"!!!"
Flare couldn't hold back any longer.
"What nonsense are you spouting? This isn't the time for whimsy—survival is paramount."
"Rest assured, this isn't capriciousness, but a decision made after careful consideration."
Yemu spoke, turning to address all his crew members.
"Because our pirate crew needs this battle. I need it too. I refuse to wait until we enter the New World to face such a terrifying predicament. Because then, we might truly have no chance left."
"Besides, running away without putting up a fight would be utterly embarrassing... Hahaha!"
"You idiot! This is no time for jokes! Then you can team up with Enel to take on that guy!!!" Flare exclaimed anxiously.
"No. I'm not letting Enel fight because he has a more crucial mission."
This left everyone stunned.
"Bullet's appearance here means our cover is blown. Tomorrow, our enemies won't just be Bullet—they'll be the World Government and the Navy."
"As for whether I survive in the end, Tiger, I'm counting on you."
...
Grand Line, Long Ring Long Land.
This elongated ring-shaped island, submerged by the sea, usually only reveals a ring of small islands protruding above the water. From afar, it resembles a string of linked bracelets.
Rarely visited, even passing pirates seldom linger here. Beyond its peculiar, elongated fauna, the island holds almost no humans, no towns, and offers no supplies pirates seek—let alone treasure to plunder.
Yet lately, it's been bustling.
The reason is straightforward: Long Ring Long Land occupies a uniquely strategic position.
The first half of the Grand Line is divided into seven distinct sea lanes by the magnetic field originating from the Reverse Mountain. Each route possesses distinct characteristics and varying distances. Yet among all islands along these seven paths, Long Ring Long Land stands alone as the one with the closest average proximity to every other route.
Previously, this held little significance. The seven routes of the Grand Line's first half operated independently. Once set sail, one could only traverse them from start to finish, without crossing boundaries.
But now, things have changed.
A week ago, the Marine Headquarters dispatched four warships. These vessels no longer rely solely on wind power; equipped with independent propulsion systems, they allow the Marines to defy the Grand Line's treacherous currents and monsoons, crossing between routes with unprecedented speed and efficiency to combat pirates.
Upon receiving these vessels, Vice Admiral Tsuru of the Marine Headquarters selected this location as the base of operations for combating pirates in the first half of the Paradise route. From this island, they could swiftly respond to any distress call from any Navy branch stationed along that stretch.
Now, the sun was setting.
A warship slowly docked at the shore, and a beautiful woman stepped ashore.
She wore a white Marines overcoat over a pink short-sleeved dress, her figure accentuating her ample bust. A beauty mark graced her lip, and a crimson sword was sheathed at her waist.
Behind her, rows of Marines escorted pirates with bound hands down the gangway. They were to be temporarily held in the island's prison until their numbers were sufficient for direct transport to Impel Down.
"What a busy day it's been..."
The woman stepping off the deck sighed as she watched the sun sink rapidly into the horizon.
Hearing her words, the young Marines nearby immediately lit up, eyes filled with hearts as they shouted in unison, excitement in their voices.
"You've worked hard today, Rear Admiral Gion!"
Indeed, this woman was Gion—who, at just eighteen, had become the youngest Rear Admiral in Marine history.
Hearing the young men's cheers, Gion's face—true to her nickname—softened into a charming, alluring smile, one that perfectly suited her alias "Momousagi." Covering her mouth with a hand, she chuckled lightly, her voice dripping with gentle charm.
"You boys too—remember to get proper rest. You can't afford to be distracted during battle."
"Understood, Admiral Gion! We'll protect you with our lives!"
"Thank you all!"
After bidding farewell to the group, Gion made her way toward the center of Long Ring Long Land.
This area had recently become the Navy's primary operations base, and several temporary structures had been erected to serve the purpose. At the moment, many Marines sat outside on benches—some drinking tea, others reading newspapers.
As Gion approached, her eyes fell upon her idol—and someone she regarded as a sister—Vice Admiral Tsuru of Marine Headquarters, seated at the center.
To Tsuru's left sat Vice Admiral Jaguar D. Saul, a towering giant nearly thirty meters tall, his frame resembling a small mountain.
On Tsuru's right were three more officers: Vice Admiral Hibakuyama, one of Tsuru's direct subordinates; Vice Admiral Tokikake, the man Gion most wished to avoid; and Rear Admiral Momonga, responsible for transporting the warships and coordinating their operations.
Three Vice Admirals, two Rear Admirals, four warships, and over ten thousand Marines—this lineup alone made them fearless before any pirates in the first half of the Grand Line.
Tsuru looked up from her newspaper and asked Gion softly, "Have those pirates been dealt with?"
"Yes. Just another group bewitched by the Pirate King Roger's legend. Nothing noteworthy—the battle ended easily."
"That's good."
Tsuru exhaled with quiet relief.
At that moment, Vice Admiral Tokikake—legs crossed, dressed in earth-toned clothes beneath his Marine coat—grinned with a lecherous smile.
"Now that the fighting's done, how about taking a break, Rear Admiral Gion? Care to join me for a date?"
"Here we go again..."
A faint trace of exasperation passed over everyone's faces.
Gion covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "Vice Admiral Tokikake, your sense of humor is getting sharper by the day."
"I'm not joking! I'm being serious!"
"Is that part of your routine too!?"
Finally, Tsuru couldn't hold back any longer and cut them off. "Enough. If you have that much energy, one of you can go deal with that pirate crew on Maru Island."
No one responded. After a full day's work, evening had already fallen—who would want to head out to sea now? A quiet evening with tea and a newspaper was far more appealing.
Seeing this, Momonga looked embarrassed and spoke cautiously. "If I recall correctly, that's the Thriller Bark Pirates. Their captain, Gecko Moria, is quite the formidable man. Someone like that should be left to Headquarters."
It wasn't Momonga's personal opinion—it was the official stance of Marine Headquarters.
Because of Roger's influence, far too many pirates had taken to the seas recently, far beyond what the Marines could handle alone. The strategy was clear: Tsuru's forces would act as a filter at Long Ring Long Land, eliminating mid- to low-level pirates while leaving the Great Pirates to be dealt with by Headquarters. And if even Headquarters couldn't manage, then the Admirals in the New World would have to take action themselves.
"There's no helping it," Tsuru sighed, her tone tinged with weariness.
In truth, with their current strength, they could handle the Thriller Bark Pirates—but it would require deploying most of their forces, at least two Vice Admirals and two warships. That would cut their local combat strength in half.
They had all worked hard to stabilize the first half of Paradise, and no one wanted to risk undoing that progress for the sake of a single pirate.
Or rather, the Thriller Bark Pirates simply weren't worth that kind of effort. As for who was...
Gion glanced toward Vice Admiral Tsuru, who hadn't looked up from her newspaper once.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, what are you reading? The latest paper?"
"Hmm. A newspaper from seven days ago. It just arrived today."
"Anything interesting in it?"