As the Going Merry, Black Pearl, and Toho started to land after leaving the White-White Sea, the crew was stunned to find themselves in a Marine base.
"Not the best first impression of life on the Blue Sea. Not to mention, I'm feeling woozy." Conis noted dizzily.
"Doesn't look like she's had enough time to properly adjust to our atmosphere. Even with the slow descent." Chopper said.
"Let's hurry out of here before the searchlights hit us," Zoro said.
Before anyone could follow that suggestion, a demented giggle filled the air.
"Oooooh. Oh dear." Double D said, pointing to the cause of the giggle. "We did not anticipate this."
It was Conis, who was now stumbling and wobbling with a dazed, dopey look on her face. Evidentially, the change in atmosphere was having an effect on her.
Draco and Kongt rushed to her side, trying to use wind and cloud to help her adjust.
"Draco…so gallant…." Conis smiled, nuzzling up to the Captain of the Toho, who tensed and looked away. Vivi, with a smile of mild annoyance but understanding, gently pulled the Skypeia native off her boyfriend.
"Lets help you get some rest." The former princess suggested, only to find herself in an embrace and her face being nuzzled.
"A goddess of land and sea, you are, Vivi!" Conis smirked as she then planted her lips onto Vivi's.
"HOLY ODA!" Sanji, Eddy and Choi beamed. "HOT! ROYAL! MAKEOUT!"
BONK!
BONK!
BONK!
"OW! WHAT DID I DO?!" Eddy and Choi groaned as they rubbed their heads, finding themselves being glared at by Luna and N'Doul.
Sanji however, saw the annoyed look on Noire's face as the sommielier humped and made her way back to the kitchen.
"Wait! Noire! Sweetie!" The blonde chef called out.
"You're in the doghouse now, shitty cook." Zoro teased.
"…I don't get it." Luffy said, looking at Nami. "We kiss all the time and…"
Nami, a blush on her face, shushed her girlfriend and dragged her away; getting chuckles from Nojiko.
Draco, a shocked look on his face, then gently pulled Conis off Vivi and allowed Kong to put her down to rest for a bit. Vivi herself blushed so red she made Kirby look pale, before spying Draco's shocked face and smiling.
"Um…Not to be devil's advocate…?" Mifune said. "And I myself ain't going to be following what I'm going to say, but um…One, Conis probably meant no real harm and…well, we are pirates; as long as its consensual and agreed upon by all?"
This made the Straw hats pause and reflect.
"…Dad is going to be so…." Draco began, then paused. "….Actually, I'm not sure how he'll take that."
He then felt Vivi wrap her arms around him and give him a sweet look that said 'we'll discuss this later.'
Ben then noticed the lettering on the side of the base and his face dropped considerably..
"Oh bugger..."
"What's wrong?" Penny asked.
"We're in the G-8 Marine Base... Which means we're on Navarone Island."
-OP-
An alert had been stationed throughout the base as the Marines scrambled. G-8 had seen relative peace for a long time, but they still prided themselves on their exceptional security. The sea gate guarding the only cape leading out of Navarone was closed to prevent any escape. Searchlights were shown on the three ships, revealing them to be unmanned.
"Confirmed pirate ships. Three of them. The flags all show a skull with a straw hat. It's the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Lieutenant Commander Dreak entered, and the Marines all saluted.
"Where is Vice-Admiral Johnathan?"
"Unfortunately, we can't find him, sir. But we do have the Straw Hats' ships surrounded."
Dreak sighed as he went to check Johnathan's office. The vice-admiral himself stepped in shortly afterward, having been fishing near the cape.
"I got a good idea of what's going on as I came in. What's the report on the Going Merry, Black Pearl, and that third ship?" Jonathan asked, since the Toho was still an unknown to the Marines.
"Apparently, they've been somehow abandoned. No sign of the crew, not a single deckhand. And there are strange wisps of white spreading out from the port side. Some of the men are thinking they're a trio of ghost ships."
"Impossible. We know from the last We Are broadcast that the Straw Hat Pirates had just completed an adventure on an island in the sky. That's probably why they wound up falling into our base to begin with." Johnathan said. "Bit of bad luck that. Those wisps must come from some foreign technology the sky people have that we're unfamiliar with."
"Unfortunately, the Straw Hats only broadcast their adventures vocally. We know their members, though not all of them have bounties. Only Monkey D. Luffy, Monkey D. Sonson, Lor D. Draco, Sparrow D. Benjamin, Roronoa Zoro, Shimotsuki Kuina, Gin, Ruby D. Heart, Nobunaga D. Mifune, and Nico Robin. What we don't know is what sort of abilities they have."
"Especially their newest member. Anyone who's ever gone mountain climbing knows the people who live up there are used to the thinner atmosphere. That gives them more red blood cells to carry oxygen more efficiently." Johnathan noted. "And when they come down to where the air isn't so thin... They gain greater strength. Now, most mountains where people dwell typically only reach up to 2,000 meters into the sky. But the sky land where the Straw Hats visited is 10,000 meters above sea level. That high up, you could likely see the top of the Red Line. Tell me, Lieutenant Commander, how strong do you think that woman is going to be once she acclimates to our environment?"
Dreak gulped nervously, having a pretty good idea of what the Vice-Admiral was implying. Quickly, they made their way to the ships to inspect them.
"These ships are in surprisingly good condition considering the journey they've made. Not even a crack in any of the keels." Johnathan noted.
"They seem to have Grand Line funeral bouquets set up in the galleys," Dreak noted.
"Suggesting they know how to deal with Devil Fruit users and hope to take dangerous ones out of the wrong hands. And it's clear that a good portion of their crew have Devil Fruits." Johnathan said.
"All the ships contain huge stockpiles of gold and other treasures, each of them even having segments of a golden column. No doubt from the bell that was heard around the world thanks to the broadcast." Dreak said. "Speaking of which, Lvneel has actually declared its succession from the World Government just recently."
With all three ships inspected, the two men headed back to the main office. As they did, Dreak had a question that had been bothering him.
"Sir, if I may ask, why keep up the idea that these three ships are ghost ships?"
"We have fresh recruits and prisoners here. And it's not likely the Straw Hats are actually invading." Johnathan explained. "I'm willing to bet the sky-dwellers are unaware that a Marine base is right beneath the border of their lands. This was likely just a simple accident."
Dreak frowned. "You do realize that the Straw Hats are likely in the base as we speak. We need to assign a special unit to locate them."
"No need to be so hasty, let's just build up defense for the time being. Reinforce security at the Straw Bridge and the Sea Gate, as well as the ammunition bunker, detention facilities, and all major passageways." Johnathan ordered. "This late at night, neither we nor they can move around very much. We'll wait until morning and then do a thorough investigation of all high-traffic areas."
"You think the Straw Hats will try to blend in with our forces?" Dreak asked.
"That would be the most strategic step, yes. If you want to hide a gem, you hide it in a treasure trove. You want to hide a tree you plant it in a forest." Johnathan said. "Oh, and screen all Transponder Snails, just in case."
"Understood sir." Dreak said before turning to return to his duties before a concern came to him.
"What about the special prisoners?"
Johnathan chuckled.
"I think they'd fit right in with the Straw Hats. But for now? Just keep a close eye on them. But be subtle."
"Yes sir."
-OP-
The Straw Hats had quickly spread out throughout the base in groups, keeping in touch with each other using Gottfried and a set of Tone Dials to act as headphones. They immediately got to work setting up things in and around key locations while hiding from the Marine patrols.
"Checking in, fellas! G-8 has 108 cannons. Half of them are locked onto Merry, Pearl, and Toho." Gottfried called in.
"Merry can handle herself at this point, but I'm a bit worried about Pearl and Toho." Axol chimed in.
"Don't worry. Once the investigation is over, we can send Gin, Nojiko, Rolf, Mifune, Choi, and Tawna to stand guard. Two for each ship." Double-D said.
"Make sure to raid some stores from the pantries, they'll be checking the cafeteria first thing tomorrow morning. And don't bother with uniform disguises. That's just what they'll be expecting." Zoro said.
"And don't worry about this idiot getting lost! I've got my eye on him." Kuina quipped.
"Bite me, Kuina."
"I was able to get some ears in on Merry. The Marines inspecting her are convinced it's a ghost ship." Robin said.
"I created some birds with Inkweaver to spy on Pearl. They're reporting in the same." Axol said.
"And I got some clones on the Toho. Same as the other two!" Sonson said.
"If they think Merry, Pearl, and Toho are ghost ships, then they'll probably leave the gold alone for fear that it's cursed. Just in case I'm going to check their storage for confiscated goods." Nami said.
"Don't take anything that isn't ours, Nami. This ain't finder's keepers." Rosa warned.
"Then why are we pirates?" Eddy asked.
"We're pirates with STANDARDS, Eddy." Luna pointed out. "We gotta be better than the Morganeers."
"Besides, I only steal from other pirates. I'm not in a hurry to get my own bounty." Nami reminded.
"At the rate we're going, I'm pretty sure all of us are gonna be slapped with bounties sooner or later." Fuu quipped.
"Axol and I have their battleships handled, then we'll mess up their tools so they can't do a repair job quickly," Ruby said.
Meanwhile, Merry, Pearl, and Toho's Klabautermanns were doing a great impression of a ghost to scare the Marines out of further investigating the ships.
-OP-
Johnathan looked at his chessboard as morning came. He had been having several games of correspondence chess with an anonymous individual sending their moves via News Coo. Whoever they were, they were skilled, as Jonathan had yet to win against them. An officer soon came in with a report.
"Sir, the Stan Marey is demanding entry. I advised them to wait as we're in a state of emergency, but apparently they ran into a storm and have multiple injured."
"It's too much of a risk to let them in now. There's the possibility of pirates infiltrating our fortress." Dreak said.
"Go ahead and open the Sea Gate. Assign a medical team at once." Jonathan ordered the officer before turning to give Dreak a look. "Don't forget, Lieutenant Commander, we have the Straw Hats' ships moored in our custody. They aren't going anywhere for a while. And we have a moral obligation to help those in need, especially those facing uncertainty when injured while on the Grand Line."
-OP-
Axol and Ruby had situated themselves in the center of the base to let Gottfried maximize his hearing.
"Okay, I'm getting a good idea of how this base works. Ya readin' me, Zoro?"
"Loud and clear. And Kuina is making sure I don't get lost."Zoro replied."It looks like they're letting in a ship with several injured."
"Chopper, Fuu, that could be your way in."Kuina said.
"Got it. We're still with Conis. She's... Still a little tipsy."
"Dee seems to be pretty okay for the most part. Whatever kind of creature he is must easily adapt to the environment."Fuu added, Bandana Dee squeaking in affirmation.
'I just wanna say that I love all of you. Especially you, Chopper. So fluffy..."Conis slurred dizzily.
"Don't worry, I'm in my Heavy Point right now."Chopper said."But I think it's clear the thicker atmosphere we're used to is causing her strength to spike due to her higher red blood cell count."
Nami finished drawing up the maps from Gottfried's directions.
"This should help us better move through the base unseen. We just need to be aware of the patrols."
Axol had decided to take the time to write a new scene in his ongoing manga project, excitedly writing with creative fervor as Ruby giggled at how invested her surrogate brother was.
-OP-
Sanji and Noire snuck into the kitchens after inspections were done, waiting until the patrol left to don a disguise. As it happened, the kitchen staff was interviewing a pair of chefs called the Marley Brothers, who had come all the way from Mariejois. Sanji grimaced when he saw how badly they were cooking.
"What is this? There's nothing balanced about this meal!" Noire barked. "And you losers call yourselves chefs?"
"How dare you! I'll have you know our cooking is prized in Mariejois!" The older brother snapped. "We spend a million Berris on every meal due to the rare ingredients!"
"How rare an ingredient is means squat if the people you're serving don't finish the meal," Sanji pointed out.
Jessica, the head chef and Johnathan's wife, nodded in agreement.
"You said you came here as a favor to us, but it feels more like punishment. Just take a look at this!"
She showed one of the potatoes that the brothers had been peeling. Or rather, failed to peel as most of the skin was still on it.
"That sort of work is meant to be for the help," the younger brother insisted.
"In a restaurant, every cook needs to be able to do every bit of prep work," Sanji retorted.
Noire nodded. "The sous chef isn't there to do the work of the head chef, they're there to help handle multiple customers."
"Especially in this base, where we're cooking for a good 1000 soldiers," Jessica added. "Cooks here show their respect by preparing dishes with all their might and providing energy to everyone's stomach. It's not the place for a hoity-toity rich gathering that's more about style rather than substance."
"Not to mention so much food you're wasting," Sanji said. "Here, let my partner and I show you how chefs of the sea prepare a meal."
Jessica and the kitchen were stunned as Sanji and Noire worked together and used the remains of their cooking to create a delectable side dish; chopping up the unused bits and bones of the fish into seafood meatballs, and the oil from leftover cooking into a sauce.
"Something I learned the hard way, but the worst thing you can do is waste food. Having delicious food to serve soldiers is not wrong, but the scariest thing on the battlefield is running out of food." Sanji said.
Noire nodded. "A true chef can work with every part of the ingredient to make a dish that is both nutritional and filling."
The other cooks all cheered at the two's words while Jessica smiled.
"Nice to meet someone else who understands. I have the same policy in this very kitchen. My husband even made it an executive order to finish every meal served. As long as I've been in charge of this kitchen, the only thing going in the trash has been old paperwork."
"Glad to see someone else knows what a chef is all about," Noire smirked. "Maybe the folks over in Mariejois should learn a thing or two."
Sanji and Noire calmly snuck out while Jessica raked the Marley Brothers over the coals.
-OP-
Several of the guards in the prison were keeping watch over the cells when Vivi approached. They tried to stay hardened, but Vivi had come dressed in her old Miss Wednesday outfit, which was designed to draw the eye for a very specific technique.
"PERFUME SAND!"
Vivi released a strong perfume developed by Chopper mixed in with the sand she created while doing a sultry dance. The guards were quickly hypnotized and fell into a deep slumber.
"Still got it, so why not flaunt it?"
Marianne had used her Color Trap mixed with her Devil Fruit to allow herself, Carue, the Eds, and Hilda to go incognito while Vivi took out the guards. Carue had then quickly raced through the prison for anything of interest.
"Only a few of the cells have prisoners. There are a couple of strange characters in 'em."
Sure enough, the first cell had a man with grey hair and green eyes. He wore a face-covering mask and an eyepatch, a short-sleeved shirt with a tattered black cape, light-brown armored pants, and brown military boots.
The other occupied cell had a truly peculiar individual; it was a giant of a man wearing what looked like a bulky diver's suit that concealed all of his features.
"Never seen folks like you before. What are you doing here?" The first man asked calmly.
"We're the Straw Hat Pirates. I'm sure you've heard of us?" Double-D asked.
The first man chuckled. "What are the odds such rising legends would come to this humble little mountain base?"
The second man said nothing, only letting out a low rumbling groan. Eddy was more than a little unsettled.
"Uh, what's up with the big daddy?"
"Honestly, I don't know." The first man shrugged. "Unit 55 fished him out of the sea. Despite his size, he was remarkably buoyant. He hasn't really been doing anything and has been complying with Marine requests for the most part."
"So, what's your name?" Hilda asked.
"Name's Grey, I'm what you'd call a bounty hunter by trade. Ran in with some bad crowds, got left for dead, that sort of thing." The first man said. "And the big guy is Delta. That's all we were able to get out of him, and that's because of the symbol on his hand."
The now-named Delta gestured to the symbol on the back of his right hand, which depicted the letter Delta.
"Well, we're planning on scramming the first chance we get. We kinda wound up here by accident." Eddy said. "You guys wanna come too?"
Carue raised his wings and struck with a powerful razor wind to slice up the bars of the empty cells, including the windows. Grey and Delta were more than a little confused.
"Sorry, we're making sure the Marines can't split us up if they catch us," Vivi explained.
Grey shrugged. "Well, might as well tag along. I've been meaning to find a way out of here."
Delta just lumbered out of his broken cell before Dreak arrived to confront the group.
"Do not resist arrest, duck!" He blinked when he realized what he had just said. "Arresting a duck... Why did it have to be the Straw Hat Pirates?"
"MORE-MORE FIVEFOLD KNOCKOUT!"
Hilda had taken one of the cell bars and enlarged it big enough to slam over Dreak's head hard enough to knock him unconscious. Grey was a bit surprised to see that.
"I remember that power..."
Hilda nodded. "Yeah, Byrnndi World. He passed down his Devil Fruit to me when he died."
"Oh dear, we need to get out of here!" Double-D panicked. "We just assaulted a Marine officer!"
"Don't have a bird, Double-D..." Eddy said.
-OP-
Meanwhile, Chopper, Fuu, and Bandana Dee had managed to drag Conis to the medical ward.
"This should be a good place for you to rest while you adjust to the higher oxygen content."
Conis was starting to feel more conscious, but still woozy. Kobato, the female doctor, woke up from a fainting spell when she saw the group.
"Oh my, I didn't realize we had a patient. Wait... Are those wings real?"
"They're vestigial. She can't fly with them." Chopper clarified.
"Are you the only doctor on the base? I would have thought there would be way more, considering how heavily staffed it is." Fuu noted.
Kobato sighed in grief. "All the other doctors are off on a business trip. And even worse, a Marine ship just came in with multiple wounded after surviving a storm. I'm no good with blood, so I can't do surgeries. I specialize in pediatrics."
"Really?" Fuu asked dryly.
Chopper sighed. "How about you look after our friend here? She's recovering from oxygen intoxication, but it should pass before long. I'll go handle the patients."
Kobato looked confused. "Aren't you a reindeer?"
"He's also a licensed doctor." Fuu said, Chopper nodding. "Dee, stand guard over Conis."
Bandana Dee saluted with his spear at the ready as Chopper headed out and found the medical ward in short order, then switched to hisHeavy Point, donned a proper uniform, and covered his face with special moustache glasses. He then proceeded to direct the nurses to prep the patients for surgery.
"Blood can be scary." Chopper assured Kobato. "But sometimes it holds the answer to why someone is sick. Dr. Hiriluk told me that. In fact, it's the reason he became a doctor and respected…"
Chopper paused, not wanting to reveal too much. Kobato picked up on this but let Chopper continue.
"Long before he took me in, the doctor was a conman before he came down with a rare disease. No one could or would find a cure for him….until one doctor at least delayed the worst of it. That doctor, whoever they were, changed Hiriluk; who then turned his life around and even took me in, teaching me a lot of what I know."
The reindeer then looked at Kobato again, smiling gently as he did so.
"Its okay to not be comfortable around certain aspects of medicine. And the fact its not your speciality and you don't want to cause harm? That's the sign of a real doctor. Sometimes, however? We need to take risks to help those in need. And who knows? You may even inspire someone."
As the surgeries progressed smoothly, Conis felt her body start to adjust to the higher oxygen level. She got off the bed and picked up the Five Cast Iron she brought with her for close-quarters, only to find it was lighter than she remembered.
"Uh-oh, Chopper mentioned this. Now that I'm starting to adjust to the Blue Sea atmosphere, my strength has spiked."
She noticed a couple of model skulls and decided to practice on them. She freaked when she shattered the first one completely. After a bit of practice, she found herself able to hold back enough to only knock someone out. She then noticed the Marines monitoring the surgery hall and knocked them out one by one.
"WHY THE HECK DID YA DO THAT?!" Fuu cried.
Conis blushed. "S-Sorry, but we can't let them find us suspicious!"
Bandana Dee just facepalmed and shook his head...body...whatever.
-OP-
Robin, Usopp, Kaya, Kirby, Calvin, Hobbes, and N'Doul were in the shipyards when they noticed a Marine commander disembarking from the Stan Marey.
"Seems we have an inspector at the base. He looks to be about your size, Usopp." Robin noted.
The inspector, Commander Shepherd, was annoyed that he had no escort as he turned to a nearby Marine.
"You there, I'm supposed to meet the commanding officer of this base. Have them send someone to escort me immediately!"
"Please state your business first, sir."
"I don't have to explain myself to a mere private!" Shepherd insisted.
The Marine sighed. "I still need your division and rank."
"I'm saying I don't need to explain it you!" Shepherd yelled out. "Contact your headquarters at once!"
"Sir, we're in the middle of an emergency situation. And we have orders to examine any officer in uniform in case of infiltrators." The officer retorted. "Besides, right about now our commanding officer is in the dining hall for lunch."
"Then go to the dining hall and get him!" Shepherd demanded.
The officer narrowed his eyes. "I'm guessing you don't know the motto here at G-8."
He and the other nearby Marines snapped to attention.
"One! Wash your hands before eating!"
"Two! Never leave food on your plate!"
"Three! Never mention work while eating!"
"Four! After eating, make sure to brush your teeth!"
Shepherd was dumbfounded at how seriously they took such orders.
"Are you really telling me that the commanding officer of this base sees eating as more important than a VIP sent by Marine Headquarters?!"
"You've never seen the front lines, have you? Do you have any idea how scary it is to run out of food in the middle of a battle?" The officer pointed out.
Shephard gritted his teeth so hard they practically started to crack.
"Fine! I'll just go up to your headquarters myself. But I'd recommend you find another job while you can."
The Marine rolled his eyes and Shepherd walked off laughing
"Another day, another stupid inspector thinking he can get this place shut down."
Shepherd was grinning to himself. "That useless hedgehog is finally going to be cut loose. Always staying inside and never setting foot out of his base. The Marines don't need either of them. The Fleet Admiral says they keep pirates from attacking just by fear alone, but that's nothing but balderdash. And I'm going to prove it to him."
He was not actually there on official business and was one of the more blatantly corrupt officers. Little did he know, this was going to be his last mistake. And it all started with N'Doul knocking him out with a chop to the neck.
"Snap your pic with a Vision Dial," Robin said to Usopp, taking the picture. "Then apply it to the ID. Now just switch clothes, and they'll think he's you."
"You're way too good at this," Usopp noted.
"Escape and infiltration are skills I picked up on quickly in order to survive the last twenty years. It's come in handy." Robin explained. "Luckily, you don't have a bounty yet, so no one here knows your face."
"But I'm gonna get one!" Usopp said. "And then I'll be a brave warrior of the sea just like Dad!"
Kaya giggled. "You most definitely will, Usopp."
"I can sense this man's aura. He is one of the more morally bankrupt Marines." N'Doul said as he inspected Shepherd's unconscious body. "It seems we'll be doing the Marines here a favor."
-OP-
Johnathan was enjoying the lunch Jessica had prepared.
"You always know how to make even my least favorite foods taste delicious, Darling," he said.
"I got some tips from a new chef that came in recently," Jessica said, "Not to mention lambasting those new hires from Mariejois."
"Didn't live up to expectations, huh?" Johnathan said, "I should have known. They came highly recommended, but I was skeptical given the high society circle they run in."
A Marine came over to the table.
"Sir, a new inspector has come from Marine Headquarters."
"Strange, they normally announce ahead of time," Johnathan said.
"He wouldn't give any information about himself, and kept insisting he be taken to meet you," the soldier said.
"Probably not one of the Straw Hats, then," Johnathan surmised, "They're smart enough to know our routine. Where is he now?"
"He headed off to your office," the soldier said.
"I'll be up once I'm finished with lunch," Johnathan said.
-OP-
Axol and Ruby surfaced at the dock where the ships were detained. Gottfried was in a special container to keep from being exposed to salt water.
"Alright, fellas! You're clear to enter!" Gottfried said.
Gin, Nojiko, Rolf, Mifune, Choi, and Tawna stepped in, decked out in Marine uniforms designed for maintenance soldiers. Mekao, the base's shipwright, walked over as they were inspecting the detainment.
"Amazing ship, this one. Caravel-built with a lateen sail and stern rudder in the center. One brig cell, well-used from the looks of it, a diving bell, and all the basic features. An old model, but well-made. Especially with how long it's been kept from suffering any damage to the keel. Banged up, sure, but not in any danger of dying anytime soon. It's a happy ship with lots of love."
"And not to mention the Black Pearl! The legendary ship of Captain Jack Sparrow himself! Wonder why he just left it lying around." A random officer said. "And that third ship? It looks completely custom-made but still menacing and sturdy!"
Nojiko smiled. "I'm sure that means the crew is a tight-knit family, Mekao."
"By the way, how's your daughter been?" Gin asked.
"Kobato?" Mekao asked. "Last I heard she managed to find her spine and was treating the incoming patients from the Stan Marey."
Dreak, having recovered from the blow to the head Hilda gave him, came in with a unit of Marines.
"You there. What's your unit?" He asked the six incognito Straw Hats.
"Unit 18, sir!" Tawna said with a salute.
"Unit 18, the sniper unit?"
"No, sir!" Choi replied. "Unit 18 is the supply unit, sir!"
Dreak narrowed his eyes, but nodded.
"Carry on, soldiers."
"Is there a problem, Lieutenant Commander?" Mekao asked.
"Several of our battleships have had their rudders lightly damaged. We're redirecting whatever maintenance units aren't guarding the Straw Hats' ships to effect repairs."
-OP-
With Kuina by his side alongside Kong and Amingo, Zoro was able to get a much better understanding of the fortress, including where the gold was stashed, and the fact that there was a low tide coming.
"Gotta say, this Marine unit acts like a well-oiled machine," Kong noted. "If only all the other Marines were like this."
Meanwhile, Shepherd had been found and detained under the belief that he was one of the Straw Hat Pirates. Conis and Bandana Dee met up with Lassoo and Luna and they started to rig the powder magazine with Impact Dials and one Reject Dial at the very end.
"Usopp really is a creative thinker. Normally Reject and Impact Dials are just as damaging to the user, and a Reject Dial could even kill a normal person on either end. But by using a disposable machine to set it off, that issue gets removed." Conis noted.
Luna chuckled. "Sometimes the best way to win at chess is to flip the table. That's what Grandma taught me."
-OP-
"Sir, the Straw Bridge has just been compromised!" Dreak reported. "Apocalypse Lor D. Draco swept across it, taking out Unit 55!"
"Any casualties?" Johnathan asked.
"None, thankfully. He seemed more focused on keeping the bridge clear."
The Chief Petty Officer ran into the office. "Sir, our storehouse just got raided! All our Seastone equipment is missing!"
"They're making sure our options against their Devil Fruit users are limited," Johnathan realized, rubbing his chin. "Well played, Straw Hats. How about the units sent to Dock 88 to guard the Going Merry, Black Pearl, and Toho?"
"They never arrived. We checked the recent transcriptions, and it turns out their comm officer hijacked the Transponder signal. He sent out phony orders using your voice." The Chief Petty Officer said.
"It didn't seem like any of the Straw Hats were there," Dreak noted before pausing. "Unless... Damn it, I'm an idiot! They have two Fishmen and a Kung-Fu Dugong on their crew! They could have snuck in any number of their crew members!"
"And with comm officer Gottfried seemingly being able to transmit his voice anywhere, he could have easily listened in on our duty roster," Johnathan noted.
"Enough time has passed since I was last at Dock 88 that any number of means of extricating the ships could have been implemented. They're making a break for it and making sure we're compromised just enough that we can't stop their attempt." Dreak said. "Not to mention, they managed to break out the two prisoners we had!"
"We do have one of their members in the prison, sir. Though for some reason they haven't tried to rescue him." The Chief Petty Officer said.
Johnathan raised an eyebrow. "Bring him over at once."
A sudden explosion was heard at that moment.
"What was that?" Dreak wondered.
"Sir! Our powder magazine just went up! All our cannons are disabled!"One of the officers called from the Transponder.
Johnathan sighed as he looked out and realized the Merry, Pearl, and Toho were sailing towards the Sea Gate.
"At this rate, we won't last until low tide."
-OP-
"We managed to get back all the gold and ammunition, as well as snag this map of the fortress." Usopp said.
"Gotta say, you're every bit as crazy as the broadcasts have said." Grey noted with his arms folded and a pair of advanced-looking revolvers strapped to his waist.
"And a good thing too, my friend. If we weren't, this would probably never work." Ben smirked.
"Here's where we exit, but we need to hurry before low tide." Penny said.
"Don't worry, with help from Sonson's clones, Axol's drawn characters, and a little elbow grease, I've been busy rigging up our ships with a few Dials just in case." Boss said.
-OP-
Shepherd finally got his chance to meet with Johnathan, after his discarded clothes had been found.
"So I hear you let those Straw Hats escape," Shepherd said smugly. "Not to mention you let two prisoners you had on hand escape with them."
Johnathan was unfazed. "Hardly the word I would use, Commander. On the contrary, we've been scrambling every available resource for their capture. However, we've run into a serious problem."
"Oh, do tell. What could possibly be preventing you, the invincible G-8 base, from capturing the infamous Straw Hat Pirates?"
"Budget cuts."
Shepherd looked confused and Johnathan, with a smirk on his face, decided to enlighten the idiot.
"We've had numerous layoffs in troop numbers, leaving a wide number of abandoned docks the Straw Hats could use to lay low during low tide. We have precious few Transponder Snails for how big the place is. We have too few cooks and barely enough food to feed the 1,000 men stationed here three meals on a daily basis. We have so few doctors that whenever they get sent off on a business trip, the one left behind is a pediatrician who, until recently, had a fear of blood. We've had to rely purely on limiting a pirate crew's options when trying to escape in order to be able to maintain full cells, and the ones left empty had subpar, shoddy metallurgy because we found them sliced to ribbons."
"This isn't Marine HQ, Commander Shepherd. We don't have the luxury of unlimited resources." Dreak added. "And you're not the first to try and get us shut down out of a misguided belief that we're not needed."
"Though you are apparently the first to do so without explicit orders from Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Johnathan added calmly. "In fact, I just got finished contacting him. Apparently, he had decided it was about time we were given a larger budget. But for some reason... It never arrived."
Shepherd gulped, then got an idea to try and save face.
"Well, then I guess I'll have to prove such measures are not warranted! I'll go and capture the Straw Hat Pirates myself, and show you just how incompetent you truly are!"
He stormed out of the office and slammed the door closed. Johnathan and Dreak just looked at each other and laughed.
"I can't wait to see the look on his face after the Straw Hats get through with him."
"Impromptu as their appearance was, it's proven to be the perfect stress test for G-8. Whether we capture them or not, it will certainly justify increasing our budget."
Shepherd gathered what he could from the injured soldiers of his fleet, and even then he had to badger them, and started racing towards the abandoned docks where he believed the Straw Hats were. He soon found them near the Sea Gate and grinned.
"There they are! Get ready to surround them!"
However, he noticed something. The water seemed to be receding.
"What's going on? Why are they running aground?"
He noticed the ships were somehow flying away on giant inflatable octopuses, causing his jaw to drop.
"Get me the Vice-Admiral RIGHT THE HELL NOW!"
An officer quickly handed him a Transponder Snail.
"Ah, Commander, I assume you wound up running afoul of the fangs of Navarone. It's been our secret weapon against pirates this entire time. 9:00 PM on the dot, but unfortunately, the Straw Hats were prepared for it."Johnathan said."Of course, I don't blame Marine HQ for this oversight. Who in their right mind would expect a flying ship after all?"
Shepherd growled and tried to fire his Giant Eagle cannon, determined to claim some measure of glory….!
Only to get it backwards and wreck half his own fleet.
"I suppose this is the difference between elites who lord it up near Mariejois and those of us on the front lines. We know how tough, determined, and resourceful pirates can be. And we have to be the same in order to capture them with minimal resources to pull from."Johnathan taunted."I'll be sure to send a report back to Fleet Admiral Sengoku in regards to this... Impromptu visit. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a conference to get to.'
Shepherd just stood there, dumbfounded, as the Straw Hats flew off with the ship. He sank to his knees, crying comically at his lost glory.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hats smiled as they looked back at the fortress.
"You know, they often describe G-8 as a hedgehog," Robin said.
"Why's that?" Calvin asked.
"They think it means they just curl up on themselves and cower, but a hedgehog's spines are very dangerous to approach. If anything, I'd say it was an impressive test of our coordination." Robin explained.
Zoro smirked as he sent off a message with the News Coo.
"What's that?" Sanji asked.
"Oh, just something to keep my mind as sharp as my swords. I'm the crew's tactician, after all, so I need to learn to be more than a one-man army."
-OP-
Johnathan got the News Coo and smiled.
"Checkmate indeed, Roronoa Zoro. That's thirty straight wins for you."
Hearing a bump from outside, Jonathan grabbed his fishing pole and cast it into the sea under his office, quickly catching something. It took a little effort, but he pulled up a large sphere that, once at his eye level, opened to reveal a familiar large man.
"Good evening, Vice Admiral." The Mechant smiled. "Sorry to disturb you…"
"Actually, your arrival is an unexpected relief." Johnathan said. "To what do I owe the honor or your visit?"
"I merely wish to reward a good man for his dutifulness." The Merchant explained, placing upon Jonathan's desk a Devil fruit.
"I think I've seen that one before…." The Vice Admiral noted.
"Yes. the Carbon-Carbon Fruit." The Merchant beamed. "Perhaps not as outwardly powerful and destructive as the fruits of your mentor or his colleagues, but I do believe it fits such an intelligent, diligent fellow like yourself. And no need to worry about payment; just seeing it go to one I can already tell will do good with it is payment enough."
"Thank you, sir." Jonathan bowed, but when he looked up, the Merchant's sphere was already off his fishing hook and long gone.
-OP-
Later, Smoker was speaking on a Transponder Snail specially set up for private calling. He made every effort to make sure Gottfried would be the only one capable of hijacking the transponder signal; and that would need the Straw Hat snail to know of them in the first place.
"Star here. Who do we have?"
"Fool reporting for duty."Garp's voice came.
"Hierophant calling in."Purin replied.
"This is Chariot."Rapanui said.
"Temperance reporting,"The voice of Vice-Admiral Momonga came in.
"Hermit reporting."Captain Moore called in.
"Moon calling in."Came none other than Admiral Aokiji Kuzan
"This is Death."Captain T-Bone reported.
"Lovers."Johnathan replied.
"Judgment."Hina confirmed.
"High Priestess."Vice-Admiral Tsuru came in.
"Wheel of Fortune."Vice-Admiral Strawberry called.
"Strength."John Giant, the first Giant to ever enlist in the Marines, replied.
"Sun here!"Vice-Admiral Chaton Tokikake called.
"Emperor."Saga, one of the Marines' top swordsmen, spoke up.
"Empress on the air."Vice-Admiral Doll checked in.
"Hanged Man, checking in."Captain Shu spoke up.
"Justice reporting in!"Came in Vice-Admiral Maynard
"Devil is in."Vice-Admiral Momousagi Gion spoke up.
"Tower is up front."Hardy came in.
"World rounding off!"None other than the legendary Dr. Vegapunk concluded.
"I'd like to thank and welcome you all to the inaugural meeting of the Shadow Tides." Smoker said. "For obvious reasons we are to only refer to each other by codenames when using this guarded transmission, and any other time refer to each other by either name or rank. It's taken some time to gather trusted members of the Marines, especially so high up the chain of command."
"I'm surprised you offered me a spot here. After all, I was with Nelson Royal's fleet."Hardy said.
"Well, you were a pretty reasonable guy."Tokikake chimed in."And you were one of the only good members of that fat elephant's armada. So glad he's dead now, by the way!"
"We've actually removed a dangerous spy from our ranks. One apparently working for the Doflamingo Pirates."Hina reported.
"But not all corrupt Marines can be removed so easily, especially since some of them don't even recognize their own corruption... Like Akainu."Kuzan noted, growling out the name at the end with contempt.
"Yes, the man is genuinely dedicated to justice. The problem is he's too dedicated. Completely fanatical, and believing no order from his superiors could ever be wrong, and has to be just in some way,"Johnathan said with a sigh."I swear, even after learning under him, I question the mental gymnastics he must go through."
"What of the plans to replace Crocodile for the position of Warlord?" Smoker asked.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku has already elected Captain Buggy for the position. His new senior officer, Iron Mace Alvida, made a convincing case, and he is known as a former member of the Roger Pirates before going independent."Tsuru said."But this new character who also tried for the job, Blackbeard? He doesn't sit right with me. While he was later identified as a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, something doesn't add up. Sengoku thought it wise not to give him even an ounce of clout, and for once, I agree."
"I heard Lovers had a recent run-in with the Straw Hats. How did it go?"John Giant asked.
"They ran roughshod over the fortress, but it helped to unify the personnel and showed where our weak points are. Not to mention exposed a corrupt Marine commander by pure chance."Johnathan said.
"I'll make sure the increase to your budget actually makes it this time."Tsuru offered.
"Zoro and Kuina are members of the crew, right?"Saga noted."I'm amazed at how far they've come since I last saw them."
"Personally, I'm grateful the Straw Hats found Saul's adopted daughter. Hopefully, she'll be safe in their hands."Garp said.
"And the fact they're captained by your granddaughters has nothing to do with that either?" Momonga, a smirk clear in his tone asked. Garp just chuckled back in response.
"I'm happy for Robin too. I still have nightmares about Ohara."Kuzan said, a tone of bitter sorrow in his voice."What we did that day wasn't justice by any stretch of the imagination. And Akainu's belief to the contrary is why I agreed to join this organization."
"Shame we couldn't get Kizaru to join as well. I hear he thinks along the same lines as you. Moon."Shu said.
"Alas, Kizaru is a truly sad man. He only follows his own unclear branch of justice."Vegapunk pointed out."To be honest, even with all my intelligence, I can't tell if it's any better than Kuzan's patented 'Lazy Justice.'"
"Har-Har. I do believe both me and Kizaru's ways of justice are better than the Absolute Justice bullshit that the likes of Akainu and Onigumo follow."Kuzan said.
"We'll continue to coordinate in secret as we work to tear apart the broken system and rebuild it from the ground up. As for the Straw Hats, let's hope the next stage of their journey goes smoothly. After all, Water 7 is way too close to a certain clandestine fortress..." Smoker said.
The Shadow Tides then wrapped the conference call up, as its members were needed elsewhere.
Knightmare Lord A/N:
And so fully concludes the Sky Island Saga! The Straw Hats gain two surprise new crew members on board: Grey from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Subject Delta from Bioshock 2! The latter of whom is going to have a very important role in Water 7!
Also, the Merchant decided to give our favorite friendly laid-back Vice Admiral Johnathan a Devil Fruit to call his own, just to show that the Merchant isn't only selling his wares to pirates and all that.
One more thing: we have officially introduced our own version of the New World Masons from This Bites! Watch as they help tear down the rotten structure that the World Government has placed the Marines on from the inside!
Mrotrax A/N:
Handled the Conis and Chopper bits in this chapter, looking forward to seeing what the new recuirts do in the upcoming arc.
And yes, we are aware how divisive this upcoming arc is; but in hindsight? It may be more important than we realize….
Stay safe and warm out there!