Chapter 9: The Adjudicator's Arrival
"I am Ian of the East Blue Marine 1st Division."
"Immediately turn your bow, open your communication channel, and accept a Marine inspection. Failure to comply with East Blue Sea Arbiter shipping regulations will be at your own risk!"
"Repeating! Immediately turn your bow, open... at your own risk!"
...The loudspeaker was at full power, and the loud shouts, transmitted through the receiver, were heard clearly by Tina and the surrounding soldiers.
The moment the Den Den Mushi's line went dead, a stunned silence fell across Tina's warship. It was broken by Morek's strangled whisper. "He... he just threatened to board and search a Shichibukai's vessel. He's signed our death warrants!"
Cold dread washed over Tina. He knew. Ian knew exactly what that flag meant, and he had chosen to provoke them anyway. "The fool!" she seethed, her fists clenching. "His East Blue fame has blinded him! Morek, close the distance! Full speed!"
Her order was born of pure necessity. Ian wasn't just some reckless Captain; he was a propaganda piece, the Navy's newest "star," and she would be held responsible if he was shattered against a Warlord's hull before even reaching Headquarters.
Meanwhile, on the pirate ship, the crew's mocking laughter had curdled into bristling indignation.
"Did that Navy dog just order us to submit to an inspection?" a pirate snarled, his cutlass already half-drawn.
"Boss Gladius, let's blast them out of the water!" another shouted.
From the midst of the agitation, Gladius stepped forward, his expression one of profound boredom. "Jock Ian... The 'Adjudicator of the Sea,'" he mused, his voice a low rumble. "So, a little fame has made you reckless." A contemptuous smirk played on his lips. "Hold your fire. Bring us closer. I'll deal with this personally."
He rolled his shoulders, the intricate metal mechanisms on his arms clicking softly. The surrounding pirates grinned, eager for the show.
Aboard Ian's vessel, the response to the pirates' approach was not to ready the cannons, but to enact a bizarre, pre-planned drill.
"Heave! Two! Heave!"
Dozens of sailors strained, muscles bulging as they dragged a massive, custom-built catapult to its full, groaning tension. In its pouch sat Ian, cross-legged and perfectly calm.
"Nami," he called out, his voice casual. "Status report. Are they heeding our request?"
From her perch in the rigging, Nami lowered her telescope, her face pale. "No, Captain! They're coming straight for us!"
Ian simply nodded. He adjusted his position. "On my mark! Prepare for launch!"
The ropes groaned.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"LAUNCH!"
With a tremendous TWANG, the catapult released. Ian became a human projectile, a black silhouette arcing across the sky in a breathtaking, parabolic flight. It was a method far more discreet than using the Navy's advanced Geppo technique, and perfectly suited for a swift, decisive assault.
BOOM!
He landed squarely amidships on Gladius's vessel. The impact was explosive, shuddering through the timbers and sending pirates stumbling. As the dust settled, all eyes fixed on the lone figure now standing nonchalantly on their deck.
"What was that?! A person?!"
"He flew from their ship!"
"Is he a Devil Fruit user?"
The Adjudicator had arrived.
(End of Chapter 9)