Side: Third-person perspective
"So… even with you there, she still got away, Vice Admiral Bastille."
"I deeply apologize, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. You may punish me as you see fit."
"No. It's fine… This was the result of multiple unforeseen factors piling on top of each other. And besides—Crocodile and the other key prisoners were escorted safely. That much was accomplished."
Marineford—an island town located not far from the Sabaody Archipelago, near the midpoint of the Grand Line.
There stood Marine Headquarters, the central pillar of justice's military power across the world.
Inside one of its rooms, the man who held the highest rank within the Marines—Sengoku the Buddha, Fleet Admiral—listened to his subordinate's report through a Den Den Mushi.
Originally, Sengoku had gone in person, leading warships to the detention facility, because of the prisoner being transported.
The prime suspect of the attempted coup in the Kingdom of Alabasta… the former President of the secret criminal organization Baroque Works… and a former Shichibukai—
Pirate Sir Crocodile.
However, upon arrival, they were forced into combat against Baroque Works remnants who had come to reclaim Crocodile and several other members—along with an outside collaborator.
From Bastille's perspective, there was no issue with the engagement itself. He had suspected a rescue attempt from the beginning, and that was precisely why he had moved early—to prevent it.
The problem was the collaborator they fought there…
Sue, the "Pirate Literary Master."
After clashing with her, they failed to capture Sue—and they also let the Baroque Works remnants aligned with her escape. Worse, those remnants succeeded in taking back some of the members already confined within the facility.
It was certainly fortunate that the ringleader Crocodile—and some of the executive-class prisoners—had, for reasons unknown, refused to flee and remained inside. And securing two additional members could be called a small consolation…
But even so.
"For more than ten years, she didn't cause any major incidents… If anything, it sounded like she'd even stepped away from the Grand Line. Why would the moderate 'Pirate Literary Master' resurface now…?"
"I cannot confirm the truth of it, sir, but… it appears she had a personally close connection among the Baroque Works remnants, or possibly within the organization itself. She aided the retrieval operation in support of that person."
"Then we'll investigate. The real issue is that you let her escape… No—more precisely… it's that someone with your capability couldn't capture her."
"…This may sound like I'm making excuses, but her bounty is clearly not proportionate to her actual strength. I strongly recommend an immediate update."
Even in raw swordsmanship alone, she fought on equal footing with a Headquarters Vice Admiral. On top of that, her mastery of her Pasa-Pasa Fruit ability—shifting seamlessly between offense and defense—was beyond exceptional.
And above all else…
She possessed combat-level Haki.
In the first half of the Grand Line, most people didn't simply fail to use Haki—they didn't even know it existed. The ability to wield it was often cited as one of the benchmarks for whether someone could survive in the New World.
When a person with strong fundamentals gained Haki, their strength didn't just increase—it multiplied. It wasn't uncommon for bounties to shoot straight past the hundred-million threshold as a result.
And that was exactly why Bastille's report carried weight.
Bastille—who could normally overpower even 100–200 million bounty targets alone—had still taken a number of injuries, not fatal but far from negligible. Even his prized greatsword, the Shark-Cutter Cleaver, had been damaged badly enough that it didn't merely need sharpening…
It needed reforging.
After that, Bastille added several more details over the Den Den Mushi.
Sengoku listened, then concluded calmly.
"I see… Understood. We'll review those matters on our side as well. You've done well, Vice Admiral Bastille. Once your escort mission is completed, return to Headquarters."
"Yes, sir! Then I'll take my leave!"
The Den Den Mushi went silent.
Sengoku leaned back into his chair with a deep exhale.
"'Pirate Literary Master,' huh… If she could have stayed moderate—kept her head down, stirred no waves—that would have made things much easier."
His gaze drifted toward the bookshelf in his office.
Among military manuals and tactical texts befitting a high-ranking Marine, there were several popular novels—light, mass-market stories.
And among them were books written by Sue herself.
'A Battle at Sea Without Mercy'
'Roar Across the Ocean'
'From the Northern Sea'
Strictly speaking, it might be improper for a Marine to keep pirate-authored books on his shelf.
But there was no subversive propaganda inside them—no dangerous ideology. They were simply… entertaining stories. Some had even been recommended or gifted by his subordinates, and he'd read them in passing.
In the first place, Sengoku had read Sue's books long before she ever became wanted. He also knew the true reason a bounty had been placed on her head.
So while he would never say it openly, he hadn't removed them. They remained right there, and sometimes—when the mood struck—he still picked one up.
Burning them, throwing them away… he understood how pointless that would be. It would change nothing. It would only be empty.
…But the world, and the Marines' banner of "justice," did not always think the same way.
One of Sengoku's own subordinates held an especially severe creed—one that was harsh, thorough, and for that very reason, powerfully supported by many:
"Eradicate evil from the level of possibility."
There were moments when justice was forced to move according to such thinking. Sengoku knew that. He had witnessed it, time and again.
Sometimes, even when the person involved had no intention of wrongdoing… even when the person could do nothing about what they were…
The world still labeled it "evil," and punishment became unavoidable.
For example—
"Given her origins, the concern was always there. We didn't publicize it, per the Government's intent, to prevent confusion… but if she continues to raise a hand against us, we'll have no choice but to respond appropriately."
Sengoku glanced out the window.
The sky wasn't perfectly cloudless—but it was a clear, vivid blue. Sunlight poured down without hesitation.
Seeing that open, unobstructed expanse gave him, strangely, a sense of relief.
He turned back to his desk.
☆
(Sue's POV)
As for the outcome of the rescue operation…
The one Marianne and the others later named "Operation Meet Baroque."
Overall, you could say it was a success.
But it also left a bitter aftertaste.
From the detention facility, we managed to save Miss Doublefinger, Miss Merry Christmas, Mr. 4, and his beloved… dog? gun? Lassoo—plus Bon-chan's subordinates.
But we failed to save Mr. 0, Sir Crocodile, and Mr. 1, Daz Bonez.
Actually, it sounds like those two refused to break out on purpose—because they "weren't in the mood."
…I can't say I didn't see the possibility coming, but still—why?
Well, that's probably some kind of personal value system only they understand. No point trying to unpack it.
On top of that, Bon-chan—who stayed behind as the rear guard during our escape—was captured by the Marines.
And somehow Mr. 3 also got caught (when, where, how… I have absolutely no idea).
So yes—we succeeded in rescuing three people and one "pet," plus several dozen subordinates…
But in exchange, four people—including the two newly captured—remained imprisoned.
And we only learned the full picture later, because the newspaper ran a massive headline:
"CROCODILE AND THREE OTHERS—TRANSFER TO IMPEL DOWN CONFIRMED."
Ironically, it lined up with the original story.
Back when Luffy infiltrated Impel Down… the people who helped him then were, just like canon, now gathered inside the Great Prison again.
…I don't know whether I'm supposed to be happy about that.
Anyway.
Enough about the people we couldn't save—or the people who didn't even want saving.
Next… the ones who did make it out.
After everything was over, Marianne and the others came to me with something serious.
They said:
They wanted to become stronger.
When I asked what brought this on, the answer was painfully straightforward.
We escaped—but not because of their strength.
Because they were helped.
I stalled Vice Admiral Bastille.
Honey stalled Captain T-Bone.
Bon-chan stalled Captain Hina.
And while those monsters were held back, the others shoved aside the rank-and-file Marines and ran.
Looking back on it…
From beginning to end, they'd been carried.
Honestly, even getting them to the island in the first place—yeah, I'd basically transported them myself. We did switch to a Marine ship after linking up with Bon-chan, but still.
Marianne, Mikita, and Gem spoke with their heads lowered, like they couldn't bear to look up.
"We couldn't do anything on our own."
Zala, Drophy, Babe, and Bon-chan's rescued subordinates felt the same.
They escaped… but they left Bon-chan behind.
They couldn't save him (or her).
They regretted it so much their voices shook when they talked about it.
And they said they didn't want it to ever happen again.
They said they wanted to be strong enough that someday—if the chance ever came—they could rescue Bon-chan and the others who were left behind.
To be honest, this kind of development—grief and regret turning into determination—is classic. It's the kind of thing I personally love.
But even if I love it… it doesn't mean I can train them full-time, day and night.
Still…
I wanted to help.
So after thinking it through, I decided to rely on Papa.
Even if Papa himself isn't the "mentor type"—when he trained me it was basically intuition and real combat drills—his organization has depth. Enough experienced people under him that I'm sure there's someone who could teach them properly.
Marianne's hypnosis is… honestly too specialized, so that might be tough, but—
Papa is always gathering capable people under his umbrella. And I figured these guys would pass his "standards."
Right now, they're probably mid-tier at best—even in the first half of the Grand Line.
But they clearly have room to grow. Enough that even I can tell many of them haven't brought out their true potential.
They're rough gems.
If they genuinely wanted power—and if they were okay placing themselves under Papa's banner…
Then maybe we could build a relationship that was meaningful for both sides.
I suggested it.
They hesitated… thought about it…
Then nodded.
After that, I went to Papa, explained everything, and he accepted them without issue.
So now, they're probably being trained by his people as we speak.
Of course, they'll also be helping with Papa's work and the things his pirates handle—no free rides in that world.
I plan to visit them from time to time.
And when I see them again… they might be stronger than they were before.
All of them.
…Still, the moment they heard the name "Papa," they were completely stunned.
That I had ties to someone like that.
Which is fair.
In terms of fame and sheer impact…
He's absolutely above Crocodile. No question.
And when they found out what kind of relationship I had with Papa—
They were even more shocked.
I don't blame them.
Honestly, even I think expecting anyone to predict that would be impossible.
Because for me…
And for Papa…
It was unexpected too.
From how we met, to how it ended up like this…
Every step of the way.
If I look back, it really did begin with something so small it could be called pure chance.
Was it "fate"?
Or was it just coincidence?
Or…
(Because Mama wished for it…? Yeah, right.)
Before I realized it, my thoughts drifted to that time.
The moment Papa and I met.
And the moment I learned about Mama.
Alright—then…
Flashback time!
To be continued...