"Crrrk—"
Above the ruins of Mock Town, a bonfire roared to life.
Among the broken walls and scattered rubble, the Marines had cleared out an open space, turning it into a temporary encampment.
The flames licked the massive skeleton of a sea beast. Fat dripped into the fire, releasing sharp sizzling sounds.
Marines sat in circles, devouring chunks of food, their faces glowing with the satisfaction of being full.
"Mm…?"
Zoro slowly stirred awake.
The moment he sat up, a massive slab of roasted meat, golden brown and dripping with oil, was shoved in front of his face.
Sanji stood beside him, expression calm. "Eat."
He might hate this moss-headed idiot, but letting someone go hungry went against his pride as a chef.
"..."
Zoro grabbed the meat and tore into it ravenously.
The meat was tender and juicy, perfectly charred on the outside and bursting with flavor from just the right amount of spices. The taste alone seemed to revive his exhausted body.
After swallowing several bites, Zoro's thoughts finally drifted back to before he'd passed out.
That slash.
The slash into which he had poured his entire will and strength.
"Oi, curly-brow."
Zoro chewed on the meat as he mumbled, "That move I used before I blacked out… how'd it go?"
"Puff—"
Sanji silently lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply, and exhaled two streams of smoke from his nose.
He curled his lips, voice flat but dripping with sourness he couldn't quite hide.
"Commodore Hawke crushed it effortlessly… with just two fingers."
Sanji hesitated, clearly unwilling, but still added, "…But."
"The Commodore's evaluation of you went from 'not bad'… to 'pretty good.'"
"Heh."
Zoro chuckled softly.
To earn the recognition of a monster like Commodore Hawke…
That felt damn good.
"..."
Watching Zoro's smug expression, Sanji's fingers tightened around his cigarette unconsciously.
Why?
He had busted his ass off, nearly died out there, just to crawl his way from "Total Mess" to "not bad."
And yet moss-head here… instantly became "pretty good"?!
Was this still fair?!
"Something wrong?"
Noticing Sanji's darkening face, Zoro narrowed his eyes and teased,
"Total Mess."
"You bastard!"
Sanji exploded instantly, roaring at him,
"I'm 'not bad' now, okay?! 'Not bad'!"
"Hahaha."
Zoro laughed even harder.
"Not bad, huh."
He deliberately stretched out the words, then jabbed a thumb at his own chest.
"Well, I'm 'pretty good.'"
That single sentence was the final straw that shattered Sanji's fragile sanity.
"Ha—"
Sanji snatched the half-eaten slab of meat out of Zoro's hands and barked viciously,
"No more meat for you!"
"Starve to death!"
"Eh…?"
Zoro stared at his now-empty hands.
Shaking his head, he decided not to argue with the temperamental cook.
Dusting himself off, Zoro rose and gazed past the bonfire toward the figure at the center of the camp.
Then, without hesitation, he walked straight toward Hawke.
"Zoro?"
Sensing his approach, Hawke gestured to the empty spot beside him.
"Sit."
Zoro obeyed, sitting down. After a brief silence, he asked,
"Commodore, that slash before I passed out…"
"Mhm. That strike… was pretty good."
Hawke tore off a golden-brown roasted sea beast leg and tossed it over to him.
"You're already close to the level of a Headquarters Commodore. Your progress has been impressive."
"!!!"
Zoro caught the meat, his eyes flaring with sharp light.
Joining the Marines, he knew exactly what a Headquarters Commodore represented!
Officers at the Commodore level and above earned the right to wear the cloak of Justice!
Heh… next time he visited Shimotsuki Village, he'd make sure to stroll past those little brats while flaunting that cloak!
"Zoro, in terms of willpower, you're already exceptional."
Hawke continued his evaluation.
"As for swordsmanship… I only know the basics. With your kind of talent, I'd rather not give careless advice…"
"However…"
"Once we return to the branch, I can arrange a few good teachers for you."
Within the Marines, there was no shortage of master swordsmen.
Zoro was a rough diamond, and since he'd now fully pledged his loyalty, Hawke had no problem investing resources to polish him.
Yamakaji, for instance — an old friend of Hawke's. If he sent a few boxes of fine cigars over, it wouldn't be hard to get him to visit G-3 Branch and give Zoro some personal pointers.
Then there was Vice Admiral Momonga, G-1 Branch's base commander. Hawke hadn't met him yet, but with his growing connections at Headquarters, convincing him to help wouldn't be an issue either.
And even beyond that, there was Vice Admiral Gion one of the top candidates for Admiral and an elite female swordswoman.
"Thank you very much, Commodore Hawke."
Zoro bowed deeply.
"That's enough."
Hawke waved a hand dismissively.
"You're peers with that brat Dane, so when it's just us in private, just call me by name."
"..."
Zoro froze for a moment, then slowly looked up and locked eyes with Hawke.
In those deep, steady eyes, there wasn't a hint of empty courtesy — only genuine acknowledgment.
"Yes, Hawke-san!"
Zoro's response was sharp and unwavering, straight from the heart.
So this was the benefit of joining the Marines… of joining under Hawke-san's command.
Every step of progress he made was accurately assessed.
Every future path ahead of him would be guided by the strong.
This was a feeling the lone "Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro of East Blue had never experienced before.
A kindness…
Zoro didn't dwell on it. He sank his teeth into the roasted meat, tearing off a huge bite.
"Wmm—"
At that moment, a faint tremor rippled from deep underground.
The flames of the bonfire wavered unnaturally.
"Hm?"
Hawke cocked his head slightly, his sharp gaze snapping toward the pitch-black sea.
The sound of the waves had changed.
No longer the rhythmic crash against the shore — now it was a deep, thunderous roar, like some massive beast breathing beneath the ocean.
And then… the ground began to shake violently.
"RUMBLE—"
Far across the sea, under everyone's stunned gazes, the surface swelled unnaturally, arching upward into an enormous, towering water bulge!
That bulge rose higher and higher, as though some invisible giant hand beneath the sea was lifting the entire ocean upward!
"W-What the hell… is that?"
Marines scrambled to their feet, faces pale with confusion.
Zoro, Sanji, Smoker, and the others also stood, their expressions grim.
"All hands, prepare to board!"
Hawke's sharp voice cut through the chaos as he stared at the monstrous tidal surge. He turned, his gaze sweeping across every Marine present.
"..."
"Yes, sir!"
"RUMBLE—"
Before their eyes, the colossal bulge of water finally burst free from the sea's restraint, forming a massive, towering water pillar that pierced the heavens, tearing the sky apart with brutal force!
Knock Up Stream.
This was… the Knock Up Stream!
Standing at the prow of the massive warship, Hawke barked his order:
"Steer us straight toward that current! Get the ship over there, now!"
"..."
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