Cover Story – East Blue, Part 4: "Crap, I've Really Messed Up Now!"
Another new day. The morning began with artillery training. The fat instructor was a nitpicking hard-ass, always going overboard with discipline. He'd often throw punches and kicks over the smallest issues, building up resentment among the recruits for a long time now.
It was finally my turn. Standing at the cannon platform, Belle-mere nervously followed procedures to the letter. The fat instructor gave a distant glance but didn't say anything. Just as the girl let out a sigh of relief, the platform suddenly gave way—rusted to pieces—and collapsed. It disintegrated into a storm of iron dust that scattered across the fortress wall in the breeze…
...
The person who barged in was Marsha.
A Marine Headquarters Captain, she had long served as Gion's loyal aide. She was so steadfast that she'd once physically blocked Tokikake from entering a sickroom.
This time, she had followed Gion all the way across the seas to take up a post in the West Blue.
"What's wrong, Marsha?"
Gion looked up at her panting aide with a chuckle and handed her a glass of water.
"Panicking like that… Come on, haven't I told you? No matter what happens, don't rush. Stay calm—that's always the best wa—"
"Rear Admiral!"
Marsha took the glass but didn't even sip before cutting her off urgently.
"It's from Rhodes Island! Just moments ago, the fleet stationed there sent an emergency transmission—a giant saber-toothed tiger has appeared on the island and is locked in fierce battle with Mr. Nao!"
"According to our preliminary assessment, there's no doubt. That beast must be Dugalio the Drought—one of the top officers of the Beasts Pirates! We've no clue when he arrived in the West Blue, but—Rear Admiral?!"
Before she could finish her sentence, Gion shot up, grabbed the Marine coat hanging beside her, slung it over her shoulders, and stormed out of the office.
Bang!
The door slammed shut with such force that the nearby walls trembled.
The very next instant—
Gion's commanding voice echoed across the fortress like thunder:
"All active-duty marines—board the ships immediately! We're heading to Rhodes Island at full speed!"
The alarm blared.
In the pitch-black West Blue night, the First Branch headquarters suddenly came to life. Lights blazed, and Marines swarmed the plaza, rushing toward the docks.
Meanwhile, Marsha stood frozen at the window, still holding the untouched glass of water, staring in a daze at the sudden commotion.
...Wait a second—Rear Admiral, weren't you the one who said "Don't panic, stay calm"?
...
Marine Headquarters – Marineford
It was the dead of night. Sengoku had just fallen asleep when the Den Den Mushi rang, waking him with a start. Half-asleep, he reached out and picked up the receiver. As he listened to the report on the other end, his expression darkened instantly.
"I understand. I'll be at the meeting right away."
He hung up and moved to get out of bed—only to realize something was weighing down his legs.
"…"
Looking down, he saw a drunken Garp sprawled across him, snoring away peacefully.
This damn geezer… After last night's banquet, he didn't go home and just crawled into bed with me?
Furious, Sengoku slammed a fist into Garp's head and shoved him off the bed.
"...Huh?"
Garp hit the floor with a loud thud and groggily opened his eyes. He stared blankly at Sengoku, who was already getting dressed.
"Wha…? Is it morning already?"
"Morning, my ass!" Sengoku snapped. "News just came in from the West Blue First Branch—Dugalio the Drought of the Beasts Pirates has appeared and is battling Nao as we speak! We need Gion on the scene now!"
He turned to glare at Garp. "You sober yet? If so, get your ass up—we're headed to a meeting!"
"What's the rush…? Let me sleep a little longer…" Garp yawned, and instead of getting up, burrowed deeper into Sengoku's bed.
"Nao's life is hanging by a thread!" Sengoku stared at him in disbelief. "And you're still in the mood to nap?!"
"Tch, it's just a mere Calamity." Garp's voice drifted lazily from under the covers. "Relax, hahaha. That's Nao we're talking about—I believe in that kid. He'll win for sure…"
Before long, his breathing slowed again, and a giant snot bubble started inflating from his nose. Loud snores followed.
This bastard…!
Veins bulged on Sengoku's forehead. At a time like this?!
Yes, Nao was indeed powerful—one of the top-tier Rear admirals.
But this was Dugalio, a pirate with a bounty of 500 million berries! One of Kaido's most trusted top officers!
...Forget it. In his drunken state, even if Garp showed up at the meeting, he'd be useless.
Thinking about the dire consequences if Nao lost, and the unsettling mystery of why the Drought was even in the West Blue, Sengoku couldn't wait any longer. He threw open the door and hurried toward the Headquarters building.
...
Rhodes Island
The fierce battle between Nao and Dugalileo raged on.
Swoosh!
A massive tiger tail—nearly eight meters long—whipped through the air like a steel rod, arcing toward Nao, who had just slipped around to the beast's flank.
The striped, yellow-black tail was coated in thick layers of Armament Haki, giving the strike terrifying destructive power and an immense area of effect.
The moment it hit the ground, spiderweb cracks burst outward, and debris exploded into the air.
Though Nao managed to dodge in time, the shockwave still rattled his insides. His limbs went numb, and he had to retreat a few paces, panting hard to recover.
His upper garments were completely shredded, hair disheveled. His bare chest was crisscrossed with wounds, both shallow and deep.
Dugalio hadn't emerged unscathed—Nao's flying slashes had carved into him here and there—but for a creature of that size, those injuries were minor. His massive saber-toothed tiger body healed swiftly, hardly affecting his combat strength at all.
Clearly, Nao was on the back foot.
ROAR!
Missing again, the saber-toothed tiger howled in fury and raised a claw high to launch another brutal sweep.
Nao backed off from close quarters.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
He dodged while firing wave after wave of sword energy, constantly shifting position, forcing the tiger's attacks to miss repeatedly. The more it missed, the more agitated and enraged it became.
But the chaos was sharpening Nao's focus.
He now understood: in his human form, Dugalio's physical strength would be roughly on par with his own.
But in beast form, the tiger's power and defense were on another level entirely.
Going head-to-head would only lead to being overwhelmed.
A better tactic—like the one he used against the Giant Bear Sano—was to rely on speed and mobility, wear the opponent down, and strike decisively when the time was right.
Besides, his stamina reserves were massive. Dugalio's attacks—no matter how fearsome—couldn't take him out quickly.
BOOM!
Explosions rang out across the battlefield as buildings cracked and streets splintered. The night gave way to dawn, and the sun rose crimson from the eastern sea.
Their battleground had shifted from the town plaza to the coastline.
More than half the harbor was in ruins—stones shattered, cargo scattered. Over a dozen ships had taken damage, many already sinking beneath the waves.
Marines had long evacuated the civilians and moved their ships away to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
None of the Marines—ordinary or officers—dared get too close. They could only watch from hundreds of meters away.
The sheer presence of the saber-toothed tiger was overwhelming. At this point, they weren't hoping for victory—just that Rear Admiral Nao could hold out until reinforcements arrived.
On the other side, Dugalio's pirates—brought from the New World—watched with stiff faces.
At first, they'd scoffed.
But now?
They looked completely dazed.
In all the years they'd followed Dugalio, they'd almost never seen anyone last this long in a fight against their captain.
Especially not someone like Nao—barely three meters tall, a pretty boy, completely different in build and vibe from any of them.
Yet here he was, fighting blow for blow from night to morning to midday—still sharp-eyed and full of vigor.
What was this monster?!
A mere Branch Rear Admiral having this kind of strength? Were they really in the West Blue, and not still in the New World?
Even in the New World, barely anyone could stand toe-to-toe with the Drought like this!
Could it be… that this guy also had some ancient bloodline, just like their captain?
As they wildly speculated, a towering bald man over five meters tall suddenly shouted excitedly:
"Look! Lord Dugalio's about to use that move!"
The Beasts Pirates instantly perked up, eyes snapping toward the giant saber-toothed tiger.
Dugalio, unable to finish Nao after all this time, had finally calmed his berserk rage.
After one more missed swipe, he suddenly halted, locked eyes on Nao, and took a deep breath. His belly sank, then swelled.
The next instant, he opened his massive maw and unleashed a roar that shook the heavens!
"Tiger Roar: Rippling Surge!"
Invisible shockwaves rippled outward from the epicenter of his roar. Everything around the dock was pulverized—crates, walls, stones—reduced to dust!
Even the sea, hundreds of meters away, convulsed under the sheer force, tossing up towering waves!
This was one of Dugalio's signature finishing moves—he'd used it to carve out countless victories.
In the G-7 Branch battle last year, this roar alone had critically wounded Vice Admiral Cass, knocking him unconscious and leading to his capture. He was still imprisoned at the Beasts Pirates' main base.
"That's it, Captain!!"
"Tiger Roar Rippling Surge—let that Marine brat taste the power of the Beasts Pirates!!"
Witnessing this astonishing power, all the pirates couldn't help but cheer excitedly.
Meanwhile—
Nao's pupils contracted.
He didn't know the details of the G-7 Branch incident, but it was obvious—this move was deadly.
Dodging? Impossible. The range was too vast.
Which meant...
He had to counter it—now.
In a flash of decision, Nao raised both swords. With a sharp glint in his eyes, he slashed horizontally—
SWOOSH!
Azakana's Sword and the Wind Blade crossed through the air, red and white afterimages trailing behind them. A dense wall of roaring wind instantly formed before him.
Wind Barrier!
The ripple surge struck the wall—and vanished. Like it was swallowed by another dimension.
and just like that.
The noise dropped.
The dock fell silent.
"…?"
The pirates, who'd been screaming with excitement, choked mid-cheer like geese with their throats clamped.
They gawked in disbelief as the wall slowly faded.
Wait… what?
Their captain's ultimate move—blocked that easily?
Across the battlefield, the saber-toothed tiger froze too, eyes wide.
How…?
This move had never failed him. Even Lord Kaido himself took it seriously in training.
And now?
This brat erased it completely?
Not even a scratch?
But then—
Dugalio narrowed his eyes, staring at Nao's heaving chest.
A smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.
So that's it…
He only looked casual. In truth, that move cost him a lot of energy, didn't it?
In that case—
ROAR!
Dugalio let out another, slightly weaker roar and charged again, claws pounding the ground, shaking the earth, chasing right behind the fading shockwave—
Straight toward the exhausted Nao!