Raphael: <>
System: []
******
16th Branch Marine Base
The salty sea breeze drifted lazily through the open barracks windows, carrying the cries of distant seagulls and the rhythmic lapping of waves against the docks. Inside, a handful of lower-ranked Marines lounged about, passing the time with half-hearted tasks and idle conversation.
Jiro, a tall, lanky Marine, sat atop a wooden crate, absentmindedly running an oilcloth over the length of a musket. "You ever wonder why we even bother cleaning these things? Ain't like we ever get to use 'em."
Across from him, Kenta, a shorter, round-faced Marine, yawned, propping his feet up on another crate. "Protocol, Jiro. Gotta look ready, even if we ain't doin' much. Keeps the officers off our backs."
Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, Mira, a female Marine with short brown hair, shot them both a disinterested glance. "Yeah? Well, good luck with that. Captain Nezumi ain't even here. Won't be back for weeks."
Jiro snorted. "Oh yeah, his big 'inspection tour,' right? More like a tax collection trip. Bet he's swimming in Beli right about now, stuffing his pockets with all those 'protection fees' from the islands."
Kenta sighed. "Must be nice. Just sail around, shake some people down, and call it work. Meanwhile, we're stuck here, cleaning rifles we ain't gonna fire and polishing cannons we ain't gonna shoot."
"Could be worse," Mira pointed out with a shrug. "At least we're not on patrol duty. Heard the guys over at G-2 had to chase off a Sea King last week."
Jiro let out a laugh. "Sea Kings? Please. What do we get? A couple of seagulls stealing our rations and the occasional drunk fisherman making a scene."
Kenta stretched, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Honestly, I'd rather have it this way. As long as Captain Nezumi's gone, things stay peaceful. No stupid orders, no extra shifts—just easy days and quiet nights."
Mira gave a small smirk. "Guess you've got a point. Just gotta keep up the illusion of working till he gets back."
The three shared a quiet chuckle before falling into a comfortable silence, the soft, repetitive sound of gun oil being rubbed into steel filling the air.
After a while, Jiro spoke again, lowering his voice. "You ever wonder where all that 'protection tax' actually goes?"
Kenta scoffed, letting his broom drop against the floor. "Come on, man. You know where it goes—straight into Nezumi's pockets."
Mira rolled her eyes. "Yeah, obviously. But still... we're Marines, aren't we? Shouldn't we, I don't know, do something about it?"
Jiro shot her a pointed look. "You wanna end up floating face-down in the harbor?"
That shut Mira up real quick. A heavy silence settled over them until Kenta finally broke it with a dry laugh. "Yeah, no thanks. I like my head right where it is. Besides, as long as he's gone, we've got it easy. Just kick back, do the bare minimum, and act busy when the higher-ups come sniffing around."
Mira shook her head but grinned. "Fine, fine. But when he gets back, don't come crying when he decides to make an example out of someone."
Jiro leaned back, folding his arms behind his head with a lazy smirk. "That's future us's problem. Right now? We enjoy the peace."
The air inside the barracks was still thick with lazy conversation and the rhythmic sound of half-hearted cleaning when a sudden BOOM echoed from outside. The wooden walls trembled slightly, followed by the unmistakable clamor of shouting Marines.
Jiro's hand froze mid-wipe on the musket. "Uh... you guys hear that?"
Kenta blinked, gripping his broom a little tighter. "Nope. Didn't hear a thing. And if we don't hear it, we don't have to check it out."
Mira groaned, already pushing herself off the wall. "If we don't check it out, some officer's gonna come in here and make us do actual work. Let's go."
The three reluctantly shuffled toward the entrance, their sluggish movements more fitting for men being dragged to their doom than soldiers responding to an emergency. As they stepped outside, their jaws collectively dropped at the scene before them.
The training grounds, once a place of dull drills and occasional sparring matches, were now littered with groaning, unconscious Marines. Some were sprawled out in awkward positions, others piled on top of each other in what looked like an impromptu Marine tower of pain.
And in the center of the chaos, two figures stood casually, as if they had just finished a light warm-up.
One was a young man with green hair, three swords strapped to his waist, his arms folded with an expression that screamed this is barely worth my time.
The other was a woman with short, dark blue hair, a sleek golden polearm with the glowing green spearhead, resting on her shoulder. Her expression was cool, almost bored, like she had just finished doing her morning stretches and was waiting for something interesting to happen.
Jiro blinked several times. "Okay. Uh. Just to confirm... this is our base, right?"
Mira smacked the back of his head. "Of course it's our base, idiot! Who the hell are these two!?"
A few other Marines from inside the base rushed out, forming a loose semicircle around the two intruders. One of them, a burly guy named Tetsuo, pointed an accusing finger at them. "Hey! You two! Do you even know this is a Marine base?!"
The green-haired swordsman shrugged. "Yeah, we do, but it doesn't really look like one."
The blue-haired woman followed up. "Not like it mattered. Captain said to attack, so we did."
Tetsuo's eye twitched. "That's it? That's your reason?!"
The two exchanged glances, as if trying to figure out if they were supposed to elaborate.
"Nope," the swordsman finally said.
The Marine squad collectively twitched, a vein popping on Tetsuo's forehead.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
Zoro scratched his head. "Look, if it makes you feel better, I don't even really know why he wanted us to attack."
Kuina nodded. "Yeah, he just pointed in this direction and said, 'Go make a mess of things.' So here we are."
Tetsuo and the other Marines had a brief moment of stunned silence before they all exploded at once.
"That's just ridiculous!"
"You can't just attack a Marine base 'cause your captain said so!"
"Who even is your captain?!"
Zoro yawned. "That's a lot of questions. You guys gonna fight, or are we just gonna stand here all day?"
Tetsuo, now red in the face, clenched his fists. "Like hell we're letting you get away with this! Marines, get ready!"
Weapons were drawn, swords unsheathed, muskets cocked. The remaining conscious Marines prepared themselves, though a few of them glanced at the pile of already defeated comrades and gulped.
Jiro sighed, shaking his head. "And here I thought today was gonna be an easy day..."
Mira grabbed a rifle, muttering under her breath. "Damn it, why did Captain Nezumi have to leave now of all times?"
Kenta, who was still gripping his broom, hesitated. "Uh... does anyone else think maybe we should not fight the people who just wrecked half the base in, like, five minutes?"
No one paid attention to him.
On the other side, Zoro cracked his neck, reaching for his swords. "Well, it doesn't look like a challenge, but at least it will be a decent warm-up guess."
Kuina twirled her polearm, the Ascended Skyward Spine humming faintly in the air. "Yeah, let's make this quick."
The tension snapped as both sides rushed at each other.
The first Marine to charge at Zoro let out a battle cry, swinging his cutlass down with all the force he could muster.
Zoro didn't even bother drawing his swords. He barely tilted his head to the side, dodging with absurd ease. Before the Marine could even register his failure, Zoro slammed the hilt of his sword into the man's stomach.
The Marine let out a choked oof before collapsing like a sack of potatoes.
Two more came at him from opposite sides, hoping to overwhelm him. Zoro unsheathed his swords in a blur, the sound of steel ringing through the air. With a flick of his wrist, one blade caught an incoming strike, locking weapons with one attacker, while the other sword lashed out at the second Marine's legs. The unfortunate soldier yelped as his feet were swept out from under him, landing hard on his back.
Zoro barely spared him a glance before shifting his grip, wrenching the first Marine's weapon from his hands and sending it flying. Before his opponent could react, Zoro slammed the blunt side of his blade into the man's ribs, knocking him out instantly.
Meanwhile, Kuina had launched herself into the fray.
A Marine lunged at her with a spear, thrusting forward with the intent to skewer. Kuina spun her polearm with practiced ease, knocking the attack aside with a sharp clang. The force of the parry sent vibrations up the Marine's arms, and before he could recover, she twisted her weapon and slammed the shaft against his chest. He staggered backward, his breath leaving him in a sharp wheeze before he crumpled to the ground.
Another Marine tried to take advantage of what he thought was an opening, moving to flank her. Big mistake.
Without even turning, Kuina reversed her grip and drove the blunt end of her polearm backward. It connected squarely with his gut. The Marine let out a strangled gasp before his knees buckled, and he slumped forward, his body hitting the dirt with a dull thud.
Jiro, who had reluctantly joined the fight, had just raised his sword when he saw yet another Marine soaring through the air courtesy of Zoro's boot. He took a moment to process what he was witnessing before making an executive decision.
"...Yeah, nope."
With all the grace of a seasoned professional, he immediately turned around and flopped onto the ground, dramatically pretending to be unconscious.
Mira, meanwhile, was faring slightly better. She had managed to line up a shot at Kuina, taking careful aim before pulling the trigger. The gunshot cracked through the air—only for Kuina to casually flick her polearm and deflect the bullet mid-flight.
Mira's jaw dropped as the bullet ricocheted harmlessly into a nearby barrel. Her eye twitched. "That's not fair."
Kuina smirked. "I know."
Kenta, still clutching his broom, stood frozen in place, trying very hard to look busy while avoiding actual combat. Tetsuo shot him a glare, and Kenta panicked, raising the broom like a spear.
"Uh—For justice!"
Then he promptly tripped over his own feet and face-planted.
Zoro, having just finished dealing with the last Marine foolish enough to rush him, surveyed the battlefield with an almost bored expression.
"Huh. That was fast."
Kuina twirled her polearm one last time before resting it on her shoulder. "Told you it wouldn't take long."
The few remaining Marines, now realizing just how horrifically outmatched they were, exchanged nervous glances. Then, in a move that could only be described as blind desperation, they did the only thing that made sense to them.
They charged together, yelling at the top of their lungs.
Zoro sighed, already shifting his weight to cut them down when Kuina held up a hand.
"Wait," she said, gripping her spear a little tighter. "I want to try the new move that came with this weapon."
Zoro raised a brow but nodded, stepping back.
Kuina took a deep breath, spinning the polearm in her hands. The weapon hummed with energy, the green spearhead glowing as wind began swirling around it.
"Let's see how it works against real people," she muttered, her grip tightening. Then, with a sharp thrust forward, she called out the attack.
"Gust Surge!"
A translucent green tornado exploded from the spearhead, the force of the wind kicking up dust and debris. The charging Marines barely had time to scream before they were caught in the spiraling vortex. They were lifted off their feet, their bodies twisting helplessly as they were battered by the razor-sharp winds.
For ten agonizing seconds, they were tossed around like ragdolls before the tornado dissipated. When it was gone, the Marines lay sprawled across the ground, their eyes spinning in dizzy defeat. Deep cuts covered their bodies, their uniforms in tatters.
As the dust settled, Kuina let out a slow breath, her shoulders rising and falling.
"Damn... That takes a lot out of me," she muttered, wiping sweat from her forehead. "I can only use it once every fifteen minutes." Clicking her tongue, she hooked the polearm onto her back. "Guess we should go tell the captain we're done here. The others should be finished by now, too."
Zoro sheathed his swords and nodded. Without another word, the two turned and casually strolled out of the base. They left behind nothing but unconscious Marines, a few dazed survivors, and a lingering silence thick with disbelief.
Jiro, still lying on the ground, cracked open one eye, surveying the devastation around him. He let out a quiet, resigned sigh.
"I am so transferring to a different branch."
******
While Zoro and Kuina were busy dismantling the main forces of the base, the rest of the crew had their own tasks to handle.
On a nearby hill, Uta lay prone, her sniper rifle resting steadily against her shoulder. Her keen eyes scanned the base, tracking every movement. She wasn't expecting trouble—not with Zoro and Kuina tearing through the Marines like a storm—but surprises had a nasty habit of showing up when least expected. And if anything unexpected did happen, she'd be ready to deal with it before it became a real problem for her crewmates who were inside.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Kaya and Reiju worked in perfect sync.
Reiju took center stage, dressed in a Marine uniform the crew had stashed away for occasions just like this. Playing the part flawlessly, she introduced herself as a visiting Captain from the main branch, casually leaning against the counter as she flashed a charming smile at the kitchen staff. "You know," she purred, her voice dripping with intrigue, "I've always heard this base has some of the finest chefs in the Marines. Surely, you wouldn't mind treating a guest, would you?"
The flattered chefs, eager to boast about their culinary stock, were completely unaware of Kaya slipping through the shadows behind them.
Using the power of the cloak, Kaya moved like a whisper, unseen and unheard, as she made her way to the pantry. Once inside, she wasted no time, swiftly stuffing every bit of edible supplies she could get her hands on into a large sack. With how much food the crew went through, adding as much as to their supplies didn't hurt.
While they raided the kitchen, Luffy had already cleaned out the armory.
It wasn't much. The base wasn't exactly well-equipped to begin with, and whatever weapons and ammunition they had were now stuffed into his inventory. He frowned, scanning the shelves one last time.
No seastone.
He had expected as much, but that didn't make it any less disappointing. A small Marine base like this wouldn't have much to begin with, and with a corrupt Captain like Nezumi in charge, any seastone that had ever been stored here had probably long since been sold off to the highest bidder.
'Probably Arlong,' Luffy thought with a scowl.
Still, there was one more place worth checking.
With that in mind, he headed straight for the Captain's office. A greedy rat like Nezumi would definitely have some valuable things stashed away, and as Luffy stepped inside, he took one look around and grinned.
He wasn't disappointed.
The moment he crossed the threshold, his nose wrinkled. If greed had a smell, this room would reek of it. Everything about the place screamed excess, from the gaudy gold-framed paintings lining the walls to the absurdly large chandelier overhead. The paintings were especially ridiculous—half of them depicted Nezumi in exaggerated, self-glorifying poses, dressed in regal Marine attire like some kind of hero. The rest were scenic landscapes and portraits of women in skimpy clothing, clearly chosen with no real taste beyond sheer indulgence.
Luffy snorted. "Man, this guy's got issues."
The furniture wasn't any better. The desk in the center of the room was enormous, polished to such a glossy sheen that it practically sparkled under the light. The chairs, upholstered in deep red velvet, looked comically out of place in a Marine base. And then there was the massive bookshelf against the far wall—except it wasn't filled with books. Instead, row after row of fine liquor bottles lined the shelves, their glass glistening like trophies.
Luffy strolled further in, his gaze landing on the true prize.
Behind the oversized captain's chair sat a massive silver-colored safe, its metallic surface gleaming in the dim light. Now that was interesting.
"Well, well…" Luffy smirked, rubbing his chin as he stepped closer to the safe. "What kinda goodies are you hiding, Nezumi?" Crouching down, he ran his fingers over the lock, studying it with mild curiosity. "Raphael, scan the safe and see if you can decode the lock," he instructed.
However, before Raphael could reply, Luffy's Observation Haki flared, alerting him to someone approaching the cabin. His brows lifted slightly as he focused—despite the ongoing commotion outside, this person was heading straight for this room, moving with clear intent. But then something unexpected happened. The moment their Haki signatures brushed against each other, a subtle clash rippled through his senses. Luffy's eyes widened slightly.
'A Haki-user… here? In this part of the sea? And in a dump like this base?' He mused, intrigued, as he waited for them to arrive.
A few moments later, the door creaked open, revealing a young woman with short vermilion hair and sharp brown eyes. She stepped inside with unwavering confidence, her expression neutral, not a hint of surprise on her face. As Luffy studied her more closely, he took note of the small band-aid on her left cheek and a fresh burn scar across the back of her hand—signs that she had been in a heated encounter recently.
The first thing the woman said, after scrutinizing Luffy for a moment, was, "You have Haki."
"So do you," Luffy replied easily, a grin tugging at his lips. "Name's Luffy, by the way. And you?"
She held his gaze for a moment before finally responding. "Isuka. Former Ensign… and current Chore Girl of the 16th Branch," she added bitterly, her voice laced with barely restrained anger. She took a slow, measured breath, regaining her composure before continuing. "It looks like you're interested in that safe."
"That I am," Luffy admitted, sparing the silver safe a glance. His fingers twirled the green crystal dagger that had materialized in his grip. "Are you here to stop me?"
"I should, shouldn't I?" Isuka chuckled dryly, though her eyes remained sharp as they returned to his. "But I have no intention of doing so. In fact, I'll even give you the code to crack it open."
She raised a hand before he could question her motives. "In return, you'll do one thing for me…"
******
Back on the ship, Uta was the last to return after ensuring no one had been left behind. As she stepped aboard, she immediately noticed something unusual. The crew—except for Kaya—was casually sitting on the deck, enjoying a fresh meal. Meanwhile, Luffy stood outside the girls' room, leaning against the wall, his gaze fixed on the ground with an uncharacteristically serious expression.
Reiju, noticing Uta's arrival, raised a hand with a smirk. "Uta! Look at all this fresh food! I hated having to flirt and act all sleazy with those chefs, but I guess this is decent compensation."
"Yeah, it looks good," Uta said, grabbing a piece of bread and taking a bite. But her eyes drifted back to Luffy. "By the way… what's up with him? Did something happen during the raid?"
"Well—" Kuina started, but before she could answer, Kaya's voice suddenly called out from inside the girls' room.
"Luffy, I'm done checking on the patient. She's decent now."
The moment those words left Kaya's mouth, Luffy pushed off the wall and stepped inside without hesitation. His eagerness didn't go unnoticed, and curiosity sparked among the rest of the crew. Sharing glances, they quickly got up and followed him into the room.
As they stepped inside, their eyes fell on the frail young woman lying on the bed. She had ginger hair and brown eyes, but her condition was alarming. Her skin was stretched taut over her bones, her face completely drained of color, and her once-vibrant hair was dull and lifeless.
What struck them even harder was the realization that this was after Kaya's treatment. If she still looked this bad now, none of them could even begin to imagine how horrific her state had been before.
Luffy's gaze darkened as he took in the sight before turning to Kaya, who looked visibly drained from the effort of healing the girl. He crouched beside her, gently taking her hand in his. "You alright?" he asked softly.
Kaya let out a tired breath but managed a small smile. "Yeah, I'm good," she reassured him, though the exhaustion in her voice was evident. "It just took more out of me than I expected to stabilize her." But then her expression darkened. "Luffy… it was worse than you said," she murmured, her grip tightening. "Broken bones, deep fractures, whip marks across her back, and…" She paused, taking a shaky breath as a surge of anger welled up inside her.
"Luffy, whoever did this to her is a monster." Her voice trembled with barely restrained fury, and her eyes burned with unshed tears. "There was so much damage that just repairing it drained me, and I still haven't even healed the whip wounds on her back." A tear slipped down her cheek.
Without hesitation, Luffy pulled her into a comforting hug. She buried her face in his chest, her body trembling slightly as she let the emotions wash over her.
Meanwhile, the others listening to her were stunned by her report. They didn't know who this girl was, where Luffy had found her, or why he had brought her aboard the ship—but seeing Kaya's condition and the fury burning in Luffy's eyes, they knew it had to be something serious.
A moment later, Kaya took a deep breath, steadying herself as she lifted her head. Her pained eyes met Luffy's, and in a hushed whisper meant only for him, she murmured, "Luffy… your fear was right." She swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "There are signs of…" Her breath hitched, the words catching in her throat. "But I can't say anything for sure."
Luffy clenched his fists, forcing himself to take deep, steadying breaths. The quiet storm in his eyes was enough to make the rest of the crew uneasy—they had never seen him like this before.
"Reiju, take Kaya to my room and make sure she gets some rest," he ordered, his voice firm but gentle. "Stay with her."
Reiju nodded without question, guiding a weary Kaya out of the room.
Then Luffy turned to Zoro. "Zoro, Kuina—get the ship moving. No more stops, no more rests. We're heading straight to Cocoyasi Village."
The tension in his voice left no room for argument. The crew immediately sprang into action, understanding that their captain wasn't in the mood for jokes or questions.
Once the room was empty, Luffy let out a slow exhale before turning to Uta. Without a word, he stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Uta froze for a second, caught off guard, but then softened. She rested her chin on his shoulder and patted his back in quiet reassurance.
A moment later, he pulled away and sighed. "Thanks. I needed that," he admitted, offering her a small, grateful smile.
"I understand," Uta said, taking his hand in hers and giving it a firm squeeze. "Luffy… what's going on? Who is this girl?"
Luffy hesitated, choosing his words carefully. Then, with a decisive nod, he made up his mind.
"This..." He glanced back at the unconscious girl on the bed before looking Uta in the eye. "This is Nami from Cocoyasi Village. And from what I've been told, she's the best thief in the East Blue."
To be continued...