An officer suddenly stood up, eyes wide with shock, exclaiming, "The Vinsmoke Family? Is this news confirmed?"
"How… how is it possible? Why is that family here?" someone muttered, a flicker of fear in their eyes.
As members of the North Sea's navy, they naturally knew what the name Vinsmoke Family signified—
Powerful. Unbeatable.
This was a family that once ruled the entire North Sea.
Though not as powerful as they once were, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. With the Vinsmoke Family's strength, they could easily destroy an island.
The "Evil Army" was no joke.
However, several people in the room looked puzzled. Having been transferred from other seas, they were completely unaware of the Vinsmokes' terrifying reputation.
Even those who had heard the name dismissed it as an exaggeration. How could a mere family rule an entire sea? What nonsense!
Karen, the bespectacled intelligence officer, caught the key detail. His eyes narrowed as he turned to Yara and asked, "Sir, the secret lab mentioned in the intel—is it connected to them?"
Yara shook his head. "I don't know. The report came via Den Den Mushi from headquarters this morning. It didn't give specifics—just that it's extremely dangerous and we're not to interfere."
"A Vinsmoke lab? That's outrageous!"
"Could it be some kind of weapons experiment? They're known as a walking war machine!" some marines whispered among themselves.
Overhearing their murmurs, Bruner's eyes flashed with contempt.
Small-minded fools. A small place will always be a small place. Panicking over mere rumors—useless!
Suddenly, Bruner slammed the table and swept his gaze across the room, his eyes finally locking onto Yara. He said coldly, "Sir, there's no point discussing this here. We should go investigate directly. Arrest everyone at the site and interrogate them. Even if it's the Vinsmoke Family—so what? Let them understand that the navy has the final say on this island."
Still furious over the recent damage to his own interests, Bruner was acting impulsively, proposing a reckless attack without weighing the consequences.
A native of the Grand Line, he carried an ingrained sense of superiority over those from the Four Seas. To him, the North Blue was nothing more than a backward, forgotten region.
As a result, despite Yara's higher rank, Bruner showed little respect for him.
After hearing his words, another naval officer stood up and voiced his support.
"I agree with Lieutenant Bruner's proposal! Since when has our navy feared any force? And who does that bounty hunter think he is—launching an attack on this island without informing us? Does he not recognize our authority?"
"I agree!"
"Me too!"
The P-5 branch navy was not a monolith. There were two factions within its ranks:
One faction was composed of native North Sea officers, led by the branch chief, Yara.
The other consisted of Grand Line transfers, headed by Bruner.
Frictions between the two groups were not uncommon.
Naturally, those who supported Bruner were all from his camp.
Yara quietly observed them all, his eyes finally settling on Bruner. He nodded and said calmly, "Major Bruner, in that case, why don't you lead the team?"
Bruner narrowed his eyes and let out a sharp snort. "Very well. I'll personally lead the strike. Any force that dares oppose us will be crushed. And the credit—will be mine alone."
He turned on his heel. "Let's go meet this Vinsmoke Family."
With a wave of his hand, he strode out. His loyal officers followed closely behind.
After they left—
Karen pushed his glasses up, a gleam flashing in his eyes. "Sir, we have solid proof that Major Bruner has been colluding with the Wolf Gang for profit. Why is he still—"
"No need to say more. I have my own plans," Yara interrupted with a wave of his hand.
Karen paused. "Yes, sir."
Yara's gaze swept over the remaining officers. His voice remained calm, but carried quiet authority. "Everyone, return to your posts. Keep your eyes on everything happening in the Chaos Zone. I want no information missed."
"Yes, sir!"
The officers saluted and dispersed.
Yara was left alone. He shook his head slightly, gazing out the window, and whispered,
"These are truly turbulent times… I just hope you can bring back valuable intelligence to headquarters, Bruner—rather than be executed as just another corrupt navy scum."
Bruner believed his covert actions had gone unnoticed, but in truth, Yara had seen everything.
He simply hadn't exposed him—because, up until now, Bruner hadn't crossed Yara's line.
He hadn't harmed the people in the Security Zone.
But recently, the Wolf Gang's crimes had grown increasingly bold, crossing every boundary of decency.
Their inhumane acts left Yara with no doubts—this cancer had to be eradicated, along with all those who supported it.
And yet… something unexpected happened in the Chaos Zone.
A mysterious figure had emerged—someone fast as lightning—who annihilated two of the three major underground factions Yara himself had once feared.
Now, this figure was heading straight for the Orleans family's base… intent on complete annihilation.
When Yara first received the report, he had been stunned.
Who was this man? And why had he chosen now to strike?
Silently, Yara picked up a stack of intelligence reports—files on the Orleans family… and the Vinsmoke family.
Elsewhere…
Yuno looked up at the evening sky. It was gradually darkening—nightfall creeping in quietly.
"What a beautiful night…"
His smile was cold, his voice calm. "Perfect for killing."
Before him stretched a vast compound—hundreds of figures assembled, weapons in hand.
The Orleans family.
One of them spotted him. "H-Hey! There—he's here!"
"Alert! We've got an intruder!"
Orleans narrowed his eyes at the approaching figure. With a curt wave, he ordered,
"Don't let him get close. Open fire!"
A subordinate raised his rifle without hesitation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Flames burst from the barrels—bullets tore through the air, filling the space ahead, giving Yuno no room to dodge.
But Yuno didn't need to dodge.
With a single swipe of his sword, a crescent-shaped Flying Slash tore through the air, deflecting the incoming bullets like they were nothing.
He advanced without pause.
Orleans' heart sank.
"A swordsman… It really is him!"
The intel had been right—the one who had destroyed the other two factions was a swordsman capable of airborne slashes!
In this world, the deadliest weapons were swords. One misstep against a true swordsman meant certain death!
Without hesitation, Orleans drew his own weapon—
—a strange, high-tech pistol, shaped like a cross between goggles and a gun.
He pulled the trigger.
BZZZZZ!
Electricity surged, condensing into a crackling bolt of lightning at the muzzle.
Then—flash!—it fired, colliding mid-air with Yuno's slash!
BOOM!
A blast of raw force exploded outward, scattering both the sword energy and the lightning in a storm of dust and sparks.
"Huh…" Yuno's eyes narrowed at the weapon in Orleans's hand.
"A stun gun?"
"Do such things even exist in the pirate world?"
He couldn't help but think of the Pacifistas from the original timeline.
Only… their lasers were modeled after Kizaru's light-based attacks.
This thing felt different. It was more like Hado no. 4: Byakurai—White Lightning.
And it packed a punch.
Still, Yuno was only mildly surprised. In terms of power, this "stun gun" couldn't compare to his own Byakurai.
What intrigued him was the tech itself.
This world's technology was bizarre…
They sailed ships powered by wind and oars—yet wielded weapons like robots, laser cannons, and electrified firearms.
A skewed world indeed.
But that wouldn't save Orleans.