In the Grand Line, somewhere in the vast sea.
A handsome, curly-haired man rode his bicycle across the ocean, gliding smoothly over the waves. The rhythmic hum of the sea was suddenly interrupted by the shrill ringing of a Den Den Mushi.
Admiral Kuzan—better known as Aokiji—sighed lazily, reaching into his coat to retrieve the ringing Den Den Mushi. Without hurry, he placed it on the handlebars of his bicycle and let the ringing continue for a few more seconds.
Finally, he curled his lips in mild amusement before answering.
"Moshi—"
Before he could finish his greeting, a furious voice exploded from the other end of the line.
"Aokiji, you bastard!!!"
Aokiji winced slightly at the volume, rubbing his ear with a lazy expression.
"Ah la la…" he muttered, shaking his head. "So, it's you, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. What's the matter?"
"What's the matter?! Of course, something big is happening!"
Even through the receiver, Aokiji could practically see Sengoku's face contorted with rage, the veins on his forehead bulging. The Den Den Mushi, mimicking Sengoku's expression, looked equally furious.
"You bastard! Why did you recommend Storm to join SWORD?!"
Aokiji raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting to mild curiosity.
"Storm?" He paused for a moment, before nodding slightly. "Ah, you mean that guy. He was a very interesting recruit, and yes, I was the one who invited him to join SWORD. What's wrong with him?"
"What's wrong?! Storm has decimated Impel Down!!"
Aokiji blinked, then quickly corrected himself.
"Actually, it was Admiral Zephyr who recommended him to SWORD!" He cleared his throat and changed his tone smoothly. "I'm not really familiar with Storm at all. We've only met a few times, you see. If you have any complaints, Fleet Admiral, perhaps you should direct them to Admiral Zephyr instead."
"You bastard! Don't try to push the responsibility onto someone else!" Sengoku roared. "You are the one in charge of SWORD! One of your men has caused a catastrophe, and you think you can just walk away from it?!"
Aokiji scratched his messy afro, sighing.
"Ah la la… sounds like a real hassle." He yawned before continuing, "What exactly did Storm do? 'Destroyed the skies and shattered Impel Down' or something like that? That sounds a bit exaggerated."
Sengoku's anger simmered, and his voice finally softened—just slightly.
"That may have been an exaggeration on my part… but only slightly! Storm didn't completely destroy Impel Down, but he came dangerously close! He wiped out more than ninety percent of the prisoners in Level 6—Infinite Hell!"
Aokiji was silent for a long moment before finally letting out a low whistle.
"Well now, that's impressive." He nodded to himself. "Sakazuki will be thrilled when he hears about this."
"This is no time for jokes!" Sengoku snapped. "Do you still consider Storm a marine? He has caused irreparable damage to Impel Down!"
Aokiji's expression grew serious as he asked,
"Fleet Admiral, let me ask you something. Aside from the prisoners locked up in Impel Down… did Storm harm any innocent people?"
Sengoku fell silent.
After a few seconds, he exhaled and answered,
"I just confirmed this with the prison staff. Storm only targeted criminals. He did not kill a single marine or prison officer."
Aokiji leaned back slightly, relief evident in his expression.
"Then isn't that enough?" He let out a deep breath. "The Marines exist to eliminate pirates. What Storm did this time may have been a bit excessive… but if the Admiral of the Fleet wants to punish a marine for 'killing too many pirates'... I'd say you should send that crazy bastard Sakazuki to Impel Down first!"
Sengoku didn't let himself be dragged into Aokiji's attempt to shift the argument.
"Killing pirates on the battlefield is one thing. Slaughtering convicted prisoners in their cells is something else entirely."
Sengoku's voice was sharp as he pointed out the difference.
"Do you truly believe those two things are the same?"
Aokiji exhaled slowly, then spoke in a firm voice.
"Those scumbags locked in Infinite Hell should have been sentenced to death long ago. What I don't understand is why the World Government insisted on keeping them alive."
The Marines had different factions—hawks, doves, neutrals, and more.
Aokiji was generally classified as a dove, believing in a more measured approach to justice. However, not all doves were as kind-hearted as Zephyr.
Zephyr, the "no-kill" general, had spent his life defeating pirates without ever taking their lives. Aokiji respected his old teacher, but he didn't share his views completely.
There were some criminals so vile that no redemption was possible. The prisoners in Infinite Hell were monsters among monsters.
Even Aokiji had to admit—that Storm's actions had been extreme. But ultimately, he didn't see much of a problem with it.
To be honest…
If it had been Sakazuki leading SWORD instead of Aokiji, that guy would probably have commended Storm instead!
Sengoku sighed.
"Kuzan, sometimes I wonder… Do you still follow your belief in 'Burning Justice'? Or have you fully embraced 'Lazy Justice'?"
"Ah la la…" Aokiji chuckled, dodging the question. "Understanding oneself is difficult, don't you think?"
Sengoku shook his head.
"Enough of this. Whether we like it or not, Storm will likely receive a bounty for this."
Aokiji frowned.
"A bounty? Why?"
"Because Magellan and Shiryu failed to stop him. He overpowered them both and escaped."
Aokiji's eyes widened.
"Wait… you're telling me that Storm defeated Magellan? The guy with the Venom-Venom Fruit? That's… surprising."
Initially, when Sengoku made the situation sound so serious, Aokiji assumed that Storm had been captured before he could finish his 'massacre'. He had even mentally prepared to rescue him from Impel Down.
But now, things were taking an unexpected turn.
"You underestimated Storm," Sengoku said, his voice carrying a strange mix of frustration and admiration. "We all did."
He took a deep breath before continuing,
"According to Magellan's report, Storm has awakened his Clay-Clay Fruit. He destroyed most of Infinite Hell, carried by a white dragon, he flew out of Impel Down."
Aokiji's jaw nearly dropped.
"You're joking, right?"
Sengoku's expression remained serious.
Aokiji exhaled, rubbing his temples. "And here I thought I had seen everything…"
Storm, an undercover marine, had not only survived Impel Down but had shaken the entire prison to its core.
Aokiji let out a low chuckle.
"Ah la la…" He stretched his arms lazily. "Looks like we might have a new monster in the Marines."
"I discussed Storm's bounty with Vice Admiral Tsuru."
"Based on his actions and level of strength, his initial bounty could be incredibly high!"
"Anyway, as a 'pirate,' Storm is considered—wait."
"Someone's calling…"
Sengoku's voice suddenly softened.
However, with Aokiji's exceptional hearing, he could still catch the conversation on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
'What do you mean by withholding information?'
'Such a major incident happened in Impel Down, and the World Government and the Marines are covering it up?!'
'Affecting the World Government's reputation… what a joke!'
'I am the Fleet Admiral!'
Aokiji heard Sengoku's furious roar.
But what shocked him even more were several fainter, older voices.
'Fleet Admiral!?'
'Your role is to follow the orders of the World Government!'
'The Marines don't need to concern themselves with Infinite Hell in Impel Down!'
Immediately after, the Den Den Mushi call was cut off.
Aokiji waited in silence for a while.
At last, Sengoku's weary voice returned.
"I'm sorry, Kuzan. I must have made you laugh… Let's just pretend nothing happened with Storm."
Just as Sengoku was about to hang up, Aokiji suddenly asked,
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the people you just spoke to… they were the Five Elders, weren't they?"
"You heard it."
Sengoku didn't try to hide the truth and answered directly.
"It was indeed the Five Elders. They've ordered the entire incident in Infinite Hell to be covered up."
"So, the bounty on Storm will be canceled..."
Aokiji wasn't concerned about the bounty. Instead, he asked directly,
"What exactly are we—the Marines—in the eyes of the government?"
"What's with that question? Hahaha"
Sengoku chuckled.
"Kuzan, when you become Fleet Admiral in the future, you can ask the Five Elders that question yourself…"
Snap—
The Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's end hung up.
Aokiji stood alone in the vast ocean, an indescribable feeling stirring within him.
After a long silence.
He dialed another number.
"Moshimoshi, this is Kuzan."
"Admiral Kuzan! I haven't heard from you in ages. I thought you had left the Marines too!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Storm."
Aokiji held the Den Den Mushi and spoke seriously.
"I just got word from Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"You've done something truly remarkable."
"I only did what you wanted me to."
Storm's voice carried a hint of grievance.
"Didn't you ask me to become a pirate?"
Is this how you become a pirate?!
Aokiji rolled his eyes.
Storm, not missing a beat, teased him.
"Hey, hey, hey! Den Den Mushi can mimic their owner's expressions! I saw you roll your eyes!"
"Ah la la…"
Aokiji chuckled before getting to the point.
"Do you still want to continue being a pirate?"
"Of course! I am a sharp blade in the darkness! I will remember my mission and never forget my original goal!"
Storm answered without hesitation.
"I want to become a great pirate! Sail the New World! And Infiltrate the Four Emperors!"
Aokiji asked,
"So, you plan to enter the New World now?"
"Of course not!"
Storm immediately rejected the idea.
"You think I can take on the Four Emperors' crews all by myself? That'd be suicide."
"If I want to successfully infiltrate their ranks, I need to find the right allies first!"
*******************************
Please consider leaving a review!
I will release 1 bonus chapters for every two review till we meet ten reviews. [5/10].
If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion