About three days after delivering Axe-Hand to Enies Lobby, Garp's flagship made its way to Marijoa through the Gates of Justice's link to Marineford. Coby had beheld the great Navy HQ, but it almost paled in comparison to just the mere idea of getting to see Marijoa, the capital of the entire world. It sat upon the top of the Red Line, that great mountain mass that divided the world.
He stuck to his duties and things on the ship felt cooler and cleaner without Morgan on board to try any escape attempts. Attention from Garp seemed to wane; Coby detected after a few days of barely even getting to say good morning to him that something serious was going on with the biggest pirates in the world. Too many times he heard the names of Whitebeard and Big Mom and Kaido uttered. Even just that left him feeling very small and weak.
Then one day, Garp's flagship reached a small town nestled in a rocky outcrop at the base of the Red Line. They had been working their way south with the flat mountain to their left. This time, things felt very different when compared to Reverse Mountain. The Red Line dominated Coby entirely more than the far off names of the Four Emperors could.
The flagship docked against the side of the town, too large to fit into the modest town's port, but they slammed the gangplank against the ground all the same and Garp Squad came off it together. "Stick here in town, men," Garp ordered everyone. "I'll be back shortly. I've gotta get Coby and Bogard to the top!"
Garp led them to the bondolas, great elevators that twenty strong men on the ground and apparently twenty strong men at the top of the Red Line operated. They spun a great wheel around and around, gradually lifting the shielded platform up the side of the Red Line. Coby expected the view to be far more magnificent than it was. Yes, he could see far, and the glistening blue sea stood out to him, but the clouds concealed anything interesting to see in the far off stretches of the horizon or even upwards, to the top of the Red Line that only seemed to climb higher and higher.
"Coby," Garp said halfway up, with only the three of them in the bondola. "I need you to know . . . this isn't simply a place for you to grow stronger. This isn't simply a favor to you."
"What do you mean, Admiral?" Coby asked.
Garp had his hands clasped behind his back as if he were in front of superiors and only looked at Coby from the corner of his eye. "I mean this is a nest of vipers. If there were a better place to send you, know that I would."
"Sir," Coby said with a sure smile, "I'm most honored by this basis of training you're granting me! Thank you, sir!" He saluted at Garp in this little elevator that continued climbing the Red Line.
"Oh, Coby," Garp said with a sigh. "We get so few moments like this. When it's just us, call me Garp." Coby felt deeply touched by this honor and meant to use it, but found no possible point in the rest of the bondola right up. The three spent the rest of their time in total silence except for the grinding of the gears that bit into the cables, pulling them up and up.
At the top, a squad welcomed Garp with great regard but Garp paid them little mind, leading Bogard and Coby across the other part of the Red Port. The fog up here was immense, Coby felt suffocated by the stuff; but as they wandered down a flat road across the top of the Red Line itself, the great castle city of Marijoa appeared before Coby, towering at least five hundred of Coby's height tall above him. The gates already creaked open ahead of them for the esteemed Vice Admiral Garp to arrive.
When they entered, they immediately turned right and hugged the outer wall the entire way to their destination. At one point, they had to deviate and wander through the more populous parts of the city, where The Hero of the Navy was cheered for, praised, and begged to stop for attention. Garp had a steely expression the whole way through. It made the crowd swoon all the more, but Coby found it made him want nothing to do with these people.
All around flapped the flag of the World Government until they reached a great warehouse five times the size of any Coby had previously seen. Even the roads in Marijoa were huge, and it took them a full minute to cross it between the steeds people rode and the great crowds of passers by. At this warehouse flapped the familiar flags of the Navy, and Coby felt a relief at the sight. Garp led them into a side door; Coby wondered why Bogard would not have opened the door for him.
The door opened into a great training yard where the ceiling must have reached the full height of the building - and Coby saw the reason why. Not only were there tall men like Garp here who towered over Coby, there was a great giant, in a great big tank top, sweating great big beads of sweat. It was here that Garp began to smile, and he clapped his hands together. "John! Great to see you, ya bastard!"
"Garp! No one mentioned you'd arrived! Welcome, welcome!" Vice Admiral John Giant, Headmaster of the Marijoa Naval Academy declared, lowering his great broadsword to the ground. He had been dueling the next tallest man in the room, who was even taller than Garp and seemingly more muscular to boot. And Coby's jaw dropped to see that his sword was at least twice as big as he was, big enough to parry against John Giant's rather meager looking sword for a giant's size.
The muscular Marine collapsed, letting his sword clatter to the floor next to him as he panted heavily. "Too damn powerful," his voice cracked as he croaked out the words. "Can't even last thirty seconds alone . . . pitiful!"
Vice Admiral John Giant bent a knee and extended his fist toward Garp, who touched fists with the fellow vice admiral. "Well then! This is our newest recruit? Welcome, Coby! Garp has sung your praises already. You shall be a fine student here!"
"Gi- gi- gian- giant!" Coby stuttered out.
"He's got a hell of a stutter, but he knows of you, Vice Admiral John Giant," Garp said as he tucked Coby into a side hug, clasping him tight to get the message across: Get it together! "I've told him what a staunch tutor you are to the rising stars of our organization."
"You're sure to make a dent in our ranks, my friend," John Giant told Coby. He was struck at the nonchalance with which they were addressing each other, even considering Coby's lowest rank. "I understand Sir Bogard will be taking him on as his personal student."
"Yes, but I want your instructors to get him to where he needs to be," Garp said. "I've got six months before I need him by my side at full capacity. To where I can train him personally." He looked at Coby from the corner of his eye again but smiled warmly this time, and Coby felt invigorated.
John Giant still panted and nodded. "Aye. We can do that. Get ready to put blood, sweat, and tears into this, young Coby!" He beamed at Coby warmly, but the way his voice sounded was unforgiving. Coby wished he could train under Garp directly already, especially thinking of spending six months away from him.
The same day, the last of Hina Squad were given the diagnosis that they were free to go and totally healed up enough for the formation of a brand new type of Watchdog squad. There was a procession ready at the dock of Navy Base G8 at the pier where the grand warship built specially for Captains Smoker and Hina bobbed, waiting for their commanding officers.
Vice Admiral Johnathan walked alongside Smoker and Hina as they made their way to their new ship. Captain Smoker's ship was already on its way back to Marineford for repurposing for another squad, while Hina's original warship was available as a secondary ship. "Take care on your travels, you two," Jonathan told them as they neared the great warship. "These pirates sound like real brigands." He chuckled at his own words. It irritated Hina despite the hospitality he'd afforded her and her men.
Following Smoker and Hina's flanks were the newly promoted Second Lieutenant Tashigi, hand placed confidently on the hilt of Shigure; Lieutenant Commander Drake, Jonathan's dour second in command; Commander Glove, who still had his pride to recover from Kyuka Island; and newly promoted Warrant Officer Asahija. He, with a small set of Hina's hand picked men, were not joining the others on the journey deeper into the Grand Line.
"I want you to return to the East Blue. Find anyone, incarcerated or no, that has experience against the Straw Hat Pirates. Anyone with a leg up is a great advantage," Hina had instructed her Warrant Officer.
Smoker had stood by with crossed arms, puffing on a cigar. "It's a waste of time and resources. We should keep our main forces to stay at full advantage. I'm the only one left in the East who can take on Mugiwara."
"Sorry, Smokey, on this front, we're playing it safe," Hina said. "Besides, by the sound of things, there are some useful assets who might have some, how you say, intel on these pirates?"
"Yeah, but Nico Robin wasn't sailing with them in the East," Smoker explained. "As far as we know, Robin has no contacts in the East."
"All the same," Hina reiterated, "let's do things kosher. I want the advantage next time."
Smoker had decided not to push back too much more here. Sure, numbers would help in a pinch, maybe. But Smoker planned on relying only on himself. He didn't mean to allow any embarrassing loophole attacks that incapacitated him before hit him again, especially not from some joke like Buggy the Clown.
And he had no intentions of letting Straw Hat Luffy slip through his grasp again.
"It's been a real pleasure having you two here," Jonathan said in the present as they reached the end of the dock. He spun and held his arms clasped at his side. Lieutenant Commander Drake joined him at his right, but the men of G8 began saying their farewells to the friends they'd made belonging to Smoker-Hina Squad.
Smoker, Hina, Tashigi, and Glove stood across from them, but everyone faced Asahija as he saluted all his superiors. "Thank you for the task, ma'am!" he said cordially but with fervor. "I'll be sure to do you proud."
"You always do. Just keep your feet dry," Hina replied with a curt but kind salute. Asahija waited no more time in taking the men assigned to him as well as a gifted two soldiers that had grown close to the others from Johnathan's own division. The officers regarded each other after his ascent of the sail ship's gangplank.
"Thanks again for taking care of my classmate, Vice Admiral," Smoker told Johnathan respectfully, ignoring the reputation Johnathan had won in the Navy. To Smoker, and to the mass of Smoker-Hina Squad, he was a man worthy of respect. Hina showed the same but blushed at Smoker's disregarded way of referring to her. "Hope there aren't any wars that'll send our paths crossing. I'd rather catch up at some BS banquet."
Jonathan laughed and the two shook hands. He also shook hands with Captain Hina. "I must say, it was an honor to finally meet The Black Cage. Go out there and get our Child back, alright?" he said with a chuckle he had to make less.
"Our child?" Hina asked.
Jonathan realized the joke didn't land. "Oh. Nico Robin, isn't she 'The Demon Child of Ohara'?" He was genuinely asking.
"I believe it's just 'The Demon of Ohara', sir," Hina replied a little more curtly than she meant to. I don't appreciate the cute jokes, though, Vice Admiral, she thought to herself.
Jonathan nodded, placing his hand on his stomach. "Right, right. Well, you Watchdogs sure have a long and hard task ahead of you, I believe. Nico Robin hasn't avoided Government capture almost two decades for nothing." He tipped his hat at the ominous last words, though his message was not lost on Smoker, either. What he was saying, exactly, not even his lieutenant commander knew. But he was saying something for the officers' ears.
They took little further time for their salutes and their final goodbyes before Hina bellowed at the combined squad, "Alright, men! Let's let our hosts enjoy their home. We're heading down the Grand Line! Who knows where Nico Robin could have gotten to while we were licking our wounds?"
Smoker and Tashigi were already walking up the gangplank as she addressed the men and Tashigi listened in, for the first time not appreciating Captain Hina. They're both captain, she thought before asking Smoker, "Captain, is there anything you want to say to the squad, too?"
"No," Smoker growled, her words striking him, too. Where are you, Straw Hat?
The Clown Pirates partied the entire way up Reverse Mountain. There were a great many changes in their ranks since they went into hiding and their new bounties were released, but Captain Buggy needed time to think about it. They had found a nice deserted island and remained there, far from Navy eyes, where they could lick their wounds and take stock of what they had left. Luckily, the Straw Hats had not made off with all their gold.
Everything was being bolted or chained to the deck so it wouldn't go flying and the party could continue, but Mohji, sitting at the prow, could tell no one was quite ready for what they were getting into. Faces at work or cooking or trying to steady their drinks were staring ahead at the rapidly pulling current of Reverse Mountain. Mohji sat lazily on Richie's back, who splayed out his arms and legs into the banisters of the Big Top like he was his master's hammock.
Mohji was in no mood to party because he had just been demoted to Second Mate.
The officers of the Clown Pirates had all received or gotten an update to their bounties - except for Mohji, who still remained without one. Impossible! he thought. I was the one that actually sprang Captain Buggy out!
"Buggy the Clown, 45 million. 'Iron Mace' Alvida, 18 million. Cabaji, 10 million. The Funan Brothers Ed, Nino, and Sal, 3 million each," Alvida had read out when the newspapers were released warning the East that Buggy remained at large once again. When the word had reached them on their island, Buggy knew it was at least time to drift toward the Grand Line, and plunder along the way.
No Navy vessel returned to port on that trip, and a few merchant traders found their stocks lower after the Clown Pirates dealt with them. But it was no matter; the Straw Hats, bitter as the pill was to swallow, were the Grand Line's problem now. The Clown Pirates had returned on top as the powers of the East Blue.
"With my First Mate Cabaji, remember our names as the Kings of the East - BUGGY THE CLOWN'S PIRATES!" Buggy would declare to the survivors of their trek to the mountain. Mohji was now the Second Mate of the crew. "It just makes sense, Mohji, don't take it personally! There's a hierarchy to this stuff," he explained to Mohji when he made his decision. Mohji was still hurt by it.
Not hurt enough to not notice how different Buggy was acting, though. He was more . . . jolly. He sat on his great throne and chugged from his beer before belly-laughing as loud as he ever had. "Ah, it's back to my home for me! How long it's been since I set foot in the Grand Line. Men! The plunder that awaits us is beyond all compare!" he shouted from his seat, laughing all the while.
"C-Captain!" Eddie Funan clamored as he and his brothers linked arms around the center master to not fall over. "This is getting kinda scary! You didn't tell us it was so steep!"
"It's a mountain, of course it was going to be steep," Cabaji replied from his unicycle, pedaling back and forth so he kept his place, his own drink perfectly balanced in hand. He had become far more snide since his promotion; Mohji rolled his eyes.
Suddenly, Alvida, who had no problem handling the steepness of the mountain's climb, walked up the deck to where Mohji sat on Richie's back. She smiled as she came up, her mace cradled across her shoulder, her feet the surest on deck. "How are you up here? Too steep for you?"
"Richie's doing fine for the both of us," Mohji tossed back, jerking his thumb to Richie, who slept soundly even with the commotion and extra weight on his back.
"You should look more thrilled to see me," Alvida told him. "I've come with a proposition while everyone's distracted."
"Oh yeah?" Mohji said, choosing to look up the river instead of at Iron Mace.
"Yeah," Alvida replied, speaking like she were speaking to a five year old. "I know you must be hurting about the change of guard around here. I get it. That spot should have been guaranteed to you."
Mohji spun back to Alvida now. "You know," he began, pointing a finger at her while the Big Top kept picking up pace. The rest of the Clown Pirates were holding on to whatever they could or rushing inside the cabin for cover. Panic was setting in while Buggy laughed. "We can all tell you've got Buggy's right hand now. For a while, we all conspired on how to kill you in the night and toss you overboard. Bad luck for a woman to be on a pirate ship, that kinda stuff." He shrugged. "But we came to like you.
"But I don't love you, and I haven't said anything because you occupied a place aside from me or Cabaji. How you did it so fast, well, who knows?" he suggested casually, and Alvida chose not to bite on that one, hearing him out the full way. "But look. Don't come here all of a sudden and rub it in my face, trying to play me up with some sort of deal to get my spot back while you're gunning for the very same spot. I'm not that dumb." He could certainly be that dumb; but he was observant if nothing else, and eventually, all math problems could add up to anyone.
Alvida was impressed. Perhaps I underestimated this one, she thought, nodding slowly and deliberately. "Well . . . if that's out of the way then . . . Okay, I won't take First Mate."
"I mean, why don't you want the Captain spot? Just waste Buggy and take the whole crew over," Mohji said sarcastically, tired of any counter offer she could bring up already. But he got an idea and shrugged at the thought. "Or just fill in as Vice Captain."
Mohji was one step ahead of her yet again; she had not considered Vice Captain. But that doesn't mean I could get his help on getting there, Alvida realized. "Well, great, then, we can work together to get me there. And work together to get you back to First Mate."
Mohji's eyes lit up; he didn't mean or want for them to, but they did, and as he allowed it to, the deal came on to him. "Curse me," Mohji said, "working with a newbie convincing me to be okay still being number two. I did bring it up," he had to add, and shook Alvida's hand to it. "Fine. What do you have in mind? Want to just do a coup on Cabaji?"
"No," Alvida said, spinning on her heel. "Just wanted to cement our alliance. Cabaji's useful to the crew - as Second Mate. So we've got each other's backs going into the Grand Line is all." Even Richie had propped an eye open to watch her saunter away. "I'm relieved by that. How about you?"
Mohji shook his head, but suddenly, there was a jolt under deck - he looked about and the Big Top sailed over the crest of Reverse Mountain. The crew all began to cry out, even Alvida, Mohji, and Cabaji who all came tumbling to the deck despite their surefootedness before. Only Buggy remained planted to his chair, laughing the whole way. Even the chainings and boltings weren't doing much to the plummet they took slamming back into the water, and casks of ale went spilling and upending over the side of the ship.
As did one of the newer crew mates, a short fellow who had begun helping the Funan Brothers with cannon duty. "Oh no! Biama!" the Funan Brothers cried in unison, staring as their cannonball attendant suddenly careened backward from the ship, threatening to slam into the water.
But Buggy let his mug fall from his hand and clatter to the floor, his hands detaching at the wrist and zooming backward as Buggy's head turned an impossible one hundred and eighty degrees. The hands shot for Biama's armpits, caught him just before his screaming body could slam into the water, and brought him speeding back to the Big Top before it gained too much speed on the descent trip.
The crew fell quieter at watching this. The malice of Buggy the Clown suddenly seemed lessened to them all, for there was a time when Buggy easily marooned crewmates like old Cachino or let crewmates fallen over in squalls fall under "Lost to the Storm." Surely the journey into the Grand Line would have marked a time where every man was supposed to be on his best so they wouldn't need rescuing. Since when has Captain Buggy ever rescued men so often? Cabaji thought. He's changing . . . ever since he met Straw Hat . . .
"Keep your feet, man!" Buggy told Biama as he set the small man down. "This is Paradise compared to the sights I'm looking at. We'll all need to keep our feet in the days to come - if for nothing else, then for the greatest treasure this world's ever known - THE ONE PIECE!"
The Clown Pirates were totally taken aback by the declaration as Buggy stood on his throne, arm pointing ahead confidently as he laughed bold and long. It infected the crew one at a time; the Funan Brothers and Biama were cackling, bound arm in arm as they spun in circles. Mohji and Cabaji shared a look, so shocked were they by the last minute speech from their captain that even they had to laugh. Alvida rose and began chuckling to herself.
All in all, the Clown Pirates appreciated the change in Buggy's demeanor. It made this terrifying descent far more comfortable thinking their captain wasn't scared.
Until Buggy saw the massive form of Laboon the Island Whale dead ahead, crying into the air at deafening volumes. The Clown Pirates' revelry stopped once more and they clapped their hands to their ears. Some of them cried back in pain. "My ear drums are bursting!" Cabaji cried out, tearing up from the decibel level.
Who are you? Is it my friends the Rumbars, or the Straw Hats? Mohji looked around, puzzled, wondering who was speaking so clearly and calmly in the midst of this whale's screams. He looked around but found no one even close enough to have said anything. For that matter, he thought, I don't recognize that voice.
We are the Clown Pirates! came Richie's familiar voice as he leaned on the front of the banister, staring ahead. Mohji's face scrunched up, and Richie sent out loud roars. What a magnificent whale you are! Could I get a flank of your steak, friend?
The whale? Mohji thought. He was confused; he had never heard another animal's voice beside Richie's. He didn't even think other animals had voices like Richie did. Though the whale's voice gave way to the screams of the Clown Pirates around him. "CRASH! WE'RE GONNA CRASH INTO THAT GIANT WHALE!" the Funan Brothers and Biama began to scream in unison, cradled on the deck against the main mast in a big ball.
"Richie! Tell him to move!" Mohji hollered at Richie as the idea came to him, wondering if such a whale would listen to a lion only a fraction the size of itself. Richie looked at Mohji wildly, his mind lost on what a cut of island whale steak might taste like, but at the order, he snapped to and nodded affirmation to his master.
O Island Whale! I beseech you to move so our crew will stop freaking out! Richie roared at the whale from his position as chaos continued to spread across the Big Top. Buggy had started off with screams to lead the crew's, but he now composed himself, stood back on his throne, and placed his hands on his hips. "Try not to fear, men! This is the Grand Line! We are bound for dangers the like of which we've never seen before. This whale is nothing!"
But the whale only grew closer, and became taller, and roared louder. Buggy's nerves of steel wavered and cracked - he began screaming along with the crew, drowning them out. "WE'RE GONNA DIE! HOLY SHIT!" he screamed as the great big whale's eye stared down at him in particular.
"AHHHHHHHH!" the Clown Pirates screamed. Alvida and Cabaji were crumpled up on the floor of the deck, cradling each other in their arms. They cried together while the rest of the crew scrambled about, more heading inside to enjoy the last luxuries of life they could before their death.
"Richie! Get him to move!" Mohji ordered.
I'm trying! Richie responded. Sweat beads were erupting on his tongue that lolled from his mouth as he tried his best to wrangle his own fear to listen to Mohji.
Mohji grumbled and wrestled his way back over to Richie's side across the deck from him. He grabbed hold of Richie's mane and climbed on his back, holding on tight with one hand and pointing at the whale with the other. "MOVE IT, WHALE!"
"Forget this! Funan Crew! Go blast a hole in it with a Buggy Ball!" Cabaji ordered the cannoneer brothers.
"We're all out, sir!" Sal replied. His eyes were locked on the whale and nearly bulged from his head.
"I thought I ordered you to make more!" Buggy raged from nearby, steam blowing from his nose and ears.
"We're out of the gunpowder mixture! We never stopped at a town to restock!" Nino whined as tears rolled from his eyes and Ed cradled Biama, rolling on the deck beside them.
"I SAID," Mohji bellowed, "MOVE IT, YOU DUMBASS!"
The whale heard him that time, and he groaned out one low rumble that didn't sound like words to Mohji before it turned over and dipped its head into the water. It dove down deep until it was out of sight, leaving only the massive wake behind it. The Clown Pirates screamed all the louder; for even though a wave of water was better than an island whale, it was still a massive wave of water running an opposite current than the river they were on.
The Big Top slammed into the wave, catching water that slipped over the sides from the gaps in the banister, drenching the Clown Pirates and knocking the rest of their party equipment, spitfires, and casks of ale overboard. Richie looked twice as small as usual; Mohji had been sent sailing back and clocked his head on the foremast. His lights were out.
"Wh . . ." Cabaji stammered as the wake from the whale's dive eased up, "what was that? Where'd the whale go?" He looked half a fool as he drew his sword and looked over the edge of the ship, expecting to see the whale's great big eye staring back at them.
"We," Buggy began, "survived," he finished slowly. He placed his hands on his hips and stood up tall, guffawing as the wake balanced out and the Big Top drifted out into Twin Capes, the beginning of the Grand Line. "Come back out, men! We've survived our first adventure here!" Before too long, the crew came back from inside, looking around in disbelief. Half of them couldn't believe they were alive; the other half figured this was a trick and they were eaten by the whale.
"Get the spare supplies! The party's back on! First place we land at, we'll pillage, and get everything you all need! Meat! Mead! Gunpowder! Guns! Knives!" Buggy cackled as he said so. "If the East Blue was only our prologue, this is only our first step."
"What a long prologue," Alvida muttered under her breath. She was already scanning the Twin Capes at either side. The lighthouse seemed abandoned and dusty, as did the shack on the other side, if not for the figure sunbathing outside with his newspaper. He had stopped reading when Laboon had dipped underwater again, curious what pirate crew would be passing by this time.
Crocus and Buggy locked eyes. Alvida leaned on the banister, unaware. "Look at that. Some old man's sitting over there," she pointed out to the others. "He's just . . . staring at us. What a weirdo." She looked back at the captain. "What should we do to him? Rob him?"
"No," Buggy growled, baring his teeth unpleasantly even while the revelry returned to the Big Top's deck at the crew's survival. Cabaji stood at his side, wrung the water out of his clothes, but noticed the steely look on Buggy's face that he shared with the Keeper of the Capes.
"What's wrong, Cap?" Cabaji asked. "Want me to go skewer the old timer?"
"Don't lay a finger on him," Buggy ordered. "Pull us along the side, men. I'd like to have a word with the Keeper of the Capes."