C47 : Marines

• {Year : 21.10} •

The world that Ryu reincarnated into grew larger. The Blue Seas were still together, only split by Calm Belt and Grand Line, but pirates who traveled around would be able to tell that there were more to the world beyond All Blue Seas. There weren't any limit to their views, but they didn't travel beyond it.

In the past few months, there were pirates and traveling organizations who tried to discover new resources and/or islands to possess but they arrived to their death when they neared any islands beyond Blue Seas. The islands were dangerous, and their residents were far dangerous than the islands they lived on. Due to this, the World Government organized a operation of scouting what was beyond Blue Seas with their strongest men aside from Five Elders. This was ordered by Im, who found it unbelievable that the world grew large in short span. Had it been over long years, it wouldn't be too impossible to believe.

…

Ryu, Rin, and Kumiko traveled through the East Blue with a small ship they obtained. Ever since that gigantic shadow appeared, nothing dangerous came to them.

Rin sighed on Ryu's lap. "I thought traveling would be fun, but it's so boring..."

"I agree." Kumiko nodded beside Rin and Ryu. "But it is only because we are in East Blue. The sea is known to be the 'weakest' sea out of all four seas."

Holding Rin, Ryu wryly laughed. "That and I'm here. Who wouldn't recognize me? Imagine a huge shark in a small lake, that's how it is like."

"Well..." Rin tilted her head. She suspiciously looked up at him. "Didn't you say that East Blue originally had countless of weak pirates trying to reign over the sea?"

"They're dealt with. There used to be several groups of pirates but few 'righteous' pirates dealt with them as they made name for themselves." Ryu responded and smiled as he looked around the ocean. Currently, they were nearing Loguetown, which was known as the Last Island before Grand Line and Pirate King's Death Bed. "Anyways, it'll start being more interesting when we've reached Loguetown."

He grinned. Several Marines were stationed at Polestar Islands where Loguetown was located on, but they weren't any ordinary Marines. They were trained by chosen Vice Admirals of Marine. The reason why they were there was only because Ryu's presence was discovered in East Blue and they were ordered to inform the Marines' main headquarters if Ryu was moving into Grand Line. However, those disciples of Vice Admirals hadn't seen the world much and only trained while capturing weak pirates, so they were considerably arrogant and prideful. Because of this, they swore they'd try to personally capture him themselves.

Ryu would've normally just ignored them and left but there were Rin and Kumiko with him. So he used this chance for both of them to compare their abilities. He already knew that both of the young ladies were stronger and capable than those disciples who never entered New World the slightest.

"There are several Marines waiting for us at Loguetown." Ryu answered to Rin's questioning gaze.

Kumiko clapped her hands and understood. "They are waiting for you. So, as your women, we should fight them away!"

"...Women?" Rin glared at her childhood friend who gave a 'teehee' look. She became exasperated. "Whatever. Only you can say that, Kumiko..."

She turned to Ryu and looked at him.

"Say, those people aren't too strong right?"

Ryu shook his head. "No, just look at them as spoiled heirs to rich families — only that they're knowledgeable about fighting but haven't gone to New World."

"Hmm..." Rin thoughtfully turned her head away. There were examples of spoiled heirs to rich families back at Wano Country, but they were spoiled to the heaven that they weren't capable of fighting a Samurai. Let alone Samurais, they only used their family names to control citizens.

It was fortunate Ryu changed that while Wano Country underwent the government's changes. Still, heirs and/or heiresses that were capable barely reached tens in number.

Kumiko sneakily yet not so, moved her cheeks to brush against Ryu's shoulder. She sighed contentedly, feeling the warmth. "They have not set their feet in New World when we're from Wano Country. Not only that, Wano Country is full of powerful people... Isn't it a child's play for us?"

"Yes." Rin agreed. "It also can be considered making a name for ourselves too?"

But when she said that, she was unsure about it. Should they really do it or not? Kumiko however, had no problems about it.

"Let's not view it that way. Look at it as we're 'helping' them to become humble." Kumiko then smiled. "Just like when Shogun Ryu did when several head of samurai families tried to take order under Ryu's name and fame."

"...Haha..." When she mentioned that, Ryu awkwardly looked away. After all, only very few knew of the truth of what really happen then. Not even Rin knew either...

"That makes things easier then!" Rin nodded with a smile. She glanced at Ryu and saw that he looked awkward. Confused and curious, she asked. "What is it, Ryu?"

"That matter about the samurai families back at Wano Country, what do you think happened then?" Ryu asked back. Although he knew that they were misinformed, he didn't know what exact details they were.

Kumiko bounced lightly and happily answered instead. "The heads of each samurai families tried to overtake the lands that Shogun Ryu gave to manage. Since the community back then wasn't quite united as now, they were slightly successful only until you came back from the visitation to Onigashima."

"And then the heads of those samurai families led you to a place where they could try to 'negotiate' for favoritism." Rin tilted her head when she thought about it. Her father was there too but only as a witness. "But it doesn't seem like it now I think about it?"

Ryu laughed. "It wasn't like that. They were actually colluding together, for a entirely different reason. It wasn't anything treasonous to Wano Country at all. However, the people who led this little 'revolution' planned this on purpose in hopes of keeping me here to ensure that they wouldn't do it again."

"..." Both Rin and Kumiko became speechless. They'd go that far just to keep Ryu in Wano Country?

"Not only that, they also wanted me to teach them how to grow stronger if I was still going to leave... So..."

Ryu casually glanced at both of their eyes. They immediately understood. They finally understood the truth of why the heads of those samurai families returned beaten and bruised heavily. Rin laughed. "If this ever gets out, they'll be looked at with scorn and mocking looks! Haha!"

"Indeed." Kumiko laughed along with her. "They asked for it, after all."

Ryu shrugged as the island named Polestar Islands finally appeared in their naked eyes from a distance.

"Well, those Marines are asking for it too..."

Several Marine Battleships approached slowly from behind them as if having planned it. Ryu glanced, his muscles twitched like he wanted to crush it already but held it back in. He smiled at Rin and Kumiko.

"Enjoy."

"Hmph! You'd think that he was relishing in our sufferings with his smile..." Rin pouted as she and Kumiko walked to the deck. Kumiko simply smiled. While both of them walked to the deck and readied themselves, Ryu slowly turned around with a frigid look.

'If you dare to come, then do so!' His frigid face practically screamed at a direction.

At that direction was a tall man with a yellow-striped suit. He silently stood still. Originally, he didn't intend to try capturing the Uncrowned Emperor, but finding the two women who went along with him, he couldn't help it and wanted to try kidnap them instead to use as a chip in the game.

His yellow-striped suit lightly fluttered when a sharp slice cut through the clothes, laying a single cut on his pricy clothes. The light-man silently looked down and sighed. "I shan't participate after all."

Admiral Kizaru appeared to have gone through a quality change of personality. His character used to look similar as an arrogant yet rightly so, but now he seemed sagely and knew when to stop and not to.

The two Vice Admirals standing behind Admiral Kizaru remained silent as well. Their disciples were involved but they decided to let them take a beating to humble them. It seemed that the Solitary Pirate wasn't going to personally fight, so at least they wouldn't die... if they didn't offend him.

When Ryu saw that the admiral took a step back, he nodded in satisfaction. Had the admiral joined, he would've personally cripple him without hesitation. However he was also surprised that Admiral Kizaru actually became more mature and farsighted.

"Not bad. He could probably become a decent person at this rate." Ryu muttered to himself. He turned his head away and looked at Rin and Kumiko. Rin suddenly turned and looked at him with a 'I-know-it-all' smile. Instantly, he became awkward. "Be careful and watch out for any dirty tricks."

"Yeah, yeah." Rin already knew that Ryu had done something but didn't look into it much as she turned to Kumiko. "Let's go!"

Both of them abruptly hopped off the small ship, landing on the sea as if it was land for them. They shot off towards the few Marine large ships anchored at Polestar Islands' dock.

Although the Marines' Battleships behind them surprised the residents of Polestar Islands, the Marines on the island acted in an orderly manner as if they had known it would happen. The disciples of Vice Admirals in Marine stood up and moved out of the bar they had been in. There were six special Marines wearing the outfit of Marines, each of them in their respective ranks given by their masters.

One of them, a lean and tall man with long blond hair tied in ponytail, casually stretched his body. "About time! I was starting to think they used an another way to enter Grand Line."

"Helmeppo, don't become too excited." A pink-haired man with slightly shorter body said, shaking his head. He only came to make sure Helmeppo didn't go off dying. "After all, Vice Admiral Garp said that you will definitely die to the Solitary Pirate if you try to fight him."

"Hah, I know." Helmeppo rolled his eyes hidden behind a black visor. He was a coward by nature, so even if he had the guts to fight Ryu, he wouldn't do it alone at all. "Hey Koby, think your Observation Haki can predict Ryu's next move now?"

"As if." A beautiful young woman with slightly long and free aquatic blue hair scoffed. However, she seemed to have suddenly changed when she spoke of Ryu as she panted. "The handsome man could kill us all so easily as if he was stepping on ants..."

"..." Both Koby and Helmeppo immediately moved away from her. They knew that she was, in a way, obsessed with the Uncrowned Emperor.

"Lieutenant Helmeppo, do remember Vice Admiral Garp's orders." A rigid-looking man with rough hair stonily stated. He then turned to the pink-haired man. "Lieutenant Commander Koby, make sure you do not forget your purpose. Admiral Kuzan has placed his hopes on you after all."

Koby remained silent. Even though an admiral like Kuzan hoped that he would grow and make Marines have better image inside and outside, he knew that he couldn't do that as he was.

They remained silent as they approached the dock, expecting to see the ship that the Solitary Pirate was on.

*crash*

"Sh*t!" A building owner cursed as he ran away from inside the building he owned. The building crumbled into pieces because of a mere sword that was thrown with heavy force. "No one will believe me when I say my building got done in with a f*cking sword, damn it!"

"What's going on?" Koby ran to the building owner and asked.

"What's going on, you say?!" The building owner angrily looked at him but recoiled when he saw that he was a Marine. "Sh*t! Stay away from me! Those lads are chasing after the damn Marines!"

He promptly ran away, not hesitating to leave behind the 'officers of Justice'. Koby frowned and turned to Helmeppo who had scrunched brows. They were about to open their mouths when a beautiful young woman with black hair stood in front of them. "Oh, are you those people...?"

"They don't seem much though." A slightly short young woman behind the beautiful young woman with black hair commented. "I think even those heirs back at Wano could even handle them."

"Kumiko, do you want to deal with them?" The beautiful young woman with black hair barely gave them a second glance. She turned away and walked back to the dock, silently telling Kumiko to go ahead and do it.

Kumiko lightly shrugged and said. "Yes, Young Miss."

Aside from in front of Ryu, Rin would always retain the dignity of a young miss of a high-class family no matter what. She disliked showing herself in front of anyone due to the past in Wano Country. Beasts Pirates would take advantage of their might and kidnap people to do things, while the Kurozumi Family took advantage of the fear and used it against the people.

That and Rin just simply wanted to be by Ryu's side. Kumiko pouted as she rose her hand and crouched while using Armament Haki.

*shi~ng*

"I should hurry as well." She pushed herself forward, going for the person whom she deemed weakest out of all six Marines in front of her.

Helmeppo quickly brought out his strange dual weapons of kukri to block her Armament Haki-cladded fist. He barely managed to predict her next movement with Observation Haki but couldn't dodge it on time as he flung towards the same crumbled building that the man from before owned. "Ouch!"

Kumiko briefly gave him a glance. "What a strange weapon."

Her mastery of Armament Haki was slightly high but the blond-haired man's weapons barely dented even after being struck with her cladded fist. Koby became serious and said. "Who are you? From the reports we've received, you should be someone who the Solitary Pirate brought with from Wano Country."

"Well, there's your answer." Kumiko rolled her eyes. She didn't continue to talk and looked at the rest of them. She tilted her head and hummed to herself. 'Looks like I'll have to watch out for that person.'

Kumiko felt a dangerous intent from the woman with blue hair, but it wasn't to the point of being able to kill her. She took a step back and then walked forth.

The blue-haired young woman frowned as she brought out an ordinary pistol. She didn't hesitate to shoot at Kumiko. "You're under arrest for colluding with the Solitary Pirate."

*bam*

She continued to shoot towards her even though the arrest was supposed to be harmless.

Kumiko simply dodged. She didn't have Observation Haki but she could predict the pistol's trajectory because it was visible to her. In Wano Country, she used to fight off and run away with the Young Miss while the samurais and pirates tried to chase after them. It was especially so for Kumiko because the Kurozumi Family knew that she was someone valuable to Rin. Because of those times, she became used to sights of pistols shooting towards her and was able to predict where it'd go.

But the blue-haired woman wasn't the only one in the area. Helmeppo scowled as he got off the crumbled building, his dual kukri twirling around his fingers. He moved towards Kumiko and brought the kukri on his right upwards, hoping to slice her back.

Kumiko instinctively moved and dodged that as a bullet crossed her arm with a kukri moving upwards that way, slicing the bullet at the same time. She calmly stood and acted surprised. "How kind of you, you stopped the bullet for me."

"...Shut up!" Helmeppo became p*ssed off when he saw how casual she was being, as if they were insignificant mosquitoes bothering her. He used the kukri in his left hand to swing horizontally towards her.

Koby hastily ran towards Helmeppo, shouting. "Move to the back! She's shooting something at your chest!"

*woosh*

Two barely noticeable needles shot off from Kumiko's hand that had been clad in Armament Haki, going faster than the bullet that the blue-haired woman shot at her. Kumiko didn't stop at that and moved towards the blue-haired woman since she was the most dangerous out of them all.

The blue-haired woman curled her lips up and spoke as she threw away the pistol. "Not bad. If you were weak, I would have personally asked him if he was thinking alright. After all, only strong women can be by his side!"

She disappeared using Soru of Rokushiki. This showed she wasn't any normal Marine that learned from a Vice Admiral, because Rokushiki was usually taught by Cipher Pol agents.

"Tobu Shigan : Bachi!"

A piercing projectile immediately shot off towards Kumiko from a distance. Because she very clearly shouted, Kumiko became slightly stunned for a moment before dodging easily. As expected, Kumiko gave the blue-haired woman a strange look. "Why would you shout in middle of a fight? It just reveals where you are..."

"..." The beautiful young woman with slightly long and free aquatic blue hair remained silent but a red blush appeared on her face. Now that she mentioned it, the blue-haired woman became embarrassed. Nevertheless, she continued to use Tobu Shigan : Bachi as Helmeppo swiftly moved both of his kukri to block the needles.

Koby's Observation Haki suddenly alerted him. "Everyone! Get away from her!"

Because his Observation Haki was slightly special and was known to the other Marines in the area, they immediately moved away.

However, after few seconds, there weren't any changes. Kumiko even looked at them in a confused manner. Why did they suddenly move away from her? She also didn't see anything approaching her either.

"...?" Koby appeared confused as well. In his brief vision, there was supposed to be a large pressure around Kumiko, crushing the people near her onto the ground. Now that he thought about it, such thing didn't seem like Kumiko could cause it. "It was him..."

He understood. If anything life-threatening happened to Kumiko, the Solitary Pirate nearby would deal with them himself.