Marine Headquarters.
Before Shiki's bounty was officially announced.
Inside a meeting room, a group of Marine officers sat around a long table.
A report from East Blue had just arrived.
"Arlong's been taken down."
"Captain Nezumi is dead."
"And the man responsible calls himself... Shiki."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Then one of the veteran officers burst out laughing.
"Shiki?!"
A few others immediately started grinning because they knew where this was going.
"No way."
"The Golden Lion?"
"Come on, at least pick a less famous name."
The laughter spread around the room.
One Marine wiped tears from the corner of his eyes.
"I swear, every few years some idiot pops up claiming he's Roger's son or Whitebeard's secret heir."
"Or the future Pirate King and now we've got someone pretending to be Shiki."
"What's next? A guy calling himself Garp?"
The room erupted into laughter again.
The officer holding the report looked increasingly uncomfortable.
"...If you're done laughing, there's more."
The room gradually quieted.
"What is it?"
"The report says Arlong was defeated almost instantly."
"Huh?"
"The fight barely lasted, it... it was completely one sided."
That got a few raised eyebrows.
Still, nobody looked particularly concerned.
"So what?" one officer said while leaning back in his chair.
"Arlong was a big fish in East Blue. That's all."
"Exactly."
"Drop him into the Grand Line and he'd get folded before lunch."
In the end, most of the officers agreed that it was probably nothing more than a publicity stunt.
Some upstart pirate had likely picked a famous name to attract attention.
It wouldn't be the first time.
Still, whether this so-called Shiki was the real deal or just another fraud couldn't be determined from a single report.
More observation would be needed.
After a brief discussion, the officers eventually reached a decision.
"Raise the bounty. If he's got the talent to back it up, then the bounty won't be a mistake."
"And if he doesn't?"
A Marine officer smirked.
"Then some ambitious pirate will take his head trying to make a name for himself or a bounty hunter will collect the reward for us."
Either way, the Marines lost nothing.
If the man called Shiki truly possessed the strength hinted at in the report, the bounty would serve as an early warning to the world and if he was just another fool chasing fame...
The sea itself would deal with him soon enough.
Meanwhile, Shiki remained completely unaware that the Marines had already placed him on their private fraud watchlist.
At that moment, his attention was on something far more important.
The template progress.
[God-Level Template System]
[First Template: Golden Lion Shiki — Compatibility: 100%]
[Second Template: Shiki Tohno — Compatibility: 100%]
[Third Template: Yami Sukehiro — Progress: 5%]
[Abilities Acquired: Top-Tier Armament Haki, Top-Tier Observation Haki, Top-Tier Advanced Conqueror's Haki, Top-Tier Swordsmanship, Fuwa Fuwa no Mi (Awakened), Mystic Eyes of Death Perception — Top Stage]
[Skills: Basic Three Ninja Techniques, Body Flicker Technique]
[Daily Tasks: None]
Shiki stared at the floating blue screen visible only to him. The corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly.
"Five percent..."
It wasn't low. In fact, considering whose template it was, that number was already surprisingly generous.
After all, this wasn't some nameless swordsman or ordinary mage. This was Yami Sukehiro.
A monster who had carved his name into history through sheer strength, willpower, and countless impossible battles.
Five percent of Yami was already worth more than fifty percent of most people. Even so, Shiki couldn't help feeling a little dissatisfied.
Because five percent was still just five percent. It wasn't enough to grant him any of Yami's truly iconic abilities.
Which meant one thing. His reputation still wasn't nearly large enough.
A bounty in the tens of millions might be impressive in East Blue, but compared to the entire world, it was barely worth mentioning.
If he wanted the template to advance rapidly... If he wanted to obtain Yami's real power...
Then a bounty measured in billions would likely be where the truly dramatic changes began.
The thought caused a faint smile to appear on his face.
A billion-berry bounty. For most pirates, that was an impossible dream.
For him?
It was merely a matter of time.
The sea breeze swept across the deck. Days passed quietly.
Under Nami's navigation, the small ship continued its journey across East Blue.
A week later, the outline of an enormous town finally appeared on the horizon.
Loguetown.
The Town of the Beginning and the End.
Shiki spread his Observation Haki over the town to look for someone but found nothing.
It seemed that at this time he wasn't around, so he really had come here specifically for Monkey D. Luffy.
What a good dad you are, Dragon.
But he also found that many of the crews on different ships were afraid of Smoker's Devil Fruit ability. Most of them wore robes that covered their faces, making them look even more suspicious.
But Shiki didn't care.
There were many things to do in Loguetown.
Not only did they need to buy food, fresh water, and other necessities, but they also needed to replace the flag and take care of various other chores.
He couldn't remain flagless forever.
At the very least, he wanted to give the ship a better appearance—something that actually looked like a pirate ship.
And of course, a proper Jolly Roger.
One designed by himself.
"Nami, you will arrange the purchase of things. We will go around town, there's something I want to buy."
Shiki spoke to Nami, who had just walked over to his side.
Nami folded her arms and looked at him suspiciously.
"Eh? Why do I suddenly feel like I've become your errand girl?"
"Because you are the navigator."
"That's not the same thing!"
Nami immediately protested, but then something seemed to click in her mind, and she narrowed her eyes.
"...Wait."
"You're not planning to spend all our money on something stupid, are you?"
Shiki simply laughed and jumped off the ship.
...
Inside the Marine base office, Smoker sat with a cigar in his mouth, his legs resting on the desk in front of him as he listened to his subordinate's report.
"Shiki. A pirate with a bounty of 100 million berries, the man who fought Arlong, recently appeared in East Blue without any prior information. There is also another person beside him, and he has killed Captain Nezumi of the 16th Branch."
Smoker listened quietly.
Then he lowered his legs from the desk and stood up.
He pressed the cigar into the ashtray and snuffed it out, then said indifferently, "Captain Nezumi of the 16th Branch has already been investigated. He colluded with Arlong, working with him from both inside and outside Cocoyasi Village to harm the villagers."
Smoker narrowed his eyes and looked out the window.
According to the report under his command, Shiki had actually done quite a few good things after coming to East Blue.
But in the end, Captain Nezumi was still a Marine.
Even if he had accepted bribes, he should have been judged by the Marines, not killed by a pirate.
Shiki had killed a Marine captain.
Wasn't that the same as slapping the Navy in the face?
That kind of thing was absolutely not allowed to happen.
"That's right, Colonel Smoker!" one of his subordinate officers immediately said.
"According to the information we received, Shiki should pass through Loguetown today and head toward the Grand Line!"
"Oh?"
Smoker was slightly surprised.
At first, he had thought Shiki killed the big pirate of East Blue because he wanted to bring East Blue under his control.
But thinking about it again, how could a small place like East Blue possibly hold down a big pirate like Shiki?
The Grand Line was where men like that sharpened their swords.
"I want everyone out on patrol these next few days," Smoker said as he lit another cigar.
"Captain Smoker, you should still be careful..." The officer's forehead broke out in a little cold sweat as he reminded him carefully.
"After all, the other party is a big pirate with a bounty of 100 million..."
"What kind of Marine is afraid of pirates?"
Smoker frowned, turned his head sharply, and spoke with obvious anger.
The subordinate officers were frightened into silence.
None of them dared to say another word.
They could only leave the room hastily.
"Shiki..."
Smoker exhaled a ring of smoke, placed both hands on the windowsill, and stared out the window with a thoughtful expression.
"Let me see whether your name carries the same danger as that legend."
The next moment, Smoker appeared on the streets of Loguetown.
He had no intention of bringing too many Marines with him on patrol. If he made too much noise, it would only startle the target and make him wary.
So Smoker only brought two or three Marines with him.
Then, an urgent report came in.
"Captain Smoker... we've found the ship."
"The warship that pirate Shiki stole from the Navy has arrived at Loguetown."
"What?"
Smoker's eyes narrowed.
"Sure enough, it's you."
It seemed Shiki had already arrived in Loguetown.
Smoker frowned and muttered under his breath.
"Search the whole town! Make sure you find Shiki's trail!"
"Yes, sir!"
On the other side, Shiki, who had been walking around Loguetown with Nami, smiled as he realized his traces had already been exposed.
Still, he was perfectly content to continue visiting the central square with Nami.
After all, if he wanted to make proper preparations for the future, wouldn't it be better to loot the Navy here directly and have them help him instead?
The King's execution platform.
"This is where the Pirate King, Roger, was executed?"
Nami looked at the tall wooden platform, and the reports about the day of the Pirate King's execution flashed through her mind.
"It's hard to believe one man's death changed the entire world."
Shiki chuckled, golden light flashing faintly in his eyes.
"Roger didn't change the world when he died."
"He changed it with his last words."
Then he looked away from the execution platform and suddenly grabbed Nami's hand.
"Let's go."
Nami froze.
"Eh?"
A faint blush appeared on her face before she quickly tried to hide it.
"W-What are you suddenly doing?!"
Shiki ignored her reaction and started walking.
"They're hopeless."
"Searching all over Loguetown while the person they're looking for is standing right here. That leaves me no choice but to present myself there."
Nami blinked her big eyes in confusion, wondering who the "they" he was talking about were.
Shiki and Nami directly found the Marine base in Loguetown.
Although it was called a Marine base, it was really just an office building, and the strongest person stationed there was Smoker, the base commander.
Shiki stood in front of the gate.
The guard at the entrance immediately became alert the moment he saw Shiki's face.
He raised his gun and aimed it at Shiki.
Shiki only gave Nami a look.
Nami understood.
Two hands slipped around the Marine from behind. She placed a knife against the shoulders of both guards, and the two men fainted.
Shiki nodded in satisfaction.
It seemed that during this week of training, she had let go of her fear somewhat.
But when he saw her eyes, he also understood what she wanted to say.
Let's run away, please.
It seemed he still had to train her some more.
Shiki walked into the Marine base with a swagger, as if he were entering an empty street.
Nami gritted her teeth and followed after him with trembling legs, her helpless eyes fixed on her captain's back.
The Marines standing guard along the way failed to stop Shiki.
One sailor thought he would be killed, but all he received was a sideways glance before Shiki walked past him and sat down in Smoker's seat inside his office.
The sailor broke out in a cold sweat.
Then, seizing the opportunity, he ran away to inform Smoker.
"Captain Smoker! No... this is bad! Shiki is here!"
The sailor rushed toward Smoker, who was still searching for Shiki, shouting in panic while out of breath.
Smoker had been strolling through the streets with Tashigi, the girl with glasses and a sword.
When he heard his subordinate say that Shiki had actually gone to his office to wait for him, he was momentarily stunned.
Then veins bulged on his forehead.
His body turned into smoke, and he rushed back at once.
"Wait for me, Captain Smoker!"
Tashigi shouted from behind him.
Then she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword and ran after him as well.
...
Boom!
"As expected, it was indeed better to have someone inform you."
Shiki raised his head calmly and spoke lightly, his eyes filled with coldness.
Seeing Shiki for the first time, Smoker, who had rushed over in anger, suddenly felt as if all the strength in his body had been drained away.
His whole body trembled because of the atmosphere around Shiki, who sat calmly in his chair with eyes like golden torches in the dark.
Even Tashigi and the other Marines who arrived late felt a lingering chill in their hearts.
"So you are Shiki."
Smoker clenched his fists and loudly declared his identity first, trying to drive away the dread rising in his heart.
"I'm Navy Captain Smoker, the man guarding Loguetown. I'm going to arrest you today!"
As for whether he could actually arrest Shiki, Smoker didn't think too deeply about it.
As a Marine, this was something he had to do.
Shiki only smiled when he heard Smoker's words.
Arrest him?
Shiki found it funny.
If it were an Admiral or someone even stronger, perhaps he would have taken it a little seriously.
But Smoker?
Where did he get that confidence?
"Is that so?"
Shiki raised his eyebrows and spoke sarcastically.
"If you can block just one of my moves, I won't kill you. You can dodge, use your Devil Fruit power, or try any method you like."
The moment those words came out, Smoker felt as if he had been completely underestimated.
"One move?"
"Don't make me laugh. I'll put you down!"
With that, his body turned into smoke, and he attacked Shiki with his seastone-tipped jitte.
Bang!
Before Smoker even understood what had happened, a sharp pain exploded in his stomach.
"Cough!"
A mouthful of blood surged into Smoker's throat.
"He's so fast!"
Tashigi, who was standing at the side, couldn't help but exclaim.
He had moved almost instantly.
Nami, however, wasn't surprised by Shiki's strength. She only breathed a sigh of relief.
'What the hell? That weird smoke had made her feel wary of this Smoker guy, but he was beaten down just as expected. Although Shiki was always making her work, he was strong.'
Smoker's body flew backward under the tremendous force, smashing through the window before falling downstairs.
Glass shattered and scattered across the lawn.
Tashigi hurriedly jumped down after him and helped Smoker up.
"Captain! Are you okay?"
Tashigi spoke worriedly.
Smoker covered his stomach and waved his hand, but he didn't speak.
The scene of the battle kept replaying in his mind.
"Can you still stand?"
Shiki suddenly appeared in front of them.
He crouched down and smiled teasingly, but there was a trace of sarcasm in his smile.
"Stay back."
Tashigi stepped in front of Smoker and drew her sword.
Her hands were shaking.
Her instincts were screaming at her to run but her feet refused to move.
A Marine who abandoned her comrades had no right to call herself a swordswoman.
"Hoh? Are you standing up to me?"
Shiki walked closer.
And the closer he came, the more Tashigi felt as if her body had been locked in place, unable to move.
"Now, I will give you Marines two choices."
"What you choose is your own freedom."
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