Cover Story – "Momonosuke's Journey, Part 5: 'On Hiatus'"
Momonosuke-sama, still unaccustomed to the squat toilets of Shimotsuki Village, once again fell in while relieving himself. The scene was too tragic to depict—cover story suspended for the day.
...
"Where's Zephyr-sensei?"
Nao found the office completely empty. With no one around, he had no choice but to walk out and ask a familiar instructor by the training grounds.
"He took leave. Went home to pay his respects."
The instructor gave a bitter smile as he explained. "These past few days mark the anniversary of his family's deaths…"
Nao paused, surprised.
So he'd come back to Headquarters right at that time?
"That's unfortunate."
He had hoped to see his former mentor during this rare trip back to Marineford.
But now, picturing Zephyr sitting alone before his family's grave, Nao couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
That loss…
It had haunted Zephyr all his life.
Once a legendary Marine in his prime—known for arresting pirates without ever taking a life—he had been hailed as "The Admiral Who Never Kills."
Until twelve years ago.
When Zephyr was forty-two, pirates slaughtered his entire family—his wife, his child, everyone.
By the time he arrived, it was too late.
All he could do was cradle their corpses and scream into the sky.
From that day forward—
There was no longer a "No-Kill Admiral."
Only a man who came to loathe pirates with every fiber of his being.
Everyone in the Elite Camp knew this story. It was often brought up with somber respect.
But as a transmigrator, Nao knew the full truth:
This was just the beginning of Zephyr's tragedy.
Eventually, his students would be massacred, his right arm severed.
He would defect from the Marines and spiral into extremism, plotting to destroy the entire New World—
Until he was finally killed in front of his remaining disciples by Kizaru.
A legend extinguished.
"Edward Weevil, Whitebeard Jr..."
Nao's gaze darkened as he recalled that brutish man-child.
Zephyr had been his teacher.
And now that Nao was here in this world, he wouldn't allow that tragedy to repeat.
"By the way," the instructor continued, unaware of Nao's inner shift,
"Aside from Zephyr-sensei, you probably wanted to catch up with your batchmates too, right?"
"Huh?"
Nao blinked.
"Wait, don't tell me… they're not here either?"
"Yeah, just bad timing all around. They've all left the base."
"Out for a practical assessment?"
"Exactly. They were deployed to the Kingdom of Kagaya on the first half of the Grand Line."
The instructor nodded.
"There was a sizable rebellion there. The royal army couldn't handle it and called for World Government support."
"While the rebels aren't particularly strong, it's still a national-scale conflict. Headquarters saw it as a great live-combat opportunity and sent your whole batch of recruits there."
"Judging by the timeline…"
The instructor glanced at the calendar.
"They should've wrapped things up by now and be on their way back. Stay a couple more days—you might still run into them."
"That's good then."
Nao smiled in relief.
"The Reverie's just begun. I've still got time."
Then a thought struck him.
"Wait—if Zephyr-sensei was on leave, who led the practical assessment? A real combat operation without a high-tier officer is pretty risky."
He remembered his own practical assessment in the West Blue.
Zephyr hadn't gone either, but both Aokiji and Gion had overseen it. With powerhouses like them, even serious accidents could be squashed instantly.
"Don't worry," the instructor replied.
"There were over a dozen instructors with them. And Rear Admiral Momonga was sent as the official overseer."
"CP-3 even dispatched agents to help coordinate. Safety should be guaranteed—"
Riiiiiing—
His Den Den Mushi rang before he could finish.
He raised a hand to Nao.
"One sec. Let me take this."
He stepped aside.
"Yeah? What's up—"
But barely two sentences in, the man's eyes widened.
His expression soured instantly.
Nao's heart sank.
No way... Did that instructor just jinx it? Did we seriously trigger a goddamn FLAG?
Sure enough—
When the call ended, the instructor turned back, face grim.
"Something's gone wrong in Kagaya."
"Our troops had gained the upper hand at first. The rebel army was in full retreat. But then..."
"Their leader somehow teamed up with pirates. Six pirate crews joined forces and launched an all-out assault on the capital."
"They're vicious. Our elite camp troops are now surrounded inside the capital with the CP agents. Situation's critical—complete annihilation is a real possibility."
He glanced toward the training grounds.
The other instructors had clearly gotten the news too and were gathered, faces tight.
"Headquarters received the report earlier than we did. They're already mobilizing ships for emergency support."
"They haven't left yet?" Nao frowned.
"No. Because of the Reverie, our high-level combat personnel at Headquarters are severely lacking. They'll probably have to pull from nearby branches..."
But the man trailed off—
Because when he looked back…
Nao was gone.
"...That kid."
The instructor shook his head with a helpless smile.
He knew it.
As soon as Nao heard, he wouldn't sit still.
Still...
If he was headed there—
This mess might just get resolved quickly.
Six pirate crews might sound like a nightmare—
But Nao was Elite Camp's greatest pride in years.
Sure, he was still just a Rear Admiral on paper.
But he'd already defeated pirates on the level of the "Drought" Dugalio.
What were these guys compared to that?
...
Highest Floor Office.
"You're going there?"
Sengoku looked up, fatigue etched into every line of his face.
He blinked in surprise—then shook his head.
"You've got an escort mission, don't you? I already contacted Chaton. He's heading to Kagaya now."
Chaton's already on his way?
Nao paused.
Right, he'd just been promoted to Vice Admiral earlier this year.
With his strength, he should be able to clean up the rebellion easily.
Which meant…
"Huh. I came because I heard Headquarters was short-handed, but if that's the case—alright, guess I'll just head back to bed then."
Nao shrugged and turned to leave.
But before he could step out—
Brrrrrrrrrru-bu-bu-bu!
The Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk rang.
"Sengoku speaking."
The snail morphed its face, now resembling a greasy, sour-looking man in a brown bowler hat.
"Admiral!" the man barked,
"I just left port—and immediately ran into a sea storm! My cabin's half-flooded already! I'm completely stuck—there's no way I can make it through right now!"
Nao froze in place, foot still mid-step.
He slowly turned around and exchanged a look with Sengoku.
The same thought hit both of them.
…Change of plans.
...
The Grand Line (Paradise), Kingdom of Kagaya
A tropical nation built atop a summer island—hot and humid year-round, with dense forests sprawling across its terrain.
The country had long been economically stable, thanks to its premium lumber trade with shipyards worldwide.
But its economy was monopolized by a handful of lumber tycoons.
The rebellion started when tax reforms damaged those elites' interests.
Frustrated and greedy, they mobilized their resources and fueled an uprising.
The masses, as always, were easily manipulated.
In just a few months, the once-beloved king was labeled a tyrant.
Even a significant portion of the royal army defected, and the conflict spiraled out of control.
By now, almost the entire kingdom had fallen.
Only the capital city, Akaso, remained under royal control.
At this moment—
Rebel forces had surrounded the city walls.
Siege engines were steadily being assembled.
The king's troops, vastly outnumbered, could only huddle on the city walls, watching this scene unfold below.
Marine elite recruits, exhausted from days of relentless fighting, were inside the palace, catching what rest they could.
At the first sign of an attack, they'd be deployed again.
"The two royal guard cities we just recaptured a few days ago have all been lost."
Rear Admiral Momonga stood before the conference table, scanning the latest intel.
"Most of the rebel army's focused here around the capital. The ones who took the outer cities were those pirates they hired. They wiped out the garrisons in a single day."
"Now they've regrouped. All six pirate crews have gathered near the capital for a final push."
He sighed heavily.
"Up until now, we've only faced them in fragmented skirmishes. This is the first time they've coordinated. Holding this capital… won't be easy."
The instructors and elite Marine recruits seated around him fell silent, faces grim.
They had reason to be.
The enemy's combined strength far exceeded expectations—completely beyond what a standard training mission should involve.
Six pirate crews, each with over five hundred members, and several captains, the lowest bounty being over eighty million Berries.
And the leading "Diamond Pirates" had a crew size of over a thousand.
Their captain, Diamond Jozu, possessed the Paramecia-type Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit.
His bounty had hit 210 million Berries not long after entering the Grand Line.
An absolute monster.
Momonga had always been considered one of the most outstanding of his generation, reaching Rear Admiral in his twenties and having defeated pirates close to a hundred million in bounty.
But even he had been beaten back multiple times by Jozu, unable to gain the upper hand.
Suddenly—
"Why the hell are you all sitting there moping like someone died? Bunch of useless cowards!"
A sharp, whiny voice cut through the air.
"If you'd just listened to me and retreated under cover of night like I suggested, we wouldn't be trapped here like rats! Now the city's sealed tighter than a coffin. No way in or out."
"Damn it—of all the idiots in the world, I had to get stuck dying with you lot!"
Every Marine in the room glared toward the source of the outburst.
It was a lanky man in a black suit. Pale face, beady eyes, sneer permanently glued to his lips.
Behind him stood several more CP agents in matching dark suits, sneering back at the Marines.
"Agent Reba," Momonga said, frowning.
"This is no time for infighting. I've let CP-3's intel blunder slide already. And now you're blaming us?"
"Don't blame me! How was I supposed to know those lumber barons would go so far as to hire pirates?!"
Reba—the head of the CP-3 team assigned to the operation—jumped up, red-faced.
"CP's job is to gather intel and coordinate. You Marines are the ones doing the fighting! And you have the nerve to blame me?!"
"You're a Rear Admiral, yet you let yourself get beat like a dog by a pirate. Can't even leave the damn city. That's my fault too, huh?!"
Momonga's usual calm cracked.
His face darkened.
Yes, he couldn't defeat Jozu.
But he'd been fighting tooth and nail for days.
Resting now didn't make him a coward.
"Funny how you vanished during the battle, but now you're here pointing fingers?"
A mocking voice rang out from the Marines' side.
"If you've got so much energy, why don't you go chase those pirates off yourself?"
"Seriously. Can't fight pirates, but damn good at blaming others."
Laughter broke out.
"Who the hell said that?!"
Reba spun around, locking eyes on a blond boy with sharp features.
"You—Rosinante, was it? Watch your damn mouth, brat. Once I get out of here, I'll make one call and get your nobody ass kicked out of Headquarters. Got it?!"