The Marines had suffered a devastating blow to their public image in recent weeks. What had once been celebrated as their greatest triumph—the capture of Pirate King Gol D. Roger—had been thoroughly exposed as a fabrication. The Sky Screen's revelations that Roger had been terminally ill and had voluntarily surrendered himself had stripped away layers of carefully constructed mythology, leaving the world's premier military organization looking like naive fools at best, or deliberate liars at worst.
The psychological impact on Marine morale was severe, but the political ramifications proved even more damaging. Citizens across the globe who had once viewed the Marines as humanity's shield against pirate chaos now questioned every official statement, every bounty announcement, every claim of victory. Trust, once lost, proved infinitely more difficult to rebuild than any fortress or fleet.
Far from Marine Headquarters, the notorious Golden Lion Shiki had responded to these revelations with volcanic laughter that echoed across his floating island stronghold. The legendary pirate's intuition had been vindicated—a man of Roger's caliber could never have been defeated by conventional military forces, no matter how skilled or numerous.
"I knew it!" Shiki roared to his assembled crew, his voice carrying the satisfaction of a man whose deepest suspicions had been confirmed. "That bastard Roger was too proud to lose to anyone but death itself!"
The psychological relief of having his worldview validated had triggered something unexpected within the Golden Lion's scarred psyche. For the first time since the disastrous Battle of Edd War, his three forms of Haki began manifesting properly again. Despite the ship's rudder still embedded in his skull and the loss of both legs, Shiki could feel his legendary powers returning to their former glory.
His swordsmanship remained sharp enough to match any of the world's great swordsmen. His Fuwa Fuwa no Mi (Float-Float Fruit) had achieved full awakening years ago, granting him dominion over anything his powers touched. Combined with restored Armament, Observation, and Conqueror's Haki, the Golden Lion had once again become a force capable of challenging even the Four Emperors.
Meanwhile, back at Marine Headquarters, the crisis of credibility had spawned numerous secondary problems that kept the admiralty awake at night. Public criticism of Marine intelligence capabilities had reached fever pitch, with citizens demanding answers about how an organization tasked with global security could be so fundamentally wrong about basic facts.
The controversy surrounding Tony Tony Chopper's laughably low 50-berry bounty had become a particular source of mockery. While the reindeer's future exploits hadn't occurred yet, the Sky Screen's preview had convinced the public that Marine bounty assessments were systematically inadequate across the board.
This criticism had been enthusiastically amplified by pirate hunters worldwide, who stood to profit enormously if bounties were increased across the board. Their coordinated media campaign painted the Marines as incompetent bureaucrats who couldn't properly assess threats, while positioning themselves as the real heroes keeping civilians safe from underestimated dangers.
The economic implications were staggering. Raising bounties universally would cost the World Government hundreds of billions of berries annually—funds that would come directly from the Heavenly Tribute collected from member nations. Without explicit approval from the Five Elders, such massive expenditures remained impossible.
As a compromise measure, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had authorized significant bounty increases for Yonko crew officers and other high-level pirates. These adjustments served a dual purpose: they addressed public criticism while remaining financially manageable, since virtually no bounty hunters possessed the capability to actually claim rewards on such dangerous targets.
The strategy was coldly pragmatic—raise bounties on pirates so powerful that no one could actually collect the money, creating the appearance of decisive action without meaningful financial impact.
Yet amid this sea of bad news, one genuine bright spot had emerged to bolster Marine morale: the recruitment of Artoria Pendragon.
The mysterious swordsman had integrated into Marine Headquarters with surprising ease, despite her unconventional background and overwhelming combat capabilities. Intelligence investigations by both Marine and World Government agencies had confirmed her stated history—a former princess whose kingdom had been destroyed by Buggy pirates, subsequently wandering the seas to seek her revange.
What impressed the Marine leadership most wasn't her incredible power, but her unwavering moral character. Investigation reports painted a picture of someone who had spent years accepting only legitimate work—hunting pirates in exchange for food and shelter, never harming civilians, never taking more than she needed to survive. Even when faced with starvation, witnesses testified that Artoria had refused to steal or intimidate ordinary people for supplies.
Such integrity had become increasingly rare in the modern world, making her recruitment feel like a genuine blessing rather than mere political opportunism.
Vice Admiral Gion had taken particular interest in mentoring their newest colleague, recognizing both the strategic value and personal worth of having another powerful female Marine in their ranks. The two had quickly developed a friendship based on mutual respect and shared experiences of navigating a male-dominated military hierarchy.
This morning followed their established routine—Gion serving as Artoria's unofficial alarm clock, since the former princess possessed an almost supernatural ability to oversleep when not properly motivated.
"Artoria, wake up! I'm coming in!"
The elegant Vice Admiral pushed open the dormitory door with practiced efficiency, revealing her target still buried beneath regulation blankets like a hibernating bear. Gion's beauty mark and long legs made her one of the most recognizable figures at headquarters, while the spider tattoo on her thigh served as a reminder that beneath her refined exterior lay the heart of a seasoned warrior.
"Mmph... Gion..." Artoria's muffled voice emerged from the pillow fortress she'd constructed. Her normally immaculate blonde hair stuck out at impossible angles, resembling an explosion in a hayfield. "Five more minutes... please..."
"Absolutely not. You said that yesterday, and I ended up dragging you to morning formation in your pajamas." Gion marched directly to the bathroom and turned on the shower at maximum pressure. "The hot water runs out after thirty minutes, so move unless you want a cold shower."
The threat of cold water finally motivated Artoria to extract herself from the bedding with all the enthusiasm of someone facing execution. Her green eyes remained stubbornly half-closed as she shuffled toward the bathroom with zombie-like movements.
"You're the only person I know who can sleep through cannon fire but wakes up instantly when someone mentions food," Gion observed with fond exasperation. "It's honestly impressive."
"Food is important," Artoria mumbled defensively, finally beginning to achieve basic consciousness. "Knights need proper nutrition to maintain their strength."
The female dormitories at Marine Headquarters represented a fascinating microcosm of military life, housing everyone from fresh recruits to veteran officers in a carefully structured hierarchy. The building's security was notoriously tight—not to keep the women in, but to keep overeager male Marines out.
Admiral candidate Kake, codenamed "Chaton," had become a legendary figure among the dormitory residents for his persistent romantic pursuits of Vice Admiral Gion. Despite being rejected hundreds of times with increasing creativity and occasional violence, his devotion remained unshakeable. Many female Marines had started a betting pool on whether his persistence would eventually wear down Gion's resistance or result in his hospitalization.
"Is Kake waiting outside again?" Artoria asked as she emerged from the bathroom, now properly dressed in her custom Marine uniform.
"Every morning like clockwork," Gion sighed, checking her reflection in the mirror. "I'm starting to think he enjoys the rejection more than he would enjoy actual success."
The two most beautiful swordswomen in the Marines made an impressive sight as they walked through headquarters corridors together. Their contrasting styles—Gion's sophisticated elegance and Artoria's noble bearing—drew admiring glances from every Marine they passed. Following at a respectful distance, Kake nursed his morning coffee and what appeared to be another broken heart.
"Vice Admiral Gion!" he called out with desperate optimism. "Would you care to join me for breakfast? I've heard the galley is serving fresh fruit today!"
"Thank you, but I already have plans," Gion replied without breaking stride, her rejection delivered with professional courtesy that somehow made it even more devastating.
Artoria glanced back at the dejected Admiral candidate with something approaching sympathy. "His persistence is almost admirable. In my experience, knights who don't understand defeat rarely make good strategists, but they occasionally achieve impossible victories through sheer determination."
"Don't encourage him," Gion warned. "The man once proposed marriage using semaphore flags during a formal inspection. If he gets any more creative, we'll need to involve Medical."
The Marine Headquarters cafeteria had been constructed on a truly massive scale to accommodate personnel of all sizes, particularly the Giant tribe Vice Admirals whose towering frames required specialized facilities. The ceiling stretched nearly fifty meters high, supported by reinforced beams designed to withstand the occasional temper tantrum from irritated giants.
Vice Admiral John Giant spotted Artoria's diminutive figure entering the vast dining hall and immediately broke into a genuine smile—a remarkable sight given his usual stern demeanor. The giant officer embodied the Marine ideal of Absolute Justice, but had developed an unexpected soft spot for the newest Admiral candidate.
"Lady Artoria!" his booming voice echoed across the cafeteria, causing several smaller Marines to cover their ears reflexively. "Our previous competition remains unfinished! Today seems perfect for a rematch!"
The "competition" John Giant referenced had become legendary throughout Marine Headquarters—not a contest of arms or strategy, but of pure appetite. Despite Artoria's petite frame, her previous eating performance had matched the giant Vice Admiral's consumption virtually plate for plate, creating a spectacle that left witnesses questioning the laws of physics.
Artoria's eyes brightened considerably at the mention of food, her lethargy evaporating like morning mist. "Vice Admiral, I should warn you—I skipped dinner last night to finish paperwork. You may have met your match today."
The prospect of a proper eating contest had drawn considerable attention from other Marines, who began gathering around the giant's table to witness what promised to be an epic display of consumption. Betting pools emerged spontaneously as personnel wagered on whether a 1.6-meter woman could actually out-eat a 20-meter giant.
John Giant considerately adjusted the table height to accommodate both participants, while galley staff began bringing out specialized portions designed for giant-sized appetites. The quantities involved defied normal comprehension—entire roasted beasts, barrels of soup, loaves of bread the size of pillows.
"I must admit," Gion said to a nearby group of spectators, "watching Artoria eat never stops being impressive. I've seen her consume enough food for a dozen people without apparent effort."
The explanation lay in Artoria's supernatural nature, though few at Marine Headquarters understood the true source of her abilities.
"Ready?" John Giant asked, raising a tankard of soup that could have served as a small bathtub.
"Ready," Artoria confirmed, her usual sleepiness completely forgotten in the face of a proper meal.
What followed could only be described as a feeding frenzy of mythical proportions. Artoria's dining technique combined royal etiquette with mechanical efficiency, each movement precise and economical while maintaining remarkable speed. She consumed entire roasts with surgical precision, reducing elaborate dishes to empty plates in moments.
John Giant, despite his size advantage, found himself struggling to match her pace. The giant's expression shifted from confidence to surprise to something approaching awe as Artoria steadily accumulated a mountain of empty dishes beside her chair.
"Impossible," whispered a nearby Captain. "She's actually keeping up with him!"
"Keeping up?" another Marine corrected. "She's pulling ahead!"
The contest continued for nearly an hour, drawing crowds from across the headquarters as news of the epic eating battle spread through the ranks. Even Admiral Aokiji made an appearance, watching with lazy interest while sharing commentary that somehow made the spectacle even more entertaining.
Finally, John Giant set down his utensils with a gesture of dignified defeat. "Lady Artoria, I concede victory to you. Your appetite truly befits a knight of your caliber."
Artoria paused in her consumption long enough to offer a gracious nod. "You fought valiantly, Vice Admiral. Perhaps we can have a rematch once I've had proper rest and preparation?"
The thought of an even more intense eating contest caused several Marines to exchange nervous glances, while galley staff began calculating whether their food stores could survive such an encounter.
As the crowd dispersed and normal breakfast routine resumed, Gion remained at the table, studying her friend with a mixture of affection and bewilderment.
"Artoria, I have to ask—where does it all go? You eat enough for a giant but remain perfectly fit. It's honestly mystifying."
Artoria smiled mysteriously, dabbing her lips with a napkin in a gesture that somehow maintained perfect dignity despite the enormous quantities of food she'd just consumed. "A knight must always be prepared for battle, Gion. One never knows when proper nutrition might mean the difference between victory and defeat."
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