I got up early in the morning, making my bunk and getting dressed for another day. As I walked to the door, I noticed a sign ordering myself, Koby, and Helmeppo to report to headquarters. We were assigned a mission to support a group of marines going to an island that had been overrun by pirates. This was going to be our first real mission as marines, supporting a small group to take on a minor pirate group. The importance of clearing the island of pirates and helping out was clear to me. I took a deep breath to clear my head, grabbed my extra bag, and headed to the meeting place.

I was the first to arrive, but soon others joined as well. Hibari, the blonde who was a bit emotional but kind, with a unique accent, was there. Prince Grus, a strong green-haired young man with a funny hand, also joined us.

"It seems you are the group to go," Vice Admiral Jonathan commented as he looked at us. "I had to ask for help on short notice as I need to deal with this island near my fortress right away."

I nodded as I listened. Koby and Helmeppo joined us, and all five of us listened to the details of the mission from the orangish-red-haired man, whose eyebrows and mustache were oddly just brown and didn't match his hair at all.

I knew this was going to be a great experience and our first real test as marines in combat duty.

"We are going to Kabiki Island," Jonathan explained. "It's a small, out-of-the-way place that was abandoned by its villagers a few months after a landslide. The pirates moved in, belonging to the Twin Barrels Pirates, a minor group, but even a minor group can pose a great danger."

I made mental notes as he continued.

"We will land on the north side. We believe the pirates have taken over the former homes of the villagers. We are to drive them out and retake the island, keeping the homes intact if possible. The villagers hope to return and reclaim their homes," Jonathan continued.

I nodded, thinking about how I could help and use my devil fruit to make a difference in the fight.

"Also, for this mission alone, I got permission from Captain Smoker to borrow one of his. Welcome Tashigi to this mission," Jonathan said as a dark-haired, glasses-wearing marine entered.

I was taken by her at first sight—the fierceness and beauty of her eyes, her grace, and strength. My heart beat quickly in my chest. I watched her move, trying to refocus and remind myself that this was just a mission that needed my complete attention, not a time to be distracted by a pretty swordswoman.

"Okay, let's get going," Vice Admiral Jonathan ordered all of us as he led us to his ship. I nodded, walking with Helmeppo and Koby, joined by the three newcomers: Grus, Hibari, and Tashigi. I didn't know how Vice Admiral Jonathan operated, but I would learn quickly on this mission. Soon, I was putting away supplies before the boat left, heading directly toward our destination.

After some time at sea, I was standing on the deck, having finished my work for the day, when I noticed Tashigi approaching with a curious look in her eyes.

"Hey," Tashigi said, her eyes sharp but friendly. "You're new, right? How are you finding the marine life so far?"

I straightened up, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. "It's challenging, but I'm getting used to it. I know there's a lot to learn, and I'm ready to put in the work."

She nodded; her expression thoughtful. "That's good. You know, hard work and determination are what make a good marine. Keep that up, and you'll do well."

As she spoke, Koby and Helmeppo joined us, their faces reflecting a mix of excitement and determination. Grus and Hibari were nearby, listening in. Grus, with his imposing stature and calm demeanor, gave me a nod of approval. Hibari, on the other hand, had a warm smile, her pink headphones resting around her neck.

"It's our first real mission," Koby said, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "I'm glad we're doing it together."

"Yeah," Helmeppo added, his usual bravado tempered with a hint of seriousness. "We need to prove ourselves."

Vice Admiral Jonathan approached, his presence commanding. "Remember, this mission is crucial. The Twin Barrels Pirates may be a minor group, but they're still dangerous. Work together, and rely on each other's strengths."

That night, I didn't get much sleep. My mind drifted through the possibilities of a real fight, the chance of being harmed, or worse. My heart raced, and my nerves got the best of me as I sat, checking and double-checking my gear for the following day's battle.

I thought a lot about the dangers of my job, knowing I had to overcome this fear and worry. I reminded myself of my duty, but it didn't help much. Eventually, I accepted that this was going to be a rough night and that those worries would be there. Oddly, as soon as I accepted this, I managed to get some sleep. It might have been me coming to terms with the truth, or more likely, my body was so tired it just gave out on me.

Come morning, I was up and ready to go. I was on deck with the others as we saw the tropical island covered with palm trees emerge from the sea. As we approached the island, I looked to Jonathan, who was ever composed.

"Remember the plan," Vice Admiral Jonathan reminded us. "We'll land on the north side and push the pirates out. Keep the villagers' homes intact if possible. Move out!"

I made my way carefully to the shore, using my mercury powers to create a kind of bridge that caught the eye of the others who didn't know about my Devil Fruit abilities. As we landed, the sun was up, and it was a warm day. I looked at the others as I stayed with them, moving quietly, focusing on maintaining the element of surprise.

I kept my eyes open for any surprises, but luckily there were none. This seemed to be a rather unprepared and overconfident group of pirates. I avoided tree limbs and anything that would make noise as we followed the path along the coast, using the palm trees as cover in the early morning light.

As we approached the abandoned village, I noticed smoke from people making breakfast and preparing for the day. I pointed this out, but the others had already noticed. We all moved quietly, saying nothing to avoid giving away our presence.

The sight of these pirates taking over homes that once belonged to happy families saddened me. The thought of these homes, once filled with joy and laughter, now occupied by these damn pirates, fueled my determination. We moved closer, ready to take back what was rightfully the villagers.

As we continued to move silently through the village, Grus, with his clay golems, provided an extra layer of security, positioning them strategically to ensure no pirate could escape unnoticed. Hibari, with her sniper rifle, found a vantage point and began scanning the area for any signs of activity. Koby and Helmeppo, with their determination and readiness, moved alongside me, their expressions mirroring my resolve.

Tashigi, ever vigilant, was right at the front, her sword ready. She turned to us and whispered, "Remember, we're here to protect the innocent and reclaim this village. Let's move."

With that, we advanced towards the heart of the village, each step bringing us closer to our objective. The pirates were about to face justice, and we were the ones delivering it.

We approached the first house, and Grus's golems silently took positions around it. Koby and Helmeppo flanked the entrance, while Tashigi and I prepared to breach. With a nod from Vice Admiral Jonathan, we moved in.

As we moved in the pirates were unprepared for us. They were just having their breakfast as we attacked, Tashigi used a quick slash to disarm a pirate, and I used my own mercury fruit to create chains that could wrap around each of them and keep them secure a moment later as Grus's golems ensured no one escaped, and Hibari provided cover from her position.

As we went from house to house, I came to realize how important this mission was. This wasn't just some mission, it was a mission about protecting the property of others, restoring peace and order, and not allowing the theft of things that didn't belong to these pirates. He knew too that these pirates were, despite being on the wrong side of the law, still people. While he had no problem taking them down, he knew that mass judgements against them might not be the best idea either.

As we got to the old mayor's home near the center of the city our tactic was perfected. We moved in quickly. I moved behind Tashigi as she handled the first person. This time I created a blade from my forearm using it to fight as it blocked attacks and I used my own body as a weapon, creating spikes from my fingers made of mercury that worked effectively in attacks. I saw the leader a moment later as he tried to flee, only to be blocked off by one of Grus' golems before he was in turn shot by one of Hibari's tranquilizers that knocked him out cold.

Having won the quick victory, I felt better, and more confident. The danger was there but we worked so well together that I felt okay. I felt like this mission working with these others showed me that having others around you that you could trust meant more than anything else. That made for a team that could be far stronger than any individual person. I made a mental note to make sure to keep working with others and help out as much as I could to build these bonds of support.

We transported the pirates to the ship in chains that I had made, and they were put into the storage below deck. As we finished this up, Vice Admiral Jonathan addressed us. "Well done, everyone. This village is safe again, thanks to your hard work and dedication."

As I got to the deck of the ship, I felt a great sense of relief to be done with the mission to survive it and to come back alive. I felt a sense of confidence in the people I worked with, and their abilities washed over me again. I felt a sense of determination to get stronger and do even better the next time. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, as I had been successful in my first mission after all and that was important.

I also knew that despite all that, the future would have many more challenges that would be waiting for me. There would be many more missions, each with its own challenges, but I would work hard to make sure that I was ready to face them with my new allies and my old ones.

As I ended up in my cabin, I fell asleep rather quickly as the general lack of sleep from the day before caught up as I could relax. I feel into a quick sleep, driven by the relief of being done with the first battle as much as the lack of sleep which was of course a factor as well.