Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1503 - Late Autumn
The world had changed considerably over the past year.
At the end of 1502, the Marines had engaged the Whitebeard Pirates in a major battle on Spring Queen Island. The result had been a crushing defeat. Over thousands of Marines had perished, marking one of the worst losses in recent Marine history.
Shortly after that humiliation, Crocodile had attacked Whitebeard's territory in the New World, attempting to capitalize on the Emperor's exhaustion. Instead, he'd been soundly defeated and forced to flee with his tail between his legs. No one had seen or heard from him since. Whether he was dead or simply in hiding remained unknown.
Then, in early 1503, the World Government had announced the Seven Warlords of the Sea initiative.
The plan had sent shockwaves across the ocean. The Government intended to recruit seven powerful pirates and grant them legal authority to plunder under official sanction. It was unprecedented, audacious, and deeply controversial.
The entire Marine institution had resisted the policy vocally and bitterly. But in the end, it had been implemented anyway.
Interestingly, the policy's announcement had caused a brief lull in pirate activity. Many of the major players seemed to be waiting and watching, trying to determine if this was some kind of trap or sting operation.
But regardless of intent, the new system had given countless pirates an additional option: a path to legitimacy, however twisted. The ability to "wash their hands" and operate under Government protection.
This, combined with other factors, had caused the roaring tide of the Great Pirate Era to recede somewhat. Not permanently, but enough to give the World Government a precious breathing space.
However, in the six months since the Warlord system's implementation, not a single major pirate had actually been recruited.
Meanwhile, the Marines themselves had undergone massive internal changes.
Vice Admiral Rodriguez Finn, the Violent Tiger of Marine Headquarters, had officially relinquished his Admiral Candidate title and been promoted to full Admiral, filling the last of three vacant positions.
He now stood alongside Buddha Sengoku and Black Arm Zephyr as one of the Marines' three Admirals, bearing the title of "Supreme Combat Power" bestowed by the World Government itself.
Of course, everyone on the seas knew that while Zephyr technically still held Admiral rank, he hadn't personally led a frontline operation in years. Rumors said he'd tried to resign multiple times, only to be refused each time. Now he spent his days at Marineford, training the next generation.
So in practical terms, before Finn's promotion, only Sengoku had been available for active Admiral-level operations.
Finn's elevation to Admiral had therefore triggered subtle shifts in the world's power balance, though the full implications had yet to manifest.
In addition, Vice Admiral Sakazuki had inherited Finn's former title of Admiral Candidate, and Vice Admiral Borsalino had also been granted the same honor.
By contrast, Kuzan and Gion, the remaining two of the so-called "Five Monsters" of the new generation, had made less dramatic progress.
Kuzan remained a Vice Admiral with no Admiral Candidate designation. Whether he'd refused the title or simply hadn't been offered it remained unclear.
Gion, however, had finally broken through the Rear Admiral rank she'd been stuck at for years, leaping directly to Vice Admiral and being assigned as the new Commander of G-7 Base.
At the same time, Finn, the former G-7 Commander, had returned to Marine Headquarters to assume his Admiral posting at Marineford.
A cascade of other personnel changes had followed. Doberman and Momonga had both been promoted to Vice Admiral.
Beyond Marine politics, the pirate world had continued evolving.
Some notorious pirates had publicly declared their willingness to accept amnesty and join the Warlords. Naturally, other pirates had denounced them as spineless dogs of the World Government.
Whitebeard still stood like an immovable mountain in the New World, his presence alone keeping order.
Charlotte Linlin had attempted to challenge his dominance, but the confrontation had been brief and one-sided. Newgate had beaten her badly, sending her limping back to Tottoland to lick her wounds.
Kaido remained silent and elusive. Gecko Moria, who had supposedly challenged him, hadn't been seen or heard from in nearly a year. Whether he was dead or simply hiding was anyone's guess.
By contrast, Bartholomew Kuma had made a name for himself as the "Invincible Tyrant," carving a bloody path through pirate crews in the New World. But shortly after the Warlord announcement, he'd vanished without a trace.
Donquixote Doflamingo continued to thrive, balancing dual identities as a public pirate and a shadowy broker in the underworld. His connections to the World Government gave him protection and influence, and the Donquixote Family was steadily expanding its network across the New World.
In short, the world hadn't experienced any catastrophic upheavals. It continued turning, carried forward by the momentum of the era.
At Marine Headquarters, within the towering Fortress of Justice, Admiral Rodriguez Finn sat in an office that had been vacant for years.
The space was impressive, matching the specifications of Sengoku's office in every detail. High ceilings, polished wood panels, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Marineford's training grounds.
His treatment within the Marines had improved dramatically as well. When he'd left Marineford as a Vice Admiral to command G-7, his personal quarters had been reclaimed by Headquarters. Now, as an Admiral stationed at Marineford, he'd been granted a high-end residence equivalent to those occupied by Zephyr and Sengoku. The three of them were neighbors now.
His salary and benefits had increased substantially, though that was hardly worth dwelling on.
Finn wore the Admiral's coat of justice, the white fabric draped across his shoulders like a mantle of authority. He raised one hand to stroke his chin absently as he reviewed a document.
It had been almost eight years since he'd first arrived at Marineford as a nineteen-year-old Colonel from the 113th Branch in the North Blue, joining the Officer Training Camp at the start of 1496.
Now it was late 1503. He was twenty-seven years old.
A twenty-seven-year-old Marine Admiral. That hadn't happened in over fifty years. He was impossibly young for the position.
But Finn's combination of strategic brilliance and overwhelming combat ability had silenced any objections. He'd earned this seat, and everyone knew it.
Compared to six months ago, Finn now sported a neatly trimmed beard along his jawline. It wasn't as elaborate as Sengoku's braided style, but it added a touch of maturity to his features.
He'd started growing it around age twenty-four or twenty-five, when he'd realized his youthful face wasn't changing despite getting older. To project the gravitas and authority expected of an Admiral, he'd taken Gion's advice and nurtured facial hair.
It worked. He looked closer to thirty now, less boyish, more refined. The maturity suited him.
Finn pulled a cigar from his desk drawer, lit it with a small flame, and exhaled a slow stream of smoke as he read the report in his hand.
"The Great Slaughter of Steranko's Nobility," he murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "My Smoker is really something. This kid's getting more ruthless by the day."
At the start of the year, Smoker had been "expelled" from the Marines by Finn. He'd set sail from the Sabaody Archipelago, raised his own pirate flag, and officially begun his career as a criminal.
His skills hadn't been for show. As the undisputed top of his academy class, he'd mastered all six Rokushiki techniques, understood Haki theory, and even learned basic Armament Haki application. Combined with his Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit, he'd been a force to be reckoned with from day one.
His first operation had followed Finn's instructions perfectly: rob an entire kingdom's nobility. At that stage, he'd avoided killing, limiting himself to theft.
But as months passed, as he witnessed more and more of the nobility's cruelty and corruption, or perhaps as he recruited actual pirates into his crew and needed to prove himself, Smoker had begun to escalate.
He'd started killing nobles. Systematically. Brutally.
Over the past six months, he'd earned the moniker "White Hunter." Not because he hunted pirates, but because he hunted nobles like prey.
With the Marines subtly cooperating, his bounty had skyrocketed to ninety-seven million berries.
Now, apparently trying to break the one-hundred-million threshold that marked a "great pirate," Smoker had struck with unprecedented ferocity in Steranko, wiping out ninety percent of the capital's nobility in a single bloody purge.
As for the remaining ten percent, Finn suspected they were likely the few who hadn't committed serious crimes. Smoker still had a conscience, even playing a pirate.
"Admiral..." The young woman pouring his tea hesitated, her voice uncertain.
"What's wrong, Hina?" Finn asked, glancing over with a smile.
Hina had originally been scheduled to graduate from the academy next year, but inspired by Smoker's example, her training had accelerated dramatically. She'd applied for early graduation and passed the assessment with flying colors. Then she'd requested assignment to Finn's command.
He'd kept his promise, bringing her on as a secretary while she continued developing her skills. She had real potential. Better to keep her safe under his wing for now than send her into the field prematurely.
"Smoker..." Hina began, then trailed off, clearly unsure how to phrase her question.
"Hehehe, pass along an order," Finn said casually, waving one hand. "Increase the White Hunter's bounty to one hundred thirty million berries."
Hina's expression flickered with helpless understanding. She nodded. "Yes, Admiral."
"You have a question about Smoker, don't you?" Finn took a sip of tea, his tone knowing.
Hina hesitated, then spoke carefully. "Normally, as a Lieutenant Commander, I wouldn't have access to this information. But as your secretary, I've overheard things. I've noticed that Headquarters has had multiple opportunities to capture Smoker. On at least two occasions, he was nearly caught, but he escaped at the last moment. And his bounty keeps rising." She paused, gathering her courage. "I have a theory. Is Headquarters... cooperating with Smoker's actions?"
"Who knows?" Finn replied with an enigmatic smile. "When I send you out for field training, you can ask Smoker yourself."
Hina froze. Finn hadn't denied it. That had to mean something, didn't it?
She felt a weight lift from her chest. Maybe her guess was right. Maybe Smoker was still serving justice, just from a different angle.
Before she could respond, the Den Den Mushi on the coffee table began ringing. Hina quickly moved to answer it.
"Finn? Come to the Fleet Admiral's office. I need to discuss something with you." Sengoku's voice crackled through the receiver.
Finn smiled. "On my way, Admiral Sengoku."
"Hahahaha, are you trying to remind me of something, Admiral Finn?" Sengoku replied, amusement clear in his tone.
"Hehe, we're the same rank now," Finn said with playful arrogance.
"Stop being a brat and get over here," Sengoku said, though his voice carried no real bite.
Finn stood, nodded to Hina, and walked toward the door, his Admiral's coat billowing behind him.