Crocodile returned to Albasta after her impromptu three-week holiday refreshed, moodier than when she left, and with a slight but noticeable weight gain that softened the sharp edge she did have, not to mention the increasing voluptuousness of her hips, thighs, and chest.
Most of the people who knew her best attributed the moodiness to her weight gain but didn't think to attribute both to something else.
Right up until Daz Bones watched his Captain fall asleep mid-sentence in the middle of a staff meeting, it took a moment for everyone to realize Crocodile had stopped talking, looking up from their papers in surprise. Ash, who'd been lounging in his chair, one booted foot propped onto his opposite knee and his hands laced together behind his head, leaned forward in his seat, his eyebrows raised above his sunglasses, looking above Nico Robin's head.
Her head bowed, Crocodile breathed in a deep, steady rhythm. Her lashes were fanned against her oddly rosy cheeks, and her chest rose and fell with each breath she took.
"What happened?" Robin half stood, one hand braced on the surface of the table, looking to Ash like he would have the answers. Ash had no idea where she had gotten that idea in the short months she'd known him. He prided himself in seldom knowing what was happening and thought everyone was aware they shouldn't ever go to him expecting answers.
He shrugged at her with a baffled look and said, "I know as much as you do kiddo."
Daz stood from his chair and moved to Crocodile's side. "Boss?" He placed a hand on her arm and shook her lightly. Daz knelt beside her and examined her face as her lashes fluttered open.
Her voice was annoyed as if she didn't realize she had just fallen asleep. "What?"
"You fell asleep."
Glancing around at the concerned faces of her crew and employees, Crocodile's brow furrowed, "I did?"
Ash crossed his arms on the table, head tilting. "Conked out right in the middle of talking, too."
She shook her head, covering her mouth as she yawned, her jaw creaking with the stretch. "Huh. That's never happened before," Crocodile sighed. Her mind turned, once again, to calculating, that little flutter in her stomach starting back up. "Let's stop here for the day."
Without argument, most of them nodded, stood up, and left to return to their posts. Only Daz, Robin, and Ash hung back, staring at Crocodile worriedly.
"Are you alright, Crocodile?" Robin asks, blue eyes serious.
Crocodile smiled, pushing down her suspicions and smiling at her, "Just tired. Maybe I'm fighting something off."
Ash's thin tongue flicked out between his lips in a particularly snakish move, the other three missing it. Tasting the air, he could pick up a distinct change in Crocodile's scent. Ash raised an eyebrow, "Maybe you should get Nikita to give you a checkup."
Crocodile narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he had similar suspicions, "For what might just be a cold?"
Ash didn't respond. He just shrugged and waved as he left the room.
Robin watched him leave, and suddenly, she was looking more closely at Crocodile. "You don't actually think it's a cold, do you?"
It took Daz only a few seconds before he got what Robin was hinting at, "You think she might be–"
Crocodile cut him off with a shushing motion. "I have my suspicions. And Ash and Robin seem to think the same. To early to say anything out loud, in any case. I'll go see Niki as soon as I can."
Daz nodded, mouth a stern line.
"I know I don't have to say it, but still, keep this to yourselves. You know how vulnerable I'll be if it turns out I am." They left her alone in the meeting room with solemn nods.
How many enemies had she made over the years that would love to learn she was pregnant? Crocodile leaned back in her chair and consciously tried to stop herself from placing her hand on her belly. She couldn't afford to spend ten or more months in the East Blue again if she was pregnant. Too many things required her attention, and disappearing, as she'd done when she'd been pregnant with Luffy, would be impossible.
Her fingers twitched for one of her cigarillos, and she heaved an irritated sigh.
No more of that.
–
Nikita didn't even blink when Crocodile told her she thought she may be pregnant. Given the rapidity with which the woman got her set up to draw a blood sample, Crocodile figured she may have expected Crocodile would come knocking. There's no beating around the bush, and Niki confirms her pregnancy with a sly smirk, her black eyes sparkling with mirth, "Congrats, boss, you are, in fact, pregnant. A little over four weeks, if your estimations are right."
The vinyl on the top of the examination table creaks as she shifts her weight. "Thanks for the confirmation," Crocodile snorts at her friend and stands up, putting her coat back over her shoulders and already walking to the door. "Explain to me how Ash was so certain."
Nikita's smirk widened into a grin, "Oh, boss, our King of Serpents can smell that sort of thing."
Crocodile paused with her hand on the door handle, looking at Niki confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Niki shrugged, the wheels of her stool rattling as she rolled back to her desk, "He's a snake. You ever seen his tongue dart out of his mouth like he's tasting the air? It's cause he's literally tasting the air. Pregnancy changed enough of your scent that he knew, probably as soon as he saw you after your holiday."
Crocodile glowered at her, "You two had a bet, didn't you?"
"The big bastard bet me a thousand berries you'd be coming to see me and another thousand that you'd be pregnant." Her grin was positively mischievous, "I told him I wasn't betting against a sure thing."
The doctor's words surprised a laugh out of Crocodile, "You're both fucking assholes."
"Come on, boss. Don't need a snake's sense to puzzle things out. Your tits have been exploding out of just about any shirt you wear; ain't hard to guess why with how much I'm guessing you and Akainu were fucking while on vacation."
"Good to know I've put on weight," Crocodile said dryly.
The doctor waved her hand flippantly, scribbling a note in Crocodile's file that was open on her desk, "The extra weight is good for the baby," Niki practically sang, "Don't forget, no smoking and no using your Suna Suna no Mi abilities."
"Yeah, yeah, thanks, doc."
"Anytime, babe. Come back tomorrow; I'll give you an ultrasound."
–
Confirmation in hand, Crocodile started to make plans.
The joys of being a female Logia User.
Utter and Complete vulnerability for the duration of her pregnancy. Unable to use her sand body to avoid hits because it would immediately terminate the pregnancy.
She would remain on Alabasta. The kids were there, and she kept her most loyal crew nearby. Rain Dinners was a fortress disguised as a casino. She'd retreat to the East Blue only when it was close to time for her child to be born.
Regardless, she needed to tell Sakazuki the news. Nikita had assured her everything looked good and that she was perfectly healthy, but there was always a chance for loss. She knew that the standard period to start telling people was after the first trimester, but Sakazuki wasn't everyone.
And she wanted to tell him in person, mostly because she was curious to see his reaction.
Her opportunity came with the next Shichibukai meeting. So off she went, aboard Garp's ship once more, bundled for the winter vortex currently buffetting the Red Line and, to a lesser degree, Marineford, where they were headed.
She had an envelope in one pocket with a handful of ultrasound photos in it.
The snow fell in big, fat flakes, leaving the ship's deck wet with slush that the ensigns scrambled to keep clear. When they'd sailed into the storm last night, Crocodile hadn't been sure they were going to make it in time, but Garp had surprised her. That and as they'd gotten closer to the island, the winds had started to die down. "We won't be able to get anywhere near The Red Line. The winds are vicious the closer to it you get this time of year," Garp grumbled, sniffling with the cold.
"Every year?"
"Nearly a guarantee. The Red Line isn't as affected by the bizarre weather of the Grand Line, and Marineford is close enough that we catch the fringes of it."
They docked, and Crocodile glanced up at the looming buildings of Marineford, "Interesting. Do they get buffetted even in Mariejois?"
"Yup," Garp popped the word, offering a surprised Crocodile his hand to help her down the gangplank. Crocodile wasn't sure which of them was more surprised when she actually accepted. She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he could tell she was knocked up. "The nobles retreat into their temperature-regulated domes when that happens."
Captain Rin, Sakazuki's second, waited for her further down the dock. He looked miserable in the cold, his hat pulled onto his head and his hands shoved into his armpits. He perked up when they got closer.
He saluted Garp before nodding at Crocodile cheerfully, "Morning, Lady," His voice dropped into a conspiratorial whisper, "Admiral's waiting, with food, if you're interested."
Garp pursed his lips, eyes darting between Rin and Crocodile, "Why's Sakazuki offering Crocodile breakfast?" Rin widened his eyes innocently and shrugged. For a second, Crocodile thought Garp might have figured out her and Sakazuki's relationship.
Then she realized Garp was probably just annoyed that the invitation didn't include him. So she ignored him. "Well, if he's going to feed me, I suppose I can't say no."
Garp grumbled and retreated to the deck of his ship to ensure his marines finished docking her properly.
"You're the first to arrive. The storm might cause some delays, but the meeting's slated for its normal start time; subject to change," Rin informed her as he led the way up the hill to the main building, a cobblestone stairway bypassing the town for a direct route.
"Will I get to spend the night in a cell if the meeting is delayed," Crocodile mused, glancing around while they crossed an expansive stone courtyard. Below them, on the town's main thoroughfare, marines were clearing snow from the cobblestones, attempting to keep up with the snowfall so that the civilians could go about their daily lives without any hindrances.
Rin tossed a smirk over his shoulder, "Not unless you want to. There are some VIP suites in one of the officer apartment blocks that you'd be staying in…if Sakazuki doesn't insist you stay with him."
"He actually has an apartment?"
"A house in town, actually," He paused before asking her, "You know about Drake, right?"
"Sakazuki mentioned her adoption if that's what you mean."
"Ah, good. Yeah, that's what I mean. He bought his place around the time he was wading through the paperwork minefield that was her adoption after Admiral Kizaru suggested it might look good to the Child Services Agent." Rin snorted, "Pretty sure Drake stays there more often than Sakazuki does."
"He's not on base a lot, is he?"
"When Drake was still a kid, he'd be home more often for her. Then, she got older, and he felt comfortable leaving for longer periods. But he's been on base more often in recent years," He glanced around to make sure they were alone. "Between you and me, I think Sengoku might be testing him for becoming her successor."
Crocodile's eyebrows jumped up. From the things that he had told her, Sakazuki seemed to think Sengoku didn't like him. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, it's just a feeling, to be honest. But it makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Kizaru is a little flaky, and predicting how she'll react in any situation is hard. Admiral Aokiji's always been lazy and kind of a 'let the pieces fall where they may' sort… Maybe I just share Sakazuki's distaste for him, but Aokiji likes to see things go his way, regardless of if that is what the law says."
Hearing Rin's perspective was eye-opening. Sakazuki had his biases like anyone, and the closer you were, the harder it was to separate biases from reality, "And you think Sakazuki would be the best of the three to be promoted to Fleet Admiral?"
Rin nodded firmly, "Yeah." He stared ahead with steely eyes, "I've been working with him for a long time; he can make hard decisions, he knows when to delegate and when to do things himself, and he actively wants to see his subordinates excel. He has a temper but is damned good at keeping it under wraps, and I can't remember him ever taking it out on anyone who didn't deserve it." He cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly, "Sorry, I probably shouldn't be talking about this. Sengoku isn't gonna be retiring for at least another decade."
They crested the hill and crossed the courtyard of the main building to the entrance. Crocodile snorted, "I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't interested." She buried her chin deeper into her scarf when a gust of icy wind kicked up a flurry of snow off the ground. She shivered and was glad to reach the doors, Rin holding the heavy oak open for her.
The climb to the top floors was almost as long of a trek as the walk from the harbour.
"Lieutenant Maru. Lady Crocodile to see Admiral Akainu," Rin's voice was vaguely sarcastic when he spoke to the gentle-looking woman sitting at a desk outside Sakazuki's office. Crocodile wanted to laugh at the woman's complete disregard of the Captain.
"Of course, go right in," Standing up, Maru shooed Rin out of the way and opened the door.
As Maru closed the door behind her, Crocodile heard Rin say, "What, you're not going to say anything to me? Rude, Maru, very rude."
Crocodile felt herself relax, her eyes falling closed as soon as she entered the earthy, warm office and took a deep breath. Many of the plants were in bloom, the heady aroma easing into her bones. She heard Sakazuki and knew he was crossing the floor to stand in front of her, but she couldn't open her eyes—not until she was up in his arms. "Does Rin have a thing for Maru?"
"He does. But since he behaves like a five-year-old pulling on a girl's pigtails most of the time, Maru refuses to have anything to do with him."
Crocodile finally opened her eyes, smiling into the kiss he pressed against her mouth. She looked up at him, tracing the strong line of his jaw with her eyes, and met his warm, dark eyes.
"Hungry?" Sakazuki asked her, helping her out of her jacket and scarf. His gaze fell to the tantalizing low neckline of her shirt, and couldn't help but look at the luxurious swell of her breasts.
"Honestly, I'm starving," She had very deliberately worn one of her more revealing shirts beneath a soft cashmere cardigan that highlighted the shape and size of her boobs. With as much time as Sakazuki spent with his face in between them, she had a feeling that he would notice the change. She tilts her head intentionally, an impish smirk playing around the corners of her mouth. She made herself comfortable on the couch, "Oh, grab the envelope in the inside pocket of my coat. It's for you."
Sakazuki tore his eyes away from her chest and shot her a curious look, "A'right." He fished it out and opened it after draping the heavy wool over the back of one of the chairs.
Crocodile waited while he shuffled through the grey and black photos. He tilted and rotated them, and Crocodile snickered, realizing he had no idea what they were.
"What am I lookin' at?"
"Ultrasound photos."
"Ultrasound—" Sakazuki cut himself off and blinked. He looked at the pictures again and then up at her. Crocodile smiled, crossing her legs. After a long moment, Sakazuki glanced back at the photos, saying softly, "Ultrasound pictures."
"Of our child."
"Ultrasound pictures of our child…"
Crocodile started picking through the food on the low table in front of the couch.
"Ultrasound pictures of our child? Our child? What child?"
Crocodile chuckled, bouncing a little when Sakazuki dropped down beside her, "The child I'm pregnant with."
Sakazuki looked shellshocked, and it took him several long beats to process what Crocodile had just told him. Crocodile continued to munch away, passing Sakazuki periodic glances. Finally, he whispered, "You're pregnant?" sounding so far out of his depth that Crocodile had to laugh.
"You see, when a man and a woman love each other, they sometimes fuck like bunnies, and sometimes they happen to have mindblowing sex right at the woman's most fertile window during her ovulation cycle–" Crocodile almost shrieked when Sakazuki cut her off with a kiss, laying her down across the cushions. He kissed the breath right out of her lungs and left her panting. He rested his head against her chest, and Crocodile softened, wrapping her arms around his back. "So, you're happy then."
"Deliriously."
"Good. I'm happy, too."
–
The communication offices of Marineford, fondly called the dungeons by its staff, were a bustling and energetic place. The comms officers were constantly fielding dozens of incoming calls, bounty requests, and mission updates, transferring calls to the appropriate personnel, and sending mission copies down to the vast records rooms in the basement of the building. It was here that calling Den-Den Mushis DDMs became the normal thing to do; they had to reference the damn things so often. It was one of the few base departments that operated at all hours of the day.
It was during one typically hectic day that the anonymous report came through during the second shift, which took up the afternoon and evening. The comms officer who received it frowned while reading the contents. There was no signature, none of the proper headings, or any sort of department or base information—just that it originated from the East Blue. The lieutenant called over his commanding officer, unsure of what to make of it.
Rear Admiral Mayfair took the copy and scanned it. "Huh. Well, shit..." She muttered, almost inaudibly, grimacing. Mayfair glanced down at the wide-eyed lieutenant. She patted his shoulder, "I'll handle this, kid."
She left the dungeon, telling her staff she'd be back shortly. If they needed to get a hold of her, she had her baby DDM with her. The distance to the Fleet Admiral's office was nothing to her long legs, and she hoped that Sengoku was still in. Thankfully, it appeared she was, with Lieutenant Commander Okane Umi at her post outside her door.
Okane looked up from her work, amber eyes owl-like behind her thick-lensed glasses, "Mayfair, odd to see you out of the dungeon."
Mayfair shrugged, "Something came through that needs the Fleet Admiral's attention." She handed the copy to Okane, who scanned it, a deep frown settling on her face.
"I'll bring it to her now." Okane stood up from her desk and pushed open the Fleet Admiral's office door. Mayfair nodded behind her and turned on her heels to return the way she had come. Inside, Sengoku and Garp were sitting and having their daily tea, working their way through a plate of finger sandwiches, Maria the goat snuffling at the Fleet Admiral's elbow. Okane held the copy for Sengoku to grab, patting Maria's head fondly when the goat looked to her for attention.
"What's this?" Sengoku asked, swallowing her mouthful of food.
"Rear Admiral Mayfair just brought it up," Okane told her. Sengoku lifted her eyebrows, straightened her glasses and started to read.
...Vice-Admiral Omashi was killed two years ago during the Arlong Pirates' initial invasion into the East Blue. Reports signed in his name continue to be sent to HQ. The officers don't want Marineford looking too closely at what's going on, even if it means forging a Vice-Admiral's seal...
...The Arlong Pirates are extorting exuberant amounts of money from the citizens of the Conomi Islands—a hundred thousand per adult and fifty thousand per child, every month for the past two years. The officers don't seem concerned that Arlong is running roughshod over the inhabitants of the Islands. More than one of the officers may be accepting bribes from the Fishmen…
The report offered a few names: a few Commodores, one rear admiral, and a disturbing number of base commanders. Sengoku swore, standing up and storming across to her desk. Garp watched his wife curiously, shovelling a handful of crackers into his mouth and holding a handful for Maria to chomp on. She baaed gratefully, "What's up, Senny?"
Sengoku shook the page at him, and he reached over the back of the sofa to grab it. Sengoku carefully extracted her elderly Den-Den Mushi from its habitat behind her desk, thanking Okane calmly when she handed her the comm attachments. Sengoku and Umi had been working together for so long that they often didn't even need to use words to get things done.
Garp sniffed, reading the copy. He blinked, "Omashi's dead? Sen, weren't you in the East Blue six months ago."
Okane nudged the Fleet Admiral out of the way, and Sengoku allowed her to. "To recruit Crocodile, yes. I checked in with them but didn't stop at East Blue Branch One." She growled. "Maybe I should have."
"Didn't Jimbei tell us that Arlong was dealt with?" Garp barked, slamming the paper down on the table and almost breaking the table in the process. "In what world does 'dealt with' mean 'Set loose in the East Blue'?"
Sengoku sighed, shaking her head, "He said that when he accepted the Warlord position, Arlong had been against it entirely and that he took those who agreed with him and left Fishman Island." She pinched the bridge of her nose beneath her glasses, pointing at the multi-dial attachment on her snail after Okane indicated it was set up.
"Akainu, Aokiji and Kizaru." Okane started the process of dialling all three admirals and setting up the call.
Akainu is the first to answer, greeting Okane politely. "Multi-call, Admiral, please hold."
"Right." Sakazuki's voice is its usual grumpy rumble, if a little distracted. For him to answer so quickly, he must be in the middle of a stack of work.
She put him on hold, dialling Aokiji's code next. Behind her, Sengoku was pacing and growling at Garp. "Two damn years, Garp. This does not look good for us."
"No, it does not." Garp grated seriously. "How often do I go to the East Blue? I can't remember the last time I stopped in at one of the bases."
Okane, waiting for Aokiji to pick up, looked over her shoulder at the Vice-Admiral. "The East Blue has a reputation for being the least trouble. Why stop into a base when things are being reported as all clear?" She turned her attention back to the snail when Kuzan's lightly accented drawl finally answered.
Sengoku sighed, and Garp snapped his mouth closed, "Okane's right. We've been lax. We've never had a reason to be concerned; the reports coming in from the East Blue have been business as usual. Plenty of minor bounties, and there's always noise directly from our branch on Rouge Town. Everything else gets vetted through EB-1." Sengoku mused, half-listening as Salina's sing-song voice greeted Okane jovially. "You never noticed anything odd last time you were there?" She asked Garp, just as Okane gave him the all-good.
"About as odd as the East Blue ever is," Garp muttered, tossing both arms over the back of the sofa and stretching out his legs with a moody tch.
"Where's the fire?" Kuzan asked when Sengoku greeted her three admirals. "Ain't every day you get us all onto the same call."
Sakazuki could be heard muffling a sigh at Kuzan's cavalier attitude, punctuated by Salina's amused snort.
"We just received an anonymous tip-off from a marine in the East Blue," Sengoku began, capturing all three Admirals' attention with her grave tone, "Or rather, from an individual we believe to be a marine. Vice-Admiral Omashi is dead."
"And you need one of us to go take command until a replacement is found?" Salina wondered, not surprised. She was still sent to the G-5 every few months. Hell, she was there now; one of the blues would be a nice change of scenery.
"Not exactly. Omashi died two years ago, and someone has been signing his name on reports and forging his seal."
Sakazuki growled, accent coming out with his irritation, "Two years? I know the East Blue ain't exactly the wildest place on earth, but how have we gone two damn years with no one figurin' this out?"
"The Vice-Admirals heading the marines in each of the blues only ever make contact when something significant happens." Salina gave the impression that she was shrugging, "It's nothing new."
"And if someone has been forging Omashi's signature and seal, no one would have noticed because once a comm officer verifies the seal, copies are sent where needed. If nothing in the reports has been out of the ordinary, they would have been dismissed as unimportant." Okane offered, her administrative experience invaluable in this.
"So someone in the dungeons ain't been doing their job?" Kuzan asked her, a sneer colouring his voice.
Okane stiffened and pursed her lips, "Or the forgeries were flawless."
Sengoku heaved a sigh, "Enough. That's not all. There's also the problem of Arlong and his fishmen pirates and the accusation of more than one officer taking bribes from him."
It was Salina's turn to growl, her voice furious and free of all sing-song tones, "Taking bribes?" She scoffed, soprano voice scathing. "And where is Arlong getting the money to pay off more than one officer, I'm assuming, regularly?"
"The inhabitants of the Conomi Islands."
Sakazuki swore, and even Garp blinked at the fury radiating from that one word. "Of course. Probably has himself set up like a king. Aren't the Conomi Islands on a major trade route?"
"I need one of you in the East Blue to lead the investigation. A full investigation, every base and officer looked into. Every single marine in on this needs to be court-martialed, discharged from the Marines and thrown in impel down."
Salina said, "Unless you've found a new base commander for the G-5, I'm stuck here."
Kuzan audibly shrugged, cavalier as ever, "And I'll be stuck in the North Blue for a few more weeks at least. Germa-66 has been causing trouble for one of the nobles here."
"I'll go," Sakazuki volunteered, his fury still palpable. "I just finished cleaning up one of Big Mom's smuggling operations, besides paperwork. I can leave Dalmatian and Doll behind to finish overseeing the grunt work."
Sengoku agreed, "Use whatever resources you feel necessary. I trust you to get it done, Akainu."
–
It had been twenty, maybe twenty-five years since the last time Sakazuki had been in the East Blue. Assignment to the East Blue wasn't desirable for a lot of marines, Sakazuki especially. It was a starting place, a stepping stone for recruits, where many retirement-aged marines ended their careers, and weak, egotistical morons got sent. And therein lies your problem, Sengoku. Instead of discharging them, you toss them somewhere they aren't likely to cause much trouble.
Sakazuki shook his head, scowling. His ship was fully staffed, including an influx of fifteen ensigns that they'd picked up from Marineford en route for training, all of them marked as potential officers.
Sakazuki, despite his fearsome reputation, enjoyed training new marines, and it wasn't often he was given the opportunity. Sitting on the bench below the conference room window, Sakazuki addressed the ensigns, "All of you have been briefed on why we are going into the East Blue. Who can tell me why an Admiral's authority is wanted in a situation like this one?"
Ensign Tanaka spoke up, his voice hesitating, as he formulated his thoughts, "Because if what the anonymous tipper claims is true, and the investigation can expose all those involved, as an Admiral, you can court-martial, discharge and arrest as you see fit."
"Correct. In most circumstances, a Vice-Admiral can arrest and discharge a marine, but a court-martial depends on the crime."
Ensign Sharpe raised his hand, "It's a case of potential officer corruption, and officers can only be court-martialed by someone of a higher rank. By sending an Admiral, Fleet Admiral Sengoku is ensuring that there won't be any question of acceptability."
Sakazuki nodded, his elbows balanced on his knees and his chin resting on his clasped hands, looking at the ensigns. "Good. There is always the chance, albeit a small chance, that perhaps Omashi field-promoted one of his rear admirals, knowing that he was going to die. Had Sengoku sent a Vice-Admiral, and that was the case…" He dangled his sentence, feeling like he was speaking with Sabo, encouraging the boy to puzzle something out.
Ensign Rei, the only woman in the group, finished the thought, "Then the Vice-Admiral wouldn't be able to act with impunity, and it could result in delays and cover-ups."
Sakazuki huffed a brief laugh, "Well put."
He continued, "Marine officers have to be held to high standards. That's why it's so important that behaviour like taking bribes or potentially usurping a Vice-Admiral's authority is cracked down on. We are going to be investigating every marine officer in the East Blue to weed out those involved with Arlong and those involved with covering up Omashi's death for just that reason."
"Marines should be morally grey because justice is a grey concept."
"But…" Ensign Mackay frowned, meeting Sakazuki's eyes nervously. "What if we're given an order that we know is wrong?
Sakazuki sighed, glancing around at the assembled recruits, "When I was a Vice-Admiral, I was given an order that made me sick to my stomach during the Buster Call on the island of Ohara in the West Blue. That order was passed down from the Gorosei." Fifteen shocked pairs of eyes settled on him; Ohara was one of those taboo subjects no one was willing to talk about. "I didn't want to go through with it, but if I hadn't done what I was ordered to, I would have been punished. Very likely court-martialed. But more importantly than me, those orders I was so against would have fallen to one of my fellow Vice-Admirals. I didn't want them to bear that burden, so I followed that order. Sometimes, orders will claw at you and eat at you. But sometimes you have to ask yourself, can I bear the guilt so that someone else won't have to." It wasn't so long ago that he was saying more or less the same thing to Sabo.
Sakazuki stood up. "That's enough heavy shit for today. Go report to Captain Drake for some sparring." He dismissed them, leaving the meeting room to go and seclude himself in his office. He activated his baby DDM as he walked, "Drake."
"Sir?"
"The recruits are headed your way. Give them a workout."
"Yes, sir."
"Rin."
"Yes, Sir?"
"When we're three miles out from EB-1, order the comms room to activate the jammer DDMs directed at the base. And inform me when it's done."
"Of course, sir."
He still had a burning ball of anger behind his breastbone whenever he turned his thoughts to what they were here to sort out. He sat behind his desk and picked up the mic of his DDM, dialling a code that was more muscle memory than anything else.
It was nearing noon, and he could hear Luffy whining for her lunch when Crocodile picked up, her voice bright and soft. "Crocodile."
"It's me."
"Hey, cowboy." Her voice softens even further, "You in the East Blue, yet?"
"Just crossed in about an hour ago. I anticipate a shit show."
"I don't doubt it."