Note: First of all, I sincerely apologise for not updating over the past two days. This month has been extremely busy, and I haven't had much time to keep up with updates. But don't worry, readers—I'll make it up to you this week.
Enjoy three chapters today!
..........
Elsewhere, Judge rejoined the Lieutenant Commander.
"Are you leaving, Mr. Judge?" Lieutenant Commander Fraser asked.
Judge didn't answer right away. He paused, his expression dark, before finally speaking—his words so heavy that Fraser's jaw nearly dropped in disbelief.
"I want to give the Marines a gift… and I hope you can help me, Lieutenant Commander Fraser."
Fraser blinked in confusion. "A gift?"
"I want to hand Vinsmoke Sanji over to the Marines," Judge said, exhaling slowly.
Fraser's pupils contracted in shock. "What?!"
This explosive news was immediately reported to Marine Headquarters, straight to the Fleet Admiral's office.
.......
"So that's how it is? Very well. I'll assign two Admirals to oversee Pluton's transport. Kuzan and Fujitora are closest to your location—they can handle the mission."
"If mass production truly is possible, I'll have to trouble you to accelerate the process. We need a vast fleet of Pluton-class warships."
"Yes, as many as resources allow. Build to the very limits of the Marines' finances, manpower, and materials."
"Also… about Pluton's power system—that nuclear fusion method—can it be adapted for other uses?"
"For example, supplying energy for everyday life? Powering warships, Sea Trains, and more."
"Such an efficient energy conversion technology, paired with our world's limitless seawater resources, should never go to waste."
"Is it really feasible? Excellent."
Arashi's cheerful voice filled the office.
The officer delivering the message waited until Arashi had finished and hung up the Den Den Mushi before drawing a deep breath. His tone was nervous as he reported,
"Vinsmoke Judge has departed, sir."
Arashi looked up, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Is that so? Did he take Sanji with him?"
"No, Fleet Admiral. Mr. Judge didn't take Sanji. Instead…" the officer hesitated, baffled, "he gave Vinsmoke Sanji to the Marines."
Even Arashi raised an eyebrow at that. "Gave him to the Marines? What do you mean?"
The officer shook his head quickly. "I… don't know, sir."
Even if he suspected anything, he would never voice it in front of the supreme commander. That would be overstepping.
Arashi didn't press further. After a moment of silence, he chuckled softly. "That Vinsmoke Judge… cunning as ever."
Handing Sanji over to the Marines—clearly a way to wash his hands of the matter entirely.
It was obvious that some conflict had erupted between father and son. Arashi leaned back in his chair and spoke calmly,
"In that case, Sanji belongs to us now. Assign him as a guard at Sky Prison for the time being. As for his rank…" He paused briefly. "With his strength, Ensign should suffice."
The officer froze for a second, then saluted crisply. "Yes, sir!"
.......
An hour later, on the seventh floor of Sky Prison.
"What's going on?"
Sanji's eyes widened as the cell door creaked open and two guards unlocked the shackles on his wrists. This was far too strange.
"You're free, Vinsmoke Sanji," Lieutenant Commander Fraser said with a grin.
Sanji stared at him in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said! Well… not quite. You've been sold to the Marines by your father."
"So, from this moment on, you're one of us," Fraser said cheerfully.
"Sold to the Marines?!" Sanji's voice cracked. Then his face twisted in fury. "That bastard… what does he think I am?!"
Fraser shrugged, handing him a Marine uniform. "You said you'd rather die than accept his help, right? Well, here's another option—he sold you to us instead."
"You'd have rotted in that cell until you died of old age. Now, at least, you have freedom."
Sanji stood frozen, unable to process what his father had done.
"Listen up, Vinsmoke Sanji. From this moment, your position is Sky Prison guard, rank: Ensign!" Fraser announced.
"I'm… a Marine?" Sanji muttered in a daze.
The absurdity of it all nearly made him laugh.
Thirty minutes later, dressed in a standard Marine uniform with the white "Justice" coat draped over his shoulders and a Marine cap snug on his head, Sanji felt like he was dreaming.
He had resisted at first, but one sentence from Fraser changed everything:
"Kid, this isn't something you can refuse. You're now Marine property. The order came directly from Fleet Admiral Arashi himself."
"And besides… if you join the Marines, you might get a chance to see your crewmates again."
Hearing that, Sanji reluctantly donned the uniform.
But to his bitter disappointment, the next five days passed without a single glimpse of Luffy or Zoro.
He learned that the others were on the seventh floor, Zoro on the eighth, and Luffy—along with Red-Hair and Big Mom—on the ninth.
After hearing more about Sky Prison, Sanji sank into despair.
"Ten thousand meters in the sky… a tower built entirely from a new Seastone-based alloy that completely nullifies Devil Fruits. Its security makes Impel Down look like a playground."
And the island floated directly above Marine Headquarters. If anything happened, the Marines could send an army instantly.
Once you entered this prison, escape was impossible.
"This place makes Impel Down look easy," Sanji muttered bitterly.
For the first time, his future felt like an endless void.
From conversations with his fellow guards, he learned that the Age of Pirates was truly over.
With the Revolutionary Army, the Whitebeard Pirates, and the Straw Hats all defeated, the New World now lay firmly in Marine hands.
The remnants of piracy were being rounded up and locked away, sorted by power level across the tower's nine floors.
"Am I going to spend the rest of my life here?" Sanji thought grimly.
Three days later, while on patrol, he finally saw familiar faces—Usopp, Chopper, Nami, Robin, Brook, and Franky—all together in one section.
"Chopper! Usopp! Nami! Robin! Brook! Franky!"
Sanji's heart leapt with joy.
"Sanji?! What the hell—?" Usopp gaped.
"I became a Marine," Sanji said, lowering his head in shame.
To his shock, the crew looked… relieved.
"That's great!" Usopp exclaimed.
Sanji blinked. "You're… not mad?"
"Of course not! Now you can bring us real food and keep us company," Usopp said with a wry grin. "Otherwise, who knows how long we'll rot in here?"
The truth was crushing. From the moment they were locked away, they knew they were fighting the tide of history—an entire era had turned against them.
"Have you seen Luffy?" Franky asked.
Sanji shook his head. "No. He and Moss-head are on the upper floors. I haven't gotten clearance yet."
"At least there's still hope," Brook murmured.
They tried to laugh, tried to smile, but the despair in their hearts was undeniable.
Seeing Sanji free while they were caged was bittersweet. They were happy for him, but…
After all, the difference between freedom and captivity was like night and day.
Eventually, Sanji walked away, and as his footsteps faded, a shadow fell over his face.
Two days later, he received new orders—to patrol the ninth floor.
His team was led by a Captain, a Devil Fruit user who had mastered both forms of Haki and was already slated for promotion to Rear Admiral.
The eighth and ninth floors were different—deadly. Here, one wrong word to the wrong person could cost you your life.
"Stay sharp," the Captain warned. "The prisoners here aren't just dangerous—they're legends. Show proper respect in front of senior officers."
Sanji nodded along with the others, though his heart pounded in his chest.
Moments later, the elevator doors slid open.
The ninth floor was nothing like the others. It was smaller, colder—eight corridors branching out from a central hub, each guarded by officers of flag rank.
The oppressive security alone made Sanji's stomach knot.
"Maintain constant communication," the Captain ordered grimly. "Report anything unusual immediately. Remember—this floor is the core of hell itself."
With orders given, the patrols split into pairs. Sanji and his partner entered the third corridor, their boots echoing on the steel floor.
They passed through a long, dim passage—until suddenly, blinding light exploded ahead.
As his eyes gradually adjusted, Sanji was surprised to find that this area was as bright as the outside world; it was no exaggeration to say it was like broad daylight.
"It's so bright," Sanji murmured.
"Don't think this is a kindness to the prisoners, Sanji. This is a cruel form of punishment," a Lieutenant Commander said in a low voice.
"No human can endure an endless day." "Endless day?" Sanji froze.
"For six months of the year, it will be a blindingly bright day like this. For the other six months, it will be a pitch-black night."
"Either way, over a long period, it is an incredibly painful experience for the prisoners." Hearing this, Sanji imagined it for a moment and shuddered.
The man was right; it was a cruel punishment, a form of torture for both the mind and body. "Let's continue the mission," Sanji said with a nod.
Half a day later, in one of the cells, he saw Zoro, lying there spread-eagled. His spirit was completely different from before his capture.
Zoro now looked limp and exhausted, with heavy, dark circles around his eyes.
"Zoro," Sanji called out softly.
Zoro's body twitched, and he suddenly shot upright, his eyes flying open. "
The voice of Curly Brows? Am I hallucinating?" Zoro muttered.
"Zoro! It's me!" Sanji shouted, his face darkening. Zoro turned his head slowly, his mental state clearly very poor and filled with exhaustion.
"A Marine? Looks like it really is a hallucination," Zoro said blankly.
His gaze was vacant, and he looked like he hadn't slept in a very long time.
Seeing his usual sparring partner, the one he bantered and fought with, in such a state, Sanji felt a pang of sadness. "It's me, Sanji, Zoro! Wake up!"
Hearing this, Zoro shook his head hard, and his bloodshot eyes cleared slightly. "Is it really you? You became a Marine?"
Sanji nodded.
"That's good," Zoro said wearily. "It's a long story. Where's Luffy?" Sanji asked.
Zoro pointed in one direction, his dry, pale lips cracked and peeling. Sanji handed him a bottle of water and then ran in the direction he had indicated.
A short while later, Sanji found Luffy in his cell, sitting listlessly against a corner, clearly also in a poor state of mind.
"Luffy!" he called softly, tossing a piece of meat into the cell. The latter caught it and began to wolf it down, devouring it down to the bone in just a few breaths.
"Sanji!" Revived by the food, Luffy cried out in delight.
"Luffy!" Sanji smiled back.
"Did you escape? And you stole a uniform!" Luffy asked, surprised after getting a better look.
"I became a Marine," Sanji said.
"A Marine?" Luffy paused, scratched his head, then smiled and said.
"Come to think of it, Arashi said before that he wanted to cooperate with us. I bet he's going to make a move on the World Government soon."
"Sanji, we'll be free soon!" He said this with such confidence that it startled Sanji.
"Make a move on the World Government? What an unbelievably audacious man," Sanji sighed.
"Ace and Sabo said the same thing; they all respect him a lot. I respect him a lot, too!" Luffy said with a smile.
His words were frank and held no trace of falsehood. Sanji felt relieved. Although this ninth level was clearly a form of torture, it seemed Luffy and Zoro were still holding on.
If what Luffy said was true, it wouldn't be long before they could get out.
"The World Government? I've always wondered, Luffy, what you would do after you became the Pirate King, found the final island, and obtained the One Piece."
"Perhaps your final goal would have been the World Government anyway," Sanji murmured.
But Luffy didn't answer.
After his brief burst of energy, he had returned to his listless state.
Under the constant glare of the white light, even the strong-willed Luffy was being worn down and tormented day by day.
"Luffy, I'll come visit you often," Sanji said finally. He felt a little comforted. His captain, Luffy, wasn't angry about his new Marine identity.
Furthermore, he suddenly realized that with his new status as a Marine, he could provide many conveniences for his friends.
Luffy gave a listless wave, a sight that made Sanji feel both sorry for him and want to laugh.
He relaxed a bit; at least for the time being, his crewmates wouldn't have any major problems.
Then, he suddenly remembered the moss-head. He went back, chatted with the exhausted Zoro for a while, gave him some more food and water, and then continued his patrol with his colleagues.
Over the next three to five days, he often talked with Luffy and Zoro, and also saw Ace, Dragon, and the others.
"Is there any hope of them getting out?" During a break, Sanji leaned against a wall and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.
"I think so, I've heard whispers recently that the Fleet Admiral is reviewing the files on these pirates, and if you connect that to the old rumors about him..." Sanji froze and turned his head.
"What rumors? You don't know? Fleet Admiral Arashi was famous for recruiting pirates as his subordinates. People even used it as an excuse to criticize him back in the day," his Ensign colleague said with a laugh.
"Where did you hear that?" someone asked curiously. "I used to be under Vice Admiral Shinbu, and Vice Admiral Shinbu is Fleet Admiral Arashi's sworn brother."
"So, by extension, you could say I'm one of the Fleet Admiral's trusted men," the Ensign said with a hint of pride.
This not only stunned Sanji but also made him find the story very credible. The others, upon hearing the name Vice Admiral Shinbu, showed a bit of reverence in their eyes.
....
Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had gone by.
On this day, at the new Marine Headquarters, a large number of elite soldiers had gathered at the inner harbor dry dock, heavily guarding all the main passages and creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
The flag-rank officers near the front stared in shock at the black monster that was slowly moving through the harbor.
It was like a beast from hell that had broken through dimensions to arrive in this world.
Although it was just a ship, it gave everyone an incredibly heavy, suffocating feeling.
Cannon barrels of various sizes and lengths, all menacing and black, pointed in every direction, reflecting a dark light under the sun.
It moved slowly, yet it exuded an indescribable sense of fear and dread.
"Pluton," Kizaru murmured, his eyes narrowed.
His voice was soft, but all the officers heard him, and their expressions all changed at once.
"Is that Pluton? The legendary Ancient Weapon, Pluton!"
"Fleet Admiral Arashi actually obtained this weapon? It belongs to our Marines now!"
"It's just a warship, yet it has a terrifying aura no less powerful than any of the world's top fighters."
"Legend says its power can easily destroy an island. Just one full broadside from its cannons, its power would probably be no less than a Buster Call."
A buzz of shocked and awed voices quickly spread. No one knew the true extent of Pluton's legendary power, but its name, passed down through the ages, was enough to drive anyone in the world to madness. Finally, the Pluton slowly docked at the port.
Everyone stared at the behemoth, swallowing nervously. Some were shocked by its design, so different from the ships of this era, while others wondered what its appearance now signified.
"I wonder where Arashi will test this ship's power," Kizaru thought, his eyes glinting.
He knew very well that Pluton's arrival at this time was for exactly that purpose: a test of its power.
After waiting a moment, Kizaru glanced to the side. "Where's the main attraction?" he muttered.
The very next second, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, landing precisely on the bow of the Pluton. Then, the light dissipated, revealing the figure of Arashi.
"It's Fleet Admiral Arashi!"
The eyes of all the officers lit up as they looked at the powerful figure.
"So this is the restored Pluton," Arashi's voice was heard a moment later.
Only then was everyone completely certain that the black monster docked before them was the legendary Pluton.
"You can't even see a trace of its dilapidated state from when it was first unearthed."
Arashi walked across the deck of the new Pluton, admiring its silhouette, which looked like a ferocious demon, all claws and teeth, incredibly evil and menacing.
From the engine room deep within the ship's hull, he could clearly feel a colossal energy signature.
"Nuclear fusion?" Arashi's eyes glinted.
He transformed into lightning and appeared in the engine room in an instant. He opened the lid of the power furnace and looked inside.
A brilliant pearl, the size of a ping-pong ball, was hovering there quietly. Below it was a stream of clear, transparent water, and above it were pipes sparking with electricity.
With just a single glance, he could sense the immense, terrifying energy contained within that tiny pearl.
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach the top 100)
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