"Bang!"
"Bang, bang!"
Crisp thudding sounds echoed continuously on the small boat, accompanied by the muffled groans of a boy in pain.
Luffy withdrew his fist and looked at the pink-haired boy in front of him, his head covered in lumps and his eyes brimming with tears.
"Ha ha!"
Luffy grinned wide, showing a big smile.
"Koby, with you like this, you still think you can capture me?"
"Damn it!"
Koby clutched his rapidly swelling head, humiliation welling up as tears filled his eyes.
Why?
He had finally mustered up the courage to take out his little knife for self-defense.
But with just a casual flick, the other boy had sent the knife flying into the sea.
Then came a one-sided beating.
Damn it!
He was just too weak!
As Koby sank deeper into self-loathing—"grrrruuummble—"
A loud stomach growl broke the silence on the boat.
Luffy rubbed his flat belly and asked,
"Hey, Koby, you got anything to eat?"
"..."
Koby froze.
This guy had just beaten him black and blue, and now he was asking him for food?
His first instinct was to refuse. But when he looked at Luffy's fist, as big as a cooking pot...
He silently, begrudgingly brought out his last bit of provisions from the cabin—some rock-hard bread and a jug of fresh water.
Luffy's eyes lit up the instant he saw food.
He snatched up the bread and shoved it into his mouth.
"Mmm! Delicious!"
"..."
Watching him wolf it down, Koby quietly broke off a piece of his own bread and nibbled on it slowly.
"Koby."
Luffy swallowed down his mouthful, then gulped a large swig of water.
"Why do you want to be a Marine? Wouldn't being a pirate be better? So much freedom!"
"No way!"
Koby shot back with passion.
"Pirates are evil! Marines are the heroes of justice!"
"My dream is to become a Marine Admiral!"
"Oh?"
Luffy looked at him curiously.
"A Marine Admiral? That sounds really strong."
Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and slapped Koby hard on the shoulder.
"Then you'd better work hard!"
"Yeah!"
Encouraged in a way he hadn't expected, Koby nodded vigorously.
At that moment, a large black speck appeared on the distant horizon, moving rapidly toward them.
It was a Marine patrol ship, painted in standard Marine colors. The massive seagull emblem on its bow gleamed solemnly in the sunlight.
"It's the Marines!"
Koby jumped to his feet, waving his arms excitedly.
"Ohh! A big ship!"
Luffy stood up too, just as thrilled.
The next second—
He suddenly grabbed Koby by the collar.
"Eh?"
Before Koby could react, Luffy's arm stretched back sharply.
"Gum-Gum… Rocket!"
"Uwaaaaaaaahhh—!"
Koby shot forward like a cannonball, tracing a perfect arc through the air before landing with a loud "thud" on the deck of the Marine patrol ship.
"Who goes there?!"
The Marines on deck instantly surrounded him, their gun barrels aimed squarely at Koby.
Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, Koby scrambled up and pointed toward the lonely boat in the distance.
"Report, sir! Over there..."
"There's a pirate!"
"Pirate?"
A sharp-eyed middle-aged man in a Captain's uniform emerged from the cabin.
A hawkish Captain who had taken over the 16th branch after Hawke!
Raising his telescope, he easily locked onto the distant figure in a straw hat and red vest.
Heh. Spotting a Marine warship, instead of slowing down, the kid had sped up to flee.
Clearly hiding something!
Ever since Hawke had purged the East Blue with thunderous force...
This weakest of seas hadn't seen a pirate of note since.
He and the hawkish Captain of Loguetown had put in great effort to maintain this peace.
And now, someone dared to raise a pirate flag on waters cleansed by "Blood Hawk"?
Courting death!!!
"All hands, attention!"
"Gunners to your posts!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Oi—! Koby! Thanks for the boat!"
Luffy's voice carried over the wind as he bid farewell.
"Fire!"
"Boom—!"
Cannonballs screamed through the air toward the small fishing boat.
But Luffy simply leaned back, casually dodging the shot. The blast of water pushed his boat even further out.
"Ahahahahaha! You'll never catch me!"
The boy's laughter grew fainter as it drifted across the wide open sea.
"Hmph, interesting!"
The Captain lowered his telescope. The icy look on his face had somehow shifted into a smile.
He turned to the communications officer beside him.
"Patch me through to the Loguetown Captain."
"Ask him if he'd be interested in a little game of cat and mouse."
...
Paradise, aboard the flagship of the G-3 Branch Fleet.
"Fleet Admiral, I request authorization to enter Impel Down!"
"..."
There was a brief silence on the other end, even the Den Den Mushi's expression grew doubtful.
"Impel Down? Why do you suddenly want to go there?"
"Fleet Admiral, I share the same feeling as Admiral Akainu."
Hawke gripped the receiver, staring out at the churning sea.
"The winds of change are rising on this ocean..."
"That's why I want to strengthen myself and my men as quickly as possible."
"Impel Down holds some of the most fearsome pirates alive."
"It's the perfect training ground."
"..."
Sengoku didn't answer immediately. He recalled Zephyr's earlier report.
Under Hawke's command were two young Marines with monstrous potential.
Zephyr had repeatedly emphasized the need to pour resources into Hawke and his protégés.
In recent months, thanks to Hawke's ruthless campaigns, most major pirates in Paradise had been wiped out.
The remaining Shichibukai were entrenched in the New World.
According to the Navy's current secret strategy, provoking large-scale conflict in the New World wasn't advisable.
So, if Hawke wanted to keep honing himself through real combat...
Impel Down, the world's largest prison, was indeed the only—and best—choice!
This same Hawke had found the Golden City for the Marines and proposed the "Sea Bottom Dredge" plan, breaking their dependence on others and giving the Navy limitless future prospects.
Now he was making this seemingly excessive request—but Sengoku had no real reason to refuse.
"..."
Hawke quietly awaited Sengoku's reply.
He knew the odds of approval were high.
When he had first left Headquarters, he'd been just a Branch Commodore, even if armed with four Buster Calls.
To demand a bloodbath in the world's greatest prison back then would've been sheer arrogance.
But things were different now.
Through strength and achievements, he had won the trust of the Navy's highest ranks.
Impel Down—the world's greatest trove of experience—was within his grasp!
"I understand, Hawke."
From the other end came Sengoku's steady voice.
"I approve your request to enter Impel Down. I'll personally notify Magellan."
"Much obliged, Fleet Admiral."
Hawke gave thanks, but didn't hang up.
Instead, his tone shifted.
"But Fleet Admiral, just gaining entry isn't enough."
"Hm?"
"What I need is..."
Suddenly, Hawke's voice grew glacial, like a chilling wind from the abyss.
"...the right to kill!"
"!!!"
The Den Den Mushi's eyes bulged wide.
After a tense pause, Sengoku's voice came back, strained with suppressed shock.
"Reason?"
"Fleet Admiral, what we need is true life-and-death combat, not polite sparring."
"In a place like that, accidental killings are inevitable."
"But Hawke, those rare Devil Fruit users..."
"If they die, their Fruits will reincarnate, and we'll lose control of those powers."
Sengoku instinctively raised his greatest concern.
"Ha—"
Hawke chuckled, his voice steeped in absolute dominance.
"Fleet Admiral, that's easy."
"If the inheritor of a Fruit dares to keep committing evil..."
"Then we'll just kill them again!"
On the other end, Sengoku's breath caught.
"We'll kill until that Fruit becomes the nightmare of every ambitious fool!"
"We'll kill until each reincarnation is met with Marine judgment!"
"We'll kill until anyone lucky enough to gain such power..."
"...only dares to wield it in service of justice!!!"
----------------
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (227 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)