The Sudden Inspection Team

Time—

Marineford Year 1517.

Location—

Within the East Blue.

On a stretch of calm sea.

A massive warship was sailing slowly.

Flying a giant flag of Justice—a seagull emblem clutching scales on a white background—the ship was equipped with countless gun turrets, its masts towering into the sky.

This was a Marine warship.

At this moment.

On the spacious deck, an elderly man with white hair and beard, a tall, broad-chested, and muscular build, was lounging with his hands behind his head. He had his eyes closed, appearing to sleep quite comfortably, with a bubble occasionally expanding from his right nostril.

Suddenly.

A breeze from the East Blue blew past, popping the bubble on the old man's nose and startling him awake from his slumber.

After blearily scanning the surrounding seascape, he reached over to a small tea table, grabbed a donut, and shoved it directly into his mouth.

Chewing crudely with large bites, he asked the Marine officer standing guard beside him without a shred of decorum, "Smoker, have we reached Marine Branch 16 yet?"

Large warships from Marine Headquarters rarely appeared in the East Blue, known as the weakest of the seas.

This trip to the East Blue was intended both to escort the Marine Hero Vice Admiral Garp home for vacation and to transport Colonel Smoker and his subordinates to the Marine base in Loguetown—the "Town of Beginnings and Endings"—to take up their new post on the way to the Grand Line.

At the same time, they had to make a stop at Marine Branch 16.

"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp."

The man called Smoker wore a biker jacket draped loosely over his shoulders, emblazoned with the word 'Justice' on the back, though it looked nothing like the standard-issue Justice Cape. He had goggles hanging around his neck.

With his chest and abdominal muscles exposed, his silver-gray hair styled in a crew cut, and a thick cigar dangling from the corner of his mouth, he looked less like a Marine Headquarters Colonel and more like a gang leader.

Watching Vice Admiral Garp finish his snack and lazily lie back down after a brief instruction to [Wake me when we arrive], Smoker couldn't help but show a hint of helplessness on his stern face, though he said nothing more, merely shaking his head.

If even Fleet Admiral Sengoku couldn't control Vice Admiral Garp, what could a mere Colonel assigned to the provinces do?

He casually opened the military file in his hand, which contained the dossier of a Marine—their target for this mission.

Name: Dander Xieche Age: 23 Origin: East Blue, orphan Position: Base Commander of East Blue Branch 16 Rank: Marine Headquarters Colonel Evaluation: A former genius student at the Marine Headquarters training camp, possessing extraordinary talent in swordsmanship. He was granted the rank of Marine Headquarters Colonel after only two and a half years of training. After offending a superior, he was demoted and sent away, subsequently falling into decadence, losing his will, doubting his strength, and seeing his talent decline. He has had no combat record or meritorious service in seven years.

Note: Headquarters suspects this individual of colluding with pirates, violating Marine Justice. The Inspection Team is requested to investigate thoroughly!

On the right side of the file was a photo of the man in his Marine uniform.

In the photo, the man had black hair and black eyes, with deep-set features and sharp lines. His eyes were as profound as the night, and his entire being exuded an air of confidence and detachment.

"Is this Colonel Dander Xieche? He doesn't look like the type who would collude with pirates."

Just as Smoker frowned, silently staring at the photo, a female Marine officer standing guard nearby leaned in, looking on with curiosity.

She had neat, short black hair and wore dowdy square-rimmed glasses. She wasn't wearing a standard Marine uniform, opting instead for a casual plaid shirt and dress trousers.

She looked like a cute and gentle girl next door, but with her earnest expression and the well-crafted famous sword—Shigure—strapped to her waist, she carried a certain air of a Marine officer.

She pushed up her glasses and looked at the photo with a curious tone, "Besides, I heard that Colonel Xieche was already an excellent swordsman back in the day. Perhaps Headquarters is mistaken."

"Shut up." Smoker glanced at his subordinate without expression, took the cigar from his mouth, and said flatly, "As a Marine, never judge a person by their appearance."

He couldn't discern much from the file alone, but as a Marine genius Colonel, to have zero combat record in the East Blue for seven years, and then suddenly be transferred from Marine Branch 315 to Branch 16...

So, what exactly is this guy doing?

And the Moke Pirates...

Could that heinous pirate crew, which he had constantly used to demand military funding from Marine Headquarters, really be that hard to catch?

Furthermore, what was his relationship with the previous Loguetown base commander, and why did that person recommend him to take over Marine Branch 16?

Just as Smoker was deep in thought.

"We're almost there!"

The voice of his subordinate, Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, pulled Smoker back to reality.

He looked up.

On the horizon not far away, the silhouette of a Marine branch base, with familiar architecture and the number 16 written on it, slowly emerged from the mist.

Smoker frowned, glanced at it, then lowered his head to look at the photo in the file once more, muttering to himself, "Dander Xieche!"

What exactly is this guy hiding?!

Konomi Islands.

This area falls under the jurisdiction of the 16th Marine Branch.

At this moment.

Cocoyasi Village... no, it should be called Cocoyasi Town now.

"Colonel Xia Che is here! Colonel Xia Che is here!"

"And Nami! Nami is back too!"

"You fool, you have to call her Petty Officer Nami now! Nami has finally... made something of herself. If Bellemere knew, she would be so happy. I really thought she would be a thief her whole life; I was so worried she'd never amount to anything! Go get Mayor Nojiko quickly!"

As a Marine warship docked at the newly built pier in Cocoyasi Town, a group of people stepped off the vessel, and the entire pier erupted into cheers.

The man in the lead, a black-haired figure dressed in a standard white Marine suit with a black fur coat draped over his shoulders and a sword at his waist, walked toward the town with a smile, followed by several others amidst the cheering crowd.

"Damn it, who would never amount to anything!" Nami, also wearing a white shirt and a black miniskirt, heard the villagers' comments and immediately shook her fist at them with an indignant expression. "You guys just wait! Do you believe I'll arrest every single one of you?"

She had gone to the trouble of changing out of her usual simple striped short-sleeved top and the faded, hip-length skirt to wear something beautiful, only for these people to say she hadn't amounted to anything.

Of course~

The threat to arrest them was just a joke.

After Nami gave the villagers a [fierce] threat, she turned her head. Her beautiful, short, orange wavy hair rested against her delicate, fair collarbones, and her brown, jewel-like eyes looked at the man walking in front, then at the changes in Cocoyasi Village... Town, feeling a sudden wave of emotion.

She never expected everything to change so much; it even gave her the feeling of a lifetime having passed.

A year ago, she was still a member of the Arlong Pirates, and now, she had actually become a Marine Petty Officer.

And the once-impoverished Cocoyasi Village had now turned into a bustling town, all of which was brought about by the man before her.

Thinking of this, Nami's lips curled upward. She snuck up beside Xia Che, who was walking forward with a dignified expression, hands in his pockets and his cape fluttering behind him. After hesitating for a moment, she whispered, "Hey, thanks~"

"???"

Why the sudden thanks?

Xia Che looked at Nami beside him in confusion, then seemed to realize something and said, "It's just a Marine Petty Officer rank. That young master in the neighboring Shells Town has a father in the Marines, so even his two dogs are taken care of by the Navy. If I had a dog, I'd have it eating from the Marine Headquarters' rice bowl too!"

It wasn't like it cost him any money anyway. Rather than being used by Marine Headquarters to protect the Celestial Dragons, it would be better spent feeding his dog.

Besides, Nami was quite talented; there was nothing inappropriate about her being a Marine Petty Officer.

As for her background... what a small matter that was!

In this cesspool of a world, being a thief—and one who only stole from pirates—could be considered having a clean record and being self-respecting.

However.

As soon as he finished speaking.

"???"

Hearing Xia Che say something so inhuman, Nami's beautiful brows arched, and she stood there completely stunned.

Who's a dog!

She stood with her hands on her hips, looking furious, but before she could say anything.

"BOSS, Mayor Nojiko is here!"

A voice filled with suppressed laughter and elegance came from beside them.