"Pirates!"
"Pirates incoming!!"
The pirate ship approaching Dressrosa's coast quickly caught the attention of civilians working at the docks. One young laborer, just finishing loading cargo onto a vessel, happened to glance out at the sea, and saw the unmistakable pirate flag flapping in the distance.
He cried out in shock, alerting the rest of the dock workers.
"Pirates? Did he say pirates?"
"Where? Where?!"
On deck and ashore alike, people who heard the call didn't panic, instead, most looked surprised and even curious, crowding toward the merchant ship docked at the pier for a better view.
This was a commercial vessel from abroad that had docked in Dressrosa for trade. Towering over ten meters tall, the merchant ship's bulk blocked the view from the dock itself. Only when the workers scrambled up onto its deck did they catch sight of the pirate ship far off on the sea.
"Ohhh!! That's definitely a pirate ship!"
"Who the hell dares to come to Dressrosa? Some clueless rookie, I bet."
Among those leaning against the railing was an older middle-aged man. He took out a pack of cigarettes, stuck one in his mouth, and was just about to light it when a young newcomer, after confirming the ship's flag, bolted back toward the dock, shouting:
"Pirates incoming! Run!!"
The youth's panicked shout trailed off as he disappeared from sight.
The man with the cigarette blinked in confusion, then scratched his head and asked the others around him, "Who was that guy?"
"Skipping work like that, he's only getting half his pay for today!"
A bandana-wearing young worker nearby, ever quick-witted, lit the foreman's cigarette and chuckled:
"Boss, he's new. Please cut him some slack."
"He'll get used to things after a while, so don't take it to heart."
"But yeah, docking his pay for ditching is fair. Still, if he comes back soon, let's just pretend it didn't happen."
The cigarette lit, the foreman took a puff, glanced toward where the young man had run off, then sneered, "Tch, such a fuss over nothing. Must be green as hell."
"Alright, everyone take fifteen. Let's enjoy the show."
A slight furrow crossed his brow as he muttered, "Wonder if those guys can even last fifteen minutes."
Just then, a sharp alarm blared across the port, much like a modern-day air-raid siren. The piercing sound echoed across the island, loud enough that even King Riku in central Dressrosa heard it clearly.
"Hmm? The Marines' alarm?"
"Pirates attacking Dressrosa?"
King Riku had been in the palace's main hall discussing this year's city expansion plans with his ministers. Upon hearing the alarm, his expression shifted, curiosity flashing in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, that alarm did indeed come from the Marine port. It's likely an attack."
"Shall we dispatch the local guard to assist the Marines?"
A minister bowed slightly as he asked.
King Riku gave the man a strange look. The minister quickly realized he'd misspoken and bowed again in embarrassment.
"Ever since Vice Admiral Tsugikuni came to Dressrosa, we've heard that alarm at least once every year."
"Back when he first arrived, pirates were attacking left and right, almost daily. But before we could even send our own troops to help, the incident would already be resolved."
"All this time, I haven't seen even a shadow of a pirate."
"The peace we enjoy now... we truly owe it to the Marines stationed here."
King Riku rose from his throne, walked to the entrance of the hall, and gazed out toward the distant port. As he looked down, he pinched the flab hidden beneath his ornate robes, smiling to himself.
"Quick! Get on board! All of you, move!"
At the Marine port of the Dawn Blade Division, squadrons of Marines in white field uniforms rushed toward docked warships, armed with swords and rifles.
A young officer in formal uniform stood by the boarding ramp, urging them on.
Moments later, the figure of Rear Admiral Kyros appeared. With a powerful leap, he landed on the deck.
"Rear Admiral Kyros!"
The Marines on deck saluted in unison. Kyros nodded and gestured for everyone to assume their posts.
Amid the blaring alarms, three large warships began departing from port, heading straight toward the incoming pirate vessel.
"Status report!" Kyros stood at the prow, holding a telescope to his eye.
Soon, a lookout leapt directly from the observation tower, over ten meters high, landing next to Kyros to report:
"Sir! One pirate vessel sighted. Estimated length: 70 meters. Numerous pirates visible on deck."
"Additionally, there appears to be a hostage on board, someone badly beaten."
Kyros' eyes narrowed at the word "hostage." He turned to his men, nodded, then asked:
"Do we have intel on the enemy?"
Before the lookout could respond, another young Marine stepped forward, holding out a wanted poster.
"Sir, it's the Braggi Pirates. Captain: Braggi. Bounty: 440 million Berries. Entered the New World last year. Devil Fruit: Bubble-Bubble Fruit, produces highly explosive bubbles. Threat level: Three and a half stars."
The threat rating system was unique to Tsugikuni Yoriichi's Dawn Blade division. In the One Piece world, a bounty doesn't directly reflect a pirate's combat power, it's based on how much of a threat they pose to the World Government.
That's why you had cases like Nico Robin, a mere eight-year-old, being given a bounty in the tens of millions, just for her heritage.
Using bounties to gauge strength and assign Marines accordingly? Completely unreliable.
Take Crocodile, for instance. As a Warlord, his bounty was only 81 million, barely more than Robin's first bounty. Yet their strength? Worlds apart. Crocodile could go toe-to-toe with Mihawk. Robin was still a child.
Clearly, bounty alone wasn't a sufficient metric.
Yoriichi's threat rating system judged by raw combat ability, ignoring other factors.
The highest rating was six stars, reserved for Admiral or Emperor-level threats. A three-and-a-half star meant a skilled Vice Admiral with a fleet could handle them. About the same level as X Drake.
Of course, that was only if you were dealing with individuals. Pirate crews required more nuance.
"Three and a half stars?"
"That's not low. Everyone, stay alert."
"Relay this to the rest: there's a hostage on board. No shelling. Once close, we'll launch direct boarding with assault boats."
"Send word to the base, request additional ships."
Kyros' voice was steady as he watched the pirate ship drawing closer.
At that moment, the Marines' warships entered the enemy's cannon range. With a few booming shots, cannonballs flew toward the Marine ships.
Kyros didn't react. A few figures dashed across the deck, slicing the cannonballs out of the air mid-flight.
They landed on the railing: three young swordsmen, each holding a blade, calmly watching the enemy.
"Sir, are we... maybe overreacting?" the lookout asked Kyros.
"It's only one ship. With you leading, we're more than enough. Do we really need reinforcements?"
Kyros glared at him.
"Idiot."
"If I could, I'd deploy the entire fleet for just one pirate."
"Only by overwhelming them can we keep casualties to a minimum. Fighting pirates isn't a sprint, it's a war of attrition."
"The lives of our Marines are worth far more than any pirate's."
The young Marine felt a surge of emotion. He saluted.
"Sir! We will never fear death!"
Kyros rolled his eyes.
"Moron. You didn't listen to a word I just said. Go, pass down my order. Launch the boats!"
The ships drew closer.
On the pirate ship, Braggi glanced at the fast-approaching warships and gave up on shelling.
"Everyone ready up!"
"Send these damn Marines to the seafloor!"
"After this, we'll feast in Dressrosa!"
Cheers erupted on deck.
Meanwhile, the red-scaled fish-man chained beneath Braggi heard the word "Marines", but rather than rejoice, his face turned ashen. Even his struggling quieted.
Dozens of assault boats hit the water and sped in from multiple directions.
Seconds later, white-clad figures leapt from the boats and landed around the pirate vessel's railing, surrounding the pirates on deck.
Shing!
A cold gleam slashed through the air, Braggi barely dodged in time, rolling aside.
Kyros appeared on deck, scooping up the chained fish-man and leaping toward the bow.
"Move in!"
BOOM!!
Explosions tore through both sides of the pirate ship, black smoke billowing out. Marines from the boats swarmed into the breaches, searching below deck for other hostages.
Meanwhile, the Marines who had leapt to the railing began shooting into the ranks of stunned pirates.
Caught off guard, many pirates hadn't even regained balance when they were riddled with bullets.
The Marines dropped their guns and drew blades, charging the remaining pirates head-on.
Kyros gently leaned the fish-man against the mast, then stormed straight for Braggi.
"Goddamn Marines!"
Braggi had barely gotten up when Kyros' blade came crashing down.
The pirate spat a black bubble straight at Kyros' face.
BOOM!!
A fiery explosion erupted, Kyros' head vanished behind smoke and flame.
Braggi grinned, until Kyros stepped through the smoke, completely unharmed.
"What...?!"
Before Braggi could react, pain exploded in his chest. He looked down, a sword had pierced straight through him.
Blood filled his throat. Kyros grabbed his head, yanked his blade free, and slit his throat cleanly.
Holding Braggi's head high, Kyros barked:
"Report!"
A moment later, a voice called from the sea.
"Sir! No other hostages found!"
Kyros immediately grabbed the fish-man again.
"Retreat!"
Marines disengaged, leaving behind a deck strewn with corpses. They leapt overboard, retreating swiftly.
Kyros landed back on his ship with the fish-man and Braggi's severed head.
The Marines boarded their boats and withdrew.
From assault to withdrawal, the entire operation had taken barely ten minutes. The pirates barely knew what had hit them.
"They... left?"
"But we had the advantage!"
As they watched the fleeing Marines, the pirates were dazed.
"He's dead! The captain is dead!!!"
A panicked scream echoed across the deck. Before they could respond,
BOOM!
Three Marine warships unleashed a barrage. Coastal artillery on Dressrosa's Marine base also opened fire.
Explosions rained down. The battered pirate ship burst into flames. Their flag, Braggi Pirates, was consumed by fire.
Marines regrouped on their ships.
Back aboard his vessel, Kyros finally had time to examine the hostage.
He hadn't removed the chains during the fight to avoid complications. Now, freed, the truth was clear.
"A... fish-man?"
Marines gasped at the sight of the man's features. His face, initially obscured, hadn't seemed unusual.
Now it was obvious, he was from the fish-man race.
The fish-man's eyes burned with wariness. He balled his fists and took a defensive stance, glaring at the Marines with grim resolve.
"So what if I am?"
The tension in his body was palpable.
Kyros blinked, then chuckled and waved his hand.
"Apologies, brother."
"My men were a bit rude. Don't take it personally."
"You're safe now. We're Marines, not pirates."
He pointed at the seagull insignia on his chest.
But at the word "Marine," the fish-man didn't relax. If anything, his muscles tensed further.
Seeing this, Kyros fell silent. Then he said quietly:
"...Sorry. I don't know what's happened to you, but..."
"...I'm sorry."
The fish-man was taken aback. His glare softened. In place of hatred came confusion.
✦✦---------------------------------------------------------------------✦✦
100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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