Holy Land Mary Geoise, World Government Headquarters.
Fleet Admiral's office.
Kong paced back and forth in front of his desk, his expression grave.
On the other side of the desk, several intelligence officers each held a Den Den Mushi, anxiously contacting the various departments under the World Government.
"Report!"
Suddenly, an officer put down his Den Den Mushi and looked toward Kong with a troubled expression. "Lord Kong, we can't reach the Marine Science Unit!"
"Report! We can't reach the Navy's secret special forces!"
"We can't reach the Navy's Special Science Division—"
"Report! Enies Lobby has sent word that they can't reach Chief Judge Bass either!"
"Report! We've successfully contacted Impel Down!"
Hearing one report after another, Kong promptly returned to his seat and said in a low voice, "Stop trying to contact Marine Headquarters and its affiliated units. Contact the branch bases across the Grand Line and the Four Blues immediately."
An officer asked cautiously, "Lord Kong, what... what is going on? Why has Marine Headquarters suddenly lost contact with the Holy Land?"
Kong didn't answer. He simply looked up and glared at the officer.
Seeing this, the officer didn't dare ask anything else. He picked up his Den Den Mushi and began contacting the various branch bases outside Marine Headquarters.
East Blue, Shells Town Marine 153rd Branch.
A dozen or so soldiers carrying confidential documents sent from Marine Headquarters hurried into a barracks.
With a dull BANG, they violently smashed open the tightly shut door.
Several officers resting in the barracks quickly stood up and looked toward the dozen soldiers who had burst in.
The soldier at the head didn't hesitate. He briskly raised the documents in his hand. "Headquarters appointment! Sergeant Morgan, step forward!"
As soon as the soldier finished speaking, a tall, burly officer stepped forward. It was Morgan, a sergeant at the 153rd Branch.
"By order of Admiral Akira, the newly appointed Marshal of Marine Headquarters, Sergeant Morgan is hereby promoted to branch captain and will take command of the 153rd Branch immediately!"
At those words, a flame lit in Morgan's eyes. He stepped forward and raised his right hand, shouting, "Loyalty!"
"Wonderful!"
"Are we finally going to make a difference?"
"Long live Lord Akira!"
As soon as Morgan accepted his appointment, several officers beside him jumped up in excitement.
At the same time, another soldier hurried forward and handed Morgan a brand-new captain's uniform. "Captain Morgan, the 153rd Branch is now under your command. Please give us your orders!"
Looking at the uniform held out to him, Morgan's eyes reddened with emotion. His hands trembled slightly as he accepted it.
When he'd first joined the 153rd Branch as a young man, he'd been full of passion and hoped that one day he could purge every evil from the seas.
But there had always been someone above him holding him back. Even though he'd led every pirate hunt and taken on the most dangerous jobs, others had always reaped the rewards. By middle age, he was still only a petty officer.
Then, two years ago, an important figure arrived from Headquarters.
Morgan hadn't known him, but the man had asked to see him by name.
At the time, Morgan thought he must have done something wrong. When he met the important figure, he didn't even dare raise his head.
What he hadn't expected was that the man was not only young, but remarkably gentle.
Most astonishing of all, the man knew Morgan inside and out, as if they'd known each other for years. If the man hadn't outranked him and come from Headquarters, Morgan would have wanted to drag him off for a long, drunken talk about all the hurt and resentment he'd carried over the years.
That important figure was none other than Marshal Akira, who had just appointed him captain of the 153rd Branch.
Before leaving the 153rd Branch, Akira had asked him one question: was he willing to pledge his loyalty?
Of course he was!
By middle age, Morgan had learned a lot about how the world worked. If he wanted to rise through the ranks, he needed someone to back him.
Over the next two years, although he didn't have any further contact with Akira, he occasionally received enormous sums of Beli sent by Akira's people, along with instructions to distribute the money among those who truly needed help.
In those two years, the Beli he received had added up to more than a hundred million.
He hadn't kept a single Beli for himself. He'd given it all to soldiers and colleagues who needed help.
He knew in his heart that this had to be a test from Lord Akira.
The appointment letter in his hands meant that not only had he passed the test, but he'd also earned Lord Akira's approval.
"Captain Morgan!"
At that moment, a soldier ran over with a Den Den Mushi in hand and stammered, "A call... a call from the Holy Land Fleet Admiral's office..."
"Hm?"
Morgan abruptly turned toward the soldier and said in a low voice, "What Holy Land Fleet Admiral's office? From now on, the 153rd Branch will take orders only from Marshal Akira of Marine Headquarters. We don't answer to anyone else, no matter who they are!"
As he spoke, Morgan swung his captain's coat over his shoulders, then strode out of the barracks. "Pass on my order! All officers and soldiers of the 153rd Branch, assemble on the training field!"
At the same time.
East Blue, Marine 16th Branch.
A young man wearing a brand-new captain's coat strode angrily toward the captain's office, surrounded by seven or eight soldiers.
BANG—
With a dull thud, the tightly shut door to the captain's office was smashed open by a soldier who'd rushed ahead of the young man.
Before anyone in the office could react, the seven or eight soldiers rushed inside with guns in hand and immediately subdued the two aides standing in front of the desk.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Seated behind the desk was an officer also wearing a captain's coat, with sparse whiskers dotting his face.
The desk in front of him was piled high with dozens of stacks of Beli, most of which had already been broken open.
Axe-Hand Morgan, captain of the East Blue Marine 16th Branch, was a disgrace to the Marines who abused his authority to commit all manner of wrongdoing in the waters under his jurisdiction.
"Captain Rat!"
The young man in the brand-new captain's coat strode up to the desk and looked down at Captain Rat. Getting straight to the point, he pronounced, "For colluding with pirates for years and oppressing innocent people in your jurisdiction, I sentence you to death in my capacity as the newly appointed captain of the 16th Branch. The sentence will be carried out immediately!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Hearing this young man claim to be the new captain of the 16th Branch and sentence him to death, Captain Rat sprang to his feet and shouted, "I'm the captain of the 16th Branch! Guards, seize this man—"
"Stop shouting, Rat!" The young man waved a hand. "I've taken control of the 16th Branch. You can die now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the seven or eight soldiers beside him pulled their triggers without hesitation.
BANG BANG BANG BANG—
A volley of gunfire rang out. In an instant, before Captain Rat could even understand what was happening, the soldiers had emptied their magazines into him, riddling him with bullets.
The young man walked over and kicked Rat's corpse aside. Then he turned to his assembled subordinates, who stood with their guns lowered, and shouted, "By order of Marshal Akira of Marine Headquarters, our unit has only one mission from this moment on: purge every pirate from the waters under the 16th Branch's jurisdiction! Eradicate evil completely—leave none behind!"
Before you continue