Vice Admiral Relf found his life exceptionally comfortable. As the highest-ranking officer at the Marine G-10 Branch in the Sabaody Archipelago , his daily routine rarely involved more than enjoying his afternoon tea and glancing through the newspaper. Occasionally, he'd have to deal with minor, harmless nuisances caused by small-time pirates who were foolish enough to stir up trouble.
The Sabaody Archipelago was a crucial staging point, acting as a gateway to the New World. Logically, with countless pirates passing through every day , it should have been one of the most volatile and dangerous places in the entire world.
However, the situation here was an exception. Because of its thriving commerce, the Celestial Dragons frequently visited. This heavy traffic naturally led to a massive Marine presence. Crucially, the base was incredibly close to Marineford, the Marine Headquarters. While minor scuffles were usually overlooked, any pirate reckless enough to cause a major incident would swiftly face the Marine's fleet—a force large enough to level an entire nation—which could arrive in mere minutes.
Consequently, the Sabaody Archipelago had evolved into a relatively 'peaceful' haven on the Grand Line. And Relf absolutely loved this 'peace'.
At this very moment, he was seated leisurely in his spacious, bright office , savoring a cup of the finest black tea that had just arrived from the West Blue.
Then, the tranquility shattered.
"R-Relf, Vice Admiral! No, this is bad! Something huge is happening!"
A young Marine soldier burst into the office , forgetting to knock in his utter panic and fluster.
"Clang!"
Relf slammed his teacup onto the table. His precious afternoon tea ritual had been abruptly ruined. He frowned, delivering a stern and commanding reprimand: "As a glorious Marine soldier, how can you be so flustered in the face of trouble?! This is utterly unacceptable conduct!"
"Yes, sir!" The young man, shocked by the sudden shout , snapped to attention and executed a perfect salute.
Relf nodded, pleased with the response. He slowly picked up his black tea again , took a measured sip, and spoke in a calm, unhurried voice: "Now, tell me. What exactly is going on?"
"It's... it's Takuro! That 'Strange Tail' Takuro!" the soldier rushed to report.
"Hmm," Relf replied casually, continuing to drink. "What about Takuro?"
"He... he came to our base!"
"Pfft—!!!"
Relf spat out a mouthful of black tea, spraying it all over the soldier's face. He shot up from his chair, shouting in pure shock: "What did you just say?!"
...At that moment, by the main gate of the Marine G-10 Branch in the Sabaody Archipelago.
"St-Stop! Don't take another step!"
The two Marine guards were shaking with intense alertness as they looked at the impressive line of 'captives' strung up behind Takuro. Each person was tied in a long rope that trailed dramatically on the ground.
The soldiers turned pale with fright , their long rifles nearly slipping from their grasp , especially when they got a clear look at the face of the black-haired young man leading the procession.
Unlike isolated outlaws, the name 'Strange Tail' Takuro was known by absolutely everyone in the Marine , from the Fleet Admiral down to the newest recruits. Single-handedly demolishing a Buster Call , punching former Admiral 'Black Arm' Zephyr , and kicking Admiral candidate 'Kizaru' —these 'glorious deeds' were already common knowledge and worthy of being cemented in Marine history.
Therefore, when this legendary 'Bringer of Calamity' materialized alive before them , the two guards were practically scared stiff.
"I'm pretty handsome, right? Am I really that scary?" Takuro muttered to himself, completely baffled as he looked at the two soldiers trembling like leaves.
Robin, standing beside him, quietly rolled her eyes. 'You genuinely forget all the insane things you've done, don't you?'
Just then, Relf finally rushed to the main gate from inside the base in a frantic hurry. When he clearly recognized the visitor's face, his scalp began to tingle.
'Damn it! It really is 'Strange Tail' Takuro! Why did this bringer of calamity suddenly decide to show up here?!'
But this was no time to think. As the highest-ranking officer, Relf took a deep breath and stepped forward bravely, asking in a deep voice:
"This is the Marine G-10 Branch! 'Strange Tail' Takuro, what is the meaning of this?!"
"Don't be so tense, brother," Takuro said, flashing what he considered a 'kind' smile. "I'm just here to... bring you a little warmth."
As he spoke, he casually tossed the long rope onto the ground.
"These guys should all be the criminals your Marine is currently hunting, right? I was just passing Port 1, and they looked suspicious, so I took care of them. Now I've delivered them right to you, so you can settle the bounties for me."
"Huh?"
Relf was completely bewildered. He had already noticed the large group of unconscious 'captives' behind Takuro and was wondering where they came from, only to be told they were all wanted criminals?
Of course, that wasn't the most important detail.
The main point was this:
You, Takuro, are yourself a top-tier criminal , wanted by the World Government at the highest possible level , with a bounty that practically breaks the sky!
And now you capture another group of wanted criminals, march right into a Marine branch base ... to collect a bounty?
Is... is this remotely logical?!
Relf felt an overwhelming sense of unease rising up in his chest, like waking up and realizing he'd put his uniform on backward; everything felt incredibly wrong.
At that moment, his adjutant, after meticulously identifying the prisoners, spoke up slowly: "'Scarface' Jack, 'Black Cloak' Billy, 'Tough Guy' Carter... Sir, these are indeed notorious wanted criminals in this area , with bounties mostly exceeding ten million Berries."
Hearing this only made Relf's expression even more perplexed.
Takuro, whose Saiyan hearing was incredibly sharp , chimed in: "Besides these guys, there are quite a few more back at Port 1. I found it too annoying to drag all of them here, so you can just send some people over to count them yourselves. Anyway... I just want the money."
Relf stood in thought for a moment, then finally made his decision.
"...Please hold on. I need to report this to Headquarters."
...Half an hour later, inside Relf's office at the G-10 Branch.
The atmosphere was bizarre.
Takuro sat boldly in what should have been Relf's 'highest commander's chair' , with his legs crossed over the desk. Tiger stood behind him, completely expressionless, like a loyal bodyguard. Robin sat comfortably on a nearby sofa , leisurely sampling Relf's prized top-grade black tea.
And Relf himself stood respectfully in front of the desk.
Anyone walking into the room would instantly assume Takuro was the true master of the office.
"Respected Mr. Takuro," Relf said with an overly fawning smile , "I have already sent men to count the rest of the criminals back at the port, and I believe we will have the final numbers very soon."
"Hmm, that's good," Takuro nodded approvingly.
"Thank you for your praise! It is truly my honor!" Relf quickly replied, bowing slightly.
Just a short while ago, he had desperately contacted Marineford and truthfully relayed the utterly absurd situation at the G-10 Branch. The communicator at Headquarters was left baffled upon hearing the report but quickly escalated the matter up the chain of command.
Subsequently, the official order was passed back down:
[Do not engage in any direct conflict with 'Strange Tail' Takuro.] [As long as he doesn't do anything excessive, just... let him have his way.]
The underlying message was crystal clear: If he wants to collect bounties, then give him the bounties! After the exchange, quickly and politely send this 'great god' on his way!
Relf breathed a massive sigh of relief after receiving this 'highest directive'. If Headquarters had lost their minds and ordered him to lead the G-10 Branch's meager forces to try and capture Takuro —a monster who could overturn a Buster Call —he would have been completely helpless.
How much is my monthly salary, anyway? Is it really worth risking my life against a monster like that?
'Fortunately, Headquarters finally... did something intelligent,' he thought.
But then, an unstoppable wave of pure joy surged through Relf's heart.
'Capturing so many infamous pirates...'
'How great of a merit would that be for me?!'
In an instant, the way he looked at Takuro completely changed. Where was the vicious, evil 'wanted criminal'?
This was obviously... a living god of wealth!
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