15 Tsuru

"Control the blood!"

Ron waved the blood-red blade lightly, creating a fierce gust of wind.

After its second evolution, Crimson Cry gained a brand-new ability: controlling blood.

It could now manipulate blood for both offense and defense. Anyone cut by the blade would have their blood controlled by Ron. It could even alter the iron content in a person's blood, increasing it to the point of making them severely ill.

This ability was undeniably powerful—similar to that of a blood-based Devil Fruit user.

"Armament Haki!"

Ron clenched his right hand, and the jet-black Haki instantly wrapped around the blade, turning it a deep, dark red. With a single swing, the slash, tens of meters long, split the sea in two, sending towering waves crashing into the sky.

However, Ron's expression remained unsatisfied. 

Despite the power of the strike, it was merely the combination of pure swordsmanship and Armament Haki. The fusion of his Kendo skills and Armament Haki was less than one percent complete.

He still had a long way to go before fully merging Kendo with Haki.

That said, his Haki had grown significantly.

Ron clenched his fists, watching as the black Haki spread from his hands to envelop his entire body. Within moments, a thick layer of Haki covered him, as if he were wearing armor. The density of the Haki was at least three to five centimeters thick.

This level of Haki strength was something few Marine Vice Admirals could achieve, even after years of training. If he could refine it further, he'd be able to maintain its form even after releasing it.

That was the third realm of Armament Haki—external release.

"Perhaps the inability to fuse slashes with Haki is because my Armament Haki isn't pure enough," Ron mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

It was easy to infuse a slash with Haki, but the Haki would dissipate quickly once it left the body. If he could increase its purity and make it more concentrated, it would last longer outside his body.

Wouldn't that make it easier to achieve the perfect fusion of Kendo and Haki?

With that in mind, Ron set out to sea with a group of Marine soldiers that very night, hunting a few Sea Kings. He knew that once Armament Haki evolved, it could absorb nutrients from the body to increase in strength. 

Ron believed that a few hearty meals could push his Haki to the upper limit of its first evolution.

For the next few days, everything remained peaceful. The tension that had gripped the seas gradually faded. Contrary to expectations, the all-out war between Marines and pirates never came to pass. Marine's suppression efforts ended anticlimactically.

Nonetheless, the G8 Fortress had become a no-go zone for most pirates. If they could avoid it, they'd never come near.

At the G8 Fortress, under the scorching sun, Ron trained by the sea, veins bulging on his skin. He carried a barbell weighing tens of tons on his back, his feet sinking deeply into the ground with each step. Each swing of his sword seemed to drain every ounce of strength from his body.

He repeated the process, swinging his sword until he was completely spent. 

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Ron called his adjutant to inquire if there had been any significant events recently. Since his last major operation, his days had been peaceful, filled mostly with training.

He preferred this quiet life, as another large-scale incident might lead to his reassignment to some remote island, trapped there by the orders of the Marshal.

Ron would rather be locked up here than deal with that.

Suddenly, his phone bug buzzed.

Frowning, Ron picked up the vibrating phone bug from the table.

"This is G8 Fortress, Rear Admiral Ron speaking."

"This is Marineford. Vice Admiral Tsuru here. There's a temporary special mission. You and Commodore Sakazuki are to be dispatched for assistance."

On the other end, a gentle voice spoke.

Ron's mind immediately pictured a tall woman with ponytails—Vice Admiral Tsuru. Though she was In his late thirties now, her appearance belied her age. She wasn't young, but she certainly retained her elegance, looking more like she was in her late twenties.

[ This timeline is in 1490, about 30 years before Luffy went to sea?]

(Images in chapter comments ⬇️) 

Ron had once seen Vice Admiral Tsuru from afar. While she wasn't as stunning as the Empress Boa Hancock, her reputation as Marine's top beauty wasn't just talk.

"What is the mission?" Ron asked, putting away his blade and donning his cloak of justice.

There was no reason to refuse a special mission from headquarters, especially since it could help his future promotion to Vice Admiral.

"This mission is classified, but I'll brief you so you can prepare in advance."

Vice Admiral Tsuru hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"We've planted a mole within the Ward Pirates and received intel that they will return to the first half of the Grand Line in two weeks. Headquarters will set a trap to capture Byrnndi World."

Byrnndi World?

Ron thought for a moment, recalling the figure of a titan-like man.

Byrnndi World, a Momo-Momo Fruit user, was also known as the "World Destroyer." Like Whitebeard, the Golden Lion, and Roger, he was a significant threat to the World Government.

In fact, the government considered Byrnndi World an even bigger threat than the Golden Lion, as his Devil Fruit ability made large-scale destruction easy, jeopardizing the safety of the government and its affiliated nations.

Byrnndi World was notorious for his repeated attacks on World Government ships and Marine vessels, causing widespread devastation. Even pirates feared him.

For years, the World Government had secretly planted agents within the Ward Pirates to gather intel. Given the secrecy pirates maintained, obtaining such crucial information meant the mole had to hold a high position—perhaps even Byrnndi World's right-hand man.

"I understand."

After ending the call, Ron immediately set sail on the undead warship towards the coordinates given by Vice Admiral Tsuru.

Most notorious pirates only roamed the New World, rarely appearing in the first half of the Grand Line. With Marine's waning influence over the New World, Byrnndi World could hide there indefinitely.

However, the moment he set foot in the first half of the Grand Line, Marine could set a trap. With spies working from the inside, capturing Byrnndi World wasn't impossible.

But there would be only one chance. If this opportunity was missed, there might never be another to dismantle the Ward Pirates.

Ron wondered who would lead the mission.

Would it be Sengoku, Garp, or Zephyr? Only those three Marines had the strength to capture Byrnndi World.

As for Marshal Kong, he had to remain at Marineford and couldn't leave Headquarters except for battles of monumental importance, like the Battle of the Valley of the G-ds.

A threat like Byrnndi World didn't quite qualify.