Chapter 34: The Dawn Pirates, Move Out!
The officers and newly arrived Marines spent the entire afternoon settling in and familiarizing themselves with the base's daily operations.
…
3:00 AM.
Poke. Poke.
"Commodore Ian... pssst!"
"Commodore Ian, it's time to get up..."
"It's time..."
Nami leaned over the bedside, gently shaking Ian awake.
Ian rubbed the sleep from his eyes and squinted at the clock on the wall. "Drank a bit too much. I didn't expect that Sabaody booze to be so strong. I actually slept this long." He stretched, his mind clearing. "Nami, you're right on time. Is everything ready?"
He threw the covers back and paused. "Wait a second... who took my clothes off?" He looked down. "And whose leopard-print underwear is this?!"
Before he could scrutinize it further, Nami snatched the garment away, hiding it behind her back, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson. Looking at her flustered expression and trying to piece together the hazy memories from before he'd passed out...
Ian reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Hey... thanks for taking care of me, Nami. Go back to your room and get ready. Bring everything you need. I'll get dressed, gather my gear, and meet you at the rendezvous point right away."
Nami, her face still burning, picked up a set of Ian's brown casual clothes from a nearby chair. "Your clothes are right here, Commodore Ian. And... this is my room."
Ian scratched his head, chagrined. "Did I really drink that much?"
After a quick, ten-minute wash-up and preparation, the two of them slipped out of the naval base under the cover of the quiet night. They arrived at the pre-arranged giant tree in Grove 1, where Peacock, Skylark, and T. Peng were already waiting, each carrying a bubble-wrapped bag containing the gear for tonight's operation.
"Ian's here!"
"Commodore Ian, we thought you'd gotten lost!"
"Commodore Ian, are we beginning the operation?"
The three greeted him with hushed, anxious voices. Ian immediately raised a palm, signaling for quiet.
"From this moment on, no one uses ranks," he whispered. "Our new codenames were briefed earlier. Refer to me by mine only. Understood?"
The four of them nodded.
Ian had laid out the entire plan and the required preparations clearly beforehand. He looked at Skylark. "First step, everyone changes into their new gear. Skylark, how are the preparations?"
"As long as it's roughly the same and gets the point across, it's fine!" she replied, her fists clenched with excitement. "I mean—no, no! Captain Shuke! The cloaks you asked for are ready! Thanks to Nami—I mean, thanks to Sister Beta's designs, we were able to make them so quickly!"
Their new identities were set:
Ian: Codenamed "Shuke."
Nami: Codenamed "Beta."
Peacock: Codenamed "Tom."
Skylark: Codenamed "Jerry."
T. Peng: Codenamed "Page."
Skylark pulled a package from her bubble bag and distributed brand new, dark-colored cloaks to everyone. Combined with their dark, form-fitting casual wear and the accompanying masks, their transformation for the night's work was complete.
Since the Navy had no jurisdiction over the auction house, they would use a "thief catching a thief" approach—they would pose as pirates and rob the robbers. When Ian had first proposed the plan, T. Peng had hesitated for a long time. Asking the staunchly upright Marine to disguise himself as a pirate and engage in underhanded tactics went against his very nature. But the goal—saving innocent lives—had ultimately won out.
To sell their pirate disguise, they needed a striking emblem. Ian had tasked Skylark with creating some skull patches to stick on the back of their cloaks.
But when he received his cloak, Ian was stunned.
"These are... embroidered? All of them are embroidered! Oh my goodness... Skylark, this craftsmanship!" He held it up, examining the intricate design. "What is this pattern? It's like a work of art!"
Skylark pointed proudly at the emblem. "This is something Sister Beta and I designed together. The elements are based on everyone's weapons. The skeleton's frame is a sword. The shapes on the left and right are guns. The curved part in the front is a clima-tact, and the circles around it are a coiled whip." She then pointed to the central skull. "And for the leader... Sister Beta designed a skull wearing sunglasses, based on your facial features!"
Ian: "!!!"
He'd asked for simple pirate stickers, and they'd delivered a full graphic design portfolio.
"And the elements behind the skull? What's with the... orange helmet?" Ian asked, pointing.
Skylark didn't answer, instead looking at Nami. This part had been Nami's idea.
"That's the sunlight before the dawn!" Nami explained, her eyes shining. "Didn't the Captain say this operation must be completed before sunrise? I thought... if we're creating a fictional pirate crew, it should at least have a name. Since you didn't give it one, I took the liberty of coming up with one... The Dawn Pirates!"
The Dawn Pirates.
Somehow, between the two of them, they had managed to create something that looked genuinely legitimate.
"Alright then..." Ian swirled his cloak and threw it over his shoulders. An inexplicable warmth seemed to flow from the embroidered emblem on his back.
Seeing their captain suited up, the other four immediately followed, donning their own cloaks and masks. Once they were all disguised, Ian stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the dark path ahead.
"Everyone," he said, his voice low and firm. "Dawn Pirates... prepare for action. Follow my lead, and give it your all!"
In unison, they responded, "Yes, Captain!"
Late at night.
Grove 1, Human Auction House.
The area was peaceful, the silence broken only by the soft pop of soap bubbles rising from the ground.
Then, a loud BOOM! shattered the nocturnal tranquility.
End of Chapter