G-8

Fort G-8, a Marine base fortress located in the first half of the Grand Line, was previously commanded by a Vice Admiral from Naval Headquarters who retired due to age. He will be succeeded by Ron as the new commander of the G-8 Fortress.

"Ron Rear Admiral! The G-8 Fortress is ahead!" 

On the largest ship in the fleet, the adjutant saluted with one hand and shouted loudly.

"Notify the Marines at the G-8 Fortress to open the gates and welcome the fleet to dock!"

"In one hour, I want to see all the Marines in the fort gathered."

Ron adjusted his cloak of justice against the oncoming sea breeze. His voice, devoid of emotion, made the newly transferred colonel and adjutant tremble.

This Colonel Ron had a fearsome reputation at Naval Headquarters. While he was sympathetic to his subordinates, it was only under the condition that they obeyed his orders without question.

"Yes!" 

After rendering a military salute, the adjutant rushed into the cabin to pick up the den den mushi.

"Moshi Moshi, this is Ron Rear Admiral, the new commander of the G-8 Fortress!"

"The fleet is about to arrive, so please open the gates immediately and line up to welcome us!"

As the fleet approached the entrance of the fortress, the gates slowly swung open. 

On the pier, hundreds of Marines stood in formation, ready to welcome their newly appointed commander.

"How many personnel are stationed at the G-8 Fortress?"

"Ron Rear Admiral, there are 120 personnel assigned to the G-8 Fortress, but only 119 have arrived; one is absent."

A nervous lieutenant colonel reported.

With a new official coming into power, the absence of a soldier on the first day raised Ron's eyebrows. 

"Reason for the absence?" 

Ron inquired flatly, genuinely curious about the courage it took for someone to skip duty on his first day.

"The fortress was attacked by pirates, and one of our Marines was hit by a shell and broke his leg."

"Pirates?" 

Ron raised an eyebrow. "What kind of pirates would dare to attack a Marine fortress?"

"The G-8 Fortress previously captured a group of pirates, and their captain learned that the Vice Admiral had left. He seized the opportunity to attack and try to rescue them."

"However, we managed to repel the attack."

Ron glanced at the lieutenant colonel, whose demeanor was unsettlingly smug. 

"You seem quite proud, don't you? A respectable Marine like yourself should feel ashamed to have been attacked by a group of pirates!" 

The lieutenant colonel fell silent, his head bowed, a look of indifference flashing in his eyes. 

The entire Marine unit was in disarray; the fact that they repelled the pirates was commendable under the circumstances. 

"If it were another fortress, those pirates might have made off with their loot long ago."

"Carl, bring me my den den mushi."

The adjutant cautiously handed Ron the den den mushi. 

Ron dialed the number, and after a couple of rings, Sakazuki's image appeared on the screen.

"What's wrong?" 

A deep voice emanated from the den den mushi, and Sakazuki's tone was laced with curiosity.

He and Ron had been assigned to the Marine Base in the Grand Line together, and since it was only Ron's first day, what could have possibly happened?

Sakazuki was somewhat speechless at Ron's knack for stirring up trouble.

"The G-8 Fortress has been attacked by pirates. I plan to eliminate the pirate threat in the surrounding waters."

"You want me to assist you?" 

Sakazuki paused for a moment before decisively agreeing. 

This was a tempting proposal; there should not be any filth in these waters.

After hanging up, Ron rubbed his fingers lightly on the Crimson Cry on his waist. 

"After such a long time, it's time to shed blood."

Cleaning up the pirates in the surrounding sea would undoubtedly boost his strength once again. He wondered if Crimson Cry could undergo its second evolution. What abilities would be awakened post-evolution?

As dawn broke, warships from the G-8 Fortress sailed out one after another.

Located at the end of the first half of the Grand Line, not far from the New World, the G-8 Fortress sat in a strategic location. 

The pirates who roamed these waters were anything but weak, with numerous notorious pirates boasting bounties exceeding 100 million berries.

Their presence here indicated their intent to reach the second half of the Grand Line, known as the New World—a true haven for pirates.

While it was difficult for Marine forces to maintain a foothold there, this area still belonged to the Marines.

"Ron Rear Admiral, we've spotted a large group of pirates ahead."

"Please advise!"

"Which pirate crew is it?" 

Ron narrowed his eyes slightly.

"It's the Iron Eagle Pirates. Their captain, Bud, is a notorious pirate with a bounty of 150 million berries, and he possesses the Zoan falcon fruit, allowing him to transform into an iron eagle."

The adjutant, well-prepared, immediately produced a bounty order.

Ron glanced at the image on the bounty order—a young man dressed like a cowboy with an eye patch over one eye and a bright smile. 

Despite appearing to be in his twenties, he commanded a bounty of 150 million berries. 

This amount was quite substantial for the first half of the Grand Line, especially for someone so young. 

Given his age and the high bounty, it stood to reason that he might become a trendsetter of this era, potentially even one of its leading figures—perhaps a future equivalent to Whitebeard or Roger.

Ron acknowledged the young man's potential, but appreciation would not deter him from his intent to kill. 

Dreams may be beautiful, but reality is often cruel.

In the blink of an eye, Ron used Moonwalk, appearing above the pirate ship in an instant.

On the deck, a rowdy group of pirates celebrated with a lavish banquet.

The sudden appearance of Marine forces put the pirates on high alert.

The young man with the eye patch stood up, his tone threatening.

"Marine, I have no business with you. Are you sure you want to start a war with us?"

"You are a pirate; I am Marine. Do I need a reason to eliminate you?" 

Without hesitation, Ron drew his red sob and slashed toward the massive pirate ship.

"Then I will have to kill you!" 

Bud's expression turned icy as he transformed into a colossal falcon, his sharp feathers glinting menacingly in the light.

Flapping its wings, he conjured a storm that engulfed the sky.

Ron's bloody slash met the raging storm, clashing violently.

This strength was on par with the majority of Rear Admirals at Naval Headquarters, but unfortunately for Bud, he had crossed paths with Ron.

"Devil Fruit power? Is this all you have?" 

Ron tilted his head, having witnessed the powers of Logia Devil Fruits; he regarded ordinary Devil Fruits as worthless.

Unsightly!

The pitch-black Haki enveloped his red sob as the dark red slash surged forward, a brilliant arc cutting through the air.

Armed Haki!

Breaking the military!

With a single stroke, the sea, sky, pirate ship, and its crew were all cleaved in two, like a frozen painting slowly separating in half.

Blood rained down, flowing into Crimson Cry, empowering Ron.

"My greatest kindness is allowing you to reunite with your dreams in another world."

Ron squinted, turning back to the warship.

Do not worry; tonight is destined to be exceedingly long.

These were merely the appetizers.