Admiral Candidate (3K)

Woooo~!

The shrill whistle of a warship carried over the sea, and all of Mock Town seemed to fall silent in an instant.

Even the pirates who were usually as arrogant and unruly as could be had become well-behaved.

They hid the flags on their pirate ships and even made all sorts of disguises on board. Their groups huddled on the island drinking, not even daring to approach the port.

Mock Town was one of the entrances to the underworld. It was a regular gathering place for many pirates and bandits in the first half of the Grand Line, as well as a place where brokers moving through the criminal underworld often chose to conduct business.

Pirates with bounties exceeding ten million were not uncommon here.

But today, pirate crews with even higher bounties and greater strength had almost all gathered in advance and left Mock Town because of the rumors about Eldorado.

Then, rumors spread this morning that the Marines had suffered enormous losses in the waters around Skuld Island. Advance teams dispatched by as many as seven branches had been completely wiped out, with more than ten field-grade officers killed in action.

This shocked Marine Headquarters, which immediately decided to dispatch a fleet from headquarters to resolve the matter.

The information circulating within Mock Town was that the rumors of Eldorado had alarmed the World Government’s upper ranks. The Marines had therefore drawn elite troops and powerful officers from nearby waters and would certainly not allow Eldorado to fall into anyone else’s hands.

By this point, the news had even reached the New World. On that even more turbulent sea, the most vicious pirates, the powerful figures who ruled entire regions, and even the Emperors of the Sea who truly stood at the pinnacle of piracy and opposed the Marines on equal footing had all learned that Eldorado had appeared.

However, the New World was quite far from here. It would be extremely difficult for those major figures to arrive in person. Perhaps only some terrifying lone wolves would show up.

There were several powerful pirates in this world whose influence could not compare to that of the Four Emperors, yet who lived quite freely after receiving government pardons and gaining the title of Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Ever since the world’s greatest swordsman, Hawkeye, had mysteriously vanished half a year ago, that group had quieted down considerably. But yesterday, someone had spotted the Heavenly Yaksha crossing the sea to come here.

All signs indicated that the waters around Skuld Island had become the hottest region on the Grand Line, and that a terrifying major event was about to unfold there.

Since ancient times, whenever Marines and pirates gathered in great numbers in the same place, the result had always been a brutal battle.

Brina looked at the rather massive fleet. The prow of the foremost ship was decorated in the shape of a two-headed dragon, while another ship at its side bore the shape of a Dalmatian. Several ships behind them were blocked from view, making their figureheads impossible to see.

"Vice Admiral Onigumo, Vice Admiral Dalmatian…"

Brina inhaled softly. Those who had come were all high-ranking, powerful vice admirals from headquarters—strong figures who spent their years hunting the most dangerous Bounty Criminals, proficient in Haki and possessing physiques far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

They were terrifying prodigies, selected by Marine Headquarters from among hundreds of thousands across the world. Within the Marines, the strongest violent institution that ruled the seas, they were the true backbone.

Woooo~!

The whistle sounded again, but the warships did not enter the harbor.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Three sharp sounds tore through the air. Three figures stepped through the air several times, shooting forward like arrows and appearing instantly aboard the G51 Branch ship by the harbor.

Before the other Marines could react, Brina had already brought her feet together and bowed respectfully.

"Colonel Brina of G51 Branch welcomes the arrival of the Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals!"

Only then did the Marine Soldiers behind her come to their senses. They realized that the men before them, draped in cloaks and radiating terrifying pressure through their sheer size alone, were Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals who stood above countless Marines.

Even ordinary pirates with bounties over a hundred million were merely targets for these men to hunt down and capture.

They immediately saluted, though their movements were uneven and disorganized.

Beneath his cloak, Onigumo wore a gray suit. He had a two-headed dragon helmet on his head. Seeing how disorderly these branch Marine Soldiers were even when saluting, clearly nothing but a group of grunts, he lowered his eyelids and snorted coldly.

"I suppose trash like you never even saw that fellow’s face before running back here."

The Marine Soldiers lowered their heads without saying a word. Brina’s expression remained calm as she spoke.

"I saw him."

Dalmatian, the Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral wearing a spotted dog cap, studied the female soldier before nodding.

"Then come with us. Everyone else, disperse where you stand and return to the branch base to rest and reorganize."

Although Dalmatian was also a hawkish officer, he was far gentler toward his own people than Onigumo.

He grabbed Brina by the shoulder with one hand. His palm was so large that it could nearly grip her entire head. In the next instant, he pushed off with his feet, carrying Brina across two hundred meters in a flash. He kicked through the air again, then landed on the headquarters warship.

Onigumo and Doberman also used Moonwalk to return to the warship in an instant.

Brina noticed that these headquarters ships far surpassed branch warships in both size and structure. Every Marine aboard radiated a fierce, sharp aura possessed only by battle-hardened troops.

On the deck, cannonballs had all been properly placed near the artillery emplacements, and every ship was in a state of combat readiness.

Marine Headquarters was clearly in a great hurry. The fleet did not linger at Mock Town, instead turning directly toward the target waters.

Several headquarters vice admirals gathered aboard Dalmatian’s flagship. Brina noticed that besides Onigumo, Doberman, and Dalmatian, there was also Vice Admiral Vergo. This vice admiral was powerful and well-known, and seemed to serve as the commander of G5 Branch. She had not expected him to be transferred here as well.

"Lieutenant Colonel Brina, tell us everything you know."

After the Marine fleet set sail, Onigumo gave the order coldly.

Brina nodded and began reporting all the intelligence she knew, point by point.

"That man’s real name is Enel. His origins are unknown, but the priests and guards under his command all have white wings. They may be the legendary Skypieans."

The vice admirals nodded. Even Onigumo’s impression of Brina improved. This first piece of intelligence was something headquarters had not provided.

"Enel commands the power of lightning. He can summon lightning at will to attack, and can unleash devastating electrical strikes across a vast area spanning dozens of nautical miles. He is most likely a Logia Type Devil Fruit Ability User."

"Our fleet was struck by lightning before reaching Skuld Island’s harbor, while still nearly ten nautical miles from the island. Therefore, the target most likely possesses powerful sensory abilities and beyond-visual-range attack capabilities."

As Brina recounted, in polished terms, the information she had learned during the previous two years of cooperation, the expressions of the headquarters vice admirals grew somewhat grave.

Splash!

A tremendous sound erupted from the sea. The three headquarters vice admirals reacted with incredible speed. Doberman instantly moved in front of Brina, while Dalmatian became like a phantom, appearing at the edge of the deck almost the instant the sound of water breaking rang out.

A figure leaped straight from the sea, turned lightly in the air, and landed on the deck. The sound of his landing was no louder than that of a cat touching down.

A martial arts expert?!

In the next instant, Dalmatian was already before him, his left hand at the other man’s neck. Yet another hand had simultaneously blocked his arm.

"Hey, hey, Vice Admiral. I’m one of your own."

Bai Cangshu’s pupils slowly returned to normal. The physical abilities of a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral had also somewhat exceeded his expectations.

In the anime, he had known that this group of headquarters vice admirals was strong. But because their opponents were almost always notable powerhouses, these headquarters vice admirals often ended up serving as background characters who got humiliated.

Yet based solely on the martial arts prowess displayed just now by the vice admiral in the spotted dog cap, that speed completely surpassed Bai Cangshu’s current level of attributes.

That was absolutely not speed someone in the First Tier could possess.

Even with Sensen no Sen, his body’s exertion and movements were faster than the other’s, but Bai Cangshu had only barely managed to raise his hand and block him by the time the other’s hand reached his throat.

If that attack had been backed by a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral’s strength and the other man had truly intended to attack him, it could have broken his neck.

"Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals really are strong…"

You have accepted the invitation of Plot Character Brina and joined the Marine faction.

Bai Cangshu did not particularly care about which faction he joined. He was a Reincarnator, not playing some kind of role-playing game. No matter which faction he joined, it would not affect what he did.

That was what Reincarnators were—people who completely cast aside any sense of moral allegiance.

At the same time, he switched the Milestone he was wearing once more, changing it to Savior.

Under the effect of Milestone: Savior, your base reputation with the Marine faction has changed to: 1/100 (Friendly)

Dalmatian turned back and saw Brina nod, confirming that the other man was indeed a marine soldier from G51 Branch. His gaze immediately became much friendlier.

He slapped Bai Cangshu on the back, sending Bai Cangshu leaping forward at once. He skillfully dispersed the force.

"Good fellow. Back at the harbor, I thought G51 Branch was nothing but a bunch of useless trash. Turns out there are still elites among you."

"Which batch of trainees were you from? You must have trained at headquarters too, right?"

Dalmatian looked at the tough-looking black-haired Marine. He was certain this fellow was no ordinary person. He was the kind of person whose uniqueness could be felt at a glance.

Onigumo and Doberman also nodded. All of them were martial arts experts and could see that Bai Cangshu’s physical capabilities and combat techniques were both quite mature.

From the perspective of technique alone, that refined quality even gave them a fresh impression. Although there was still a gap in physical ability, the other man was young and had a promising future.

"Right, I remember G51 Branch has another marine soldier named Corey. He trained at headquarters too. Where is he? I remember Vice Admiral Garp once praised him."

Dalmatian had formed a good impression of Bai Cangshu, and even G51 Branch, which he had looked down on moments ago, brought a few people to mind.

Brina’s expression changed slightly, but Bai Cangshu remained composed as he spoke.

"Corey’s dead."

"On that island, he was killed by the so-called god."

The Marine vice admirals had already heard a description of Enel’s abilities, but Bai Cangshu continued.

"Also, when we withdrew, we saw Doflamingo, the Heavenly Yaksha among the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He was most likely defeated by Enel."

He looked at Vergo, who had not spoken all this time, and indeed saw the man’s expression change. It was not just his expression—his breathing rhythm and the intensity of his heartbeat had changed as well.

Bai Cangshu raised his head, looked at the vice admirals, and said directly, "Vice Admirals, request Admiral reinforcements."

Onigumo and the others looked grim as they exchanged glances. But before they could speak, Bai Cangshu had already turned around.

Clack, clack, clack…

A figure wearing wooden sandals emerged from the cabin. Bai Cangshu’s pupils contracted. Before this, he had not sensed this person’s existence at all.

"Ah, Admirals are very busy, you know."

"Tell me, little brother from the branch. Is that fellow named Enel really that strong in your eyes?"

Dressed in a brown casual shirt, a Cloak of Justice, and a cowboy hat, the newcomer’s appearance gave off no particularly special aura at all.

But Bai Cangshu had already guessed his identity, and an unconscious smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Heh, I was just a little frightened by what I saw."

Bai Cangshu mocked himself.

The newcomer was none other than Marine Headquarters Admiral Candidate Chaton Tokikake.

Four powerful Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals and an Admiral Candidate stronger than the other vice admirals—the Marines had not underestimated Enel…

But it still was not chaotic enough. This world needed to become even more chaotic.

In a part of his heart that no one could see, Bai Cangshu yearned for greater chaos to descend. The scarlet character for "sin" flickered in and out of view on his right hand.

I’ve been suffering from insomnia lately, so the updates haven’t been great. Please forgive me.