East Blue – aboard a lavish Marine battleship.
"Wretched commoners, wretched commoners!
"How dare you threaten me with death! I will never, ever forgive you!"
On the main deck, Saint Shalria gnashed her teeth at the newspaper, unable to believe anyone would do such a thing. She was a World Noble; aside from fellow World Nobles, every soul she met had always bowed in reverence. Yet now someone not only refused to grovel, but had actually sent her a death threat—and killed Saint Charlos right before her eyes. No wonder shock and rage churned inside her.
Strangely, fear never entered the equation; all she felt was astonishment and fury.
Around her, the guards exchanged nervous glances. Under normal circumstances they would have sworn Arton could never harm their lady—but if he dared slay Saint Charlos, he would surely dare slay Saint Shalria. None of them dared speak.
"Enough! Change our heading at once!" she snapped, shredding the paper.
"Change course, milady? Where do you intend to go?" the tallest guard asked, head bowed—and privately praying she would not seek Arton out. If she did, their own lives would be forfeit; the men who guarded Charlos had been no weaker than they were.
Shalria barked, "To Loguetown!"
"Loguetown?" The guard's blood ran cold. "Milady, with respect, Arton and his people have already left Loguetown. Even if we go there, you will not meet him."
"I don't care. Take me to Loguetown—or I'll feed you to the fish right now!"
Left with no choice, the guard obeyed. Sailors hurried about, and the battleship swung toward Loguetown. Thanks to its speed, they reached the harbor in short order—only to find that other black-clad agents of the World Government had just arrived.
…
Loguetown Harbor.
"Bastard—what did you say?"
Smoker clenched his fists, glaring at the CP9 agent who called himself Jabra. Behind Jabra, two other black-suited agents restrained Hina in cuffs.
Smoker could scarcely believe it: Hina had only just taken her leave, and moments later the World Government declared her under arrest. By the time he raced to the pier she was already shackled.
Nearby, Doll, Kujaku, and Hibari, who had planned to depart with Hina, stood helpless and burning with the same anger. But before CP9's Jabra—flanked by Kumadori and Fukurou—and even agents of CP0, they were powerless. Doll was the strongest of the three, yet she still could not guarantee victory over a CP0 operative; and laying hands on CP0 would brand her a traitor, just like Tashigi.
"Heh-heh, wasn't I clear enough?" Jabra smirked. "Fine—since your ears don't work, I'll spell it out. This woman failed to protect a World Noble, so the higher-ups ordered us to haul her in. Smoker, don't make trouble—or you'll be dragged in, too. After all, that fiasco happened on your turf; that alone is a major crime."
Smoker's jaw tightened. Yes, he was only a Marine Captain, and it was understandable that he had been outmatched by Arton's crew… but the World Government cared nothing for excuses. A World Noble had been strung up like a trophy in his jurisdiction; accountability was inevitable.
Jabra's current orders are simple: escort Hina—one of just two survivors of the Saint Charlos affair—back for questioning. But if Smoker keeps obstructing, CP-9's warrant authorizes Jabra to seize him as well.
"Bastard, what did you say? On what grounds do you blame Hina?" Smoker roared. "If you knew the first thing about Arton, you'd understand she was never his match—not even close. Failing to guard a World Noble isn't her fault. And protecting those nobles is the World Government's job, not hers!"
The owl-masked CP-9 agent restraining Hina—Fukurou—answered in a singsong taunt. "You can't wriggle out that way. The instant a World Noble appears, Marines are duty-bound to shield them, orders or no orders. As for failing to do so… I'm curious: if she was powerless against Arton, how did she walk away alive? I hear the other Marine woman with her—Tashigi—has already joined Arton as a pirate. That means this woman could defect too. She might even have leaked the intel that brought the World Noble face-to-face with Arton. So we're taking her back for questioning… and you know perfectly well what that really means…"
Before he could finish, the tall CP-9 swordsman Kaku smacked a palm over Fukurou's zipped mouth. "You talk too much. Best seal that zipper."
"Mmm…" Fukurou muttered, zipping himself shut. Everyone stationed long on Enies Lobby knows questioning equals summary judgment; once a prisoner sets foot on Judicial Island, the gate to Impel Down is the only exit. Saying so aloud would only drive Smoker berserk, and Kaku had no wish to stir up extra trouble—especially with CP-0 agents watching from the rear. If the Marines brawled with CP-9, even a victory would bring political fallout.
"Damn it—you mean to try Hina?" Smoker ground his teeth and strode toward Jabra. He and Hina had graduated in the same class; their bond ran deep. He had lost Tashigi only days ago and would not lose another friend now.
"Oh? Planning to throw hands?" Jabra's grin sharpened. "If a fight's the only way to keep her, then I—"
"Stop, Smoker." Hina's calm voice sliced through the tension. Smoker froze. Hina shook her head at him, then glanced at Doll, Kujaku—knuckles white—and Hibari, handgun half-drawn. She gave all three a warning look before speaking evenly. "A World Noble is dead; Tashigi defected. It's natural for the Government to question me. Don't escalate this. Any rash move only worsens my position."
Smoker and the three women traded conflicted looks.
"I'll go," Hina said, letting out a long breath. "Interrogation, trial—whatever comes, I'll face it. I trust that when it's over, I'll be released."
"Tch… how dull." Jabra clicked his tongue, disappointed by her composure. "Freedom? Hehe—no promises there." He shook his head and motioned for the agents to move out, already imagining a far more entertaining outcome than the quiet surrender Hina had just given them.
...
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