I Think the Marines Are Doomed Sooner or Later! (Combined Chapter)

The luxurious disco had turned to ashes.

Amid a crackling roar, towering flames shot into the sky, warping the air.

Neighbors and passersby shouted as they ran about trying to put out the fire, but to no effect.

At first, people could still get close enough to throw a bucket of water on it. But as the blaze grew fiercer, the scorching waves of heat forced everyone to retreat twenty meters away.

When Bege hurried over from the phone booth at the street corner and arrived at the scene, this was what he saw.

"Why did it catch fire?"

"Where's Gotti? Where is he?"

He grabbed a family member whose clothes were in disarray and whose body was drenched in sweat, as though he had just come from fighting the fire, and shouted his questions.

The family member's face was blackened by smoke. Looking at the young master before him, his pupils trembled, and he could barely speak.

"I don't know... The people who went in..."

"Not one... not one..."

"Not a single one came out, Lord Bege!!"

Bege's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"What are you panicking for? Gotti is the Capone Family's combat captain. With his strength, he won't die so easily in a fire."

He deliberately raised his voice, temporarily calming everyone down.

Then he led his men in dispersing the crowd gathered around them, most of whom were a head taller than him.

He swiftly took control of the scene.

"Where's the fire brigade?"

"What are you people doing? Why aren't you putting out the fire?" He turned toward the people who appeared to be firefighters and frowned.

Recognizing Bege, the firefighters stammered in fright, "We... we're still... organizing our equipment!"

The fire brigade was a volunteer civilian organization.

Their funds had long since gone toward protection money for the gangs. Where would they get any usable equipment?

Bang!

A wisp of smoke rose from the gun barrel. The firefighter collapsed to the ground, blood spreading beneath him.

"Useless trash!"

Bege put away his gun and snorted coldly.

Then he loudly ordered his underlings into action.

"Everyone, bring every bucket and water tank nearby to me!"

A few minutes later, he activated the Fortress-Fortress Fruit and absorbed everything around him into his body. His entire body swelled in size and turned into a fortress wall, which he pushed straight into the sea of flames.

The walls could not ignore the fire, but they could block it off temporarily.

Whenever the walls overheated, Bege had his men inside his body splash them with water to cool them down.

With smoke billowing around him, he tore down doors when doors blocked his way and smashed through walls when walls did. Bege charged and crashed forward, bursting into the disco at the center with astonishing efficiency.

Clang!

A small burning piece of ceiling fell from above and smashed onto the floor.

Bege casually swept it aside, but his expression darkened.

He saw countless dense bullet holes in that piece of ceiling.

"As expected!"

"This wasn't an accidental fire. Gotti encountered an enemy!"

He narrowed his eyes, his fists instinctively clenching.

But they soon relaxed again.

"Good. It was only a fight!"

As a mafia family, the Capone Family had encountered far too many incidents like this.

Ambushes, bombings, poisonings, traps... They had faced countless life-and-death situations, yet they had survived every single one!

Besides, that was Gotti!

As the Capone Family's combat captain, one could say he lacked ability in other areas—

—but when it came to fighting, there were only a handful in the West Blue who could match him!

Thus, seeing signs of battle actually eased Bege's mind somewhat.

"As long as he wasn't killed without any resistance, Gotti has a great chance of winning in a fight!"

He comforted himself inwardly.

"Maybe he's only injured and didn't have time to come out."

Thinking that, he continued forward in large strides, shouting as he went.

"Gottiiii—"

"If you can hear me, make some noise!"

"Got—"

Bege's voice came to an abrupt stop.

Past the charred seats, right by his feet—

—a three-meter-tall body lay silently on the ground. Its chest tightly gripped a curved blade plunged into its heart, its face twisted in agony, its eyes still open in death.

"...tti?"

Tap!

The cigar at the corner of his mouth fell to the ground. Bege stood with his mouth open, and after his initial shock, overwhelming fury rose onto his face.

Ten minutes later, Vito, dressed in a red suit, arrived at last.

He pushed through the crowd that had gathered again and saw Bege.

At that moment, Bege had lost his usual elegance.

His entire body was smoke-stained and scorched, his curly black hair a mess. He looked as though he had just come off a grill, with wisps of smoke still rising from him.

He simply stood there beside the massive corpse, staring down at it while holding an unlit cigar, remaining silent for a long time.

Vito ran to Bege's side and leaned closer. Only then did he recognize the corpse on the ground.

"This is... Gotti?"

He was initially shocked that someone in the West Blue could actually kill Gotti.

Then he flew into a rage.

"Who did this?" He turned to look around.

Someone had actually dared to assassinate the Capone Family's combat captain on Capone Family territory!

But he soon noticed Bege's icy expression, and an ominous feeling rose in his heart.

"Lord Bege, could it be..."

Before he could finish, Bege grabbed Vito by the collar, yanked him down, and gritted out beside his ear, "The list is gone."

Vito's entire body shuddered, and his eyes widened.

Gone?

Not destroyed, not lost beyond recovery, but taken...

That meant someone else had obtained the list!

How was that possible?

He lowered his head and looked at Gotti's miserable corpse, disbelief still filling his eyes.

As another loyal member of the Capone Family, he knew how much Gotti valued that list.

It would not have been an exaggeration to say it mattered more to him than his own life.

Even if he had been defeated, he would have done everything in his power to destroy the list!

But... the list was gone.

That meant Gotti... the family's powerful combat captain... had been taken down by the enemy almost instantly, without any ability to resist!

How was that possible?

Was there someone that strong in the West Blue?

Without giving Vito time to recover from his shock, Bege hurriedly lowered his voice beside his ear.

"Go take people and guard the goods immediately! Do not let anyone else get close!"

Vito's pupils shook violently as he understood something. "Could it be those families? Are they trying to take it?"

"What else could it be?!!"

The anger on Bege's gloomy face could no longer be restrained. "Could it be some historian from the streets?!"

The Capone Family's combat captain, with a bounty of twenty-three million, killed by some historian off the roadside?

Not even a joke would be that funny!

"Go now! Bring more men!"

Bege's voice was sinister.

"I'll find Father... This could turn into an all-out war!"

Dozens of minutes later, in the luxurious office of the low-rise building—

Exquisite porcelain from the Flower Country flew out from behind the desk.

Crash!

It shattered all over the floor.

"Is this how you handle things?!"

The Capone Family head's entire face was flushed red.

Damn it, he had only told them the truth that morning.

And an accident happened that very afternoon!

If the person standing before him had not been his own son, he would have suspected him of being a Spy!

"I already had Vito guard the goods."

Bege lowered his head, his face dark as water, allowing his father to scold him. "There shouldn't be any problems in the short term."

"But the problem is..."

He gritted his teeth. "We still don't know which family killed Gotti!"

Or perhaps all four of the other families were involved?

Neither said it aloud, but the two men exchanged a glance, both understanding perfectly well.

After all, they had previously joined forces in exactly this way to hinder the other families' growth.

The office fell silent.

Just then, a Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.

Buru buru~ Buru buru~

Suppressing his irritation, Bege answered the call.

"Who is it, Vito? Did you find any suspicious people?"

Vito said, "N-no..."

"Have they already made their move?"

Bege's expression turned cold as he thought of the worst-case scenario.

They weren't even giving him a moment to catch his breath! These bastards!

Vito said, "No, Lord Bege..."

Not that either?

Bege froze, then let out a breath of relief, a trace of fortune rising in his heart.

"Then that's fine. Relax and speak slowly."

As long as the other families had not made their move, it was fine... Hah, could there possibly be anything worse than this?

Vito's panicked voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

"Lord Bege, the Marines are here!!!"

With a crack, Bege bit the cigar at the corner of his mouth in half!

"What!!!"

What did he mean, the Marines were here?!!

At a time like this... of all times... the Marines had come?

Bege said, "Wait there. I'm coming right away!"

After hanging up, Bege looked at his father.

The Capone Family head had already regained his composure and said to him, "Go handle the Marines first."

Bege acknowledged him and hurried out of the office.

The office fell quiet.

The Capone Family head sat back in his leather chair, interlacing his fingers before his chest as he quietly stared at the ceiling.

Before the Marines came, he had thought they were doomed.

But now that the Marines had arrived, he was no longer panicking.

"It can't have been the other four families!"

He murmured softly.

"They wouldn't let the Marines interfere."

"Then who was it?"

"...An unexpected enemy?"

He narrowed his eyes, rose to his feet, and rang the bell on the desk.

Before long, a Capone Family member in a gray suit opened the door and walked in, lowering his head slightly. "Boss."

The head of the Capone Family told him, "Investigate Gotti's cause of death. Also, look into anyone suspicious who entered or left Sunflower Island these past few days, including those private dark harbors. Hurry."

The man in gray acknowledged the order and withdrew.

It did not take long. Two hours later, a magazine was placed on the desk in the office.

On the cover, Jogo flashed a V-sign with a bright smile.

—<The Youngest Historian in History Makes His Grand Debut!>

Night had fallen.

The Capone Family's private dark harbor on Sunflower Island had unusually lit its streetlights.

Suit-clad gang members patrolled nervously in every direction, refusing to overlook a single unfamiliar face.

"Who are you?"

Near the cargo by the docks, a member called out to a suspicious figure.

Jogo, dressed in a fitted gray suit, turned around with an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips. He looked like some gang member who had snuck over to smoke.

He put on the air of an old acquaintance.

"It's me. You don't remember me?"

[...

Conqueror's Haki (Awakened)

Trait equipped: "Otherworldly Soul (Silver)" "Spy (Blue)"

...]

Conqueror's Haki release: 1%

"Oh... it's you~"

The member clearly had not recognized Jogo, but his instincts told him that the man before him was probably a colleague he had often seen before.

"Don't slack off. This is a critical time!"

He warned him with a stern face, then turned and left.

"Got it~ Got it~"

Jogo impatiently waved him off. Still crouching beside the cargo with the unlit cigarette in his mouth, he continued observing the situation at the docks.

"Spy" really was useful!

Listening to the retreating footsteps behind him, Jogo thought to himself.

Just by changing clothes, every gangster here took me for a member of the Capone Family.

Too bad there was still a risk of being recognized.

As long as someone compared him with the photo in West Blue New Discoveries, the trait's effect would immediately be broken.

So no matter what, he had no intention of staying on Sunflower Island after tonight.

After all, this damned place even had third-rate popular science magazines with his face printed on them in the clubs.

It was seriously cursed.

As for why he was here...

Of course, he had come for a follow-up investigation.

Unless he saw the Capone Family and the Navy clash with his own eyes, he could not rest easy.

Once the gangsters and the Navy started fighting, he would blend into the crowd and leave with the Acne Pirates.

Then he would call Ohara, exchange intelligence, and ask what the old man was really thinking.

Only then would he make further plans.

Before long, the crowd below began to stir.

He could vaguely hear someone shouting, "The Navy!"

A smile appeared at the corner of Jogo's mouth.

The Navy was here!

Soon, under Jogo's eager gaze, a cerulean Navy warship charged into the dark harbor at an awkward angle. Led by officers wearing capes of justice, the Navy soldiers leaped onto the docks.

At the same time, the gang members led by Bege stepped forward to meet them.

Jogo perked up and clapped in delight.

Good, good, good. This was exactly what I wanted to see—blood flowing like a river!

Then...

Under Jogo's expectant gaze, Bege warmly embraced the Navy officer wearing the cape of justice...

"..."

Fuck!

Watching from afar, Jogo hurled the cigarette in his hand to the ground. "Isn't something fucking wrong here?"

"They're in cahoots!"

"What kind of parasites are the Navy in the West Blue?"

"I think this Navy is doomed sooner or later!"

With a sour expression, Jogo turned to leave.

He should have realized it sooner. As one of the West Blue's largest gangs, how could the Capone Family not have its own protective umbrella?

Good thing he had come tonight...

Just as he was seething with resentment, he suddenly stopped, frowning as he looked toward the exit of the dark harbor.

—The dark harbor's only exit had somehow been blocked off!

A newly arrived group of gangsters stood at the entrance like a wall of black, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving.

"What's going on?"

Jogo stood at a distance and observed the situation.

Soon, he noticed something wrong. A gang member seemed to have taken a book from the entrance before hurrying in Bege's direction.

A book?

A wave of PTSD rose in Jogo's heart, and he immediately strode closer.

He focused his eyes.

Huh~ That was no book. It was a magazine!

And a very familiar magazine at that!

The final few words of the article title could even be seen on the rolled-up cover.

—...Makes His Grand Debut!

"I fucking..."

Jogo had nothing to say. He felt like Sunflower Island might just be cursed against him.

Looks like I've already been discovered.

My ultimate is still on cooldown. This isn't a good time to fight.

It'll be troublesome if Bege catches me.

His gaze swept across the heavily guarded entrance to the dark harbor, then over the gangsters wandering everywhere, before finally settling on the Navy warship.

He quickly headed toward the harbor.