Late at night, at the Marine Base in Loguetown.
Most of the soldiers had gone to bed, with only the patrols still moving about. Yet a figure slipped silently into the classified archive room on the base's top floor.
Lin Yan.
He wore black stealth clothes, his flame powers completely suppressed, even his body temperature controlled to match his surroundings. This was an advanced application of the "Flame Emperor Body"-Absolute Control.
"Observation Haki, full power."
His perception spread, taking in the layout of the entire base. Patrol routes, the locations of surveillance Den Den Mushi, the placement of hidden sentries... everything was clear.
"Silent Geppo."
He stepped through the air, moving along the corridors like a phantom without making a sound. Whenever he encountered a patrol, he used the "Flame of Life" to create a brief illusion-showing the soldiers an empty corridor.
Three minutes later, he reached the archive room's entrance.
The door had three layers of security: a fingerprint lock, an iris lock, and a combination lock. An alarm device sat beside it.
"A hassle."
Lin Yan pressed his hand against the lock. Flames seeped from his palm, but rather than burning, they penetrated-the flames became countless fine threads that slipped inside the lock mechanism, simulating the correct fingerprint, iris pattern, and passcode signal.
Click.
The door opened.
Inside the archive room, rows of metal cabinets stood neatly arranged. Following his memory of what he had seen when Smoker read the files that day, Lin Yan found the cabinet numbered "SS-7."
"Files concerning Gol D. Roger..."
The cabinet also needed unlocking. This time, however, Lin Yan simply melted the lock mechanism with intense heat and opened the cabinet.
Inside was a thick stack of documents.
The top document was titled: [Investigation records on Gol D. Roger's posthumous child]
Lin Yan opened it.
"Sea Circle Calendar year 1500, three months after Roger's execution: an infant suspected to be Roger's son was discovered on 'Dawn Island' in the South Blue."
"Beside the infant were a fragment of Roger's Vivre Card and a pendant engraved with a 'sun and flames' design."
"CP0 confirmed that the pendant was a sacred relic of the 'Guardian D Clan,' held by the 'Sun Saintess,' Evelyn D. Solar."
"Evelyn D. Solar: a survivor of the God Valley Incident who once carried the Double D Flag against the Holy Knights. Subsequently disappeared."
"Conclusion: the infant is the son of Gol D. Roger and Evelyn D. Solar, possessing two D. Clan bloodlines. Extremely dangerous."
"Recommended action: immediate elimination."
"Assigned operative unit: CP9 (mission suspended due to Garp's intervention)."
Lin Yan kept reading.
Next came the records following Garp's intervention:
"Monkey D. Garp vouched for the infant in his capacity as 'Hero of the Marines,' adopting him and naming him Monkey D. Yan."
"Conditions: Yan must remain under Marine surveillance, must not come into contact with Poneglyphs, must not awaken Conqueror's Haki, and must not acknowledge his relationship with Ace."
"Surveillance operative: CP9 undercover agent (codename: Owl), embedded in the Goa Kingdom."
CP9... had been undercover for more than twenty years?
Lin Yan's gaze turned icy. He recalled that when he woke up on the garbage mountain in the Goa Kingdom, there had indeed been several suspicious presences nearby, but he had paid them no mind at the time.
He read on.
"Sea Circle Calendar year 1517: Ace set sail. Yan began becoming active."
"Recent intelligence summary:"
"1. Yan has awakened Conqueror's Haki (violation of the agreement)."
"2. Yan has acknowledged his relationship with Ace (violation of the agreement)."
"3. Yan is suspected of possessing the 'Sun Saintess's' ability (Flame of Life)."
"4. Yan has established the 'Flame Emperor Pirates,' flying a Double D Flag."
"Latest orders: all CP9 members are to assemble and carry out the 'Extermination Order.' Deadline: within one month."
Profiles of the CP9 members were attached:
Rob Lucci (leopard-form fruit), Kaku (Ox-Ox Fruit, giraffe form), Jabra (Dog-Dog Fruit, wolf form), Blueno (Door-Door Fruit), Kumadori, Fukurou, Kalifa (Bubble-Bubble Fruit)...
Their undercover location was also listed: Water 7.
"Water 7..." Lin Yan mused. "Looks like I'll have to go there ahead of schedule."
He photographed every document-using flames to form a miniature camera, a creative ability of the "Flame Emperor Body." After taking the pictures, he put everything back exactly as it had been.
Before leaving, however, he left a little "gift" in the cabinet.
A wisp of Flame of Life, hidden between the layers of a file folder. This flame had no heat and would not burn, but it continuously emitted special fluctuations that only Lin Yan could sense. It was the equivalent of a tracking beacon.
Once he had finished, he quietly left the archive room.
But just as he was about to withdraw, his Observation Haki detected a familiar presence heading toward the archive room.
Smoker.
And he was alone, without any subordinates.
Lin Yan thought for a moment. Instead of hiding, he leaned in the shadows of the corridor and waited for him.
Footsteps approached.
Smoker pushed open the archive room's door, turned on the light, and headed straight for cabinet SS-7. But he soon noticed something wrong-the lock mechanism showed signs of melting.
"Someone's been here?!"
He immediately checked the documents. None seemed to be missing, but he could not shake the feeling that they had been disturbed.
"Come out," Smoker suddenly said. "I know you're there."
Lin Yan stepped out of the shadows. "Good perception."
"Even when you suppress your flames completely, they still give off a slight, distinctive fluctuation." Smoker turned to look at Lin Yan. "You came to steal files?"
"Not steal. Take back what belongs to me," Lin Yan said. "The truth about my origins."
"You saw it?"
"I did." Lin Yan nodded. "CP9 is going to kill me. You know that, don't you?"
"..." Smoker's silence served as an admission.
Lin Yan smiled. "Then why didn't you stop me? Why come alone instead and give me an opportunity?"
"I..." Smoker gritted his teeth. "I just... wanted to confirm a few things."
He pulled a photocopied document from inside his coat-the very "Extermination Order" Lin Yan had just read.
"This order wasn't signed by Fleet Admiral Sengoku. It came directly from the 'Five Elders,'" Smoker said. "The Marines are only carrying it out. But I don't understand... why? Just because your name has a D. in it?"
"That's not all," Lin Yan said. "The D. Clan are the natural enemies of the 'gods.' Eight hundred years ago, we were the ones who ruled this world."
"What?"
"Look into it yourself." Lin Yan walked toward the window. "I've already photographed the files. I'll send them to the Revolutionary Army. If you're interested, you can ask them for a copy."
"The Revolutionary Army?! You're in contact with them?!"
"My younger brother Sabo is the Revolutionary Army's chief of staff."
Smoker was shocked again.
Lin Yan leaped out the window and stood in midair. "Smoker, you're a true soldier. What you pursue is 'justice,' not 'obedience.' That's why I'm telling you all this."
"Think carefully about what it is you're truly loyal to."
With that, he turned into a streak of fire and vanished into the night sky.
Smoker stood where he was, looking at the document in his hand, then at the melted lock mechanism, caught in a fierce inner struggle.
After a long while, he took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed an encrypted channel.
"This is Smoker. Requesting... access to all top-secret files concerning the 'D. Clan,' the 'God Valley Incident,' and the 'Void Century.'"
"Also... help me find out how to contact the Revolutionary Army."
Before you continue