A short while earlier, the night on the Sabaody Archipelago was starkly illuminated by the powerful searchlights of the Marine G-10 Branch harbor.
A pitch-black Marine warship, built with rigid, predatory lines, silently slipped into the port. Water droplets, still clinging to its hull and glistening coldly under the Moonlight, were a silent testament to its full-speed journey. The gangway was lowered, and two figures descended onto the dock.
Leading the pair was Akainu Sakazuki. His signature crimson suit seemed like a surging, contained flame in the night. Every heavy step he took made the wooden planks beneath his feet groan, straining under his immense, unseen power.
Following closely was Gion. She wore a standard Marine officer's coat, and her renowned sword, Gin, gently swung at her waist with her movements.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki! Vice Admiral Gion!"
Vice Admiral Relf, the commanding officer of the G-10 Branch, stood waiting with all his officers lined up stiffly. Fine beads of sweat gathered on his forehead in the glare of the searchlights. This officer, typically the picture of authority in his own branch, looked profoundly humble before the two elite Marineford Vice Admirals.
Sakazuki didn't spare Relf even a glance. His hawk-like gaze swept across the entire island before finally fixing on the direction of Area 13. The palpable tension in the air caused the nearby Marine soldiers to involuntarily hold their breath.
"That criminal known as Strange Tail Takuro," Sakazuki's voice was like molten lava, low and searing, erupting from the ground. "Where is he right now?"
"R-reporting, Vice Admiral Sakazuki!" Relf quickly wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "According to the most recent intelligence, he is currently at Shakky's Rip-off Bar in Area 13!"
"A bar?" Sakazuki's brow abruptly furrowed, and undisguised disgust surfaced on his stony, stern face. "Carousing in a bar? These scumbags of the sea are an absolute disgrace to this world."
He didn't utter another word, but suddenly moved, transforming into a blurred red afterimage as he sped towards Area 13. His speed was so tremendous that it created a small, localized whirlwind, causing Relf's coat to flap loudly.
"Oh, wait!" Gion sighed with a hint of helplessness, offering Relf an apologetic smile. "My apologies, my colleague is, shall we say, a little impatient."
She then turned gracefully, her long legs pushing off the ground slightly. She pursued him as lightly as a falling cherry blossom, yet her speed was in no way slow.
Relf and the officers left behind stared at one another, their faces registering disbelief.
"Did he just... head straight there?"
"Aren't they even going to draw up a battle plan?"
"Perhaps that's just the style of an elite Marineford Vice Admiral?"
...Meanwhile, inside Shakky's Rip-off Bar in Area 13, the atmosphere was relaxed and lively.
Takuro and Rayleigh clinked their glasses, and the empty bottles scattered before them had already piled up into a small mountain. Shakky, who was busy wiping glasses, watched helplessly as her valuable collection of liquor disappeared at an alarming rate.
"So, you Saiyans can genuinely survive in the vacuum of space?" Rayleigh inquired with deep interest, his fingers unconsciously twirling his glass.
"Of course we can," Takuro continued his 'Saiyan legend' without missing a beat. "On our Planet Vegeta, if you couldn't fight in a vacuum, you wouldn't be allowed to call yourself a warrior. It's basic for anyone above the Tier 1: Local Threats ranking."
Robin delicately sipped her black tea, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Tiger, on the other hand, was diligently recording these 'important pieces of information,' occasionally displaying a look of sudden profound realization, as if the concept of fighting in space was a revelation.
Suddenly, Takuro put down his glass, his brow slightly furrowed. "They're back again."
Almost the instant his words left his mouth, a rhythmic sequence of orderly footsteps and the clanking of metal echoed from outside the bar. A cold, authoritative voice then boomed from the doorway:
"Surround this place! Don't let a single fly escape!"
A flicker of clear annoyance crossed Takuro's face. "It's the middle of the night. Can't a person just enjoy a quiet drink?"
The very next second—
"Boom—!!!"
Accompanied by a deafening roar, the bar's wooden door, along with a large section of the entire wall, instantly disintegrated into dust. A searing, lava-red punch swept inside, raising the temperature of the bar instantly. Wood chips and dust billowed into the air, creating an eerie, glowing halo under the remaining lights.
The smoke and dust slowly settled, revealing two tall figures.
Sakazuki stood squarely in the center of the ruins, hot magma still slowly flowing on his right arm, dripping onto the floor with a chilling sizzle. His gaze, which felt like a tangible, crushing force, swept over every person in the bar before finally resting on Takuro, who remained seated without flinching.
"I hadn't expected... such an unexpected bonus," Sakazuki's voice was cold as iron.
He first glanced at Rayleigh, who was slowly rising to his feet, then to Robin positioned behind Takuro, before locking his gaze firmly on Takuro himself.
"Pluton Rayleigh... Devil Child Nico Robin... and Strange Tail Takuro..." With each name he pronounced, the killing intent emanating from him grew fiercer. The three individuals present were all powerful figures, easily ranking at the Tier 3: World-Class Powers or higher in this combined universe. "You scumbags of the sea, today you will all receive the judgment of absolute justice right here!"
"Wait, Sakazuki!" Gion quickly stepped forward to restrain him. "The orders from Marineford were to avoid a direct conflict as much as possible, if only to prevent the entire archipelago from being destroyed!"
At this critical moment, Takuro finally looked up, casually taking the measure of Sakazuki. "Who are you?"
Robin leaned in and whispered into his ear: "Master, he is Marineford Vice Admiral Akainu Sakazuki, a candidate for Admiral, just like Kizaru and Aokiji."
"Oh... it's the Marines again," Takuro nodded, as if a profound mystery had been solved. He then flashed a mocking smile. "Are you Marines planning to open a zoo? Akainu (Red Dog), Kizaru (Yellow Monkey), Aokiji (Blue Pheasant)... next, will there be a purple cat to complete your animal-themed roster?"
This outright mockery caused Rayleigh to let out a hearty laugh, and even Shakky's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Arrogant scum!" Sakazuki was incandescent with rage; the magma on his body began to bubble and boil violently. "When you go to hell, you can rest in peace forever, knowing that justice has been served!"
Gion cautiously observed Takuro. This was her first time seeing the legendary North Sea Emperor. Unlike the fierce, villainous pirate she had imagined, the black-haired young man in front of her looked surprisingly youthful and possessed an indescribably charismatic, self-assured aura.
But the tense atmosphere on the scene no longer allowed her the luxury of contemplation; she needed to bring the situation under control immediately.
"Please, everyone, just calm down!" Gion attempted to ease the situation once more. "We truly came here with no ill intentions!"
"No ill intentions?" Takuro raised a single eyebrow, his gaze drifting toward the still-smoking ruins of the wall. "But I see this red-suited uncle, his killing intent is practically overflowing. He's indiscriminately shouting death threats at me, a man who's merely trying to enjoy a drink. Is this what you call the code of the Marine?"
"A mere pirate, daring to comment on justice!" Sakazuki finally lost all pretense of restraint. "Get out of the way, Gion! This filth must be eliminated!"
"Wait a moment! Sakazuki!"
"Hellhound!!!"
Accompanied by an enraged roar, Sakazuki's right arm instantly swelled and transformed into a monstrous giant lava dog's head, which lunged toward Takuro with destructive, searing high heat. Wherever it passed, the air visibly warped, the wooden floor instantly carbonized to ash, and the entire bar seemed to be momentarily transformed into the antechamber of a volcanic hell.
In that very critical instant, Takuro remained seated as before, merely slowly raising the wine glass in his hand toward the charging attack.
"Boring..."
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