Acting Branch Commander

Three days later, a warship appeared on the horizon at dawn.

Its iron-gray hull cut through the water, its cannons gleaming coldly in the morning light. The Marine flag at its bow snapped in the sea breeze. As the warship docked, its wake sent gravel skittering across the pier. The old man in the gatehouse rose with his cane and stared at the ship, his mouth opening and closing as though he were trying to remember something from long ago.

Jack stood on the pier with Colin and Godo behind him. He had traded his bloodstained old uniform for a new one, still creased at the collar and cuffs. The fabric stretched tight across his shoulders, and a seam had split at the elbow, exposing the white shirt beneath.

Three people disembarked. The first was a middle-aged officer with a captain's insignia, a scarred face, and a hard gaze. He glanced at Jack, then at Colin behind him, before looking away. Two Military Police officers followed, carrying document pouches, their faces expressionless.

"Major Jack?" the middle-aged officer asked in a deep voice.

"Yes."

"I'm Captain Croft of Headquarters' General Staff. Vice Admiral Tsuru sent me to investigate Bastian's collusion with the enemy." His tone was strictly business, with no greeting or small talk. "Where is Bastian?"

"Office building. Second floor. Chained to the radiator."

Croft looked at Jack but did not ask why Bastian was chained to a radiator. He turned toward the office building, the two Military Police officers following. Jack, Colin, and Godo brought up the rear, their footsteps echoing across the parade ground in the early morning.

The recruits were already lined up for training. They stood in three neat rows, holding guns and daggers, but not one of them spoke. Their eyes followed the three officers from the warship, shifted to Jack, then turned forward again.

Croft paused at the stairs inside the office building. He looked back at the recruits on the parade ground, then at Jack, and gave a small nod of approval.

Bastian was still chained to the radiator. Three days had left a ring of purple bruises around his right wrist where the handcuff had dug in. The skin had rubbed raw and scabbed over. His broken leg bent at an unnatural angle, swollen until it shone. Blood and grime covered his uniform. His hair was a tangled mess, and gray-white stubble had grown across his chin, making him look ten years older.

Croft stood before Bastian and looked down at him. After about five seconds of silence, he took a document pouch from one of the Military Police officers, pulled out a sheaf of papers, and began to read. Collusion with the enemy. Bribery. Dereliction of duty. Abuse of power. The reading took about two minutes. Bastian neither objected nor defended himself. He only stared at his broken leg, the fear on his face giving way to something harder to name, almost like relief.

Croft finished reading, slid the papers back into the pouch, and turned to Jack.

"We're taking Bastian back to Headquarters. As for the acting commander of the 16th Branch, Vice Admiral Tsuru's position is—"

"I already am," Jack said quietly.

Croft looked at him and fell silent for another three seconds. "Yes, you are. Vice Admiral Tsuru says the appointment is temporary. To make it permanent, you'll need to complete a mission." He pulled another sheet from the pouch and handed it to Jack. "Capone Bege. Leader of the West Blue Mafia Alliance. You've already destroyed three of his bases in the West Blue: the arena on Banaro Island, the slave ship at Salt Harbor, and the casino on Caria Island. But Bege himself is still out there, along with his top officers. His hold on the West Blue hasn't been uprooted. Vice Admiral Tsuru says that if you take down Capone Bege, command of the 16th Branch is yours. You'll be promoted to captain."

Jack took the paper and glanced at it. It held only a few concise lines. It sounded like Tsuru, without a wasted word. He folded it and slipped it into his pocket.

"All right."

Croft nodded and headed for the door. At the threshold, he paused without turning around. "Vice Admiral Tsuru asked me to pass on a message. She said, 'Don't die. I want to see you at Headquarters.'"

Croft left. The two Military Police officers hauled Bastian after him, his boots dragging across the wooden floor with a grating squeak. They dragged him out of the building, across the parade ground, and onto the warship. Then the ship pulled away.

Jack returned to the office and sat in Bastian's chair. It had been replaced with a welded iron one that could bear his weight. He took out the intelligence reports they had seized earlier.

The first page was a map of the district, marking Salt Harbor, Reef Island, Fishing Village Island, and several major smuggling routes. He knew it by heart. The second page listed twelve Mafia families. Only three remained. Capone Bege's name was at the top, followed by his territory, armed forces, and profiles of several key officers.

He turned to the third page.

"Iron Mask. Paramecia Armor-Armor Fruit user. Bounty: 61 million. Former subordinate of Doflamingo and an associate of Capone Bege. Currently the muscle behind Bege's alliance on Boxing Island. Commands at least five patrol boats and roughly two hundred armed men. Brutal and ruthless. His wanted poster shows an iron mask. No one has seen his face."

Jack's finger stopped on Iron Mask's name. A former Doflamingo subordinate. A Paramecia Armor-Armor Fruit user. His skin could turn into armor, giving him formidable defense. The Armor-Armor Fruit. A tough guy. I do love hammering iron.

He closed the intelligence file and put it back in the drawer. Then he took a blank sheet of letter paper from the desk, laid it flat, and began writing with Bastian's pen. His handwriting was ugly, but every word was clear. The letter was addressed to Capone Bege. It read:

"Mr. Bege, I've thought of you often since we parted on Banaro Island.

I don't want to go to war with you. I'd like to make peace.

Tomorrow at noon, on Boxing Island, I'd like to discuss the terms with you in person.

My price is three Devil Fruits in exchange for peace in the West Blue and the safety of the Mafia.

I hope you'll join me. Jack, Acting Commander of the 16th Branch."

He folded the letter, slipped it into an envelope, and wrote "For Capone Bege's eyes only" on the front. Then he called Colin in.

Colin pushed the door open and stood in the doorway, his wings folded behind him. "Boss?"

"Take this to Banaro Island and give it to Bege's people." Jack handed him the envelope. "Tell them I'm inviting Mr. Bege to lunch on Boxing Island tomorrow. Peace talks. My price is three Devil Fruits."

Colin took the envelope and looked at it, then raised his eyes to Jack. His lips moved, but he swallowed whatever he had been about to say. Three Devil Fruits. Capone Bege would never agree. It was a blatant provocation.

"Go," Jack said.

Colin asked no more questions. He turned and left, his wings opening slightly in the corridor, feathers brushing the wall with a soft rustle.

Jack stood by the window and watched Colin leave the building, spread his wings, and soar into the sky. The hawk dwindled against the blue until he was a black speck, then vanished beyond the horizon. Jack turned, took the district intelligence file from the drawer, and opened it again. On Iron Mask's page, the mask in his wanted poster gleamed coldly under the light.

Godo pushed the door open. "Boss, the recruits are nearly done training. Their shooting still needs work, but they can cut people down just fine."

Jack looked at him. "Come with me to Boxing Island tomorrow."

Godo paused, then broke into a grin. "Sure. Who are we cutting down?"

"Your main job is to surround the place. Kill anyone who tries to escape."

Godo's grin faltered for a moment, then returned. "All right. You're the boss."

Godo left. Jack closed the door, sat down, and shut his eyes. The system panel glowed at the edge of his vision: Heartsteel stacks, 24/90; the Blade of the Ruined King; Zhonya's Hourglass; Ghost; Mystic Shot; Cleanse; and Mundo Goes Where He Pleases. I've got plenty of skills now. Wonder if Bege can bring me a Devil Fruit or two.

Three Devil Fruits. Bege would never agree. Jack knew it, and so did Bege. But that was not the point. Boxing Island was the point. Bege would come. He could not swallow this insult. His arena on Banaro Island had been blown up, his slave ship at Salt Harbor seized, his casino on Caria Island smashed. Capone Bege had spent over a decade making his name in the West Blue, and no one had ever walked all over him like this. He would come, with his men and his last trump card.

Jack tossed the invitation into the drawer and shut it.