Instead, it was Loguetown's Marine Headquarters Captain, "Smoker the White Hunter."
Apparently, Vice Admiral Garp had not yet arrived at Loguetown. Not wanting to delay the suppression mission, he had entrusted the meeting to Smoker.
Everyone present was already aware of this arrangement, so no one objected to Smoker taking the lead.
With his slicked-back white hair, Smoker instinctively reached into his coat and pulled out two cigars, about to light them on the spot.
But just then, Captain Hina, seated nearby, coughed a few times and stared pointedly at the tabletop without saying a word.
Smoker scowled but begrudgingly put the cigars away, placing both hands on the table. "I don't like formalities, and I hate long-winded speeches. Let's get to the point. First, we'll review the intel on Davy Jones and his crew."
"Hina agrees," the pink-haired Marine Captain crossed her arms, raised her chin slightly, and pushed her sunglasses up onto her bangs.
Smoker and Hina were both officers from Marine Headquarters and held the highest ranks among those present. The rest were East Blue branch commanders, so naturally, they deferred to the authority of the two.
Even Rear Admiral Bling, who held a high rank locally, was still beneath Smoker and Hina in the Marine HQ hierarchy.
Smoker turned toward the side door of the conference room. "Now, Marine Headquarters Petty Officer Tashigi will give a briefing on Davy Jones' crew."
Shortly afterward, a young woman with short hair entered through the door. She bowed deeply toward the wall. "Greetings, officers. I'm Hina, under Captain Smoker's command. I'll now present—"
"Idiot," Smoker cut her off gruffly. "Why are you bowing to the wall? Put on your glasses!"
"Ah!" Hina scrambled to pull a pair of glasses from her breast pocket and quickly put them on. Upon realizing she'd bowed to an oil painting on the wall, she hurriedly turned to face the officers, bowing repeatedly in apology. "Sorry, sorry!"
"Just continue," Smoker sighed, his hand twitching toward his mouth before he remembered he hadn't lit a cigar. His face darkened in frustration.
Thinking it was her fault he was upset, Hina grew nervous but pressed on. She walked to the front of the room, took a deep breath, and began sticking photos onto a whiteboard while reading from the documents.
"This is 'Iron Mace' Alvida. Bounty: 15 million Berries." Tashigi adjusted her glasses. "According to reliable intelligence, she consumed the Smooth-Smooth Fruit she obtained through the black market, resulting in a change in appearance."
As everyone flipped through the bounty handouts in front of them, their expressions turned grim at the stark contrast between Alvida's old and new images.
"This isn't a 'change in appearance'," someone muttered. "She's like a completely different person."
Hina continued, "This is 'Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans.' Bounty: 16 million Berries. He faked his death three years ago, deceiving everyone."
Kuro's fake death was tied directly to how Captain Morgan was promoted—along with the higher-ups at Marine HQ who had endorsed him. It was a disgraceful scandal, and everyone in the room avoided the subject.
Except Smoker, who sneered and tossed the report onto the table, revealing the familiar face of Morgan on the page.
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