Can you imagine—Garp actually went to visit Ace and the others while she was still busy chasing down petty pirates?
Amano An didn't even dare take the time to go back!
When she found out, she was so furious that she stormed off to pick another fight with that old man.That stubborn, shameless geezer—still as ruthless as ever!
After a few days in the infirmary, she brushed off the nurse's warning not to treat the hospital like her personal lodging, waved goodbye, and sprinted straight toward the training grounds. She didn't get far before someone stopped her.
"Yare yare~ Vice Admiral Garp and An have such a close relationship~"That lazy, singsong tone that begged for a punch in the face could belong to only one man—Kizaru, one of the future Admirals of the Navy.
Amano An raised her bandaged hand and stared at him flatly."Oh? You want this beautiful, heartfelt relationship for yourself?"
"I don't think I could handle that kind of love," Kizaru drawled. The two walked side by side, his towering three-meter frame making An look like a tiny potato spirit in comparison.
"So, let me guess—you came here to laugh at me? Because if you did, I'll give you something to really laugh about."
"A little girl who's too fierce isn't cute, you know," Kizaru replied lazily.
Amano An rolled her eyes. "What do you want from me? I don't have time for your nonsense. I need to get back and beat that old man again."
"There's news about the Sun Pirates," Kizaru said casually.
An blinked, quickening her pace, feigning innocence."Then why didn't you send someone to handle it? You came all the way here just to tell me?"
"I've been… busy," he replied with that same infuriating drawl, lighting a cigarette. "So I'm assigning them to you. After all…" He exhaled a puff of smoke. "They escaped right under your nose."
"Hey, watch your mouth! I was just a clueless kid back then—traumatized by what I saw!"
"Then you'd better get moving," Kizaru continued, unfazed. "The Red-Haired Pirates just arrived at Sabaody Archipelago. No clue if they're meeting Roger's old crewmates to stir up trouble again. They're a dangerous bunch~"
The Celestial Dragons' recent visit had thrown the world into chaos. The Navy was stretched thin dealing with post-event security, and there were whispers that Doflamingo had made another move. Unfortunately, the Navy's inside informant had gone dark, and no one could locate his whereabouts.
An suspected the missing agent might be that pitiful man, Rosinante.To have infiltrated Doflamingo's ranks and leaked so much intelligence, he must've once been formidable.But now, with his brain damage, he was just an unlucky soul who could trip over air at any time.
The World Government Conference was about to begin, and an anti-government group was growing bolder by the day. The Navy had its hands full.
An sighed. The real world wasn't as neat as a manga panel—too many overlapping events, too much chaos."Fine," she muttered. "If anything goes wrong, I'll just blame Kizaru."
As she jogged off, Kizaru watched her go and chuckled lazily."What a reckless little gremlin… I wonder how far she'll go. Terrifying~"
He remembered asking her once, "Why not train under Zephyr-sensei? You'd get proper development."
She had tilted her head in deep thought, then replied,"But Garp can punch through a mountain! Zephyr's students can't. His training must be too soft!"
Kizaru hadn't commented on whether Zephyr's methods were gentle or not, but honestly—if an ordinary person trained like An, they'd die eight hundred times over.
Soon after receiving her transfer orders, Amano An set out again. Her rank was still too low, and her unit too weak to take on the Sun Pirates, so Kizaru lent her a few major generals for backup.
She'd heard of the Sun Pirates before—but only in fragments. She hadn't dared read past the Marineford War arc.And yes, technically, the infamous Fisher Tiger had escaped "right under her nose."But to be fair… she'd let him go.
Who could've guessed that he'd live this long, found the Sun Pirates, and that the future Warlord Jinbei would sail under his flag?Later, Jinbei would even befriend Ace and land in Impel Down because of him.
It was a dilemma. Capture Tiger and he'd die horribly at the hands of the Celestial Dragons. Let him go, and she'd be disobeying direct orders.
"Eh, whatever. I'll just let Kizaru take the blame," she muttered. "Sorry, Rosinante—your passive luck is needed again."
A week at sea passed without a trace of the Sun Pirates.The only reports came from terrified townsfolk claiming to have seen fishmen shopping in coastal markets.Cross-referencing their trade routes and scattered rumors, An finally pinpointed their likely destination:
Grand Line – Forshat Island.
"Ugh…" An groaned. "Why am I chasing them instead of napping under the sea breeze?"
Her ship wasn't far from the island. Skipping it would've been suspicious—so she pressed on.When Fisher Tiger returned from escorting a rescued girl home, he walked right into a naval ambush.
Arms crossed, Amano An stood at the front, her expression blank but eyes burning with frustration.Would this guy just die if he stopped being so honest? She was already safe—why didn't he just leave?
She could read Tiger's emotions all too clearly—disappointment, anger, pain.
"I am Lieutenant Amano An of Navy Headquarters," she said coldly, reading the formal charges aloud, buying time. "I received intel that you'd appear here, but I didn't think you'd actually show up."
She continued tonelessly, "We obtained permission from the local village to cause a little disturbance—as long as we spared the property of the Celestial Dragons. That includes the little girl you saved."
"You're charged with two major crimes, Fisher Tiger. You should know them well—" Her lips twisted. "Assault… and escape."
No sooner had she finished than a gunshot rang out. Tiger's eyes widened as if awakening from a trance.
Coating his fist in Armament Haki, he lunged forward.Amano An moved to meet him, her voice sharp even as her punch neared his face."Hey, idiot! I'm letting you go—so run!"
Tiger froze, then instinct kicked in. Dodging her blow, he recognized her immediately.
"You—! The little girl from three years ago!"
"Yeah, yeah," An muttered between strikes. "Now shut up, find your opening, and get moving. Your crew's probably on their way."
Her fists didn't let up—if anything, they grew fiercer.Bullets whizzed past. She clicked her tongue and dodged aside.
The gunfire served as a signal—shots erupted from every direction.Amano An shot Tiger a look and gestured sharply toward her. He understood at once and charged toward her side.
But the Marines weren't amateurs. They adjusted instantly, turning their guns to intercept. Even with his speed, Tiger took several bullets before reaching her.
Fishmen were naturally stronger than humans—it was suicide to let one close the distance. But both of them moved in unspoken sync, edging closer to the shore.
An noticed, even through the chaos, that Tiger didn't kill anyone.Even when Marines came at him guns drawn, he only flung them aside, never striking to kill—just like before.
"Boss Tiger!""The Sun Pirates are here!" someone shouted as a group of fishmen burst through the trees.
"Don't kill anyone!" Tiger bellowed.
But it was too late.A familiar fishman that An recognized charged in first—his razor-sharp teeth sinking into a Marine's throat.
Blood sprayed the sand.And Amano An could only curse under her breath, "Damn it… not again."