The night in Navarone was cold, but Rear Admiral Fred was completely oblivious to it at the moment.
He stood alone atop a towering boulder, gazing out at the battle raging on the distant bridge.
A crisp night breeze swept past, billowing out the "Black Crow's" large Marine coat. With his empty sleeves fluttering, he looked quite dashing.
"Hee-hee-hee, what a fierce fight," Fred observed with great interest, showing absolutely no intention of stepping in to help.
"Those pirates are pretty impressive. They've been locked up for so long, yet they still possess such immense combat power. Or is it just that the Marines here are too weak?"
Letting out a disdainful snort, Fred shifted his gaze upward.
The silent night sky was dotted with stars, and the soft moonlight cast a silver trim around Rear Admiral Black Crow's somewhat slender frame. Staring up at the full moon, Fred's initially restless heart gradually calmed down.
"Admiral..."
Fred reached his hand out toward the moon in the sky, his fingers spread wide, before suddenly clenching them into a tight fist—as if trying to grasp his dreams and ambitions firmly within his palm.
After tonight, he would be one step closer to his dream.
Personally killing a former Seven Warlords of the Sea would bring him immense prestige within the Marines. And by presenting his father with a precious Logia Devil Fruit, the Falcone family would naturally provide him with more resources and assistance in the future.
"Soon, Rear Admiral Black Crow will become Vice Admiral Black Crow, hee-hee-hee-hee..."
After letting out his signature bizarre laugh, Fred glanced at his watch and realized there wasn't much time left before his scheduled meeting with that "long-nosed CP5 agent."
"I wonder if that long-nosed fellow managed to smuggle Crocodile out. Besides, the truth about this matter really cannot be leaked to too many people..."
At this thought, the tall, slender Marine, whose eyes were hidden beneath his blonde hair, wore an insidious smile. Although he had long heard of the CP organization's professional integrity, Rear Admiral Black Crow still trusted dead men far more, since they could never talk.
"Once I get my hands on that Sand-Sand Fruit, I'll just set fire to the entire shipyard. That way, I can make it look like a fierce battle took place."
Having made up his mind, Fred didn't want to waste any more time. With a snicker, he leapt down from the top of the high boulder without a moment's hesitation.
And the place where he was about to land was none other than the inner bay of G-8 Fortress!
"Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee..."
With the fierce wind howling past his ears, Fred stared down at the shimmering surface of the sea, which was rapidly approaching. His face didn't show the slightest bit of panic expected of a Devil Fruit user facing the water; instead, his smile grew even more radiant.
—Elementalization.
Just a second before Fred hit the water, his beanpole-like body and clothes instantly turned pitch black, bursting and transforming into a mass of thick, dark liquid.
Splash! Water sprayed everywhere.
Like a tomato slammed onto the ground from a great height, a pitch-black flower bloomed across the sea's surface. However, the liquid quickly gathered back together, floating on the water and squirming rapidly toward the distance, leaving behind a long black trail like a giant black slug.
Since the density of oil is less than that of seawater, Fred, an Oil-Oil Fruit user, wasn't particularly afraid of falling into the sea. In this regard, his ability shared a similar advantage with Admiral Aokiji's.
It was just that, compared to Fred, Aokiji's ability was far, far more environmentally friendly...
Never doubt your idiot captain's ability to attract trouble. Never!
This was a universally acknowledged truth among all members of the Straw Hat Pirates. And tonight, the love-struck cook, the money-loving navigator, and the reindeer doctor were once again acutely reminded of this fact.
"That absolute liability, Luffy..." Nami muttered to herself, on the verge of tears as she looked at the Marines surrounding them.
The idiot who ran off to chase his straw hat had managed to bolt pretty quickly, but Nami and the others were clearly not as lucky. Consequently, the alerted Marine soldiers focused their attention on the remaining crew members whose positions had been exposed.
Talk about completely screwing over your teammates...
The blinding glare of the distant searchlights left Nami and the others with nowhere to hide. A dense crowd of Marine soldiers closed in from three sides, cornering the two humans and one reindeer against a high wall, completely blocking any escape routes.
If there ever was a hopeless situation, this was it.
"Nami-san, Chopper, when we break through in a moment, you must stay right behind me!" Sanji whispered with a deadpan, serious expression, shielding the orange-haired navigator and the little reindeer behind his back.
At this moment, there were at least five to six hundred Marine soldiers surrounding them. Facing so many fully armed Marines, the violent cook believed that if he were alone, he would have a high chance of slipping away. However, if he had to distract himself by protecting others while breaking out, even Sanji wasn't entirely confident.
Nevertheless, the curly-browed cook knew all too well that they had no time to hesitate. The longer they delayed, the more Marines would gather.
"Mm-hmm!"
Chopper and Nami nodded in unison. The blue-nosed reindeer suddenly transformed into his muscular hybrid form, catching the surrounding Marines slightly off guard.
"I suggest you give up resisting..."
A Marine who appeared to be an officer spoke in a calm and unhurried manner. In his eyes, these guys were already rats in a trap.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't mind putting my soldiers' daily target practice to the test right now!"
Click-clack— The Marines loaded their weapons in perfect coordination. The synchronized sound instantly made Nami think of the Sorcerer's [Unlimited Gun Works].
"..." Facing the Marine officer's threat, Sanji showed no reaction. His muscles tensed, and his right eye, which wasn't hidden by his blonde hair, narrowed slightly.
(If I can take that Marine officer hostage, we might still have a chance to escape,) Sanji calmly analyzed in his head, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
However, at that exact moment, the situation took an unexpected turn.
"That orange-haired girl... why does she look so familiar? Have I seen her somewhere before?"
A Marine soldier wondered to himself. He racked his brain for a moment, and then a sudden flash of insight hit him, causing his eyes to widen dramatically.
(I remember now! Isn't she the female soldier who was right beside that Marine Lieutenant Commander?)
"Sir! Don't shoot! They have a hostage!" the Marine soldier shouted anxiously.
"Huh?!"
The Marine officer froze, the surrounding Marine soldiers froze, and even the pirates opposite them froze.
(Where did we get a hostage?) Sanji and Chopper thought simultaneously, completely bewildered.
(That Marine soldier... looks like the one Sherlock helped straighten his collar for at noon. Did he recognize me?)
Nami looked down at her Marine uniform thoughtfully. Because they had fled in such a rush, the orange-haired navigator hadn't had any time to change out of it.
After pondering for a moment, a glint of cunning flashed through Nami's bright, large eyes. She took a deep breath, and then...
"Ahhh!!! Please, someone save me!!!"
This incredibly high-decibel cry for help was so potent that a few startled Marine soldiers nearly misfired their rifles.
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