Kalamazo Island – Marine Base.
The sun hung lazily above the calm blue skies, casting a warm golden light across Kalamazo Island. Within the marine base's command building, Captain Sambadi reclined comfortably on a cushioned couch in his office. A light breeze blew through the open window, and the scent of fresh tea lingered in the air. With one hand behind his head and the other holding a porcelain teacup, Sambadi looked like the picture of a man enjoying his well-earned rest.
He sighed contentedly, taking another slow sip. "Finally… some peace and quiet after those endless reports on small-time pirates," he muttered to himself. "Maybe I'll even take a nap after this…"
Suddenly—
Bang!
The office door burst open with a loud slam, startling Sambadi so much he nearly spilled his tea.
"Captain!" shouted a young marine, rushing into the room. It was Ensign Saji, his ever-energetic assistant, panting as he came to a halt.
Sambadi raised an eyebrow, but kept his calm. "Saji, how many times do I have to tell you—no running indoors. You'll ruin the atmosphere."
"But Captain, this is important!"
Sambadi ignored his urgency and calmly poured another cup of tea. "Here," he said, holding out the steaming cup. "Drink some tea. It'll calm your nerves."
Saji blinked, then hesitantly took the cup. "Uh… okay." He took a quick sip. "Mmm… actually, this is really good."
"See?" Sambadi grinned. "Best leaves from Ryugu Island. A gift from my friend."
The ensign nodded, momentarily caught in the tea's aroma—before suddenly remembering his reason for barging in. He lowered the cup abruptly. "Wait—Captain! Now's not the time for tea! There's a pirate ship docked just outside the base!"
Sambadi's eye twitched slightly. "What!?" He leapt up from the couch, nearly knocking over the teapot. "Why didn't you say that first!?"
"I did! You just handed me tea!"
Grumbling, Sambadi threw on his coat-like Marine uniform with the word *"Justice"* written boldly across the back. He adjusted his cap, then marched briskly out of the office, followed closely by the still-panicked Saji.
As they stepped out onto the observation deck, the sound of shouting and boots hitting the dock echoed through the air.
"There!" Saji pointed dramatically toward the eastern dock.
A sleek, black ship had just docked at the Marine base's harbor. Its hull gleamed ominously, and its design was far from the standard merchant or civilian vessel. Sambadi's sharp eyes scanned the scene—marines had already surrounded the ship with rifles at the ready, wary of any sudden movement.
"That ship's not just any ship…" muttered Sambadi, squinting. "It's way too clean and… fancy-looking."
As Captain Sambadi stood on the edge of the dock, his eyes scanned the unusual scene before him. The black ship had no visible pirate flag, no threatening insignia—nothing that screamed danger. And yet, the atmosphere was tense.
"I don't see any pirate flag," Sambadi said, glancing over at his subordinate. "Why do you claim this is a pirate vessel?"
Saji then hurried pointed further down the dock. "Not the black ship, Captain. Look behind it."
Sambadi followed his finger and squinted. That's when he noticed it—another ship tied securely to the back of the black one. Its battered sails fluttered in the wind, and high atop its mast, the unmistakable Jolly Roger of the Black Cat Pirates flapped ominously.
"Huh… That really is a pirate ship," Sambadi muttered, now intrigued. "But… why is it lashed to the back of the black one like it's cargo?"
"I… don't know," Saji admitted, scratching his head.
"Only one way to find out," the captain said, adjusting his coat. "Let's go take a look."
With the soldiers maintaining a cautious perimeter, Sambadi and Saji strode confidently down the dock toward the black ship. As they drew closer, a young man in dark clothes with an easy smile stepped off the deck, casually walking toward them. His steps were relaxed, his demeanor calm—as if this entire situation was just routine.
The marines posted near the dock instantly perked up. A few began whispering.
"Hey—wait a minute… Isn't that—?"
"Ensign Zino!?"
"No way! That's really him?"
"Are you sure?"
One of the soldiers pulled out a small, worn-out flyer from his inner pocket, flipping it open with urgency. The paper displayed a photo of a young man delivering a decisive strike to a towering figure with a metal jaw.
"See?" he whispered, holding it up. "That's the guy who took down that corrupt Captain Morgan!"
As everyone saw the news, they become relieved, and let down their guards a little.
"Good afternoon, Ensign Zino!"
The surrounding marines straightened their backs and saluted in unison towards Zino, their voices loud and respectful.
Zino blinked, startled by the sudden display of military decorum. "Ensign? Me?" he repeated, pointing at himself in disbelief. "Since when? And why didn't I know about this?"
The marines looked at each other, confused by his reaction.
Just then, Captain Sambadi stepped forward, chuckling lightly. "Ah, so you're Ensign Zino. It's good to have someone of your caliber visiting my humble base."
Zino scratched his head, clearly puzzled. "Hold on… you're serious? You're saying I've been promoted to Ensign? Officially?"
"You didn't know?" Sambadi asked, raising an eyebrow. The casual and honest confusion on Zino's face made him narrow his eyes slightly.
"I had no idea," Zino said, raising both hands.
Sambadi felt a little suspicious. He turned to a nearby soldier who was holding a rolled-up newspaper. He snatched it gently and unrolled it before holding it up in front of Zino. "Then how about this?" he said. "Take a look at this photo. Ring any bells?"
Zino leaned in and squinted. The image was of him, mid-fight, delivering a devastating blow to Captain Morgan—the corrupt marine officer who once ruled over Shells Town with an iron fist. The scene had clearly been captured during the height of their battle.
Zino's eyes widened. "This… is me. That was during the brawl with Morgan. Who even took this picture?"
Relieved, Sambadi rolled the newspaper back up and handed it to Zino. "Well, that settles it. You're officially recognized as Ensign Zino, promoted under recommendation from Vice Admiral Garp himself. The report says the final approval came from none other than Monkey D. Kong."
Zino looked down at the article again, scanning the headlines and reading the fine print. It detailed his victory over Morgan, the impact on Shells Town, and a note about his potential as a promising new recruit. Sure enough, it stated that Vice Admiral Garp had personally vouched for his promotion—and that Kong had signed off on it.
"So… it was my grandfather who arranged this promotion, huh?" Zino muttered under his breath, staring blankly at the newspaper in his hand. Though the idea of being promoted might have excited others, Zino didn't feel much happiness about it. "Never mind about that."
He folded the newspaper and looked up at Captain Sambadi. "Anyway, Captain, let's get to the real reason I'm here. I brought you some pirates I recently caught. Figured you could take them off my hands."
Sambadi raised an eyebrow, mildly interested. "You mean the pirates on the ship tied to the back of your vessel?"
"That's right," Zino confirmed with a nod. "They're all locked up inside their own ship. Tied, gagged, and ready for delivery."
"And you did this all on your own?" Sambadi asked, genuinely impressed.
"Me and my crew," Zino clarified. "Among them is one guy I'm sure you'll recognize—Jango. He's got a bounty on his head. I brought him in with the intention of claiming the reward."
At that, Sambadi's face changed slightly. He seemed almost hesitant. "Ah… about that."
Zino narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"I'm afraid we can't grant you the bounty reward."
"What?!" Zino stared in disbelief, his voice rising in protest. "Why not? He's a wanted man. I brought him in. Isn't that how bounties work?"
Sambadi scratched his cheek, giving an apologetic look. "Yes, normally. But there's a catch. Bounty rewards are only given to civilians or registered pirate hunters. Marines, especially ranked officers, aren't eligible for bounty compensation."
Zino's eye twitched. "You're saying... I could have gotten the money… if I wasn't a marine?"
"Exactly," Sambadi said with a nod. "And you, Ensign Zino, are officially part of the marines now. That means you're doing your duty, not working for rewards."
"You mean I went through the trouble of chasing those pirates, tying them up, and hauling their sorry butts all the way here… for free?"
"Well, it's not exactly for free," Sambadi said with a chuckle. "You earned credit within the marines. It'll reflect well in your next performance evaluation."
"Oh, great," Zino muttered sarcastically. "A nice pat on the back and a gold star on my report card. That totally replaces those bounties worth million Berries."
Sambadi grinned. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll make sure the paperwork reflects your team's efforts. Maybe you'll get some supply perks out of it."
"Not the same as cold, hard cash," Zino grumbled. "Nami's going to flip when she hears this."
"Er...I'll leave the conversation with whoever this Nami is to you," Sambadi said, smiling dryly.
"Damn that grandfather of mine…" Zino muttered through clenched teeth as he paced along the dock. "This is all your fault. Promoting me to Ensign without telling me—are you trying to make a fool out of me?!"
Behind him, Captain Sambadi sweated, watching Zino's complaining. "Er… Ensign Zino? Are you alright?"
"I'm *not* alright," Zino snapped, whirling around. "I just dragged in a whole pirate crew with bounties on their heads—risked my life, wasted time, burned energy—and now you're telling me I don't get a single Berry because of a rank I didn't even ask for?!"
He sighed deeply, pressing a palm to his forehead. "This has got to be the most frustrating day of my life."
Sambadi gave him a sympathetic smile. "Look, I get where you're coming from. But rules are rules. Active-duty marines aren't allowed to claim bounty rewards. It's been that way for decades."
Zino stared at him, deadpan. "So, I'm supposed to just smile and walk away while millions of Berries go down the drain?"
"Well, when you put it like that…" Sambadi chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I suppose I'd be just as upset as you."
"Exactly." Zino threw his hands up. "Captain, be honest. If someone handed you a reward worth nine million Berries for work you already did, would you turn it down just because of a title?"
"...No," Sambadi admitted sheepishly. "I probably wouldn't."
"Thought so," Zino grumbled. "And would you be mad if you already did the job, but the reward is not given to you?"
"Look Ensign Zino. That's besides the point-"
"Just answer me, Captain."
"Well, I will certainly become mad."
"That's right!" Zino said, knowingly. That's how I felt too. And, that's just Jango's bounty. Who knows how much the rest of those Black Cat Pirates were worth. I could've walked out of here with a small fortune and a free vacation."
Sambadi cleared his throat. "Yes, well… Unfortunately, your status as a marine supersedes all that."
"Of course it does," Zino said, bulging his eyes in frustration.
There was a beat of silence before Zino waved dismissively toward the captured pirate ship. "Whatever. Just take them. I'll dump the whole crew here. Do with them whatever you will. I don't need their BOUNTY anyway. Not the least bit."
"Er...okay." Sambadi smiled dryly at Zino's sarcastic remarks. Look like somebody's grandson is throwing tantrums.