The Thing That Was Born

"Nobody told me before we set off that Baterilla Island was this far..."

Leon, clutching a harpoon, poked his head out from a small boat with a weathered expression.

His tattered Marine uniform and tarnished silver bandages told the story of his arduous journey.

Fortunately, Baterilla Island was already in sight straight ahead.

The moment he stepped onto the island, Leon could clearly feel the oppressive atmosphere, as if a terrifying giant hand in the sky had completely enveloped the entire island.

Pedestrians on the streets barely dared to meet each other's eyes, while squads of Marines and World Government members, guns in hand, were conducting house-to-house searches.

Leon's sudden appearance quickly drew the Marines' attention.

"Halt!"

"You! Yes, I'm talking to you—the one wrapped in bandages!"

"Who told you to come here!"

Marine soldiers swiftly surrounded Leon, their wariness plain to see.

The operation's highest commander—a Marine Lieutenant Commander with a broad jaw—soon arrived.

The broad-jawed Lieutenant Commander eyed Leon, clad in his ragged Marine uniform, with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Fellow officer, tell me which Marine branch in the South Blue you're assigned to."

"And..."

"What's your purpose for coming to Baterilla Island!?"

Facing the Lieutenant Commander's aggressive questioning, Leon replied unhurriedly.

"Heh."

"No need to be so tense, Lieutenant Commander."

"My name is Leon, and I'm assigned to Marine Headquarters."

"As for why I'm here..."

"Same as you—I'm under orders from Marine Vice Admiral Garp to search this island for any trace of the Pirate Prince's Offspring."

Under orders from Vice Admiral Garp?

The broad-jawed Lieutenant Commander's expression shifted. Though they were currently carrying out a top-secret mission issued by Admiral Sengoku...

Vice Admiral Garp's prestige in the Marines was no less than Admiral Sengoku's...

The bespectacled adjutant beside him recognized Leon by his distinctive appearance and whispered a few words to the broad-jawed Lieutenant Commander.

The broad-jawed Lieutenant Commander nodded and waved for the Marine soldiers surrounding Leon to stand down.

"Chief Petty Officer Leon, the name 'Rookie of the Marines' has spread throughout Headquarters. I never expected to meet you here!"

The Lieutenant Commander's tone softened considerably.

"But please forgive me, Chief Petty Officer Leon. This mission is of great importance, and I'll have to report your presence to Headquarters."

"Until I receive a reply, I'd ask you to come with me to the Marine outpost to rest and regroup first."

"You must have faced quite a few hardships on your way here..."

Rest and regroup, huh—more like he's afraid I'll cause trouble and wants to put me under house arrest first...

Pretty tactful way to put it...

Leon nodded, accepting the Lieutenant Commander's proposal, and followed him toward the Marine outpost on Baterilla Island.

"There's a pregnant woman in this house! Grab her!"

A grim-faced Marine soldier kicked open the door of a roadside home. Spotting a woman with a large belly, his eyes lit up as he rushed in and bound her.

"No!"

"I'm not pregnant at all—I'm just fat!!!"

The slightly plump girl let out a miserable wail. Her parents, snapping out of their shock, immediately dropped to their knees.

"Marine sir!"

"Our daughter isn't even married yet! Everyone on the island can vouch for that!"

"I beg you, please don't take her!!!"

"Not married means she can't get pregnant?!"

The Marine soldier retorted viciously, ignoring the parents' pleas as he efficiently tied the girl up and dragged her out of the house.

"This..."

Having witnessed everything, the broad-jawed Lieutenant Commander opened his mouth, as if to explain something to Leon...

But Leon just stared at the Lieutenant Commander's flustered face with an unreadable expression, sighed, and shook his head.

The two continued on.

"We've found a newborn! Get over here!"

Not far along, the roar of Navy soldiers rang out again.

Like wolves and tigers, the Navy soldiers burst into a two-story civilian house. The leading soldier grabbed a baby still in swaddling clothes, while those behind him were not to be outdone, seizing the child's mother, who had just given birth and was still lying in bed.

The young man nearby immediately dropped to his knees, kowtowing without pause.

"Navy officers! You must have made a mistake! This is my child!!!"

"I watched him being born!!!"

"Who says that? Just because you watched him being born, that makes him yours!?"

"If there's even a shred of suspicion, everyone gets taken in for investigation!"

"Are you trying to stop us from carrying out our mission!?"

A burly Navy soldier slammed the butt of his rifle into the young man, only stopping once he was sure the man had lost the ability to resist.

The squad of Navy soldiers marched out of the two-story house, heads held high like they'd won a victory.

The broad-chinned Commander looked at Leon, and sure enough, there was that unreadable expression again, along with the familiar shake of the head and sigh.

In the short stretch of road to the Navy outpost, similar scenes played out over and over. The island was filled with the wails of families torn apart by the Navy.

The broad-chinned Commander, worn down by Leon's repeated sighs, finally couldn't hold back. Keeping his voice as calm as possible, he said, "Chief Petty Officer Leon, I'm sure you understand the importance of this mission. To completely eradicate the Pirate King's cursed bloodline, it's inevitable that we'll have to use some unconventional methods!"