Headquarters' dossier

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

Late at night, most offices in the Fleet Admiral's office building had gone dark. Only the largest conference room on the top floor remained brightly lit.

On the heavy oak doors, the seagull emblem symbolizing "Absolute Justice" gleamed coldly under the lights.

Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable. The seat at the head of the long conference table was still empty, but a sense of impending crisis already filled the air.

Vice Admiral Tsuru sat alone at the table. Her face, usually as calm as a deep lake, was now tightly furrowed, her fingertips repeatedly pressing her temples.

Before her lay an open dossier envelope marked "Top secret · urgent," just delivered by a breathless communications soldier, along with a seemingly ordinary Marine-issued sword.

The dossier had come from Rear Admiral Raymont at the G-101 Branch in the West Blue.

Even Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had weathered countless storms and was renowned for her wisdom, felt waves of needle-sharp headaches after reading its contents over and over.

"Mass-producing... 'Pseudo-Black Blades'..." she murmured, each word carrying immense weight.

The report clearly stated that the seventeen-year-old boy named Aaron Ball possessed the power of the Magnet-Magnet Fruit and had already put at least forty thousand standard-issue weapons with exceptional Haki conductivity onto the market!

Half might have dispersed throughout the West Blue, and Raymont had ordered the branch to recover them at any cost. But the other twenty thousand or so had already flowed through underground channels into the Grand Line like ink dripping into the sea. They might even have reached the monster-infested waters of the New World.

At the end of the report, Raymont had written a chilling prediction in his distinctive, rough handwriting: "Within six months, a 'Black Blade frenzy' is expected to erupt in the New World, potentially dealing a devastating blow to our rank-and-file Marines."

The envelope also contained Boer's personal file. In the photograph, the boy's eyes were calm, showing a composure beyond his years and a faint, elusive trace of ambition.

"What a... frightening brat." Vice Admiral Tsuru drew a deep breath, trying to settle the turmoil within her.

She realized this was no longer a local problem confined to one sea, but the precursor to a massive storm capable of shaking the balance of power on the Grand Line.

"This old woman can't solve a headache like this alone." Without further hesitation, she reached for the golden internal Den Den Mushi on the table. The call connected quickly, and the Den Den Mushi took on the features of a capable, beautiful woman.

"Gion." Tsuru's voice had regained its usual calm, but the sternness in her tone made the adjutant on the other end tense.

"Notify Fleet Admiral Kong, Admiral Sengoku, and Zephyr... and that old fool Garp. An emergency has arisen here. We must hold a highest-level meeting immediately, right now! I'll head to conference room one first. I repeat, the situation is serious. Tell them to come at once!"

It was the first time the beautiful, pink-haired adjutant Gion had heard Vice Admiral Tsuru speak with such unquestionable urgency. She immediately replied, "Yes, Vice Admiral! I'll notify them at once!"

Before long, the heavy conference room doors were shoved open.

The current Fleet Admiral, Kong, strode inside. He was immensely burly, towering like a great spire, with explosive strength beneath his bronze skin. His brows were knitted, and his face showed displeasure at the interruption.

"Staff Officer Tsuru." Fleet Admiral Kong's voice was low and commanding as he walked straight toward the head seat.

"I was preparing to discuss the arrangements following my promotion to commander-in-chief with the Five Elders, as well as the Marines' development plans after I step down. I hope this emergency summons concerns something that truly qualifies as a 'major military matter.'"

His gaze swept over the open dossier on the table before settling on Vice Admiral Tsuru's grave face.

Immediately afterward, the doors opened again. Former Marine Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr, now primarily responsible for training recruits, strode in.

He still wore his usual purple suit and overcoat, along with sunglasses. His arms were folded across his chest, and his face held a trace of irritation at having his teaching interrupted.

"Tsuru, I still have those hungry little brats at the Marine camp to look after."

Zephyr's voice was loud, carrying a soldier's characteristic bluntness. "What happened that required a half-retired old man like me to make a special trip?"

Almost as soon as Zephyr finished speaking, a steady voice came from the doorway.

"Hahaha! Don't tell me those four great pirates in the New World lost their heads and sent us a declaration of war in advance, planning to join forces and attack Marineford, Tsuru?"

Sengoku, the "Resourceful General" who would become Fleet Admiral, walked in. He wore round spectacles and a braided beard on his chin. Having yet to take the Fleet Admiral's seat, he carried an even sharper, more profound air.

He naturally took the empty seat beside Tsuru, his gaze likewise drawn to the documents and sword on the table.

Adjutant Gion entered soundlessly and distributed copies of the documents to the three senior figures. She placed the urgently delivered sample sword in the center of the table, nodded to Vice Admiral Tsuru, then quietly withdrew, closing the doors behind her.

"No need to wait for Garp." Vice Admiral Tsuru waved a hand, a trace of resignation in her voice. "He's gone to the East Blue to see his grandson again and play happy families."

As she spoke, she slowly removed the old newspaper wrapped around the sword, revealing its plain, unadorned scabbard. Her movements were slow and ceremonial, as though she were opening Pandora's box.

Under the gazes of the Marines' three highest authorities, she gently drew the blade with a metallic ring. A cold gleam flashed beneath the conference room lights.

"Gentlemen, pillars of the Marines." Tsuru's voice was quiet, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. "Before we discuss anything, read this urgent dossier sent back by Raymont, and... witness this 'miracle' for yourselves. Or perhaps I should call it a 'disaster.'"

She pushed the documents toward them while carefully examining the seemingly unremarkable standard-issue sword in her hand.

Kong was the first to open the dossier. His thick fingers passed over the pages as his frown deepened. "The Magnet-Magnet Fruit? Has Captain John's death been confirmed? There were rumors that his men stabbed him in the back and killed him because he was too greedy. It seems they were true."

He raised his head, a trace of difficulty flashing in his eyes. "A troublesome fruit, and now it's fallen into the hands of an even more troublesome brat!"

Zephyr picked up his copy and quickly scanned it. When he saw phrases such as "over forty thousand released onto the market" and "expected to erupt in the New World within six months," his folded arms unconsciously lowered, and his fists tightened slightly.

He spoke gravely, his tone objective but unable to conceal his concern. "If the figures in this dossier are accurate, once these weapons spread through the New World, they'll pose an enormous threat to the rank-and-file soldiers at our branches! Our soldiers' standard-issue blades will be like rotten wood against them!"

Sengoku read more carefully, focusing on Boer's personal intelligence.

"Seventeen years old, awakened Two-Color Haki, inclined toward order, no extreme tendency toward overthrowing nations observed for now..." He rubbed his chin, analyzing impartially.

"Judging by this dossier, he isn't purely a destructive element. He's more like... a builder with rules and ambitions of his own. Or perhaps an ambitious strongman."

After they gained a preliminary understanding of the situation, an invisible pressure settled over the entire conference room.

Kong broke the silence first. He pinched the bridge of his nose hard, revealing a trace of fatigue.

At this critical stage in the transfer of power, he wanted stability all the more.

"Have someone arrest him and throw him into Impel Down, or..." A harsh glint flashed through his eyes. "Simply dispose of him. According to the dossier, he's directly or indirectly killed quite a few people in Bernia. We already have grounds for charges. We must eliminate this hidden danger as quickly as possible." It was precisely his usual forceful, direct approach.

"Fleet Admiral, that's somewhat extreme and shortsighted." Zephyr immediately objected. He viewed the issue more in terms of preserving the Marines' combat strength over the long term. He pointed to Boer's age and strength assessment in the dossier.

"How many monstrous prospects are there on the seas with strength and abilities like these at seventeen? Find a way to bring him into the Marines and guide him properly, and he'll become another top-tier fighter of at least Admiral caliber! We're all getting old. We have some idea who the next generation of Admirals will be-Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan-but what about the generation after them? The storms at sea will never cease. In the end, absolute strength is what counts! Preserving and expanding the succession of our top fighters is crucial!"

Sengoku nodded and picked up where Zephyr had left off, proposing a more concrete strategy.

"Zephyr has a point. We can certainly try winning him over first. At the very least, we must demand that he immediately stop using his Devil Fruit ability to mass-produce arms. If he refuses to join the Marines, we must still tighten our control over the Kingdom of Bernia. We can choose a nearby location and establish a new G-Series Branch. Ostensibly, it would protect an allied nation, but in reality, it would monitor and control him. If necessary, we can carry out 'forcible conscription'!"

He spoke the words "forcible conscription" with pointed significance.

"Besides, judging by the report, he values profit," Sengoku added, calculation glinting in his eyes. "He consolidated the steel industry and invested in white sugar and refined salt for no other reason than wealth. We can bundle some of the arms maintenance and replacement work from our branches across the Four Blues and give it to him, tying him to our chariot with enormous, stable orders. His ability to create the 'Steel Heavy Industry Consortium' in the West Blue proves he has both the capability and interest."

As Kong listened to the analysis of his two trusted aides, his expression eased somewhat.

He was about to leave office and did not want to stir up a massive upheaval at the last moment either.

"Very well. The Celestial Dragons have already approved my departure and Sengoku's succession in principle. Then I'll give you full responsibility for this matter, Sengoku. Make sure it's handled properly. Leave no trouble behind."

Just as their discussion established the preliminary approach of "contact, recruitment, and control," Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had remained silent while studying the sword in her hand, suddenly moved.

She gripped the hilt in her left hand. The vast, pure Armament Haki within her flowed like an invisible stream, pouring into the blade in an instant at her will!

An astonishing sight unfolded-the blade, which had been gleaming with a silver-gray metallic luster, was coated in a deep, subdued black that seemed to absorb all light in scarcely a breath!

A "Black Blade," something a swordsman might only achieve after countless trials and years of nurturing, took shape in an instant in this conference room, in the hands of a Marine Vice Admiral who was not a swordsman!

The sight instantly drew everyone's attention.

Vice Admiral Tsuru said nothing. Holding the now-black blade by its hilt in her left hand, she flicked her wrist. Without even aiming, she casually and lightly tossed it hilt-first toward Kong at the head of the table.

The motion was effortless, yet the Black Blade carried a sharp aura as it flew steadily toward the Fleet Admiral.

Kong's gaze sharpened. His broad right hand reached out and caught the hilt precisely in midair.

The moment he caught it, even his rugged face betrayed a trace of surprise. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he extended his left index finger, applied a little force, and gently flicked the pitch-black blade.

Clang!

A clear, lingering metallic note, like a dragon's cry, instantly echoed through the silent conference room and hung in the air.

As Fleet Admiral, Kong had brought both his physical combat skills and Haki to the pinnacle. His strength was enough to shatter mountains and split the earth.

An ordinary Skillful Grade Blade might warp in his hands with even a little force. Yet this seemingly ordinary standard-issue sword, once coated in Armament Haki, had not only survived his flick unscathed but produced such a clear, ringing note! That alone demonstrated how extraordinary its material and Haki conductivity were.

"Incredible..." Kong could not help murmuring in admiration. He could also feel the Haki he poured into the blade flowing unhindered, with almost none dissipating.

"In the hands of a great master swordsman, this blade could probably increase his strength by over thirty percent! This terrifying conductivity and ability to concentrate Haki... even used as a fire poker, this thing would be absurdly powerful!"

After personally experiencing the astonishing performance of this "Pseudo-Black Blade," some of his earlier killing intent involuntarily faded, replaced by caution toward the "power" itself.

"Perhaps... we really could try winning him over as the Marines' exclusive 'bladesmith.'"

Sengoku spoke at the opportune moment. The blade's practical effects had opened up his thinking completely.

"For the improvement of our overall strength, this is strategic in significance. It could greatly enhance the military power of our branches, especially those on the New World front."

At this point, however, Vice Admiral Tsuru frowned and proposed an even bolder, more dangerous possibility.

"Or... could we consider granting him the title of 'Shichibukai'?" The suggestion briefly startled both Zephyr and Kong.

Sengoku immediately shook his head, rejecting the idea. "Inappropriate. He's too young, with practically no standing or prestige. His enormous potential is undeniable, but appointing him directly to the Shichibukai would put him and the technology he controls under the entire world's spotlight. That would attract countless greedy eyes and unpredictable complications, running completely counter to our original intention of secretly controlling and using this technology. It would only make the situation more complicated and harder to control."

Ultimately, after an intense and thorough discussion, the Marine leadership reached a preliminary consensus.

First, reassurance and cooperation would form the main approach. Sengoku, the incoming Fleet Admiral, would take full responsibility and send a special envoy to contact Boer, express the Marines' "friendly" attitude, and invite him to participate in their arms supply system, using enormous benefits to keep him settled.

Second, substantive control would be strengthened. Plans would begin immediately for a new, larger G-Series Marine Branch near the Kingdom of Bernia. It would nominally provide protection, but actually serve as surveillance and deterrence, placing Boer and his industries within the Marines' direct sphere of influence.

Finally, preparations would be made for the worst. Intelligence personnel from Marine agencies would simultaneously be dispatched to conduct an in-depth assessment of Boer. If the assessment showed that he was an uncontrollable danger, or uncovered ties to pirate forces, a contingency plan would be activated immediately. A force led by an Admiral-caliber fighter would eliminate every potential threat with overwhelming military might!

The meeting ended, and the three Marine heavyweights departed with heavy thoughts.

The lights went out, and darkness returned to the conference room. Only the sword left on the table, now restored to silver-gray, silently spoke of the storm that would soon sweep across the world.

Far away in the West Blue, Boer still did not know that his every move had already rattled the highest levels of Marine Headquarters. A web of fate aimed at him, woven of olive branches and executioners' blades, was slowly taking shape.