The Last Spade.
Chapter 1
Two days after the battle of Marinford, Lieutenant Vincent Gainsbrough walked down the hallway to the office of Admiral Akainu. There were four guards posted outside the office, each of them were accomplished fighters. The guard on the far left took notice of Vincent, saying "State your business."
"First Lieutenant Vincent Gainsborough, I was called here by Admiral Akainu". Said Vincent to the guard.
"Wait there". The guard responded. After he went into the Admiral's office Vincent was left there feeling quite akward while the other three watched him. After a moment the guard stepped out and said "The Admiral will see you now". He held the door when Vincent entered. Vincent knew he did not do this out of courtesy, he wanted to watch Vincent for a much time as possible to better protect the admiral from danger.
Inside the office it was uncomfortably hot, even with the open window. Vincent was already in full dress uniform, as one does not meet with an Admiral without looking ones best. Vincent began to sweat instantly. "Sit down." ordered the Admiral without looking up from his desk. When Vincent sat, he looked out the window. They were on a small Navy base Island located at the edge of the Red Line in the East Blue. The view from the office window was beautiful, there were a dozen or so clouds, the seagulls filled the sky, the sea sparkled beautifully in the gentle wind, the sounds from the dockhands carried from the pier. There were four marine ships at dock. One of them belonged to Vincent, another to the Admirals.
Vincent had never been a proponent of Absolute Justice that the Admiral before him so rigidly followed. As such when he had fought in the Battle of Marinford Vincent had been so disgusted by what he had witnessed over the course of that day that he had filed a discharge form that night. Even just thinking about what had happened the day before last made Vincent's eyes water. Of course with all of the confusion related to the death of so many officers coupled with the resignation of Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp, Vincent had not expected the request to be processed for several months.
Vincent was actually in the process of travelling back to Shell Town where he had been stationed nearly a year ago after its' previous commanding officer had been revealed as a criminal for extorting the townspeople and his own men. Because of that incident the entire chain of command at Shell Base was replaced. Vincent was among their new group of officers.
Earlier in the day Vincent had received a priority message from his Den-Den Mushi ordering him to divert his course to this outpost for a meeting with the Admiral. Of course he wasn't the only one, according to the rumor all of the highest ranking Navy officers were making their way to the four corners of the planet to promote lower ranking officers that had been overlooked until now, and to encourage young men and women to join the marines. The Navy was doing this in an attempt to restregthen themselves, so that they could be ready to challenge whoever filled the power vacuum left by Whitebeard.
Finally, Admiral Akainu looked at Vincent and said "Lieutenant, do you know why you were summoned here?"
"No sir." Responded Vincent, of course he had ideas but it would be unwise to babble or speculate around this man.
Akainu looked down at the folders on his desk. "These documents are the resignation request you filed the day before yesterday, the official report of your conduct in the Battle of Marinford, Your current service record with the Navy, and finally your criminal history … in its' entireity." After saying that Akainu looked up at Vincent to see his reaction. This made Vincent feel like an ant under a microscope.
Intimidation and worry caught up with Vincent. He wasn't sure how to respond so he took the safest route he could think of and answered with a simple "Sir?"
Akainu looked Vincent in the eyes, causing him to wither under the Admirals gaze. It felt like Vincent could hide nothing from the Admiral. "You preformed quite admirably at Marinford, according to this report. You lead and protected you men, even after your commanding officer was killed. In that battle we lost too many good officers, and are in need of more."
Vincent now knew where this conversation was going, and he didn't like it. Attempting to be as tactful as possible Vincent said. "Sir, if I may be candid, where are you going with this?"
Akainu's look became a glare "Lieutenant, I refuse to accept your resignation. The paperwork have been filled out and given my seal of approval. Once you sign this document you will officially be Captain of Fog Base in the West Blue." As the Admiral was saying this he slid a piece of mostly filled out legal paper.
Vincent lost his cool, he could no longer control the rage that had begun to build up inside of himself. Vincent knew that by doing this he might be signing his own death warrant but he needed to say something. Vincent stood up, without raising his voice he said as forcefully as he could to the Admiral. "No! I cannot continue being a marine after that bloodbath that you called a battle. Not after you attempted to trap and slaughter thousands. Not after you ignored the suffering and death of your own men. Not after you attempted to kill the Strawhat just because of what he could become. And especially not after what you did to Ace!"
Akainu seemed unsurprised by this reaction. "I am well aware of your prior life, Lieutenant. The bounty you earned, how you attained it, and your prior affiliation with the Spade Pirates as one of their swordsmen. Your previous life as a pirate is exactly why I am not going to allow you to leave the service. People with a criminal history such as yours should be locked up for life, not given a second chance in the marines. The law demands I give you this chance to live as a respectable member of society. So, because of the services you have rendered the Marines, you are being given a position that you have earned, but also one where you can be watched."
Vincent responded by turning his back to the Admiral. He took a deep breath to stop his hands from shaking and calmly said to the Admiral. "Sir, I refuse to be a marine any longer. If you will not let me do it on paper then I will simply walk."
Akainu sighed, he had hoped that it would not come to this. The Admiral pushed a button on the underside of his desk. "By admitting to a superior officer that you have plans to desert your post as a marine. You will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." As Akainu said this his guards came through the door.
Vincent's arrest was a gentle affair. They cuffed him and led him out of the office. Vincent kept his dignity by neither struggling nor shouting. The Admiral watched them leave. He had expected this to happen, but he had hoped for another outcome.
