"Look, I feel like I've said this many times already, Fleet Admiral Kuzan? Don't you think you're using me a little too conveniently? I may be a Shichibukai, but I'm still a Pirate, you know?"
"But you don't really have much of that self-awareness or pride, do ya? Well, no, I do feel bad about relying on you too much, honestly... but we're seriously shorthanded here."
A Den Den Mushi call from the Fleet Admiral of the Marines.
Listening to what the Fleet Admiral himself was telling me through it, I sat at my office desk and sighed. Didn't care that Fleet Admiral Kuzan could probably hear it through the Den Den Mushi.
"Even so, relying on a Shichibukai is problematic, isn't it? Our position isn't that of a 'fighting force' that moves on Government or Marine orders. We're more of a deterrent against Pirates who don't oppose the Government, a 'show card,' so to speak. In practice, none of the other Shichibukai listen to a thing you say anyway. Actually, I think it's about time I got a Marine rank or something. I've done enough work to earn one, haven't I?"
"Honestly, I sometimes think we could at least give you an honorary rank, one without any obligations or anything attached. I actually proposed it at a meeting the other day, but Tsuru-san got angry and said, 'What are you even talking about, you fool?'"
'You actually proposed that for real?'
"Three in favor, two abstentions, everyone else opposed. Shot down."
"Who on earth voted in favor?"
"Me, Garp-san, and Sengoku-san. Those two were raising their hands while laughing their heads off, just going along with it."
"Ugh... yeah, I can picture that."
Garp-san aside... I'd been to Marine Headquarters and Mary Geoise occasionally as a Shichibukai, so I knew, but Sengoku-san had really cut loose since retiring from the Fleet Admiral position. Enough for Tsuru-san to call him "that rice-cracker geezer."
...Wait, Sengoku-san retired, and he's still attending meetings?
If I remembered right, that person also held some kind of honorary position called "Grand Inspector" or something. Then again, he had trust built up from long years of military service, so it wouldn't be strange for him to get called in as an advisor now and then.
"Sigh... Fine, I understand. After I finish one errand today, I'll be free for a while, so if that works... um, what was it again?"
"I'd like you to keep an eye on things around the entrance to the New World. For about a month, not a single Rookie Pirate Ship came up, but over the past few days they've been popping up one after another, and the nearby Marine Base is swamped. I'll skip the details, but... apparently a lot happened on Fish-Man Island."
'Ah... so Luffy and the others got into a big fight on Fish-Man Island.'
If I recalled correctly, a group called the New Fish-Man Pirates, basically a rehash of Arlong, had staged an uprising, and Luffy's Crew were treated as heroes for helping stop it. And then... Princess Shirahoshi, was it? They befriended a beautiful young Mermaid princess, had a feast, and were sent off. Well, setting aside the Straw Hat Pirates for now.
And then the Pirates who'd been captured by those Fish-Men were released, and in a "yeehaw, we're free!" frenzy, they all rushed into the New World at once. Leaving the Marine Base scrambling to keep up.
"So you want me to help capture those Pirates?"
"No, that's clearly Marine duty. I mean, I'd appreciate the help, but... what I want from you is strictly vigilance. In case something bad goes down while the Marines are busy and stretched thin. Opportunists might start making moves, riding the chaos."
"Understood... within the scope of what I can do, alright? And I'm sorry to keep repeating myself, but Shichibukai are still Pirates at the end of the day, so please don't rely on us too much. We've got our own things going on, and there may be times we can't live up to your expectations."
"I know, I know... Actually, isn't that Smoker's line? Come to think of it, you know that guy too, right?"
Yeah, well... we were acquainted.
The first time we met was quite a long time ago. Back when I was a new writer and didn't even have a bounty yet, Smoker-san, still a petty officer at the time, had once served as my guard. Really nostalgic memory.
After I became a Shichibukai, we'd crossed paths several times at Marine Headquarters. On those occasions, he'd said things like, "I know you're not a bad person, but as long as you're a Pirate, I've got no intention of getting chummy," and "Shichibukai or not, a Pirate is a Pirate, through and through." Pretty much the same stance as in the Original Work. ...Going back twenty years now.
And Tashigi, his companion, had given me complicated looks too.
Maybe because I was a Pirate, even if a Shichibukai? After the Crocodile incident, it'd be hard to trust us completely. Well, to be fair, the Shichibukai were basically a collection of problem children to begin with.
Crocodile:
Schemed behind the scenes and attempted to overthrow a nation.
Teach:
Had ulterior motives from the moment he joined.
Doflamingo:
Used his position as a cover for being an Underworld Broker.
Hancock:
Would casually turn Marines to stone and plunder ships.
Moriah:
Openly stole Shadows from Marines too.
Jinbe:
Was secretly meeting with Whitebeard.
Mihawk:
Wouldn't cooperate, but wouldn't interfere either.
Buggy:
Wouldn't cooperate, but wouldn't interfere either.
...Including former members, there was nothing but problem children. The shocking truth that Hawk-Eye and Buggy were the most well-behaved of the lot.
There was technically one more, but... that person was still hard to figure out.
Kuma? His situation was fundamentally different, so he was excluded from the count.
Also, Tashigi's looks might have been about something else. I'd been collecting famous swords and blades recently, and she might have had something to say about that. Her dream was apparently to recover swords being used by villains.
The Floating Cloud, the Seven Star Sword, and the various other blades that had been offered up by subordinates and Territory affiliates, or given to me as birthday presents by my daughters, might all be targets in her eyes.
"Speaking of which, that Smoker is the biggest pain. He never listens and charges around everywhere he pleases... This time too, the second he found out Straw Hat was involved, he flew off. Honestly, he's made Vice Admiral now, you'd think he could settle down a little."
"I hear there's a certain Headquarters Vice Admiral who shows up to meetings with rice crackers in hand and openly dozes off. Want to talk about that?"
"Please don't. You'll leave me with nothing to say."
On the other end of the line, I could hear him murmuring nostalgically, "Come to think of it, that guy used to bolt out the door whenever he heard the name Roger too..."
Though the reason Smoker-san was so fired up right now was because of that very man's grandson.
"So anyway, just for a little while, could you keep an eye out? I think things should settle down soon, but... even without this whole mess, the waters under Smoker's jurisdiction have been a tricky area."
"? How so?"
"Over the past few years, there's been a spike in missing persons from maritime accidents and Pirate attacks... Children, especially. They've been putting out advisories, apparently, but..."
"That's... truly heartbreaking."
'...I see. My memory's fuzzy, but... something like that did happen in the Original Work.'
If I recalled correctly, they were actually kidnapping cases, but a Vice Admiral serving as Base Commander at a Marine Base... Vergo, was it? He'd been covering it all up. A stomach-churning story.
And that whole affair should tie into the next development in the Original Work.
If I was right, Luffy and the others' next destination was Punk Hazard.
In the Original Work, it was "the island that's half hot and half cold," but in this world, the big fight between Akainu and Aokiji had never happened.
That said, it wasn't as if nothing at all had occurred. But... well, that was a story for another time.
Still, if that was the case, then...
'It means Law is finally going to start making his move... most likely.'
Now then, aside from the state of the island, there were other differences from the Original Work: Law wasn't a Shichibukai, and there were changes in Doflamingo's connections and circle. How things would unfold from here was anyone's guess.
This was something I'd need to keep a close watch on regardless, without needing to be told.
After tentatively accepting Fleet Admiral Kuzan's request, it wasn't long before a knock came at my door. When I answered, "Come in,"
"Excuse me, Lady Sue."
The one who entered was a beautiful girl.
Light brown hair, straight and long without any wave or curl. She wore an outfit reminiscent of a business suit an office lady might wear. Combined with her sharp, capable air, she looked every bit the brilliant career woman.
...And in fact she was brilliant, handling the duties of something like my personal secretary.
But the most striking thing about her was that she had the same face as me. More precisely, the same face I'd had when I was around twenty.
Her name was Yu. She wasn't actually human.
She was a Homies, a birthday present from my daughters.
When they'd presented me with something that wasn't human yet looked indistinguishable from a human girl, I'd been absolutely floored. But by now, she was a dependable subordinate.
So, what business did this capable subordinate of mine have?
"I'm afraid I have unfortunate news. The meeting with Supreme Advisor Shiki that was scheduled for today has been suddenly canceled, as he is feeling unwell."
"Again!? Oh, come on... that's the third time now. I'm starting to feel like he's deliberately avoiding me. Not that I'm accusing him of faking it or anything. Well then, what about the questions I sent ahead of time? Did he at least respond to those?"
"Regarding those as well, he says he will address them at a rescheduled meeting at a later date."
"Oh, is that so... Good grief."
Maybe it was my imagination, but I was getting a headache. Honestly, Papa was always, always slipping and sliding around like this. Enough with the evasion already.
On this matter, I wouldn't back down even if my opponent was Papa.
Letting out a large sigh to vent my frustration, I stood up, pressing and massaging the bridge of my nose.
Right, then. I'd had plans, but now I was suddenly free. In that case, I could get started right away on watching over those waters. Just as Fleet Admiral Kuzan had requested.
After reorganizing my schedule, maybe I'd head out on Patrol as a change of pace.
'After all... things are going to start moving soon enough, and I need to be ready for when "that time" comes. I don't know exactly how I'll need to respond, but if I'm going to rush somewhere, closer is better. In fact, this works out perfectly. Fleet Admiral Kuzan's request gives me the perfect excuse.'
Now, I didn't know exactly when Luffy and the others would enter the Punk Hazard Arc, but I needed to prepare so I could act the moment things started moving.
Once it began, things were going to get busy for a while.
"Yu, my plans fell through, so I'm going to head out. Get things ready, please."
"Understood. Shall I have someone from the Retainers accompany you?"
"Ask Blume to come along. Other than that, I just need you and Lou. Leave the daughters and Beauty to hold down the fort."
"Understood. However, Alice-sama appears to have gone out and is not currently here."
"Really? Well, if that's the case, it can't be helped. I'll leave it to you, then."
* * *
"Sorry about this, Dr. Indigo... putting you through all this trouble."
"That's something we promised we wouldn't talk about, Big Boss. ...We really don't have time for these little charades, so please just rest properly."
Meanwhile, in Shiki's private quarters...
Having wrapped up his work earlier than planned, Shiki lay in his bedroom, propped up against the headboard, talking with Dr. Indigo. His voice lacked its usual force, and he coughed intermittently.
"Any pain? Difficulty breathing?"
"Both... but it's a bit worse than yesterday. Tch, to think that I, the man they called the Lion, has come to this... Getting old is a miserable thing. Pathetic, truly."
"All I can say is 'please don't push yourself'... For now, let's increase your medication by one level. It should ease the symptoms, but it will also put more strain on your body..."
"I don't care, I brought this on myself..."
He steadied his breathing with a deep breath after a coughing fit disrupted it, answering in the gaps between breaths. He kept the breaths moderate, since inhaling too deeply would overtax his lungs and set off another round of coughing.
"Ah, and what about today's meeting with Sue?"
"I declined on your behalf, as instructed. ...We're going to hear about it again, from Miss and from everyone else."
"Good grief, that idiot daughter of mine doesn't have a clue what I'm going through... *cough cough*!"
"...Let's have you lie down now. I'll have your medicine brought later. Make sure you take all of it."
"I'm not a child. I'm not going to throw a tantrum. ...Ah, that's right, Dr. Indigo, there was something I wanted to confirm before I sleep. Has anything come from Joker?"
"...No, nothing. Everything is the same as always."
"...I see. I'd have thought it would be about time."
With those final words, Shiki let himself fall back onto the bedding and closed his eyes.
Once Dr. Indigo confirmed that his chest was rising and falling steadily and his breathing had settled into a regular rhythm, he left the room, which at this point could hardly be called anything but a sickroom.
* * *
After their encounter with Parfait on Fish-Man Island, Luffy and the others departed, seen off by Shirahoshi and her companions.
Despite various incidents along the way, they successfully surfaced and set forth into the New World.
Shortly after, the Straw Hat Pirates would advance to the stage of their next adventure.
Following a Distress Signal they picked up at sea, the island where they made landfall was called Punk Hazard.
However, this island was somewhat different from the one they were supposed to have landed on in the original course of history...
"It's freeeezing!! What's up with this island!?"
"Is this... a Winter Island? Even so, the wind is awfully strong."
As they drew closer, it became clear: the island was blanketed in snow and ice, gripped by intense cold.
Even from a distance, the entire island was visibly covered in snow and ice. On top of that, fierce winds blew relentlessly from the island's interior outward toward its edges. They swept up the falling snow, whipped the accumulated snow off the ground, and transformed it all into a brutal blizzard.
Furthermore, chunks of drift ice of varying sizes floated around the island, carried by currents stirred up by the gale, practically assaulting any ship that approached. A hit to the hull could mean running aground or even sinking, depending on the size.
But Luffy and the others weren't about to be deterred by that.
After weaving through the drift ice and getting as close as they could, Nami used her techniques to create a path of clouds, through which the Exploration Team infiltrated the island. Meanwhile, the group remaining on the Sunny would search for a place to dock, rescue whoever had been sending the Distress Signal, then rendezvous with the Exploration Team to escape the island together. That was the plan.
Naturally, given that they were entering a sub-zero island, Luffy and the rest of the Exploration Team had properly equipped themselves with cold-weather gear before heading out.
"All right... Let's get moving too. If we stay here, sooner or later we'll get hit by drift ice."
"The Sunny ain't gonna lose to some drift ice... but I don't much like the idea of letting her get scratched up for nothing either. Still, with this much ice floating around, is there even anywhere we can dock?"
"There are people on the island itself, so there has to be a usable port somewhere... I'd like to think. Still, this cold cuts to the bone... well, I say bone, but I'm nothing but bones and have no body to speak of! Yohohoho!"
"I'm fine, but... yeah, the wind and cold seem even harsher than in Drum Kingdom. Plus, the wind on this island blows from inside out, there's drift ice everywhere... It's almost like the island is telling us to stay away."
"True... but hey, this is the New World. Islands like this come with the territory."
The group remaining on the Sunny began moving once the Mini Merry II carrying Luffy's Exploration Team disappeared from sight. They navigated through gaps in the drift ice, smashing through obstacles when necessary, and pressed forward.
Incidentally, though this was something none of them could possibly know, Punk Hazard had only become this frozen island about one year ago.
Before that, Punk Hazard had been a wasteland, its ground rotted and lifeless from poison.
Some time after a certain battle that took place there, or perhaps a sparring match, or perhaps a funeral rite, the island became blanketed in snow and ice.
Not merely a Winter Island. The wind, the snow, the currents, the drift ice, everything seemed to say "do not approach this island," "do not desecrate this ground." A place guarded by the ultimate cold of rejection.
...The final battle that occurred before this island became one of snow and ice. The man who fell there.
His grave was not on this island, but as the stage of that final battle, this place held a special meaning for those who had admired him. Some felt as though the cold was protecting it, telling intruders not to defile this ground. Mostly Marines, it was said.
But to repeat: for Luffy and the others, who were Pirates with no particular connection to any of this and no special knowledge of those circumstances, this was a story they had no way of knowing.
To be continued...